We're Staying With Jack (It's Not Over By Half, Joan Shelley)

Bernard: You said you'd never leave the Island, if you wanna go with Locke, I'll be right behind you.
Rose: I'm not going anywhere with that man.
- The Beginning of the End

I'm dipping my toes back into filking with Rose and Bernard, who might be my favorite couple on LOST but who have far too little time in the spotlight.  Joan Shelley's gently transcendent vocals and the sense of serene hope that pervades her beautiful ballad felt fitting for Rose's deeply spiritual nature and the way she acknowledges the darkness without letting it overtake her.

We're Staying With Jack

You took your shot, a guard with a gun.
The Others were scattered with your ammo.
And you've forgotten my mantra for you, hon.
You're a dentist, and you are not Rambo.

Oh, sweetie, why must you always do and not be?
For now I am healthy, and for now we are free.
Hurley's in pain, and he gave a good speech,
But if you ask me, he's made a big blunder.

Bernard, we're staying with Jack
'Cause the look in Locke's eyes makes me think he's a quack.
We follow him and we're on the wrong track.
No, we're not going; we're staying with Jack.

At Niagara Falls, with a timid grin,
You promised to love me through thick and through thin.
So although I had cancer, my heart sang a hymn
Thanking God that He got your attention.

Bernard, we're staying with Jack
'Cause the look in Locke's eyes makes me think he's a quack.
We follow him and we're on the wrong track.
No, we're not going; we're staying with Jack.

Here on this Island, I'm happy with you,
But rescue will bring us serenity, too.
Remission reversal may well ensue;
It won't matter, 'cause we'll be together.

Bernard, we're staying with Jack
'Cause the look in Locke's eyes makes me think he's a quack.
We follow him and we're on the wrong track.
No, we're not going; we're staying with Jack.

It's Not Over By Half

Vince (Vincent, Don McLean)

A recent Entertainment Weekly poll revealed that the most tear-jerking moment in this year's series of finales was Jack's death, and the poll editor parenthetically added that it was Vincent who put Jack over the top. I make it a rule never to filk the same song twice, but once in a blue moon I break it if the song has a strong enough pull on me and I'm not especially attached to my first attempt. I had a feeling I'd have to break my rule for Vincent, and I finally found the perfect scene to work with - a very fitting end to the series, and one that also reminds me of The Forest Again, one of my favorite chapters in the Harry Potter saga. Here's Jack to the tune of Don McLean's Vincent.

Vince

Fatal, fatal knife
Plunged into my side today.
What a price I had to pay
To see to it the Island would stay whole!
Now I’m feeling chilled.
Funny notion, this getting killed.
Won’t be long till my heartbeat’s stilled,
And slowly I will mingle with the sand.

Do you understand
Just how much this means to me?
It’s such a gesture of humanity
From you, the final friend I’ll see.
I thought, “He’s just a dog,” but Vince, I vow,
I don’t believe that now.

Fatal, fatal knife,
Handed down from ancient days.
Just before he braved the blaze
That brought his ashes, Jacob felt it too.
What a cruel adieu!
Mine was just a tiny reign,
But you came to ease my pain.
I’m strengthened by your warmth beneath my hand.

Do you understand
Just how much this means to me?
It’s such a gesture of humanity
From you, the final friend I’ll see!
I thought, “He’s just a dog,” but Vince, I vow,
I don’t believe that now.

Jacob didn’t have you,
But I’m so glad I do.
Yes, as I slip away from life,
Not that fatal, fatal knife
But somebody who soothes me is in view.
I’m so grateful to you, Vincent.
This isn’t quite so scary when I’m facing it with you.

Fatal, fatal knife.
That’s the reason for my fall.
Barely feel the wound at all,
And certainly I’m feeling no regret.
First survivor who I met,
Now settled with Bernard and Rose,
You have a home but kindly chose
To find me here and help me to let go.

