From the recording Family Portraits (Volume IV)
A song about the evening my elderly Mother passed, on October 15, 2022. She was 92 and confined to bed and passed away peacefully, and without pain, thankfully. One of my brothers and a much loved niece and nephew, as well as myself, were there at the point of her death in the very early hours of the morning. Half an hour before she passed, my brother was having a nap on the floor, with his legs sticking out beneath the bed, which was a source of mirth. In fact, as an event there was actually quite a lot of fun involved in the occasion, in some ways more of a social gathering than a passing, with no formality. I am in the habit of taking pictures at all occasions which invariably end up on the family digital picture frame. So too here. In fact, at my Mum's funeral, I played a song -- "Orphan (You Gave Me My Name"), from the first volume of the Family Portraits series --whilst a collage of digital pictures played. So for me, "Taking Pictures" is strongly associated with my family generally and my Mum specifically. This song is dedicated to my niece Summer and nephew Toby, who were real troopers that night.
Lyrics
Taking Pictures
All the banter round the bed was refreshingly direct
There was love and there was laughter and tall tales at a stretch
There were bawdy stories and colourful words
There were tales there told
Never heard before
Sang the songs from long ago
Cited nursery rhymes
All the time the clock was ticking
Counting down the time
Despite agnosticism, said a silent prayer
Listened to “A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square”
Taking pictures for posterity
Making memories forever to keep
A snapshot of life
A moment in time
Fleeting scenes stolen from
Dreams
Dreams
There were two legs sticking out from underneath the bed
It made for quite a picture, was it rest or was it death?
Lying on the floor
Woke just before
The last encore
The final curtain
Said our please and thank yous
Love yous and goodbyes
Even though her eyes were closed, we could see her smile
Snapped and clicked my selfies
Made a home collage
A life there lived in pictures
An appropriate homage
Taking pictures for posterity
Making memories forever to keep
A snapshot of life
A moment in time
Fleeting scenes stolen from
Dreams
Dreams
An art piece of the deceased
Breaking boundaries
NFTs
Is that strictly necessary?
Asks the bourgeoisie
Taking pictures for posterity
Making memories forever to keep
A snapshot of life
A moment in time
Fleeting scenes stolen from
Dreams
Goodbye
Farewell
Every picture has a story to tell
Farewell Goodbye
Pictures are what I remember you by