Floating in the Forth

Frightened Rabbit

This one’s a killer — so I won’t end this Frightened Rabbit detour with this, which guarantees at least one more track from this terrific band. Kind of brilliant to listen to a song that shows Scott literally keeping his suicidal thoughts at bay. He does this by imagining how he would die in great detail. Even those he’d leave in its wake. I find it moving to see him save it for another “day” — then another “year”. This song was important to many suicidal people out there — giving them strength to say no and postpone it. Just read the message boards. And it’s cruel and ironic that Scott eventually took his own life in the Forth. But while he was alive? He made tiny changes to earth by writing songs like this one. Love the studio version on THE MIDNIGHT ORGAN FIGHT. But this live OWL JOHN version feels right today. 💔

So you just stepped out
Of the front of my house
And I'll never see you again.
I closed my eyes for a second
And when they opened
You weren't there.
And the door shut shut
I was vacuum packed,
Shrink-wrapped out of air
And the spine collapsed
And the eyes rolled back
To stare at my starving brain

And fully clothed, I float away
(I'll float away)
Down the Forth, into the sea

I think I'll save suicide for another day.

And I picture this corpse
On the M8 hearse
And I half run away to sleep
On a rolled up coat
Against the window
With the strobe of the sun
And the life I've led
Am I ready to leap
Is there peace beneath
The roar of the Forth road bridge?
On the Northern side

There's a Fife of mine
And a boat in the port for me

And fully clothed, I float away
(I'll float away)
Down the Forth, into the sea
I'll steer myself
Through drunken waves
These manic gulls
Scream it's okay
Take your life
Give it a shake
Gather up
All your loose change
I think I'll save suicide for another year.