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June 29, 2009
Someone Will Take Care of Me
In a meeting with Emma and Yvan a few days ago, we discussed an emerging progression in the songs so far. There’s a sense of moving through someone’s life — following the different health-related issues that concern him in childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle age, and old age. It seems that the songs in Thirteen Near-Death Experiences can be presented in an order that makes such a progression implicit, if not obvious.
So what does the end of that progression look like? What would be the final thoughts expressed in this piece? Almost all of the songs in Thirteen… have a mood of extreme loneliness, so I thought the final song should present a possible remedy.
I remembered the first time I was sick away from home — my first time being sick and having no one around to help take care of me. I had to make my own soup. I had to go to the grocery store nauseous to buy soda and saltines. That’s part of the inspiration for this song — the finale of Thirteen Near-Death Experiences. When the singer finally succumbs to his unavoidable terminal illness, when he’s admitted to the hospital in serious condition, his loneliness will at last be assuaged… because someone will be required to take care of him.
The instruments in this song are: flute, clarinet, drum set, piano, violin, and cello. I have some concerns that the lyrics may be over the top (although I also have a strong desire to change the line “Someone who never scowls” to “Someone who never scowls when my bowel growls” or “Someone who never scowls at my fowl bowel”). I also want to know if/how I should musically fill in the gap between the second chorus and the third verse. What do you think?
Someone Will Take Care of Me
Download Score (PDF)
I’ll be a shut-in someday soon
Trapped in a white-walled room
Festooned with black and yellow roses
My prognosis absolutely hopeless
But…
Someone will take care of me
As illness devours
My mortal clay
Someone will be constantly aware of me
Helping me shower
Wiping my tears away
Someone will be there for me
Every hour
Of every day
Someone who’ll wrap me in warm towels
Someone who never scowls
Someone who’s cautious not to scold me
And when I’m nauseous, someone to hold me
Someone will take care of me
As illness devours
My mortal clay
Someone will be constantly aware of me
Helping me shower
Wiping my tears away
Someone will be there for me
Every hour
Of every day
[What to put here? Instrumental solo, more lyrics, a dance?]
Someone who’ll hold my dead hand
Someone who’ll empty out my very last bedpan
Someone will take care of me
As illness devours
My mortal clay
Someone will be constantly aware of me
Helping me shower
Wiping my tears away
Someone will be there for me
Every hour
Of every day
Originally posted by coreyneardeath from Thirteen Near-Death Experiences, ReBlogged by newmusicrebloggers on Jun 29, 2009 at 11:12 PM