He Thought of Himself in 1962, at Fifty, When He Would Be Old, but Not Quite
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
He thought of himself in 1962, at fifty, when he would be old, but not quite old enough to be useless, and of the weathered, knowing doctor he would be by then, with the secret stories, the tragedies and success stacked behind him. Also stacked would be books by the thousand, for there would be a study, vast and gloomy, richly crammed with the trophies of a lifetime’s travel and thought—rare rain forest herbs, poisoned arrows, failed electrical inventions, soapstone figurines, shrunken skulls, aboriginal art. On the shelves, medical reference and meditations, certainly, but also the books that now filled the cubbyhole in the bungalow attic—the eighteenth-century poetry that had almost persuaded him he should be a landscape gardener, his third-edition Jane Austin, his Eliot and Lawrence and Wilfred Owen, the complete set of Conrad, the priceless 1783 edition of Crabbe’s The Village, his Housman, the autographed copy of Auden’s The Dance of Death. For this was the point, surely: he would be a better doctor for having read literature. What deep readings his modified sensibility might make of human suffering, of the self-destructive folly or sheer bad luck that drive men toward ill health! Birth, death, and frailty in between. Rise and fall—this was the doctor’s business, and it was literature’s too. He was thinking of the nineteenth-century novel. Broad tolerance and the long view, and inconspicuously warm heart and cool judgment; his kind of doctor would be alive to the monstrous patterns of fate, and to the vain and comic denial of the inevitable; he would press the enfeebled pulse, hear the expiring breath, feel the fevered hand begin to cool and reflect, in the manner that only literature and religion teach, on the puniness and nobility of mankind ... (Atonement by Ian McEwan) Your Song (Music: Elton John, lyrics: Bernie Taupin) (1970 album: Elton John) It's a little bit funny this feeling inside I'm not one of those who can easily hide I don't have much money but boy if I did I'd buy a big house where we both could live If I was a sculptor, but then again, no Or a man who makes potions in a travelling show I know it's not much but it's the best I can do My gift is my song and this one's for you And you can tell everybody this is your song It may be quite simple but now that it's done I hope you don't mind I hope you don't mind that I put down in words How wonderful life is while you're in the world I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss Well a few of the verses well they've got me quite cross But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song It's for people like you that keep it turned on So excuse me forgetting but these things I do You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue Anyway the thing is what I really mean Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen Bridge over Troubled Water (Simon and Garfunkel) (Written by: Paul Simon) (1970 album: Bridge over Troubled Water) When you're weary When darkness comes Feeling small And pain is all around When tears are in your eyes Like a bridge over troubled water I will dry them all I will lay me down Like a bridge over troubled water I'm on your side I will lay me down When times get rough And friends just can't be found Sail on Silver Girl, Like a bridge over troubled water Sail on by I will lay me down Your time has come to shine Like a bridge over troubled water All your dreams are on their way I will lay me down See how they shine When you're down and out If you need a friend When you're on the street I'm sailing right behind When evening falls so hard Like a bridge over troubled water I will comfort you I will ease your mind Like a bridge over troubled water I'll take your part I will ease your mind April Comes She Will (Simon and Garfunkel) (Written by Paul Simon) (1968 album: The Graduate) April come she will When streams are ripe and swelled with rain; May, she will stay, Resting in my arms again June, she´ll change her tune, In restless walks she´ll prowl the night; July, she will fly And give no warning to her flight. August, die she must, The autumn winds blow chilly and cold; September I´ll remember. A love once new has now grown old. I Want You (Bob Dylan) (1966 album: Blonde on Blonde) The guilty undertaker sighs, But all their daughters put me down The lonesome organ grinder cries, 'Cause I don't think about it. The silver saxophones say I should refuse you. The cracked bells and washed-out horns Well, I return to the Queen of Spades Blow into my face with scorn, And talk with my chambermaid. But it's not that way, She knows that I'm not afraid I wasn't born to lose you. To look at her. I want you, I want you, She is good to me I want you so bad, And there's nothing she doesn't