One Man’s Life
by @kludge
Challenge: PALINDROMELiner Notes
The chords are shamelessly lifted from Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone”, but turned into a palindrome (G Am Bm C D C Bm Am G). It was inspired by a realization I had some time ago that, when I was a baby, I loved cooked carrots, but the older I got, the less I liked them, to the point where I wouldn’t eat them at all. Then at some point, I started liking cooked carrots again, and the older I get, the more I liked them.
The older I get, the more I see life as a palindrome. Being old is so like being young in some ways.
Lyrics
A child is born Everyone comes to see for the first time
Says his first word Takes his first step toward his life
A boy plays games He learns to play with all his friends
A young man dreams Of all the things his life will be
A grown man brings Another child into this world
A grown man grieves Letting his parents go to what lies beyond
The man grows older Regretting all the things that his life could have been
An old man plays Games he played in childhood, with old friends
Til he can’t walk, says his last words Everyone comes to see him for the last time
Comments
![[avatar]](https://fawm-avatars.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fawm2023/31844.png){kind=avatar}
Great take on the theme. This is just nitpicky, but I wish the line "the man grows older" fit the same format as all the first lines "an old man_______" . Maybe An old man thinks about all the things that his life could have been Anyway, good stuff. Thanks for sharing.
![[avatar]](https://fawm-avatars.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fawm2023/968.png){kind=avatar}
![[avatar]](https://fawm-avatars.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fawm2023/2715d6c8-b35c-4ff3-bd94-0755c7fccf3f.png){kind=avatar}
I love that the palindrome-ness happens in both the chords and the story of the song! And life really is like that, yes. Lovely song that made me think. Great to hear your voice sounding so strong, too! <3
![[FAWM]](/static/img/ukulelecorn.svg)
What a powerful palindrome a lifespan is! Well done.Like @marilisa I love that both the story and the chords are palindromes. And for me “the man grows older” as a divergence works, because I don’t like when things match up perfectly—it’s a bit of artistic asymmetry. So I actually really like that.