But You Are Going to Die

Well, Daisy
I have some bad news

Daddy sent me in here
To tell you
You're not gonna die

But you are going to die
And I don't know why he sent me to tell you a lie
When he knows full well
That's not my way

Maybe he wanted me to tell you the truth
But he didn't want to be responsible for it

Either way, there it is
The truth

Death is coming

Now, I've never died before
So I can't go about telling you
An appropriate way to do it

I suppose you could just lay here like a lump
And wait for it to take you

Or you could do what they do in the movies
And go sky-diving or something
Like some kinda fool

Never did understand why somebody would find out they're gonna die
Then do something to make it happen faster

I don't pretend to think death is any fun
Or that it's something I'm not afraid of
Because truth be told
I like livin' just fine
And I will not enjoy having to stop

What I would suggest you do is--

Hang on, honey
I'm gonna pull up a chair

What I would suggest you do
As your sibling, and as somebody
Who admires the way you have lived your life
Aside from the fact that you refused to see a doctor
When you found that lump

What I would suggest you do
Is visit with the people you like
Turn away the people you don't
And make sure you're made up
And ready to go
When you croak

Because God help you if Mr. Blake, the coroner
Is in charge of doing your make-up
You'll look like you died in a clown car collision

Same goes for if Daddy does it
Or me, for that matter

I just want to make sure you go up to see Mama
Looking your best

And when you get there
Be sure and tell her
I've tried to make her cranberry sauce recipe
Sixteen times

And each time it comes out tasting and looking
Like it was scraped out of a gutter

Well look at you
Laughing like you got fifty more years in you

Who knows, honey?

Doctors don't know everything
If they did, they'd know how to cure you, wouldn't they?

I always say, never take a 'No'
From somebody who couldn't give you a 'Yes' to begin with

Daddy told me that when I come in here
I should say exactly what I want to say to you
Because they're not sure exactly
When it is you're going to go

I could tell he was encouraging me to come in here
And cry all over you
Carrying on like a war widow
But if it's alright with you
I'll just save that for the funeral

I'm going to miss you
And you know that

And I love you
And you know that too

So I'd say we're all squared away

You have yourself a nice deathbed, honey

I'll let you see all the people
Who disappeared over the years
So you can grant them forgiveness
For being jackasses

Or not, that's up to you

That's all the truth I was meant to deliver
That and a few wisecracks
To make my sister smile

Maybe that's what Daddy was hoping for