My hospital is part of a consortium of hospitals around the state. On Monday, we had a big all hands meeting with people from each of the hospitals. I’m told that the last presentation of the day at this annual event is always a combination pep talk/inspirational story/tear-jerker.
At the end of the day on Monday, we heard the story of the musician Jason Crigler. You can find the documentary about him online called “Life.Support.Music.” It covers his massive stroke, which he suffered onstage in 2004, and his long, arduous recovery. After Crigler’s sister told us the beginning of the story, including video and still photographs of Jason from before the stroke, and then during the recovery, she introduced him and he walked onto the stage.
He then told us about the road back and finished his talk by getting his guitar and singing us a song he had written. It was pretty powerful stuff.
Then I got home and found that back in 2009 I had downloaded the psong “Through Tomorrow” from the soundtrack of “Life.Support.Music.” That was when I had first heard of Teddy Thompson and I was gathering up everything I could find of his.
Before the stroke, Crigler was a much sought-after guitar player, and had played guitar for Thompson, Nora Jones, and quite a few other folks in that musical universe. He wrote this song for the documentary about his recovery, and Teddy Thompson makes it shine. I couldn’t find a video of it, so you’ll have to give it a listen right here, without any images to distract you. But find some videos online of Jason Crigler. It’s an amazing story.
Lyrics for “Through Tomorrow”:
Hello
I just had to call to hear you
I just wanted to be near you
Oh no, oh no, oh noPicture
Pictures that can move me
You won’t ever, ever lose me
Oh no, oh no, oh noSeems like everybody’s always dreaming ‘bout the way it could be
Too many people dreaming is the only thing they’ll ever see
I don’t mind, that’s all
Far behind what we came forSo whisper secrets, and I’ll send some back your way
Get me through tomorrow, through todayI just want to be there, to help you find your way
Get me through tomorrow, through todayListen
To the way I talk about you
Then try and picture me without you
Oh no, oh no, oh noSo everybody worries over what they say can only go wrong
So everybody worries and then everybody doesn’t belong
I don’t care they can
Only scare those who listenSo whisper secrets, and I’ll send some back your way
Get me through tomorrow, through todayI just want to be there, to help you find your way
Get me through tomorrow, through todayJust hold me closer, and tell me it’s OK
Get me through tomorrow, through today
The lyrics of this song remind me of the centuries-old complaints of religious folk. I’m pretty sure I read an ancient version of this very song from the book of Isaiah at the evening service on Ash Wednesday! The perspective of this song could be either from the people themselves or the god(s) they’re attempting to follow and love. For my part, I like listening to it from the people’s point of view, and then playing it again and listening to it from the perspective of their god(s). I have a habit of doing that with just about every love song I hear. I find it gives love songs a texture—and an instruction about love—that I’d otherwise miss.
