I first discovered LCD Soundsystem when “Dance Yrself Clean” was featured in a The Good Doctor S3E7 episode. I was intrigued by the sounds of the band and without hesitation, guessed that the band got to be an old British band and boy was I awfully wrong —LCD Soundsystem is an American rock band that debut in 2002!
But anyways, this post is about the hit single “Someone Great” from their 2007 album Sound of Silver.
The literal or metaphorical departure of someone great
Truthfully speaking, I had no idea it was a song about someone passing until one day when I actually processed the lyrics for the first time.
I wake up and the phone is ringing
Surprised, as it’s early
And that should be the perfect warning
That something’s a problem
To tell the truth I saw it coming
The way you were breathing
But nothing can prepare you for it
The voice on the other end
The idea of waking up to an odd phone call and trying to convince yourself that the call has got to be anything but the news you so painfully dread is anything but pleasant. Numbing even. You could not process your feelings, and instead very instinctively, choose to figure out who to call, tussling your wardrobe for the jacket, and entering your credit card details to cab to the hospital. You wish that driver could drive faster yet you fear the truth.
I would go as far as to say that hearing such news numbs you and paralyses you of the ability to process your emotions. The next steps would be to figure out the logistics, who to call, what to bring and just hoping you are there in time.
You pray for a miracle, but it goes unheard. You wish that people understand you, but they can’t. As the alarms went and the staff do their work, you realised that this must have been a common occurrence for them. You wondered why when someone great is gone, the only thing they talked about was the logistics and administrative details.
The worst is all the lovely weather
I’m stunned, it’s not raining
The coffee isn’t even bitter
Because, what’s the difference?
There’s all the work that needs to be done
It’s late, for revision
There’s all the time and all the planning
And songs, to be finished
You are physically drained — the constant one or two hours drive — and you don’t have the time to process your emotions. You wish that people would understand your feelings but the truth is, they can’t. The world goes on, bills pile up, work demands your attention and you have to submit to them. What is personal to you is nothing but personal.
Odd how nothing could change time yet time is the only thing that heals.
Cinematic Frame of Mind 