more from
Doomtree
We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Momento Mori

from A Badly Broken Code by Dessa

/

lyrics

Here we are
Rounding the edge again
And I wonder if
You recall what you said
When I asked to hear your
Largest as yet unanswered question
And you said, ‘Why bother at all?’

I just arrived by the
Train from Bombay
Never heard anyone
Say it so plain.

The prettiest girl in the room
Stood, collected her things
Fastened her coat up
Around her fine throat
And though you didn’t notice there
For just one moment well
I was the prettiest woman with you.
Half a world away
Trying hard to stay
Aware of why I came.
You forgot the comment
Forgot the moment
Went on your way.
There’s got to be a better way
To waste a day.

Your mother, you told me
Had been a great beauty
And suffered profoundly
The loss of her looks.
You gave a practiced,
Exhausted expression
Recited a line from
A quotations book.
My father in his youth set off
With a kite and a liter of wine
Mad to determine
The height of the sky
And the breadth of
One human life.
No ribbons, no starting guns
Sprinting around the sun
Man’s quaint little race
The heaving contenders
Get one thing to say
And it’s always the same:
Our names,
Chiming through space.

We stayed up late
Until it became early
And camped in the cold
On the hood of your car
The neighbors, the papers,
The radio, TV
Said this evening we could see
Thousands of fast-falling stars
And that sort of thing happens
Just once in lifetimes like ours.
I’m hopeless nearsighted
Not much for stargazing
But couldn’t let all of
Those meteors pass.
This was our first
This was our only
This was our very last chance.

credits

from A Badly Broken Code, released January 19, 2010
Produced by MK Larada, with a little help from Dessa
Recorded who knows where
Sample used with permission from Minotaur Shock

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Dessa Minneapolis

Dessa is a writer and touring musician based in Manhattan and Minneapolis. Quick wit, sharp pen, soft heart.

shows

contact / help

Contact Dessa

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this track or account

Dessa recommends:

If you like Dessa, you may also like: