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
Audio has been removed.
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
[...] you be massivelypressedfortime, I’d check out “What Will It Be for Me?” and “Someone Will Take Care for Me.” More Dargelmusik is here. His take on a Christmas song is pretty much [...]
[...] you be massivelypressedfortime, I’d check out “What Will It Be for Me?” and “Someone Will Take Care for Me.” More Dargelmusik is here. His take on a Christmas song is pretty much [...]
Corey, this is a great one, and I can’t wait to play it. My only thought was wanting a slight difference in the lyrics of the final chorus. Can one or two lines be substituted for an even greater feeling of finality at the song’s end? Can it get even sadder, LOL?
Corey replies: Thanks, Jacob. I hadn’t thought about that. I like the idea. Let me see if I can find another workable rhyme with shower, devour, and hour, to substitute a line or two… Or maybe the last chorus should just switch to past tense?
and by the way – this picture of you on the gurney TOTALLY creeps me out.
Corey replies You know that’s not me, right? Just checking.
Corey – I find this song so moving, it caught my breath as soon as it started to play. There is something extravagant, unrestrained about it that took me by surprise, I don’t know why. But I love it very much, and I quite agree with Yvan that the lyrics are not too much, or if they are, they feel right and necessary. And yes, I like the instrumental break with maybe some dancing.
Corey replies: Thanks, Emma. I’m glad you find it moving and appropriate finale material. This is, I think, the only song where everyone is playing all the time, which may be why it sounds so much more extravagant than the other songs. A good thing, I think. I’ll be curious to know what the musicians think of it when we read through it in rehearsal this weekend.
This is a beautiful song.
Corey replies: Thanks, Eric!
Wow. This is really beautiful and so extremely sad. LOVE it as the ending of the piece. Re: the lyrics…I don’t think there’s necessarily anything more over the top about them than the rest of the songs. And if there is, it’s in a way which seems appropriate for this kind of a ending to the piece. Something logical about a little extra over-the-top-ness. But I don’t think it is in any way too much. The space btw chorus 2 & verse 3…I don’t think the song needs more lyrics at all. A short period there of instrumental + dance could be very nice.
Corey replies: Thanks, Yvan!
This song makes me feel good, But the words are so depressing.
Corey replies: Thanks, GregS. I like that the music and words are each pushing you in a different direction.