Independence Day
This is another in-situated recollection of what I consider to have been a significant event in my life, when I was Age 16.
Stranger in a strange place
Stranger in a strange place©David L Page 2016
Verse 1: I wake in the morning,
I’m in a familiar bed
But in a strange place,
What is this shed?
Is this my bed where I have laid my head
down every day for the past eight (8) years?
I don’t think so……
Verse 2: The walls look different
Much closer than before…
No tail patting the carpet
No stretch and yawn as she wakes herself up…
No kiss on the cheek,
As I have had every morn
for the five (5) years before
Pre-chorus 1: What’s that strange noise…
Water running from the ceiling
Like a waterfall from above
Filling up my place
huh.. huh… I can not breathe!
Am I going to drown?
Footsteps pace back and forth
But these are not as I have heard them before…..
Verse 3: Can’t hear any chirping in the trees,
There’s no back door…
No weeping willow
To wave and welcome me into a new day
What is this place?
where am I?
What have I become?….
Verse 4: I fall out of bed,
And step two (2) paces out the door
No garage before me,
bath room straight ahead,
living room to the left, no one in sight
no other life
I feel like a stranger in a strange place
Refrain (another’s voice in distance): Dave, Dave, Dave,
you’ve not been here before?
welcome to the first day of the rest of your life……
Pre-chorus 1: What’s that strange noise…
Water running from the ceiling
Like a waterfall from above
Filling up my place
huh.. huh… I can not breathe!
Am I going to drown?
Footsteps pace back and forth
But these are not as I have heard them before…..
Chorus 1: No one in sight
No other life
I feel like a stranger in a…
in a strange place
a stranger in a…..
a stranger in a strange place
Refrain (my voice): I don’t recognise anything
where is everything I’ve known before?
(Page 2016a)
Verse 5 (1/2): I hear traffic on the ridge
Cars beep,
tyres screech
I’ve not heard these sounds before
Refrain (another’s voice in distance): Dave, Dave, Dave,
you’ve not been here before?
welcome to the first day of the rest of your life……
Pre-chorus 1: What’s that strange noise…
Water running from the ceiling
Like a waterfall from above
Filling up my place
huh.. huh… I can not breathe!
Am I going to drown?
Footsteps pace back and forth
But these are not as I have heard them before…..
Chorus 1: No one in sight
No other life
I feel like a stranger in a…
in a strange place
a stranger in a…..
a stranger in a strange place
Refrain (my voice): I don’t recognise anything
where is everything I’ve known before?
Bridge Part 1:
(Page 2016b)
Bridge Part 2: I sneak a peak our the curtains,
And only see balconies after balconies,
After balconies, after balconies,
After balconies, after balconies,
After balconies, after balconies,
After balconies, after balconies,
After balconies, after balconies….
Refrain (another’s voice in distance): Dave, Dave, Dave,
you’ve not been here before?
welcome to the first day of the rest of your life……
Verse 3 (1/2): No weeping willow
To wave and welcome me into a new day
What am I imagining
How did I get here?
Refrain (my voice): I don’t recognise anything
where is everything I’ve known before?
Verse 2: The walls look different
Much closer than before…
No tail patting the carpet
No stretch and yawn as she wakes herself up…
No kiss on the cheek,
As I have had every morn
for the five (5) years before
What have I become?….
Pre-chorus 2: I hear voices in the close distance
But none that I know
Water runs again from the ceiling
Like a raging river after a storm
Filling up my place
huh.. huh… I can not breathe!
Am I going to drown?
Footsteps pace back and forth
But these are not as I have heard them before…..
Chorus 1: No one in sight
No other life
I feel like a stranger in a…
in a strange place
a stranger in a…..
a stranger in a strange place
Refrain (my voice): I don’t recognise anything
where is everything I’ve known before?
(Page 2016c)
Refrain (another’s voice in distance): Dave, Dave, Dave,
you’ve not been here before?
welcome to the first day of the rest of your life……
Verse 7 (1/2): Alarm clock goes off,
But I do not wake
I am already embedded in
my nightmare dream….
Refrain (another’s voice in distance): Dave, Dave, Dave,
you’ve not been here before?
welcome to the first day of the rest of your life……
Pre-chorus 1 (part)
Water running from the ceiling
Like a waterfall from above
…………
Footsteps pace back and forth
But these are not as I have heard them before…..
Verse 8: The kitchen is small
A very tight squeeze,
Compact for one,
Its very hard to breathe
The cupboards are bare
Nothing to eat
I wake from my sleep,
to hear my self scream
Verse 9: The dripping sweat,
causes my feet to slip away
I grab the oven door to stop myself fall
I lean on the bench,
And look up above
Why me?,
What have I done?,
Refrain (another’s voice in distance): Dave, Dave, Dave,
you’ve not been here before?
welcome to the first day of the rest of your life……
Pre-chorus 1 (part)
Water running from the ceiling
Like a waterfall from above
…………
Footsteps pace back and forth
But these are not as I have heard them before…..