Yes, I’m sure you know
Just how much this means to me.
It’s such a gesture of humanity
From you, the final friend I’ll see!
The plane is leaving, and it’s such a thrill,
But Vince, you never will.

The Island Where I Was Reborn (The Village That They Call the Moy, Ryan Kelly)

"Don't try to stop me, Peter. I am sure Aslan would not. I am sure it is not wrong for me to mourn for Narnia. Think of all that lies dead and frozen beyond that door."
- Lucy Pevensie, The Last Battle

"Is everything sad going to come untrue?" 
- Sam Gamgee, The Return of the King

"I chose you because you needed this place as much as it needed you."
- Jacob, What They Died For 

We've known for a long time that The End was coming, and I've been preparing myself by setting aside songs that I might use to work through my feelings about the finale. I have a list of them jotted down, but one grabbed me and refused to release me, forcing me to do something about it before I even watched the last episode, anticipating that I would spend the wee hours of this morning ripping it to shreds in light of everything in the finale that contradicted it. Instead I changed it just before I watched the episode, and I kept it pretty much the same after that.  Initially I imagined it being set immediately after the Island events in the finale, as I strongly suspected the Island would sink; now, it's set in the Sideways world, at which point it does seem that the Island is indeed under the sea, or certainly inaccessible to our castaways.  And despite all evidence to the contrary, I believe that Jacob and Hurley will reunite on the other side of that door.

The Village That They Call the Moy is a song written and performed by Celtic Thunder's Ryan Kelly, a musician for whom I have enormous respect and affection. I came across his demo online last year and it instantly resonated deeply. I evaded it all year, mostly because I felt a little funny filking a song that isn't actually on an album yet. But the album's coming soon, and I hope everyone reading this buys a copy, because it's sure to be brilliant. And when this song tapped me on the shoulder, it would not be stopped. So I hope Ryan will forgive me for piggybacking off of his tender hometown ode, and I thank him for giving me the perfect vehicle for expressing my sense of grateful melancholy as my favorite show comes to a close.

(Update: Ryan Kelly's first solo album, In Time - which features a more up-tempo version of The Village That They Call the Moy - is available now.  Buy it here!)

The Island Where I Was Reborn

Sawyer: Leavin’ it should have been easy.
It put me through such an ordeal.
But still, I shuddered to think, As the memories shrink,
I someday could doubt it was real.
I went there so jaded and lost and afraid
Of the darkness that’s inside of me;
I passed through the flames, and I left as just James.
I’m found, and I’m finally free.

That doesn’t mean I don’t miss it.
Jacob knew that I needed that place,
So I boarded that flight, and I went toward the light,
Toward the source of all wisdom and grace.
I am happy and whole and at ease in my soul,
But a part of me always will mourn
That it’s under the sea, so I never will be
Back on the Island where I was reborn.

Kate: How dreary were days I did nothing but run
From my conscience and from the police!
My own complicity in my friend’s death
Haunted me and kept me from peace.
My love life always was messy.
At last I’m sure of which romance to pursue,
But I think of the track that I traveled with Jack
Before all of our grief came untrue.

That’s when I realize I miss it.
Jacob knew that I needed that place,
So I boarded that flight, and I went toward the light,
Toward the source of all wisdom and grace.
I am happy and whole and at ease in my soul,
But a part of me always will mourn
That it’s under the sea, so I never will be
Back on the Island where I was reborn.

Hugo: It’s well I remember that life-changing day
When he asked me to go catch that plane.
Then he tried to prepare me for leaving him there,
For the close to his long-standing reign.
He brought me so far from that chat in the car
But also learned something from me;
Since love never ends, we will always be friends,
And it all started under the sea.

Everyone knows that I miss it.
Jacob knew that I needed that place,
So I boarded that flight, and I went toward the light,
Toward the source of all wisdom and grace.
I am happy and whole and at ease in my soul,
But a part of me always will mourn
That it’s under the sea, so I never will be
Back on the Island where I was reborn.

