Joshua 27 is right. "Hopsice" is a concept album about a man who works at a hospital, falls in love with a cancer patient, marries her, and then watches her die. I think the psychological and physical breakdowns described in this song are all a result of the cancer. If you ask me, the entire album is genius.
What I love about this song (and the whole album, for that matter) is how it differs from traditional cancer stories. I've heard so many cancer stories that drip of sadness but in the end they all arrive at something positive: "I found the meaning of life," "I discovered what's really important," "My wife died but she was the love of my life and I was blessed to have the time with her I did," "I'm at peace about what happened," etc. But in this story the overwhelming emotion isn't sadness, it's anger. The cancer patient throws phones at her husband, blames him for her mistakes, and daily threatens to leave him. And the narrator doesn't romanticize his relationship with his wife; he actually lets us in on its dysfunction and admits that they were married hastily and at the disapproval of their friends. There's no redemption in this story at all, and that's what makes it so powerful. I love it!
I don't think so...the lyrics say he doesn't work in the hospital..... and seems like a whole lot more is going on. I'm pretty sure its all about self destruction relationships and abusive partners.....in this one it seems like the parents are the abusive ones trying to rip apart their daughters relationship and shes start to lose control and takes it out on him....and the death is the metaphor for her self destruction and the break up or if you want to take it literally just add on her dying to the scenario.
I don't think so...the lyrics say he doesn't work in the hospital..... and seems like a whole lot more is going on. I'm pretty sure its all about self destruction relationships and abusive partners.....in this one it seems like the parents are the abusive ones trying to rip apart their daughters relationship and shes start to lose control and takes it out on him....and the death is the metaphor for her self destruction and the break up or if you want to take it literally just add on her dying to the scenario.
I think listening to the rest of the lyrics on the album helps in understanding this song. You can tell he works in the hospital from the song "Kettering:"
"Because you'd been abused by the bone that refused you, and you hired me to make up for that...When I was checking vitals I suggested a smile...Something kept me standing by that hospital bed; I should have quit but instead I took care of you."
And from the song "Epilogue:"
"You've been gone for quite awhile now, and I don't work there in the hospital (they had to let me go)."...
I think listening to the rest of the lyrics on the album helps in understanding this song. You can tell he works in the hospital from the song "Kettering:"
"Because you'd been abused by the bone that refused you, and you hired me to make up for that...When I was checking vitals I suggested a smile...Something kept me standing by that hospital bed; I should have quit but instead I took care of you."
And from the song "Epilogue:"
"You've been gone for quite awhile now, and I don't work there in the hospital (they had to let me go)."
It's possible that the woman's parents had something to do with her rash behavior, but I think the cancer is a more major theme in the album.
Death can be used as a metaphor for a lot of things, but I think it's important first to understand the literal death in the album before applying it to something else. Also, I think the woman actually dies in the next song, "Shiva," and not in this song.
The story is literally about a Hospice worker dealing with a young male cancer patient. Weaved throughout are the references to the relationship; overall the death of a cancer patient and the anger and sadness associated is an allegory related to the failure of a relationship. What makes it such a well told story is the fact that throughout, the patient becomes the worker becomes the man, the story of these feelings is told from all sides, often in the same song. The first verse (the hospice workers perspective), the second and third verses (the man's), and the mixing of the two perspectives in the refrain are examples of this here.
Joshua 27 is right. "Hopsice" is a concept album about a man who works at a hospital, falls in love with a cancer patient, marries her, and then watches her die. I think the psychological and physical breakdowns described in this song are all a result of the cancer. If you ask me, the entire album is genius.
What I love about this song (and the whole album, for that matter) is how it differs from traditional cancer stories. I've heard so many cancer stories that drip of sadness but in the end they all arrive at something positive: "I found the meaning of life," "I discovered what's really important," "My wife died but she was the love of my life and I was blessed to have the time with her I did," "I'm at peace about what happened," etc. But in this story the overwhelming emotion isn't sadness, it's anger. The cancer patient throws phones at her husband, blames him for her mistakes, and daily threatens to leave him. And the narrator doesn't romanticize his relationship with his wife; he actually lets us in on its dysfunction and admits that they were married hastily and at the disapproval of their friends. There's no redemption in this story at all, and that's what makes it so powerful. I love it!
I don't think so...the lyrics say he doesn't work in the hospital..... and seems like a whole lot more is going on. I'm pretty sure its all about self destruction relationships and abusive partners.....in this one it seems like the parents are the abusive ones trying to rip apart their daughters relationship and shes start to lose control and takes it out on him....and the death is the metaphor for her self destruction and the break up or if you want to take it literally just add on her dying to the scenario.
I don't think so...the lyrics say he doesn't work in the hospital..... and seems like a whole lot more is going on. I'm pretty sure its all about self destruction relationships and abusive partners.....in this one it seems like the parents are the abusive ones trying to rip apart their daughters relationship and shes start to lose control and takes it out on him....and the death is the metaphor for her self destruction and the break up or if you want to take it literally just add on her dying to the scenario.
Sorry it can be whatever you think it is you can ignore my comment
Sorry it can be whatever you think it is you can ignore my comment
I think listening to the rest of the lyrics on the album helps in understanding this song. You can tell he works in the hospital from the song "Kettering:" "Because you'd been abused by the bone that refused you, and you hired me to make up for that...When I was checking vitals I suggested a smile...Something kept me standing by that hospital bed; I should have quit but instead I took care of you." And from the song "Epilogue:" "You've been gone for quite awhile now, and I don't work there in the hospital (they had to let me go)."...
I think listening to the rest of the lyrics on the album helps in understanding this song. You can tell he works in the hospital from the song "Kettering:" "Because you'd been abused by the bone that refused you, and you hired me to make up for that...When I was checking vitals I suggested a smile...Something kept me standing by that hospital bed; I should have quit but instead I took care of you." And from the song "Epilogue:" "You've been gone for quite awhile now, and I don't work there in the hospital (they had to let me go)."
It's possible that the woman's parents had something to do with her rash behavior, but I think the cancer is a more major theme in the album.
Death can be used as a metaphor for a lot of things, but I think it's important first to understand the literal death in the album before applying it to something else. Also, I think the woman actually dies in the next song, "Shiva," and not in this song.
Emily,
Emily,
The story is literally about a Hospice worker dealing with a young male cancer patient. Weaved throughout are the references to the relationship; overall the death of a cancer patient and the anger and sadness associated is an allegory related to the failure of a relationship. What makes it such a well told story is the fact that throughout, the patient becomes the worker becomes the man, the story of these feelings is told from all sides, often in the same song. The first verse (the hospice workers perspective), the second and third verses (the man's), and the mixing of the two perspectives in the refrain are examples of this here.