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Background Info*
About getting tired of being told, "hold on, things will get better", or that "time heals all wounds". In my experience that hasn’t often been true. I'm hoping that the major feel of the song will seem like this soothing "there, there" sentiment, but that a desperate vocal delivery and cynical lyrics will betray the fact that everything is not ok. I hope there is some tension between these elements in the song. Many of the lyrics focus on the fact that true to the capitalist spirit, everyone is trying to sell you a band-aid, but in many ways it is the greed-driven cultural rot that has caused the festering wound in the first place. The bodkin reference in the bridge is from Hamlet, when he is contemplating the prospect of "self-slaughter" (a bodkin in this context is a dagger). the song is a waltz, and hopefully will be somewhat pretty—I think sweet harmonies from Leia will help to this end. We’ll see what we can come up with musically to suggest the sour side of things.
Technical Notes
"The ferocious acoustic guitarmy", resulting in the acoustic guitar part in the choruses, consisted of Jorgenson, O'toole, and Pauzenga sitting in a circle with 3 Martin guitars: an HD-28, and EMP-1 and a "Little Martin" LXM. Each had a different mic in front of him and the part was played three times by each player (all three performers playing at the same time, to get the mics to bleed into one another), with the guitars passed around between takes. The result was a nine-part guitar ensemble that was blended at the console.
Lyrics
how would you like
a day in the sun?
just start counting
from a million down to one
when you are finished
the storm will be done
and a long drought
will have begun
i'm finished waiting
for the tincture of time
to cure what ails me
or at least ease my mind
corner poets
recite useless rhyme
as they try to swallow
the tincture of time
the tv is droning
the bankers are loaning
to end all your distress
for twelve percent interest
everyone peddles
an elixir to settle
that sinking feeling
that you are concealing
push in the bodkin
right through your skin
take it back out
put a cork in the spout
I'm losing faith
in this kind of healing