All: I am happy and whole and at ease in my soul,
But a part of me always will mourn
That it’s under the sea, so I never will be
Back on the Island where I was reborn.


The Village That They Call The Moy
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When It Ends (A Face That Shone, Michael Card)

"My ashes are right there in that fire... When it burns out, you’ll never see me again."- Jacob, What They Died For

LOST is so filled with wonderful characters, and I love nearly all of them, but there will always be an extra special place in my heart for Jacob and Hurley. In the great epics, this always tends to be my favorite pair: the wise mentor and the loving, humble apostle. Gandalf and Sam. Dumbledore and Hagrid. Aslan and Lucy. Granted, Aslan is something More than those others, Jacob included. But Jacob reflects the light in a powerful way, and Hurley feels a deep sense of connection to him. I was very saddened by Jacob's words to Hurley in What They Died For. I thought of Lucy leaving Narnia in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and I anticipate this parting being equally difficult for Hurley. But even as he dreads the loss, his chief concern is harmony, and something tells me this Star Wars geek holds the key to a satisfying resolution. Here's Hurley to the tune of Michael Card's A Face That Shone.

When It Ends

Though Richard raved and ranted to Jack on the Black Rock,
I was sure that we should follow, for we’re Jacob’s chosen flock.
I knew it from the moment he blessed me with his touch.
When he gave me that guitar case, his assurance meant so much.

He met me at the Temple, and he helped me find the stone
That hid a secret passage to a lighthouse long unknown.
Jacob never acted like he thought that I would fail.
I began to think that maybe the light of kindness could prevail.

So when it ends, I will feel I’ve lost a father,
A faithful friend who believed that I had worth.
But when it ends, I will know that I would rather
Have been blessed to briefly know him.
I’ve been searching for him since my birth.

He brought us to the Island. We became his flustered flock,
And he’s charged us now with stopping his old friend who looks like Locke.
Oh, I know that he’s a monster and he really isn’t John,
But he used to be his brother. That part of him’s not gone.

Jacob said he’d try to kill us and we would need to guard the light,
But reconciliation’s the best end to this fight.
We’ll somehow find the balance so the conflict can be done.
Like Anakin and Luke, the fractured family will be one.

And when it ends, I will feel I’ve lost a father,
A faithful friend who believed that I had worth.
But when it ends, I still will know that I would rather
Have been blessed to briefly know him.
I’ve been seeking him since birth.

He said to me, “You’ll never see me once it’s ended.
I’ll have to go, but you will know you have my love.
You’ll bear the light, and everyone who you’ve befriended
Will snatch a spark, and they’ll be mended both from within and from above.”

And when it ends, I will feel I’ve lost a father,
A faithful friend who believed that I had worth.
But when it ends, I still will know that I would rather
Have been blessed to briefly know him.
I’ve been seeking him since birth.

A Face That Shone

Our Noble Leader (The Gentle Healer, Michael Card)

Sawyer: And I thought that guy had a God complex before.
Kate: James.
Sawyer: Yeah, I know.
- What They Died For

After seeing such a snarly Island Sawyer for so much of season six, I was touched by his humility in What They Died For. Here's Sawyer coming to grips with Jack's role as his leader, to the tune of Michael Card's The Gentle Healer.

Our Noble Leader

Our noble leader always has to save the day.
He gives commands, and I balk and disobey.
Yeah, you can depend on my gettin' in his way.
Our noble leader always has to save the day.

Our noble leader always has to save the day,
And Juliet was the price I had to pay,
For she fell in the well, and now my world is gray.
Our noble leader always has to save the day.

Oh, I know that he’s a tender-hearted man.
When no one cared, he lent a helping hand.
Yeah, but trustin’ folks was never quite my plan.
And yet I know that he’s a tender-hearted man.

Our noble leader, he’s number twenty-three,
And now Jacob’s told him, “Jack, you’re just like me.”
I want to be sarcastic, but I see
That our noble leader is what he was meant to be.

I Will Destroy the Beast (God's Own Fool, Michael Card)

"It's where I was told I could summon the monster. That's before I realized that it was the one summoning me."
- Ben, What They Died For

Ben's actions on the Island in What They Died For initially really depressed me because it felt like such a sad regression back into villainy. But the more I think about it, the more certain I am that Ben is running his own con, and because of his incredibly dark past and his willingness to kill his old enemy to get his point across, he may just be able to pull it off where Sawyer failed. Here's hopin'. Here is Ben to the tune of Michael Card's God's Own Fool.

I Will Destroy the Beast

Seems he misled me for all of my life
Since I came to this place as a kid,
And he molded me into a murderous man.
I cringe at the things that I did.
For ever since Jacob clutched me as he died
And then Miles confirmed that he cared,
I've seen how this monster made use of my pride
Until I was wholly ensnared.

So I, in my foolishness, ate up his lies.
I was his tool then, but now I’ve grown wise.
When I was a leader, he conned me so long.
Now I’ve been humbled and know I was wrong.
And so I’ll make that thing a fool.
I owe that to Jacob at least.
I won’t stand by and be his tool.
I will destroy the beast.

I’ll give up my life for the sake of this con
That will rid us of evil at last.
I’ll do it for Jacob and Alex and John.
I’ll purge the mistakes of my past.
I’ll surrender the power that never was mine,
Be the man Jacob hoped I could be.
For I’ve been through the fire and I’ve been refined,
And though I was blind, now I see.

Yes, I, in my foolishness, ate up his lies.
I was his tool then, but now I’ve grown wise.
When I was a leader, he conned me so long.
Now I’ve been humbled and know I was wrong.
And so I’ll make that thing a fool.
I owe that to Alex at least.
I won’t stand by and be his tool.
I will destroy the beast.

So I’ll make that thing a fool.
I owe that to John Locke at least.
I won’t stand by and be his tool.
I will destroy the beast.

I'll Never Leave You (Yankee Bayonet, Colin Meloy)

Sun: Go!  Please... go!
Jin: I won't leave you. I will never leave you again...  I love you, Sun.
- The Candidate

I've been casting about for a fitting tribute to Sun and Jin ever since The Candidate, but it wasn't until my brother Nathan mentioned that I ought to dip into the Decemberists that I realized the perfect song for LOST's doomed couple was lurking just out of earshot. I tried to incorporate several elements of their journey - Sun's naive girlhood dreams, Jacob's blessing, the difficulties they worked through together and Ji Yeon, the "flower of wisdom". Here's Jin and Sun to the tune of the Decemberists' Yankee Bayonet.

I’ll Never Leave You

Jin: Captured glimpses of my unknown treasure -
Such a sweet surprise!
Sun: Far from this sub that I’ve no hope of escaping,
That’s where our daughter lies.

Go, Jin, go, please, go, Jin, go.
Please, go, Jin, go, please go.

Jin: Look at me. Can you see the love
That has sustained me through these years?
Sun: I carried it with me as our young flower blossomed
In the midst of my anguished tears.

Go, Jin, go, please, go, Jin, go.
Please, go, Jin, go, please go.

Jin: No, Sun, no, Sun, no, Sun.
No, Sun. No, Sun. No, Sun. No.

Our love is so blessed.
I’ll never take it for granted, Sun.
Together, we will rest,
For I’ll never leave you. I’ll never leave you.
I’ll never leave you. I’ll never leave you. No.

Sun: When I was a girl, I believed when I found my love,
My world would have no pain.
Jin: But oh, for a moment within your sunshine,
I would face a lifetime of rain.

Sun and Jin: Oh, you know I love you so.
You know I love you so.

Jin: We’ve come to the end, but we leave here together,
And we’ll only be apart for a while.
Sun: But Jin, you can live. You can save yourself
And you can go and be with our child.

