Dory Previn (born Dorothy Veronica Langan on October 22, 1925; died Februar… Read Full Bio ↴Dory Previn (born Dorothy Veronica Langan on October 22, 1925; died February 14, 2012), was an American lyricist, singer-songwriter and poet. As a lyricist for motion picture theme songs during the 1960s and early 1970s, she worked on the soundtrack to the Valley of the Dolls. She and her first husband, André Previn, received several Academy Award nominations for their joint efforts in motion picture songwriting. She released six albums of original songs, and one live album, between 1970 and 1976. Her career continued into the 1980s, touring in Europe for the first time in the late 1970s, and again the 1980s, after overcoming her life-long fear of flying.

Recordings:
* Leprechauns Are Upon Me (1959 as Dory Langdon)
* On My Way to Where (1970) - United Artists
* Reflections in a Mud Puddle/Taps Tremors and Time Steps (1971) - United Artists
* Mythical Kings and Iguanas (1971) - United Artists
* Mary C. Brown and the Hollywood Sign (1972) - United Artists
* Dory Previn (1974) - Warner Bros
* We're Children of Coincidence and Harpo Marx (1976) - Warner Bros
* "Dory & Andre Previn (1983)
* "Planet Blue" - (2002)

Aftershock
Dory Previn Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

...the telephone rang

My sister calling

I'll go on

Fighting

His ghost

Don't you know dad

The kid that hates

Is

The kid that loves

The most

Dad is dead?

When did it happen?

Six a.m.

Said she

New york time

Or california?

Did he

Ask

For me?

What did you say?

Never mind

He died in his sleep

God is kind.

Overall Meaning

In Dory Previn's song, "Aftershock", the singer is portrayed as receiving a phone call from their sibling informing them of their father's sudden death. The lines "My sister calling, I'll go on fighting, his ghost", suggest that the singer has been living with the memory of their deceased father, and that his death has stirred up feelings of grief and isolation. The dialogue that follows, "... the kid that hates is the kid that loves the most", implies a complicated relationship between the singer, their father, and their family dynamic.

The conversation with the sister continues until the singer finally receives the news that their father has passed away. They ask for the time and location of his death, suggesting a separation between the singer and their father. The line "Did he ask for me?" speaks to the idea that the singer may have been estranged from their father, and the prospect of seeing him before his death was unlikely. The final lines, "What did you say? Never mind. He died in his sleep. God is kind", suggests that the singer is moving on from their grief and finding comfort in the belief that their father passed peacefully.

Line by Line Meaning

the telephone rang
The phone started ringing

My sister calling
My sister was on the phone

I'll go on
I will keep living despite the tragedy

Fighting
I will keep struggling

His ghost
I still feel his presence in my life, even though he's passed away

Don't you know dad
I'm talking about our father

The kid that hates
Even though I had negative feelings toward him, I still loved him deeply

Is
This is the truth about my feelings

The kid that loves
Despite everything, I still cared about him

The most
This is the most important point to remember about my relationship with our father

Dad is dead?
I'm confirming that our father has passed away