Chorus 1 (part + extended): I feel like a stranger in a…
in a strange place
a stranger in a…..
a stranger in a strange place
I feel like a stranger in a
in a strange place
I feel like a stranger in a
in a strange place
I feel like a stranger in a
in a strange place
Refrain (another’s voice in distance): Dave, Dave, Dave,
you’ve not been here before?
welcome to the first day of the rest of your life……
Verse 3: Can’t hear any chirping in the trees,
There’s no back door…
No weeping willow
To wave and welcome me into a new day
What is this place?
where am I?
What have I become?….
Refrain (another’s voice in distance): Dave, Dave, Dave,
you’ve not been here before?
welcome to the first day of the rest of your life……
Verse 10: I stumble into the shower,
And turn the cold tap full on….
I shout “Wake up Dave!!!
wake up Dave!!!
wake up Dave!!!
wake up Dave
How come no ones around?”
……………….
…………………
I hang my head and shake and sway…
Refrain 3: This here Dave is your Independence Day…\
Refrain (another’s voice in distance): Dave, Dave, Dave,
you’ve not been here before?
welcome to the first day of the rest of your life……
Verse 11: Yes that’s right….
This here my friend is Independence Day…
Sixteen years old…
And your on your own
Chorus 1 (part): Yes, you feel like a stranger in a
in a strange place
you feel like a stranger in a
in a strange place…
Verse 12: I turn the taps off,
towel my self off
get dressed,
and walk out the door
I lock the front and only door
with my very own key…
This here is my Independence Day…
Refrain (another’s voice in distance): Dave, Dave, Dave,
you’ve not been here before?
welcome to the first day of the rest of your life……
Refrain 3: Yes that’s right….
This here is my Independence Day…
Refrain (another’s voice in distance): Dave, Dave, Dave,
you’ve not been here before?
welcome to the first day of the rest of your life……
Verse 13 (1/2): As I step down into
the underground (car)park
Water still runs down from the ceiling
Like a raging river after a storm
Refrain (another’s voice in distance): Dave, Dave, Dave,
you’ve not been here before?
welcome to the first day of the rest of your life……
Verse 14 (1/2): Footsteps still pace back and forth
Doors bang
Cars start
But these I do not know…..
Chorus 2: I feel like a stranger in a
in a strange place
I feel like a stranger with a
strange face
I feel like a stranger in a
in a strange place
I feel like a stranger with a
strange face
Verse 15 (part): What am I imagining
How did I get here?
Chorus 2: I feel like a stranger in a
in a strange place
I feel like a stranger with a
strange face
I feel like a stranger in a
in a strange place
I feel like a stranger with a
strange face
Refrain (another’s voice in distance): Dave, Dave, Dave,
you’ve not been here before?
welcome to the first day of the rest of your life……
Verse 15 (part): What am I imagining
How did I get here?
Chorus 2: I feel like a stranger in a
in a strange place
I feel like a stranger with a
strange face
I feel like a stranger in a
in a strange place
I feel like a stranger with a
strange face
Refrain (another’s voice in distance): Dave, Dave, Dave,
you’ve not been here before?
welcome to the first day of the rest of your life……
Outro : oohhhhhh,
ooohhhh….
The stranger in a
in a strange place
The stranger with a
strange face…..
Page, David L (2016d) “Stranger in a strange place” ©David L Page 2016.
“Stranger in a strange place” ©David L Page 2016. This audio event represents a developed sense of my recollection of this significant event.
Boy
The next passage was written some two decades ago, after visiting the home I grew up in. I got permission from the new owners to look around the back yard, and the weeping willow tree still stood in all her glory. I took a few moments to reflect on what I had experienced in that house and backyard, and ponder what had been….
Page, David L (2016e) “Boy” ©David L Page 1991
References
Corridor and Closed Door image courtesy of: Corridors Accessed 18th June, 2016
Northern Lights image courtesy of: Northern lights Accessed 22nd August, 2012
Page 2016a image courtesy of: David L Page and all previous Memory blogs published – see References Accessed 27th September, 2016
Page 2016b image courtesy of: David L Page and all previous Memory blogs published – see References Accessed 27th September, 2016
Page 2016c image courtesy of: David L Page and all previous Memory blogs published – see References Accessed 27th September, 2016
Page, David L (2016d) “Stranger in a strange place” ©David L Page 2016
Page, David L (2016e) “Boy” ©David L Page 1991
Stranger in a strange place ……. audio link courtesy of: David L Page Accessed 28th September, 2016
– ©David L Page 15/03/1991
– updated ©David L Page 28/10/2016
– updated ©David L Page 18/01/2017
Copyright: No aspect of the content of this blog or blog site is to be reprinted or used within any practice without strict permission directly from David L Page.