Go, Jin, go, please, go, Jin, go.
Please, go, Jin, go, please go.

Jin: No, Sun, no, Sun, no, Sun.
No, Sun. No, Sun. No, Sun. No.

Our love is so blessed.
I’ll never take it for granted, Sun.
Together, we will rest,
For I’ll never leave you. I’ll never leave you.
I’ll never leave you. I’ll never leave you.

Jin: You have my heart, so take my hand.
Jin and Sun: I’ll always love you.
Sun: A love as vast as stars and sand.
Jin and Sun: I’ll always love you.

Jin: It’s time, my love, for our fingers to be parted.
Let our last embrace begin.
Sun: Let my lips speak the only language
That we need as we drift away, Jin.

Sun and Jin: Oh, you know I love you so.
You know I love you so.
Oh, you know I love you so.
You know I love you so.

The Back-Up Plan (Superman's Ghost, Don McLean)

Mother: It has to be you, Jacob.
Jacob: No, it doesn't. You wanted it to be him. But now I'm all you have.
- Across the Sea

When I set myself a goal of finishing 200 LOST songs before the finale, I didn't really expect to achieve it. I was sure that the strange writing streak that began on my birthday would peter out soon. But it didn't, and here I am, a week before the finale, posting number 200. I decided to go with Don McLean's Superman's Ghost for this one; I'd had it on the back burner since season three, always intending it to be from Ben's perspective, sulking about John's favored status, but I always felt like I needed more of the story. Across the Sea showed me that Ben and John were just perpetuating a long pattern. After the episode ended, I announced that it was probably my second-favorite episode of the season. The more I think about it, the more sure I am of that. Though I thoroughly expect the last three and a half hours to blow even Dr. Linus out of the water. Here's Jacob, wondering along with us what's coming next.

The Back-Up Plan

“I don’t want the cup to pass to me.
He was your favorite son.
I never questioned. I never disobeyed.
The best one grew restless, and he strayed,
So I had to be your back-up plan.”

We came from another place over the sea,
Though I didn’t know that as a boy.
I lived with my brother harmoniously;
Our companionship brought me such joy!
But I was contented and he was a rover,
And Mother encouraged the rift.
So when she insisted her time here was over,
I snapped at the sight of her gift.

“I don’t want the cup to pass to me.
He was your favorite son.
I never questioned. I never disobeyed.
The best one grew restless, and he strayed,
So I had to be your back-up plan.”

He claimed she would die, and I yelled, “It’s a lie!”
But her weariness weighed on my mind,
And I was in fear of my solitude here
If he succeeded and he left me behind.
No, I never asked to take on the task
That she had intended him for,
But when I tried to protest, she wasn’t impressed
And said, “You have no choice anymore.”

“I don’t want the cup to pass to me.
He was your favorite son.
I never questioned. I never disobeyed.
The best one grew restless, and he strayed,
So I had to be your back-up plan.”

She damaged us both, but I still took the oath,
And her death sent me into a rage,
So I perverted my twin with the source of all sin,
And my penance has lasted an age.
I’d proven him right that between dark and light,
People always will choose the wrong course.
But I dreamed of one day discerning a way
To reap good from the seeds of remorse.

“I don’t want the cup to pass to me.
He was your favorite son.
I never questioned. I never disobeyed.
The best one grew restless, and he strayed,
So I had to be your back-up plan.”

Well, I’ve watched from above and witnessed the love
That humanity strives to embrace.
But the women and men, down to little lost Ben,
Have succumbed, although some have sought grace.
I can’t be sure how it all will end now,
But children, acknowledge my plea:
You have shown, through this test, that you’re special and blessed,
And so don’t mess it up just like me.

“I don’t want the cup to pass to me.
He was your favorite son.
I never questioned. I never disobeyed.
The best one grew restless, and he strayed,
So I had to be your back-up plan.

