DEFYING GRAVITY/THE EXECUTIONER’S SONG

A sad , but true story about Gary Mark Gilmore, a young American criminal , convicted of the senseless murder of two men, sentenced to a long term in prison, begged and then fought to be executed for his crimes because he preferred to die rather than rot in prison,

All “details” on this unhappy man are, of course, on the Internet, including several clever personal quotes he “penned”, while behind bars. One of them was
“I’ve got problems & if you sentence me to additional time, you will only compound them”. Also, this one :-
“We are sentenced to DEATH, on the day we are born”

The main reason for “this story” to my eLanka, readers however, is the fact that I “recorded” the song
” Defying Gravity” which was sung by the “Country Great” Waylon Jennings and dedicated to Gary Gilmore who was not ” hung”, as the “title” suggests,
but shot by a firing squad, to end his short but violent life. The “film” on Gary (with Tommy Lee Jones in the leading role) was called “The Executioner’s Song” and as the casket carrying the body of the ex-killer left the prison, Waylon strummed his guitar and sang the song that Gary Gilmore himself, could have written. I heard the recording, loved it, & re-recorded it as a tribute to Waylon, who has also passed-on to that great recording-studio in the sky. This is why, folks,
I love Country Music so very much. Most of them ( the older Nashville variety, anyway ) , told the story of life, as we know it. Please read & understand the lyrics:-

DEFYING GRAVITY/THE EXECUTIONER’S SONG.

I live on a great “blue ball”
And never did dream, I would fall
But even the day that I do
I’d jump off & smile back at you

We don’t even know where we are
It seems like we’re circling a star
Well, I’ll take their word, but I don’t know
I’m dizzy, so maybe it’s so

I’m riding this big “blue ball”
And never did dream, I would fall
But even the highest must lay low
When I do fall, I’d be glad to go.

Lyrics & Music by Cass. McCoombs
Sung by Waylon Jennings for the Pulitzer prize winning film on the book written by Norman Mailer.

Such a sad but beautiful song. Such is life.

desmond kelly