This idea came about after having seen The Seventh Seal for the first time all the way through. The idea of using the character of the Reaper appealed and it was a short jump to Bill & Ted’s version. So I wanted to put some humour into the piece if possible.
The next thing to pop in my head at the time was Ralph Stanley singing “O Death” in “O brother where art tho'” Which was then where I wanted to take the piece as a kind of answer song from Deaths perspective. Initially tough I had no idea how I was going to get there.
38.O Ralph. (July ’14)
If you like things dark and gloomy,
Then my psyches plenty roomy,
I’m pitch black but I’m not dread,
That last drinks really hurt my head,
It feels just fit to burst,
I dunno whats the worst,
Not remembering my beginnings
Or losing count of all the endings,
Some point and say that’s him,
Some say that I’m too grim,
Some stop and say are you Swedish,
While others say I cheat at Chess,
And that they’ll never like me,
Even if, I did hang out with Bill and Ted,
I wish I could recall but alas its all gone,
Who I am, or what I do, or where I’m from,
So I’m gonna have to wander,
While I ponder, my own name,
But lo! On 5th Avenue North,
An old song is bursting forth,
Now I know my name it’s not too late,
I am Death ! I work with my brother Fate,
I owe you now so much,
Oh Bluegrass singing Ralph,
And I’ll do my best to postpone,
The day when I must come,
And I shake your hand in grateful thanks,
Live well and prosper now,
My dear new friend,
O Ralph.
(c) Jim Laing 2014.
Outtakes.
I’m only a razor blade from happiness,
Just a cutting tool from bliss,
But all that slicing and that dicing,
And that to-ing and that fro-ing,
And the constant painful knawing,
As I wait for things to start slowing,
Perhaps….
I need a different method than this,
Im only a gunshot from Nirvana,
Sure some will say thats bad taste,
But all that loading and that aiming,
I wish I could remember,
What happened that November,
When I shook hands with JFK,
But woke up with LBJ,
Who said perhaps I shouldn’t stay,
And besides he wouldnt leave his wife
And id just get in the way,
And maybe I should take a holiday,
And isn’t Vietnam nice this time of year,
I shook hands with JFK,
I shared a stall with Elvis,
Took the same plane as Buddy Holly,
And chilled out with Hendrix,