I never questioned. I never disobeyed.
The best one grew restless, and he strayed,
So I had to be your back-up plan.”

Superman's Ghost

The Guardian (Penny Whistle Peddler, George and Will Millar)

Here's an ode to Jacob taking Across the Sea into account, to the tune of the Irish Rovers' Penny Whistle Peddler.

The Guardian

I hope you meet the guardian chosen to protect the light,
A sage and ancient man who prefers to dress in white.
Set on disproving his brother’s fatalistic view,
He’ll bless you with his touch if he believes in you.

In a distant, distant land across the sea,
The guardian took on his role, but sadly and reluctantly.
He had given in to violence, hurt his brother in his wrath,
Shown again that people always pick the evil path.

I hope you meet the guardian chosen to protect the light,
A sage and ancient man who prefers to dress in white.
Set on disproving his brother’s fatalistic view,
He’ll bless you with his touch if he believes in you.

But goodness was his goal, for himself and all.
He slowly gained wisdom as ships began to heed his call.
When he met Ricardo, also steeped in penitence,
Jacob saw that intervening made a lot of sense.

I hope you meet the guardian chosen to protect the light,
A sage and ancient man who prefers to dress in white.
Set on disproving his brother’s fatalistic view,
He’ll bless you with his touch if he believes in you.

So lately, Jacob wanders within the world at large.
He seeks the flawed but virtuous, entrusting each one with a charge.
As he thinks about his brother, the one he wronged so viciously,
He wonders, “If I win, will it set him free?”

I hope you meet the guardian chosen to protect the light,
A sage and ancient man who prefers to dress in white.
Set on disproving his brother’s fatalistic view,
He’ll bless you with his touch if he believes in you.

Penny Whistle Peddler

Katie, Be Good (Johnny B. Goode, Chuck Berry)

"You're not going to steal anymore, are you?  Be good, Katie."
- Jacob, The Incident


Here's a speculative little ditty in which I imagine Kate getting a quiet moment with Jack, during which the memory of her meeting with Jacob suddenly comes rushing back to her, leading her to contemplate its significance. Of course, that seems rather unlikely now, with major conflict brewing and Jack and Kate on different islands, but it could happen... Here's Kate to the tune of Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode.

Katie, Be Good

When I was just a kid I liked to hang with Tom
Away from supervision by my dad and mom.
One day, when I felt a bit misunderstood,
A stranger kindly told me, “Katie, be good.”
He paid for what I’d taken from the corner store
And said, “Please promise me you’re not gonna steal anymore.”

“No, no.
No, Katie, no, no.
No, Katie, no, no.
No, Katie, no, no.
No, Katie, no, no.
Katie, be good.”

I haven’t thought about that day in forever, Jack,
But now that I’m with you, it’s come flooding back.
I see his face so clearly now. Do you suppose
Jacob was the one who tapped me on the nose?
And now I wonder why I did not obey
The simple instruction that he gave that day.

“No, no.
No, Katie, no, no.
No, Katie, no, no.
No, Katie, no, no.
No, Katie, no, no.
Katie, be good.”

The more I think about that enigmatic man,
The more I think this must’ve always been his plan.
He knew long ago in that tiny town.
He counted on the fact that I would let him down.
Even as Jacob saved me from my plight,
He thought, “Katie be good - yeah, right!”

“No, no.
No, Katie, no. No, no.
No, Katie, no. No, no.
No, Katie, no. No, no.
No, Katie, no.
No, Katie, be good.”

Hippocratic Lament (American Tune, Paul Simon / Johann Sebastian Bach / Hans Hassler)

Jack's relationship with Christian has been one of the most complex on the show. Here, to the tune of Paul Simon's American Tune, I imagine him struggling to come to grips with his father's death, juggling bitterness, respect and affection, and discounting the validity of his Island experience in White Rabbit. (The actual song kicks in at about two-minute mark on the video.)

