Clever Death's enormous voice Reads the lists and takes his choice. Lover Death, he makes his date, Coming quickly; don't be late! Lady Death? She's quite desirous; Johns rent love and but the virus. Doctor Death is not so spry, Sprinkling deadly blood awry. Needle Death just shares his track, Going one way, never back. Baby Death with baby cries Comes too soon to say goodbyes. Question Death? Whens, whys and hows? Questions such as Death allows. Farmer Death's own harvest home Fills the reaper's catacomb. Stupid Death goes blindly one! Stupid Death goes blindly one!
Songs for the Victims of AIDS
Song Cycle by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947)
1. Clever Death, Stupid Death
Language: English
Text Authorship:
- by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), written 1991, first published 1995, copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]IMPORTANT NOTE: The material directly above is protected by copyright and appears here by special permission. If you wish to copy it and distribute it, you must obtain permission or you will be breaking the law. Once you have permission, you must give credit to the author and display the copyright symbol ©. Copyright infringement is a criminal offense under international law.
2. It was a cross
Language: English
It was a cross, A red, red double cross That spread the virus brigades. It was the price, Too great a sacrifice To test the blood with AIDS. Prevention versus cost? Patiently, cost won. Death by memorandum, Incredibly dumb. The real cost? A dark red holocaust Transfused in bloody trades, Because a cross Became a double cross, And used the blood with AIDS. Prevention versus cost? Death by memorandum!
Text Authorship:
- by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), written 1991, first published 1995, copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Go to the general single-text view
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]IMPORTANT NOTE: The material directly above is protected by copyright and appears here by special permission. If you wish to copy it and distribute it, you must obtain permission or you will be breaking the law. Once you have permission, you must give credit to the author and display the copyright symbol ©. Copyright infringement is a criminal offense under international law.
3. Room A‑460
Language: English
Rest? How? Question "Requiem?" How many neighbors? How many friends? How many children must come to their ends? Inside that room, A-460, Beyond pain and feeling he lies, Tired, body and soul, Sleeping in a deep, deep sleep. Inside that room, Palm Sunday morning, He yields to his infections and dies, Tired bodies and souls Weeping for his last deep sleep.
Text Authorship:
- by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), written 1991, first published 1995, copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Go to the general single-text view
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]IMPORTANT NOTE: The material directly above is protected by copyright and appears here by special permission. If you wish to copy it and distribute it, you must obtain permission or you will be breaking the law. Once you have permission, you must give credit to the author and display the copyright symbol ©. Copyright infringement is a criminal offense under international law.
4. Yesterday
Language: English
Now I lay me down to sleep. Pray the Lord my soul to keep. While I dream, recall the joys of yesterday. Every day, think on me and yesterday. Now I lay me down to die, With a gentle last goodbye. Dream with me that once I lived in yesterday. Every hour, every day, think on me and yesterday.
Text Authorship:
- by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), written 1991, first published 1995, copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Go to the general single-text view
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]IMPORTANT NOTE: The material directly above is protected by copyright and appears here by special permission. If you wish to copy it and distribute it, you must obtain permission or you will be breaking the law. Once you have permission, you must give credit to the author and display the copyright symbol ©. Copyright infringement is a criminal offense under international law.
5. A Litany of Finger Pointing
Language: English
Who's responsible for the plague? Who's responsible to act up? Act up! Who's responsible is rather vague. All that fear is backed up. What about those shameless gays? Folks condemn their blameless ways. As for all those righteous straights, AIDS infects their one-night dates. Who's responsible? Who's to blame? How about those illegal Latins? Even babies swathed in satins? How about those late-night cruisers? How about those damned drug abusers? Who's responsible? Who's to blame? How about the government? The medical establishment? Who's responsible? Who's to blame? Where's the lamb who will serve as scapegoat? Every sacred cow's a lifeboat! AIDS takes all as equal fellows, Whether blacks, browns, or whites or yellows! Who's responsible? Who's to blame? What of promiscuity? The sex-meets-death congruity? Pass the guilt and shun the shame. God forbid, we're all to blame? Oh, is God responsible for the plague? Is God responsible to act up? Act up! Else who's responsible is rather vague. Who's responsible? You're responsible? They're responsible? We're responsible? God's responsible? Who's responsible?
Text Authorship:
- by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), written 1991, first published 1995, copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Go to the general single-text view
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]IMPORTANT NOTE: The material directly above is protected by copyright and appears here by special permission. If you wish to copy it and distribute it, you must obtain permission or you will be breaking the law. Once you have permission, you must give credit to the author and display the copyright symbol ©. Copyright infringement is a criminal offense under international law.
6. The Quilt
Language: English
Name the names, Remember them and pray. And pray for the day when we Patch the quilt with no more names. Death has had its fun and games. Ryan, Roger, Jesús and Ariel. Zachary, Greg, Christina, Ann. Name the names. Built to catch those dying flames. Naming saints in fabric frames. Michael, Larry, Coreen and Jennifer. Angelo, Dane and Ali. John.
Text Authorship:
- by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), written 1991, first published 1995, copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Go to the general single-text view
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]IMPORTANT NOTE: The material directly above is protected by copyright and appears here by special permission. If you wish to copy it and distribute it, you must obtain permission or you will be breaking the law. Once you have permission, you must give credit to the author and display the copyright symbol ©. Copyright infringement is a criminal offense under international law.
Total word count: 516