Ballad Of The Dying Man
Father John Misty Lyrics

Naturally the dying man wonders to himself
The dying man is curious if anyone can match his level of insight and analysis.

Has commentary been more lucid than anybody else?
He questions whether anyone else can provide better analysis and observations than he did.

And had he successively beaten back the rising tide
He reflects on his ability to fight against and overcome those who lacked proper understanding, experience, or skills.

Of idiots, dilettantes, and fools
He identifies those who lacked proper knowledge or expertise in their commentaries or opinions.

On his watch while he was alive
He takes pride in ensuring that during his lifetime, those unqualified individuals did not dominate the conversation.

Lord, just a little more time
He laments he didn't have more time to share his thoughts and insights with the world.

This'll be the distant past
He believes that soon his contributions will fade away from memory as time passes.

So says the dying man once I'm in the box
The artist imagines how he will view the world, even after he dies.

Just think of all the overrated hacks running amok
He disdains those who lack originality or substance but are praised anyway.

And all of the pretentious, ignorant voices that will go unchecked
He worries that those who continue to offer shallow, thoughtless commentaries will remain unchallenged.

The homophobes, hipsters, and 1%
He singles out specific groups of people who he feels will continue to offer destructive or vapid commentaries.

The false feminists he'd managed to detect
He exposes those who claim to be feminist but are, in reality, hypocritical or phony in their actions or words.

Oh, who will critique them once he's left?
He worries that no one will be able to continue his legacy of insightful analysis once he has passed.

What he'd give for one more day to rate and analyze
The singer longs for more time to judge and assess the world as he sees fit.

The world made in his image as of yet
He believes that the world should reflect his own values or principles.

To realize what a mess to leave behind
He realizes that despite his best efforts or intentions, he will, like everyone else, leave behind a complex legacy.

Eventually the dying man takes his final breath
The artist finally succumbs to death.

But first checks his news feed to see what he's 'bout to miss
Even as he prepares to die, the singer cannot resist one final glance at the world as it continues to exist and evolve.

And it occurs to him a little late in the game
As he reflects on his imminent demise and his fascination with the everyday world, the singer realizes the futility of such a preoccupation.

We leave as clueless as we came
The artist resigns himself to the fact that no matter how insightful or brilliant a person might be, everyone will ultimately remain ignorant when compared to the grand schemes of the universe.

For the rented heavens to the shadows in the cave
From the most elevated concepts of religion to the most primitive human existence, we will all share that ignorant, unknowing state at some point.

We'll all be wrong someday
The artist concludes with a somber realization that, for all our knowledge, beliefs, or aspirations, we are all ultimately subject to the fallibility of being human and being wrong.