Samuel's Blog

Samuel’s Musician Of The Week

April 6th, 2008 at 07:22pm

This week’s award goes to Gilbert O’Sullivan and the feature song is “Alone Again, Naturally”. Before I run the lyrics, I should probably say a few words about this song.

Some people see it as a suicide song, a description I vehemently disagree with. The lyrics are, admittedly, dark and sombre, but it is a reflection of various aspects of life. The song is certainly not uplifting, but as somebody who has been suffering from depression I can attest to the song making me feel a bit better; whether or not that is because it paints a picture of their being somebody much worse off than me, I don’t know.

Another theme of the song is the central fictional character’s lack of faith in God. Whilst I believe in God, I don’t believe that we have a micro-managing, meddling god who solves every little problem in the world (I think the facts of everyday life on this planet prove that), rather I believe that God provides general guidance and oversight. We have a thing called “free will”, and although it was fiction, I think Morgan Freeman summed it up quite nicely when he portrayed God in the film “Bruce Almighty”:

Parting your soup is not a miracle, Bruce, It’s a magic trick.
A single mum, who’s working two jobs, and still finds time to take her kid to soccer practice, that’s a miracle.
A teenager who says no to drugs and yes to an education, that’s a miracle.
People want me to do everything for them, what they don’t realise is they have the power.
You want to see a miracle, son? Be the miracle.

Anyway, on with a song I find rather soothing, the song which at this point in time has been on my Musicians Of The Week waiting list the longest, Gilbert O’Sullivan’s “Alone Again, Naturally”.

In a little while from now
If I’m not feeling any less sour
I promise myself to treat myself
And visit a nearby tower
And climbing to the top
Will throw myself off
In an effort to
Make it clear to whoever what it’s like when you’re shattered
Left standing in the lurch
At a church where people saying
“My God, that’s tough, she’s stood him up
No point in us remaining
We may as well go home”
As I did on my own
Alone again, naturally

To think that only yesterday
I was cheerful, bright and gay
Looking forward to
Well who wouldn’t do
The role I was about to play
But as if to knock me down
Reality came around
And without so much, as a mere touch
Cut me into little pieces
Leaving me to doubt
Talk about God and His mercy
For if He really does exist
Why did He desert me
In my hour of need
I truly am indeed
Alone again, naturally

It seems to me that there are more hearts
Broken in the world that can’t be mended
Left unattended
What do we do? What do we do?

Alone again, naturally

Now looking back over the years
And whatever else that appears
I remember I cried when my father died
Never wishing to hide the tears
And at sixty-five years old
My mother, God rest her soul,
Couldn’t understand why the only man
She had ever loved had been taken
Leaving her to start with a heart so badly broken
Despite encouragement from me
No words were ever spoken
And when she passed away
I cried and cried all day
Alone again, naturally
Alone again, naturally

Samuel

Entry Filed under: The Sunday Share

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