Hippocratic Lament

Many’s the time my father told me,
“You don’t have what it takes.”
And when I wanted him to hold me,
He wouldn't soothe my aches.
Oh, but I’ve grown up. I’ve grown up,
And I thought that I’d moved on.
Still, I’ve felt the hollowness gnawing at my heart
Since I’ve known he was gone, since I’ve known he was gone.

And he said that I had to keep my distance.
He said I could not afford to care.
He said that I needed his assistance
For dural sac repair.
But I’ve grown up. I’ve grown up,
And I hope I proved him wrong.
Still, I accept that his pushing made me strong
And wish we’d got along.
Oh, why couldn’t we learn to get along?

And I dreamed that I saw him.
I dreamed that the man who I so longed to see
Was standing in front of me,
Beckoning silently.
And I dreamed of his coffin,
Which, to my surprise, was empty as could be.
Exhaustion was tricking me.
That’s not reality.
But I dreamed that I saw him.

Now he never will know how much he taught me.
He never will know how much he meant.
He never will realize that he brought me
To this Hippocratic lament.
Oh, I have grown up. Yeah, I’ve grown up, I’ve grown up.
I’m a doctor, not a child.
Still, I will remember, in the midst of many frowns,
Those rare instances when he smiled.
I will remember the times he smiled.

My Freedom (Take It to the Limit, Don Henley / Glenn Frey / Randy Meisner)

Smokey: I want to leave. Just let me leave, Jacob. Jacob: As long as I'm alive, you're not going anywhere.
Smokey: Well then, now you know why I want to kill you. - Ab Aeterno

Smokey has one simple request for Jacob, but Jacob is not budging. Here's the two of them to the tune of the Eagles' Take It to the Limit.

My Freedom

Smokey: All alone at the end of an era.
No one left here with me except you.
I was thinking that you might have considered
What I long to do.
You know I’ve been stuck here forever.
Jacob: I don’t have to tell you why.
Smokey: Humans never will change.
Jacob: Always been worth a try.
Smokey: Well, you really must hate me.
I implore and you ignore me.
I abhor this old exchange.

I wanna say goodbye, friend.
Is that such a crime?
But Jacob, you begin it one more time.

Do you count all the lives you have wasted?
Will you waste all your life counting more?
In an eon, will I have to meet you
Again on the shore?
I’m only looking for my freedom.
Jacob: You’re not going anywhere.
Smokey: Don’t you gloat with that wine.
Jacob: No? ‘Cause I’m glad to share...
Smokey: Well, no matter what, I’m leaving.
If I have to kill, you know I will
Until escape is mine.

I wanna say goodbye, friend.
Is that such a crime?
But Jacob, you begin it one more time.
Jacob, you begin it
Jacob, you begin it
Jacob, you begin it one more time.

Jacob: Face it, I begin it
(Smokey: Please)
Jacob: Face it, I begin it
(Smokey: Let me go!)
Jacob: Face it, I begin it one more time.

Jacob: Face it, I begin it
(Smokey: Please)
Jacob: Face it, I begin it
(Smokey: Free me!)
Jacob: Face it, I begin it one more time.

Smokey: Jacob, you begin it
Jacob, you begin it
Jacob, you begin it one more time.

Jacob: Face it, I begin it
(Smokey: Please)
Jacob: Face it, I begin it
(Smokey: Free me!)
Jacob: Face it, I begin it one more time.

Smokey: Jacob, you begin it
(Jacob: No!)
Smokey: Jacob, you begin it
(Jacob: No!)
Smokey: Jacob, you begin it one more time.

(fadeout)

Take It to the Limit

John Locke's Body (John Brown's Body, Traditional)

"I don't understand. If this is Locke... who's in there?" 
- Sun, The Incident


John Locke has suffered a great many indignities on LOST, not the least of which involves his imitation by a nefarious entity. Here's a ditty to the tune of Pete Seeger's version of John Brown's Body in which various folks outside contemplate the mystery before them. In the last verse, "John Locke" confronts Jacob and offers an answer.

