Lyrics
Writing
COVID-19 | Death | Grief | Melancholy | Wellness
Perfect Day | Lyrics
By Ammie-Marie Littke
On Friday, April 28, 2023 @ 3:45 am
Summer concerts in the pouring rain
Bombs raining down over the Ukraine
Crusin’ the Caribbean down to Stirrup Cay
Stray bullets flying; kids trying to get away
Yeah, but it’s a perfect day, somewhere
Getting married on a spring day at the New York MET
Working 80 hours for tips just to pay the rent
Paint ‘n sip a sunset over a lone prairie
A 35th anniversary celebrated in the cemetery
Yeah, but it’s a perfect day, out there
PRE-CHORUS:
How soon we all forget about the pain
Every minute it spread faster than the sense of dread
Carrying the weight of their absence everyday
Or was it only in my head
Oh, breathe
Simply breathe
CHORUS:
Nothing is the same
Let me count the ways
Aren’t we the lucky ones?
How did we survive?
Did you even feel your heart break
When your daddy said goodbye?
Oh why, oh why
All the voices in the distance
Fading away, reverberate
Tell me how does it matter
When so few feel this way
All the world is moving on
But I’m still not okay
Oh my, oh my
Everything is different
Everything has changed
Oh, but for you
It’s just another perfect day
A weekend getaway to a Miami Beach
Grieving families crying out, “No justice, no peace!”
Clear skies in the forecast for New Orleans
A lump on the scan that should’ve been routine
A solid pitch thrown under Dodger Stadium lights
Praying the love of your life makes it through the night
Flying first class to Dubai on Emirates
Pleading, “Don’t go, don’t leave,” on your knees
Darling, it wasn’t meant to be this way
Wait for me, please stay
(PRE-CHORUS, CHORUS)
BRIDGE:
We all go through something
Someone knows nothing about
We all were once lost together
But the scales tipped somehow
How can you not feel anything
For your neighbors or your friends
What will you do the next time you
Reach out for a helping hand
And no one reaches back too
Karma heeds no commands
What goes around, comes around
Every man walks on shallow ground
Waiting for the day
Everything will change
Oh, well
CHORUS (#2):
Because nothing is the same
In so many ways
Yes, you made it, you survived
Many never got to say goodbye
Set aside your foolish pride
And try to heal the divide
Ooh, oh why
So many memories in the distance
But they will always be with you
When this pale blue dot existence
Tears your broken heart in two
Just look around, not very far
Their names are written in the stars
Embers like dust in the wind
And when the sunsets again
Ooh, oh my
Everything will be different
But, it will all be okay
Because in Heaven it’s always
A perfect day
Forever and always
OUTRO:
Have faith, give sympathy
Be kind, have empathy
It’s just another day for you
It’s true, but for some
Tomorrow never comes
ABOUT THIS WORK
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the lives of many individuals and families around the world.
Many people lost their lives to the illness. Some lost their families, friends, colleagues, and neighbors. Others never lost anyone, or don't personally know of anyone who did.
Many healed from their symptoms. Some are still experiencing permanent changes to their body years later. Others were never were sick at all, or didn't even know they were.
Somehow, this very real illness became the subject of political upheaval; a weapon to be used for political gain, profits, or manipulation of the general public.
In that, a distrust lingers among circles of many people around the country, weaving disbelief and a general lack of understanding between families and friends.
I lost my stepfather, Timothy Lee Whitt, to COVID-19 infection on December 13, 2021. It's very real to me. And still, even now, I take precautions and wear masks wherever I go. I think I will for a few years yet, until I know for sure that the virus acts no differently than a common cold.
It's a wonder how there are people who don't believe COVID-19 ever existed, let alone took the lives of millions of people around the world. To them, it's a work of fiction that made it harder for them to eat at restaurants or watch their favorite hockey team play from the arena. It's a burden for all the wrong reasons.
You can't reason with people who lack empathy. There's no point. They believe what they believe, even if what they believe in is a green sky and red grass. It's unimaginable.
There will always be experiences that people go through in this life that others will never understand or know anything about, but you can guarantee that someone, somewhere, will have an opinion about it... and maybe even doubt it ever happened at all.
The best we can do is hope that after the dust settles, there's still some sense of humanity left... where people share love instead of hatred.
But, maybe that's a world of fiction, too.
Hey! I'm Ammie-Marie.
