I worked on the original Drury Lane production, and so heard this song sung live dozens of times. To me it was the most chilling of all: if Epiphany was about Todd becoming finally unhinged, then this was a beautifully written description of a man by now truely brutalized- he was now so innured to murder, that he was able to let his mind wander as he did, dreaming of the daughter he would never see, and convincing himself that it didn't matter "I think I miss you less and less as every day goes by, Johanna"
This was his lot- routine, joyless slaying, and idle dreaming, much in the manner of someone who performs a dull, repetitive manual job.
It is masterful song writing: at the same moment both beautiful and spine-chilling.
I worked on the original Drury Lane production, and so heard this song sung live dozens of times. To me it was the most chilling of all: if Epiphany was about Todd becoming finally unhinged, then this was a beautifully written description of a man by now truely brutalized- he was now so innured to murder, that he was able to let his mind wander as he did, dreaming of the daughter he would never see, and convincing himself that it didn't matter "I think I miss you less and less as every day goes by, Johanna" This was his lot- routine, joyless slaying, and idle dreaming, much in the manner of someone who performs a dull, repetitive manual job. It is masterful song writing: at the same moment both beautiful and spine-chilling.