Song: Wheelin'

[mdlbear]

Having obtained approval from pocketnaomi, who inspired commissioned it by promising to come to ConChord if I would sing a song either by her or about her, here it is at last.

Note that the audio files were done during last night's practice session with Joyce; the tune is still quite unstable, and some of the words have changed overnight, as they often do. I'll probably have a better one tomorrow, since Joyce is going to try to make it down for Wednesday.

Steve.Savitzky.net/Songs/wheelin/ [pdf] [ogg] [mp3]

Wheelin'

© Stephen Savitzky. Some Rights Reserved.

When you see her in the evening in a bright green dress
Walking fast down the hallway you might never guess
That the lady has a weakness she's reluctant to confess.
No, you might not notice when she's dancing reels
That she made it through the airport on a set of wheels,
And she still isn't certain that she likes the way it feels.

    With her lover right behind her lookin' tired but proud
    They were wheelin' their way through the airport crowd;
    The way it made her feel made her want to weep out loud. 
    'Cause they were cuttin' past the line at the TSA
    Asking healthy young people to get out of her way
    Savin' her strength to make it through another day.

When she has a good day she can walk a mile
Dance through the evening with grace and style
Greet her lover at the door with a tight embrace and a smile;
Next minute she's collapsing like she's half-way dead
With a fire in her body and an aching head
And she'll pay with pain and the rest of the weekend in bed.

    So with her lover right beside her lookin' calm and cool
    She walks up to the counter feeling like a fool
    And tries to tell herself that a wheelchair's only a tool.
    Soon she's wheelin' past the line at the TSA
    Feeling weird watching people getting out of her way
    But it's the easiest journey in years to the end of the day.

Well, her body is a battleground and life's a war,
And she's lost against her limits many times before;
But she's still fighting with a few new tricks in store;
Because a wheelchair is a weapon, not a mark of defeat
And she can stay standing longer with some time off her feet
The battle isn't over, and winning will be sweet.

    With her lover right behind her lookin' fierce and proud
    They'll be cutting a swath through the airport crowd
    The way it makes her feel will make her want to laugh out loud.
    'Cause she'll be wheelin' past the line at the TSA
    Watchin' tough young punks scurry out of her way
    Savin' her strength to make it through another day.

    Yeah, savin' her strength--to fight another day.

This song is the answer to ``I can walk, damnit! What do I need a wheelchair for?'' Once I learned that Naomi was booking a wheelchair for the airports at both ends of her flight to ConChord, it all fell together in a day and a half and promptly attached itself to one of my blues-style noodling patterns.

It's remarkably hard to write a song "about" someone that's both specific enough to be about her, and yet might be of interest to more than a handful of people. But since you might be in a similar situation, or you might know someone who's in a similar situation... (oh, wait -- that's another song altogether).

Comments

[dormouse-in-tea.livejournal.com]

This is a beautiful song, and it meant a lot to me, reading it, because I think my mother is going to need a wheelchair soon.

[mdlbear]

Thanks. Really, the hardest thing about getting a wheelchair is admitting to yourself that it would help. Not that you need it -- if you get to where you don't have any choice in the matter it will be too late, and you'll resent it. So the trick is to get it before you absolutely can't get around without it, and find out how much easier it makes things.

It took Colleen one round trip through the Toronto airport -- arriving on foot and leaving in a wheelchair -- to make her decide that she wants to travel that way all the time.

That's the experience I'm trying to capture in the song.

My mother was like that

[capplor.livejournal.com]

about her hearing aid. Fortunately, Dad got her over it. Now it's just mildly amusing how many people don't notice. (Heck, with new tech, she doesn't even hold the phone upside down anymore.)

[saffronrose.livejournal.com]

wheelchairs and scooters liberate, rather than confine--but I bet Colleen could write a book on that.

[mdlbear]

There was a lot of Colleen's experience in there. But at least she looks and walks like a frail old lady. N looks and moves like a dancer or a gymnast -- on a good day. But any amount of standing wears her out incredibly fast.

Fortunately, the airlines and airports don't care: all they're really interested in is getting people on and off the planes as efficiently as possible, so if you tell them you'll be moving a bit more slowly than the average person they're happy to lend you wheels and brawn to help you move faster.

Moving on and off planes

[hazelchaz]

It was a very odd feeling when I was sick and had to tell the gate clerk "you know how during pre-boarding you take people who need a little extra time getting onboard? today, that's me."

but it really helped.

[pocketnaomi.livejournal.com]

I keep thinking that the line at the end of the second chorus should be, "But it's the easiest trip in years to the end of the day. YMMV and even if it's my life, it's your song. :) Just a thought.

[mdlbear]

Thanks -- I may very well use that one.

I've been known to tweak wording on songs years after I've written them, and I've actually gone through about eight different variations on that line. The one in the audio file was "and feels better than she has in years when she ends her day." Thoughts on that one?

[pocketnaomi.livejournal.com]

That's more, if you'll pardon the pun, pedestrian. I like the imagery of having to journey from one end of the day to the other; that's very much how it feels a lot of the time, as the pain slowly creeps in and I wonder if I've got enough energy left to last till nightfall.

[mdlbear]

*nod* I'll go with your one-word change, then. I may be the songwriter, but you're the expert on how it feels to be you.

...And I also like that image of your day as a journey.
(and change "trip" to "journey", which swings better as well as hitting both meanings of the line more squarely)

[artbeco.livejournal.com]

It's lovely and powerful and I'm sure it'll sound great.
Wheelchairs are hard to come around to but damn they can make life easier.
*hugs*

[mdlbear]

Thanks (the audio link is just above the title, in case you missed it).

They certainly are, and they do.

Are you going to be at ConChord?

[aerowolf.livejournal.com]

Multiple Sclerosis? or Cystic Fibrosis? Either way, I feel for her -- and I do not begrudge her her place in the handicap lane.

[mdlbear]

Fibromyalgia. There are lots of disabilities that don't show from the outside.

"but you don't look sick"

[hazelchaz]

True, indeed.

Re: "but you don't look sick"

[mdlbear]

Thanks for reminding me of that link. It's a good one.

[rowanf.livejournal.com]

I can totally identify with this, beautiful work! I was in a wheelchair off and on between 30 and 46 or thereabouts. I didn't *look* disabled to a lot of people and it was hard sometimes. But wheels are a tool and a good one. I'm glad your friend inspired such a wonderful song.

[mdlbear]

Thanks!

Actually, one of the biggest advantages of a wheelchair or a walker in a situation like that is that it makes you look disabled. Sitting on the seat of a walker you don't have to explain, "yeah, I can walk a little, but I can't stand in line for more than 30 seconds without pain," and wonder whether people are going to believe you.

[jilara.livejournal.com]

Great song. Also good for several people of our acquaintance that I can think of, who have those good days and bad. And don't always look like they have disabilities.

[mdlbear]

Thanks, and yes. I'm going to write a post downstream somewhere about the advantages of walkers and wheelchairs as a preemptive strike weapon in the war against idiots who don't take your word for it.