Storyteller Sunday is a weekly post that details the creation of specific lyrics I’ve written over the years.
This week’s entry is from Hard Fought Defeat and was written soon after my dad’s passing. While most of that 2015 grouping is about dealing with the loss, Take Care tackles many specific moments.
Inspired by Counting Crows’ Possibility Days (opens in new tab,) the lyrics themselves pull from several things that happened around my father’s death. He had been fighting various undefined illnesses for about eight months beforehand and was in and out of hospital several times. In my head, this led to the term “hard fought defeat.” It’s the idea that you fight so hard for something that matters, something you’re sure you can overcome, only for it to be futile and lead to defeat in the end. We’d reached that point after my dad died in August, 2014. It’s not to say the battle was pointless or without purpose, it’s just that the result was fated to be the one we were fighting against.
Upon telling my aunt and uncle (who live out of town,) they replied back with a photo of the sunset that night as a symbol of my dad’s passing. The rest of the imagery I used is from the funeral itself: Lining up at the church before going to the cemetary, having the final prayers at his gravesite, etc.
From there, the second half is about the heartache that follows and learning to grieve. It also acknowledges that despite the pain, the memories you’re left with make everything worth it. As for the title, “take care” is the last thing my dad said to me the last time we spoke.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I have something in my eye…
Lyrics
Found a war to engage in and lost
Waved our flags without knowing the cost
As they line up the streets of our hard fought defeat
All repeating the sign of the cross
Dug a hole that can never be filled
Sure as the sun sets over the hill
Slowly gathered around without laughter or sound
We watch as this moment’s fulfilled
We watch as a life’s been fulfilled
Makes me question these theories I’ve had
How could something so good end up feeling so bad?
Now the words left behind linger fresh on my mind
Take care, take care, take care
Is anybody there?
I’ve got a little advice left to give
Maybe a meaningful life left to live
We all struggle for air and pretend we’re prepared
When you know, still you know
Well your heart’s gonna ache
And your heart’s gonna break
But the hardest part comes
When you know its too late
As the days turn to weeks
And the months turn to years
Then you can’t help but wonder
When that person was here
With the rear view, a clear view
And a path that will steer you
From the love that you’ve gained
Comes the pain that you’ll veer through
In the hours you wake up
To the moments you sleep
You’ll know it’s been worth it
By the memories you keep
Now those final words spoken
Linger fresh on my mind
Take care, take care
And I’ll see you in time
Take care, take care
And I’ll see you in time
Take care, take care
It comes all in good time