Day 9:
Alberta Hospital
Some stops are not fun, but they are important. Your story matters and it’s worth remembering how far you’ve come and what we’ve survived.
Song Story
Lyrics
Visiting hours
Alberta hospital
The closer lot was full
So I parked around the side
Watched the smokers drawing in
A breath from miles out of the city
And exhaling with a sigh
I take my time going in
Going in is never easy
Never knowing if
you’re pale or full of life
The piston slide of bolted steel
And I’m inside again, it’s real
The cold smell
And the aimless wandering
And I wait
To hold your hands
And ask you how
You feel today
And try to say
A hopeful word
They’ve got the puzzles out
The TV’s showing Dr. Phil
And Dorothy’s playing Mozart on that
Out of tune piano
We play checkers and lose interest
Trying not to voice the darkness
That is filling both our heads
And I wait
Until the hands point down
And your food’s coming round
And it’s time to leave
Only for me
I love you
Until next time
I’m Intercepted by a young man
In a cloud-thin hospital gown
Shooting at me with his
Tape recorder gun
I shake my head and laugh
But as I’m driving home I start to cry
I’ve been wounded
Next time you could be that guy
And we wait
Till the hands reach down
And the healing comes
Or it’s time to leave
For you or me
I love you
Until next time
Conversation
Is there a place you’ve visited that you never want to return to?
Track by Track
From audible icicles to the breathing of an accordion, this one’s a back and forth conversation between sounds and lyrics. I think you’ll be surprised by what shows up here.
Wear headphones for the best experience.
https://youtu.be/elSJKiQbKwY
Points of Interest
Extra versions, music videos, behind the scenes and more – every stop has its hidden gems.
On Mental Health and Faith Healers
Back in 2017, this is the first thing I wrote and shared publicly about the experiences I sing about in Alberta Hospital.
Thanks for being here with me – these places are so much easier to visit when we’re not alone. Just one more day together, travellers.
See you in the morning
where the wide world waits.
Your tour guide,
Von Bieker