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The Coroner's Gambit Lyrics
when death came calling today,
i heard the gentle grace of his cadences.
i couldn't say no.
i couldn't say no.
when he showed me his new silk scarves
laid out on a shiny black plastic tray,
couldn't say, couldn't say, couldn't say, couldn't say, couldn't say no.
i couldn't say no.
and i'm sorry i couldn't.
do you know how badly i wanted to?
didn't want, didn't want, didn't want, didn't want, didn't want to lose you,
but his smile was dazzling mmmm,
and his eyes were sparkling like moonlight on the water at midnight.
couldn't say, couldn't say, couldn't say, couldn't say, couldn't say, couldn't say no.
i couldn't say no.
i heard the gentle grace of his cadences.
i couldn't say no.
i couldn't say no.
laid out on a shiny black plastic tray,
couldn't say, couldn't say, couldn't say, couldn't say, couldn't say no.
i couldn't say no.
do you know how badly i wanted to?
didn't want, didn't want, didn't want, didn't want, didn't want to lose you,
but his smile was dazzling mmmm,
and his eyes were sparkling like moonlight on the water at midnight.
couldn't say, couldn't say, couldn't say, couldn't say, couldn't say, couldn't say no.
i couldn't say no.
Song Info
Submitted by
shewouldnt On May 09, 2006
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I think its about saying sorry for commiting suicide.
It might be because I just heard the poem sung to the tune of the Gilligan's Island theme, but to me this also recalls Dickinson's 'Because I could not stop for death --'
I think you're right.
And I absolutely /love/ the image of Death as a salesman...
There are a couple of songs on The Coroner's Gambit album that are about JD's friend Rozz Williams, a singer who hung himself. This is one of those songs.
All comments make sense, but the title remains a little mysterious to me. What was the coroner's gambit? Is the coroner the guy who commits suicide, doing a metaphorical autopsy and gambling that death is release rather than a ticket to some eternal punishment or other? Or is the guy gambling that the coroner won't figure out its suicide or what?