Ray Stevens / Sittin' Up With the Dead

 

Ray Stevens의 Musical Comedy의 Sittin' Up With the Dead 입니다.
 미국에도 죽은이와 함께 밤을 새는 관습이 있는 모양입니다.

지난 65년 관절염이 심하던 삼촌이 돌아가시고 집안에 그를 모셨을때 몸이 펴지지
않아 억지로 쇠사슬을 이용해 펴놓고 가운으로 감추어 관에 넣었는데 새벽 3시에 

심한 폭풍우와 번개로 쇠사슬이 끊어지고 삼촌이 한밤중에 벌떡 일어서자
밤을 같이 지새던 상객들의 난리가 난 모습을 노래한 곡입니다.
그 와중에 누가 고양이의 꼬리를 밟아 고양이의 귀를 찢는 비명에 나는 문밖으로
내달렸는데 인근 묘지에 삼촌을 매장하기 위해 파놓은 묘지 속으로 빠져버리고...
설상가상으로 그속에는 취객이 빠져 있다가 도망가려는 나를 붙잡고...
하여간 앞으로는 절대로 나는 죽은 사람과 같이 밤을 지새는 일은 없을 것이라는 내용임.


Sittin' Up With the Dead

Well out in the country we didn't have mortuaries
and so it was always customary
to lay the dead out right there at home.
Well the church would loan ya foldin' chairs
And you'd have visitation and everything right there
and when the night time come you had to sit up with the dead
'cause it wasn't right to leave them alone.

The last time I sat up was in '65 when my old arthritic Uncle Fred died
he was so stooped over the morticians couldn't straighten him out.
They used used a loggin' chain to tie him down
and covered that all up with a cape and a gown
'cause that's the kind of thing folks just don't want to know about

Well we were all sittin' there it was 3 in the mornin'
When there come up a cloud, a thunderin lightnin' and stromin'
The lightnin' flashed and the house went black
and the chain 'round old Uncle Fred went 'snap'
and rattled and fell to the floor with a thump
and Uncle Fred just sat right up.

Well I ain't sittin' up with the dead no more, I don't know 'bout you
I ain't sittin' up with the dead no more no matter what ya say or do.
They say the dead can't hurt ya cause they already left
but what they left can sure make ya hurt yourself.
And I ain't sittin up with the dead no more
since the dead started sittin up too.

Well when Fred sat up so did everybody there
and there came a great partin' of the foldin chairs.
The preacher nearly knocked me down, he said
"I'm headed out that kitchen door over there."
I said "Rev that kitchen ain't got no door in it"
He said "Don't worry son, it will have in minute."
And I ain't never seen so much jumpin' and shovin' before.

Then somebody stepped on the old cat's tail
it let out a scream, a screech, a wail
and to say the least that didn't help to calm the situation down.
Then the lightnin' flashed and the thunder cracked
and I spoke to feets I said "Boys make tracks"
and I went out that screen door lickety split for town.

Well I cut through the cemetary, fell in a hole.
It was Uncle Fred's grave and it was dark and cold.
Well the town drunk dug it and he dug it too deep
and unbeknownst to me he's still in there asleep
and I'm jumpin' and scratchin' trying to get out of that hole
when he says
"Might as well come over here and sit down beside me boy
'cause you ain't gettin' outa here tonight."
But I did.

And I ain't sittin up with the dead no more, I don't know about you.
Well I ain't sittin' up with the dead no more no matter what ya say or do
They say the dead can't hurt ya 'cause they already left
but what they left can sure make you hurt yourself.
And I ain't sittin up with the dead no more
since the dead started sittin up too.