Two Letters

by LIZZY O'CONNOR

/

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      £1 GBP  or more

     

about

The second in my series of songs about death.. there's a story to this one. It's a song for the dying , a song for the living and a song for nurses who despite working their socks off 24/7 still feel there's something more they could have done..every day!

This song is my apology to a patient who came into the hospice where I was working as a nurse. She came in for the last few hours of her life, I was her assessing nurse. She was immediately seen to and made comfortable by nursing staff and health care assistants, the doctors came to see her and her family, someone wrote her name above her bed...

I spoke outside of the room with her son and amongst his sadness he smiled and told me his mam would be mad if she realised we'd spelled her name as we had, we'd missed a double 'L' out which changed her name entirely! I assured him I'd change it and went straight to get the marker pen.
However her life became more fragile and the family and doctors were all busy in and out or huddled round her bed behind the curtain. As any nurse in a UK hospital knows - to squeeze behind the curtain, between the bedside locker and the wall to write on that board above the bed is difficult and spine twisting at the best of times.
Somehow as this woman's life was slipping away it seemed undignified and unimportant to intrude for to change the board.

But I kept going back to check and try, with the pen in my pocket. And I kept looking at the amount of feet I could see behind the curtain, how many family were crowded round the bed in there and really - I knew although I'd have to like to changed the spelling for her family.. I'd missed my chance. She died peacefully two hours after arriving to us. She was at peace and her family were grateful for her care, the board didn't matter, her death certificate had the correct spelling - and that didn't matter to her anyway... x
'

lyrics

Dearly departed for two hours you were mine,
the finishing scene in the last act
and I still got my lines wrong.

But dearly departed in two hours you were through,
you'd been up on that stage with your name in lights
and all I had to do was give you your

Two letters..

Dearly departed behind the curtain I lost my chance,
Id been listening in for the right time
and assessing the silhouettes

But dearly departed in the end it didn't matter you were you,
and the certificate said the time and your name
with both your letters two

it gave back your Two letters...

I had the pen in my pocket,
I had the letters in my head
I had the pen out in my hand
to write those letters above your bed.

Two letters,
two letters,
two letters

credits

released November 2, 2019
Gary Bridgewood - Bass, Vox and production.
Pando - Guitar.
Magnus Alanko - drums

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

LIZZY O'CONNOR image

LIZZY O'CONNOR London, UK

Cerys Matthews played a song from the album ‘Best Intentions’ on her show on BBC 6music!

Lizzy O’Connor is a singer and multi instrumentalist based in London . Her works vary from conventional traditional folk through to abstract soundscapes for film and dancers. Working as a backing vocalist and instrumentalist she has toured, performed live and recorded with a talented diversity of artists ... more

contact / help

Contact LIZZY O'CONNOR

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this track or account

If you like LIZZY O'CONNOR, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Featured guests are the golden-voiced Baby Rose and psyche soulsters Brainstory.
listen now