“Come Take Me” – An Anthem About Living
Our first song this week is “Come Take Me”.
The added commentary is a bit long, so it’ll follow the video this time.
It’s a “chanthem” inspired by some recent health problems. There have been a few times in the last few months where I’ve been facing “it could be something, it could be nothing” health issues. One night, as I was laying there, forcing myself to breathe because I felt like if I didn’t consciously breathe, I might stop, I wondered whether it was worth fighting. My wife and kids would be taken care of, I’ve accomplished some really cool things in my life… maybe it was enough. Maybe it was time to stop fighting and let go.
Yeah, it sucks to get sick and fight chronic depression at the same time. But I thought about what I’m doing now. I’m writing songs and writing novels and trying to leave a legacy of entertainment and inspiration that changes people’s lives for the better. I’m decades away from completing the body of work I envision as my legacy. So I said out loud, “God, if you want me, you’ll have to come take me. I’m not going to come along easy. Not yet.”
I’ve got the sequel to Hell on $5 A Day in progress, 9 more books in that multiverse to follow, and it’s anyone’s guess how many more songs. Maybe I’ll only touch a handful of lives, maybe hundreds, but I’m hoping for big numbers. As Macklemore says in “Glorious”…
I heard you die twice, once when they bury you in the grave
And the second time is the last time that somebody mentions your name
So when I leave here on this earth, did I take more than I gave?
Did I look out for the people or did I do it all for fame?
Complete strangers keeping my name alive is an attraction, but I want it to be because I did something that they found meaningful, and I don’t think I’ve done enough… yet. I want people to miss me the way I miss Sir Terry Pratchett.
That said, there might not be a second song this week. I got an idea over the weekend to do a series of theme songs for cartoons that never existed. Some I’ve made up from whole cloth, others are from my notes, shows I’d make if I had the time and skill (or a budget to buy time and skill). The problem is that it’s taking a bit longer to really make something I like. If you’d like a sneak preview, you can check out a candidate theme for “Reid Virgo: Space Captain”.
If you want to get notified of new songs, subscribe here or at YouTube.
Fill My Cup – A Song from Love Song Week
What is a “real” creator?
Picky Eater – A Song In Two Styles
About The Author
Greg Bulmash
Greg Bulmash has had a wide and varied career as a humorist, journalist, novelist, software developer, and educator. With a degree in Creative Writing and multiple developer certifications, he is exploring the intersections of tech, AI, and creativity, then sharing his findings and creations here.
P.S. Reid Virgo is an idea I’ve been developing. It parodies Dora the Explorer with adult themes. The example I like to give is an episode where they’re sent to pick up a diplomatic delegation from a space station, but when they arrive it’s a field of debris and bodies. So they have to find the delegation and return their bodies home.
Reid: “I can’t find the ambassador!”
The ambassador’s body floats slowly across the view screen.
Audience: “He’s behind you!”