I might be one of the few people that find this song a repetune, but that might just be because I know the words. I doubt the are very few people in the world with televisions that don’t get the same picture in their head when the hear those first notes from the acoustic guitar. We all see those helicopter flying down from the Korean mountains (really Californian) on their way down to a MASH. But when you hear the words you realize how fatalistic the song is.
Through the early morning fog I see/ visions of the things to be/ the pains that are with held for me/ I realize and I can see
And that is the cheery part of the song! The song really is the ultimate “Life sucks then you die” song, But the way Mandel sings it there is almost a peace he finds there, it’s comforting in a scary sort of way
The game of life is hard to play/ I’m going to lose it anyway/ The losing card I’ll someday lay/ so this is all I have to say
The only way to win is cheat/ And lay it down before I’m beat/ and to another give my seat/ for that’s the only painless feat
I think the lyrics in it are flawless, he doesn’t stretch to get a rhythm or beat. They just sound so natural and flow without effort. For me it is what makes it stick in my head.
A brave man once request of me/ to answer questions that are key/ ‘is it to be or not to be’/ and I replied ‘oh why ask me?’
Suicide is painless/ it brings on many changes/ and I can take or leave them if I please
Well, if this song never stuck in your head I hope it will now. It is just too great of a song to forget
