We bought Paloma Faith’s Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? CD for Susanna at Christmas 2009, and we used to listen to it in the car. I liked it a lot, and I called my first post on this blog, in May 2010, ‘Do you want the truth or something beautiful?’.
Susanna told Pauline recently that one track on the CD … ‘My Legs Are Weak’ … took on a whole new significance for her after Sean died. It’s not a track I paid much attention to before, but now I can see that it is a powerful song about losing a friend … in Faith’s case he was called Louis, it seems. It’s a lovely piece of work, and it seems very appropriate for Sean as well.
Goodbye, sweet angels.
I’m collecting people’s tears
They cried because they miss you
They filled the seas and all the lakes
With memories the wind blew
I’d run out of jars
Before a second could pass
Didn’t have enough time with you
To turn the hourglass
Pictures in my head suddenly appear
Why’d you have to go away?
It’s all not very clear
Goodbye sweet angel
Sail away on teary seas
Tattooed the times we had on my memory
My legs are weak
When I close my eyes I see you
The dimples in your cheeks
I forgot to thank you for things
Cos I didn’t see you for weeks
Woke up this morning
And hoped for a dream
But reality sat next to me
And forced me to believe
Knocked down too soon
Like a skittle on the lanes
The man took the wrong stop
From life’s fast moving train
Goodbye sweet angel
Sail away on teary seas
Tattooed the times we had on my memory
Funeral flowers, won’t make me believe
They can carry out the casket
And I’ll still expect to see, you, you
Come round tomorrow
And tell me all your news
I won’t ask for much from you
Sleep to my lullaby
Only give me one more chance
To say my last goodbye
Goodbye sweet angel
Sail away on teary seas
Tattooed the times we had on my memory
Goodbye sweet angel
Sail away on teary seas
I tattooed the times we had on my memory
I’ll never forget you
Wish you didn’t have to leave
Goodbye sweet angel
Take your boat and sail away
My legs are weak
The road to God knows where ... Brendan O'Brien 