This song is based on Emily Dickinson's poem "The last Night that She lived." The poems is below on the left, and the lyrics for the song -- based on the poem -- are on the right.
The last Night that She lived, It was a Common Night, Except the Dying – this to Us Made Nature different We noticed smallest things – Things overlooked before By this great light upon our Minds Italicized –as 'twere. As We went out and in Between Her final Room And Rooms where Those to be were, a Blame That others could exist While She must finish quite A Jealousy for Her arose So nearly infinite – We waited while she passed – It was a narrow time – Too jostled were Our Souls to speak At length the notice came She mentioned, and forgot – Then lightly as a Reed Bent to the Water, struggle scarce – Consented, and was dead – And We – We placed the Hair – And drew the Head erect – And then an awful leisure was Belief to regulate – | The last Night that She lived It was a Common Night Except the Dying – this to Us Made nature different We noticed smallest things – Things overlooked before By this great light upon our Minds Italicized – as it were. As We went out and in Between Her final Room And Rooms where Those to be alive Tomorrow were, a Blame The Others could exist While She must finish quite A Jealousy for Her arose So nearly infinite – We waited while She passed – It was a narrow time – Too jostled were Our Souls to speak At length the notice came. She mentioned, and forgot – Then lightly as a Reed Bent to the Water, struggled scarce – Consented, and was dead – As We went out and in Between Her final Room And Rooms where Those to be alive Tomorrow were, a Blame The Other could exist While She must finish quite A Jealousy for Her arose So nearly infinite – The last Night that She lived It was a Common Night Except the Dying – this to Us Made nature different And We – we placed the Hair And drew the Head erect – And then an awful leisure was Belief to regulate – As We went out and in Between Her final Room And Rooms where Those to be alive Tomorrow were, a Blame The Other could exist While She must finish quite A Jealousy for Her arose So nearly infinite – |
The music is below -- click on the images to elarge. I wrote the lyrics to the first verse and the chorus on the sheet music below, but I did not write the second and third verses, but you can see them above.