One of the few DCW protagonists that you can empathize with. In the band's fashion, Harry is an outlier, who works as a mortician. He seems to be awkward and lonely. The song details his life and his sad end.
He never experienced love in his life, and uses his work, masturbation, fantasy and hobbies (magazines/Stanley knives) to replace that hole. Until he sees the care his mentor puts towards his clients. This isn't love, but poor Harry confuses this attention to detail and care for a type of love. The lonely man then decides that is all he wants in life is to be loved/recognized by his mentor.
So he kills himself with the expectation that Van Bor will comb his pubic hair like he did the other patient. Sadly, though Van Bor does put great effort into Harry's embalming, he doesn't comb Harry's pubic hair. "So Harry died, with his one wish left unfulfilled." Perhaps a fitting end for a man that was deprived of much in his life.
And to emphasize how unimportant Harry's life was, the narrator gets off track at the end of the story and starts talking about Harry's uncle, and Pete and Sue.
The juxtaposition between the two tales (Harry and Pete/Sue) is startling as well. Harry lives a sad, unfulfilled life, where Pete lived a life that Harry may have wished for. They got married, had kids and Pete died wealthy at an old age. Almost the exact opposite of Harry's life. Also it's worth noting the possible word play in the line: "Died soon after Sue died" (Sue died and suicide sound and look quite similar).
One of the few DCW protagonists that you can empathize with. In the band's fashion, Harry is an outlier, who works as a mortician. He seems to be awkward and lonely. The song details his life and his sad end.
He never experienced love in his life, and uses his work, masturbation, fantasy and hobbies (magazines/Stanley knives) to replace that hole. Until he sees the care his mentor puts towards his clients. This isn't love, but poor Harry confuses this attention to detail and care for a type of love. The lonely man then decides that is all he wants in life is to be loved/recognized by his mentor.
So he kills himself with the expectation that Van Bor will comb his pubic hair like he did the other patient. Sadly, though Van Bor does put great effort into Harry's embalming, he doesn't comb Harry's pubic hair. "So Harry died, with his one wish left unfulfilled." Perhaps a fitting end for a man that was deprived of much in his life.
And to emphasize how unimportant Harry's life was, the narrator gets off track at the end of the story and starts talking about Harry's uncle, and Pete and Sue.
The juxtaposition between the two tales (Harry and Pete/Sue) is startling as well. Harry lives a sad, unfulfilled life, where Pete lived a life that Harry may have wished for. They got married, had kids and Pete died wealthy at an old age. Almost the exact opposite of Harry's life. Also it's worth noting the possible word play in the line: "Died soon after Sue died" (Sue died and suicide sound and look quite similar).