| Goodnight, Fair Lady | |
|---|---|
| |
| Appears On | The Afterman: Ascension |
| Track | 5 |
| Length | 3:23 |
| Written By | Claudio Sanchez |
| Produced By | Coheed And Cambria Michael Birnbaum Chris Bittner |
| Preceded By | Mothers Of Men |
| Followed By | Key Entity Extraction II: Holly Wood The Cracked |
Goodnight, Fair Lady is the fifth song on the 2012 album The Afterman: Ascension.
Lyrics
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen
I have a story to tell you
Of one slow decline
Where a girl yanked on the strings
To break this man's heart
Oh lord, I think I deserve a little better than this
I think I've earned it
So I'll just keep humming this song and hope you follow.
Turn me over, roll me 'round
To find the truth that I don't want found
Oh, don't believe everything you hear
I'm the snake waiting for you, dear
And eventually you'll come to me
I know you will.
Oh, I know you will.
You're lipstick crazy, I make my pass
The drink turns over, the glass smashed
And with the kindness and my smarts,
I replace your pleasure with a friend at the bottom
Turn me over, roll me 'round
To find the truth that I don't want found
Oh, don't believe everything you hear
I'm the snake waiting for you, dear
And eventually you'll come to me
I know you will.
Oh, it's my fate to be your biggest mistake
Oh, I'll tell you all you want to hear until you sleep
I know you will...
Oh, goodnight
Oh, Goodnight, Fair Lady.
Turn me over, roll me 'round
To find the truth that I don't want found
Oh, don't believe everything you hear
I'm the snake waiting for you, dear
And eventually you'll come to me
I know you will.
And eventually you'll come to me
And eventually you'll come to me
We can agree to disagree
Well maybe that was you then, and now this is me
Eventually you'll come to me, baby
I know you will.
All-Mother: "Caution, second entity identified."
Inspiration
"I was at a restaurant with my wife, and this incredibly creepy gentleman was sitting at the end of the bar. There was something about him that was so uncomfortable and out of place—like a predator lying in wait. My imagination got away from me and all of a sudden, I couldn't stop thinking about the bar turning into a Broadway musical: The lights blazing toward this guy as he would jump out of his seat and start performing a full theatrical production of his sinister intentions."
Story
Meri realizes she needs to get out of the house. Nearly six months have passed since Sirius was declared dead and she's been struggling with the utter devastation that comes with losing a spouse, coupled with her guilt for the way their relationship had begun to backslide in the time before he left for the Keywork. She has so many doubts...so many questions...so many regrets...but her friends and family keep pushing her to stop acting like she's the one who's dead. In an effort to be around people and remember what it's like to be alive, she decides to stop by a local bar, a low-key pub called The Fair Lady. She is there without any real intentions, planning to have a drink or two, people watch, possibly have a regular chat with someone who won't see her through sympathetic eyes. She's sick of the way everyone looks at her, feeling sorry for her, whispering the dreaded word in hallways far enough away that they believe she can't hear: "Widow."
Her arrival at the bar (and any lack of companion) doesn't go unnoticed, attracting the attention of Dyer Grinlock, a local lowlife who makes himself comfortable on the empty barstool beside her. He boldly strikes up a conversation, noting her wedding band and asking why any man would leave his beautiful wife to drink alone. She is guarded in her answers, thinking to herself that maybe this was the bad idea; maybe she's not ready to mingle after all. Not wanting to be rude, she sips at something strong, as Grinlock continues to try to impress her, eventually slyly knocking the glass over. It smashes on the floor between them.
Realizing that this night is kind of a bust, Meri begins collecting her things, thanking Grinlock for the company, as frustrated tears start to well up in the corners of her eyes. By the time she's turned around from putting her coat on, he's ordered another drink for her, this one with a secret "friend at the bottom"; an illegal tasteless, colorless sedative. She tries to decline, but her pursuer, noting her emotional fragility, tries to keep her there, offering up some words of encouragement. "Sometimes it's a lot easier to see the glass half-full with a glass half-empty. You wanna talk about it?"
Meri smiles begrudgingly, reaching for the glass, just as a man comes, seemingly from out of nowhere and places his hand over the top of the beverage. This is Officer Graves Colten, an undercover police officer who's been watching the whole scene go down. They've been trying to nail this perp for months. His partner cuffs Grinlock, taking him into custody. Colten gives his card to Meri, requesting that she swing by the station the following day to give a report. Little does she know, the officer will eventually become her new love interest.
Background
'I was at a restaurant with my wife, and this incredibly creepy gentleman was sitting at the end of the bar. There was just something about him that was so uncomfortable and out of place- like a predator lying in wait. My imagination got away from me and all of a sudden, I couldn't stop thinking about the bar turning into Broadway musical: The lights blazing toward this guy as we would jump out of his seat and start performing a full theatrical production of his sinister intentions.