see. Honey, I want you. She knows where I'd like to be But it doesn't matter. The drunken politician leaps I want you, I want you, Upon the street where mothers weep I want you so bad, And the saviors who are fast asleep, Honey, I want you. They wait for you. And I wait for them to interrupt Now your dancing child with his Chinese suit, Me drinkin' from my broken cup He spoke to me, I took his flute. And ask me to No, I wasn't very cute to him, Open up the gate for you. Was I? I want you, I want you, But I did it, though, because he lied I want you so bad, Because he took you for a ride Honey, I want you. And because time was on his side And because I . Now all my fathers, they've gone down I want you, I want you, True love they've been without it. I want you so bad, Honey, I want you. Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel) (1977 album, The Stranger) Don't go changing, to try and please me You never let me down before Don't imagine you're too familiar And I don't see you anymore I wouldn't leave you in times of trouble We never could have come this far I took the good times, I'll take the bad times I'll take you just the way you are Don't go trying some new fashion Don't change the color of your hair You always have my unspoken passion Although I might not seem to care I don't want clever conversation I never want to work that hard I just want someone that I can talk to I want you just the way you are. I need to know that you will always be The same old someone that I knew What will it take 'till you believe in me The way that I believe in you. I said I love you, and that's forever And this I promise from the heart I could not love you any better I love you just the way you are. T ill Tomorrow (Don McLean) (1971 album: American Pie) What can this be - can you tell me Would you like to discover Why we're not free - to be lovers I've been wanting to ask you Where has all the love gone And what have we become Storm clouds full of thunder Move silent as they drum And when they're gone, we'll be fine - till tomorrow Oh I hope it won't rain You will be mine - and my sorrow Will take wings in the morning High above the heavens A rainbow paints the sky White doves sing their songs of love I watch them as they fly - and wonder What can this be - can you tell me Would you like to discover Why we're not free - to be lovers... Longer (Dan Fogelberg) (1980 album: Phoenix) Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean Higher than any bird ever flew Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens I've been in love with you. Stronger than any mountain cathedral Truer than any tree ever grew Deeper than any forest primeval I am in love with you. I'll bring fire in the winters You'll send showers in the springs We'll fly through the falls and summers With love on our wings. Through the years as the fire starts to mellow Burning lines in the book of our lives Though the binding cracks and the pages start to yellow I'll be in love with you. I'll be in love with you. Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean Higher than any bird ever flew Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens I've been in love with you I am in love with you.. I Was Only Joking (Written by Gary Grainger and Rod Stewart) (1977 album: Foot Loose and Fancy Free) Ever since I was a kid at school Collected lovers like butterflies I messed around with all the rules Illusions of that grand first prize Apologised then realised are slowly wearing thin I'm not different after all Susy baby you were good to me Giving love unselfishly Me and the boys thought we had it But you took it all too seriously sussed I guess it had to end Valentinos all of us My dad said we looked ridiculous Now you ask me if I'm sincere But boy we broke some hearts That's the question that I always fear In and out of jobs, running free Verse seven is never clear Waging war with society But I'll tell you what you want to hear Dumb blank faces stare back at me I try to give you all you want But nothing ever changed But giving love is not my strongest point If that's the case it's pointless going on Promises made in the heat of the night I'd rather be alone Creeping home before it got too light 'Cause what I'm doing must be wrong I wasted all that precious time Pouring my heart out in a song and blamed it on the wine Owning up for prosperity For the whole damn world to see I was only joking my dear Looking for a way to hide my fear Quietly now while I turn a page What kind of fool was I Act one is over without costume change I could never win The principal would like to leave the stage Never found a compromise The crowd don't understand Waiting on a Friend (Rolling Stones) (Written by Mick Jagger/Keith Richards) (1981 album: Tattoo You) Watching girls go passing by It ain't the latest thing I'm just standing in a doorway I'm just trying to make some