The Last Thing She Said at the Airport
Written in 2018 as part of a collaboration with a friend who mentioned in a song of his 'the poor girl from Dublin' and challenged me to write a song about her, knowing nothing at all about his character.
I had written the title in a list of possible song titles earlier that year and decided to use it. Following Paul Simon's America I wanted to see if I could make a song that worked without rhyme – i.e. you wouldn't be bothered by there being no rhyme. Whether I've succeeded is up to you.
The last thing she said at the airport
Was quietly under her breath
Spoken to no-one listening, no-one there
One hand on her belly
One had pulled her case
Clattered across the floor to the gate
Last and final call
Last and final call
Last and final call
No more
Sticks and stones
Bricks and bats
The scratching wounds of online chat
The life below
The life you know
The seed you sow
The life that grows
The last thing she said at the airport
I wish I'd heard it then
But I couldn't face goodbye
Last and final call …
She scanned her boarding pass
The gates flapped to let her through
I wonder if she looked back
I think not
Maybe she looked down on us
From a window seat up there
Watching the chains of country
Fall away
Last and final call …
Thanks for posting here. This is one of my favourites so far. As far as I am concerned you have succeeded as didn’t notice that the lyrics didn’t rhyme until you mentioned it here. I can’t put my finger on exactly why the song captivated me – that’s what makes a good song in my experience. Keep ‘em coming.
As mentioned on Facebook – comments below.
“Great song – I could see the scenario from the song playing out like a film with this song in the background”.