John Locke’s Body

Sun: John Locke’s body lies a-sprawlin’ in the sand.
John Locke’s body lies a-sprawlin’ in the sand.
John Locke’s body lies a-sprawlin’ in the sand.
So who’s in there with Ben?

Ilana: In the shadow of the Statue,
In the shadow of the Statue,
In the shadow of the Statue,
Will evil rise again?

Frank: They knocked me out and brought me with the dead guy in the box.
They knocked me out and brought me with the dead guy in the box.
They knocked me out and brought me with the dead guy in the box.
So who’s in there with Ben?

Ilana: In the shadow of the Statue,
In the shadow of the Statue,
In the shadow of the Statue,
Will evil rise again?

Richard: When John walked into camp, he seemed a little off to me,
But I had waited fifty years to follow his decree,
And so I overlooked the artificiality.
So who’s in there with Ben?

Ilana: In the shadow of the Statue,
In the shadow of the Statue,
In the shadow of the Statue,
Will evil rise again?

Bram: Well, that crate was really heavy, and we carried it all day.
That crate was really heavy, and we carried it all day.
That crate was really heavy, and we carried it all day.
So who’s in there with Ben?

Ilana: In the shadow of the Statue,
In the shadow of the Statue,
In the shadow of the Statue,
Will evil rise again?

Smokey: Remember when I told you that I’d find a loophole, friend?
Since the two of us showed up here, you must know what we intend.
Forget your talk of progress; now at last we’re at the end.
It’s me in here with Ben.

Ilana: In the shadow of the Statue,
In the shadow of the Statue,
In the shadow of the Statue,
Will evil rise again?

The Loophole (Day-O, Traditional)

Jacob: Well, you found your loophole.
Smokey: Indeed I did.
- The Incident

It seems to be happy times for Smokey since the end of season five. Here's a triumphant little tune from him to the tune of Harry Belefonte's Day-O.

The Loophole

Jacob, Jacob.
Found my loophole; I’m gonna go home.
Jacob, oh Jacob, oh Jacob, oh Jacob,
Oh Jacob, oh Jacob...
Found my loophole; I’m gonna go home.

Tried on John, and I like the fit.
Found my loophole; I’m gonna go home.
It was easy makin’ him submit.
Found my loophole; I’m gonna go home.

Had help from Benjamin, Benjamin the lackey.
Found my loophole; I’m gonna go home.
Good thing he wasn’t undone by the Iraqi.
Found my loophole; I’m gonna go home.

And Richard’s gullible as can be.
Found my loophole; I’m gonna go home.
Pick your flunkies more carefully.
Found my loophole; I’m gonna go home.

Jacob, oh Jacob.
Found my loophole; I’m gonna go home.
Jacob, oh Jacob, oh Jacob, oh Jacob...
Found my loophole; I’m gonna go home.

I knew that I’d find you in the statue.
Found my loophole; I’m gonna go home.
See my triumph as I catch you.
Found my loophole; I’m gonna go home.

That Richard’s gullible as can be.
Found my loophole; I’m gonna go home.
Pick your flunkies more carefully.
Found my loophole; I’m gonna go home.

Jacob, oh Jacob.
Found my loophole; I’m gonna go home.
Jacob, oh Jacob, oh Jacob, oh Jacob...
Found my loophole; I’m gonna go home.

Had help from Benjamin, Benjamin the lackey.
Found my loophole; I’m gonna go home.
Good thing he wasn’t undone by the Iraqi.
Found my loophole; I’m gonna go home.

Jacob, Jacob.
Found my loophole; I’m gonna go home.
Jacob, oh Jacob, oh Jacob, oh Jacob,
Oh Jacob, oh Jacob...
Found my loophole; I’m gonna go home.

Sittin' on the Shoreline (Standing on the Corner, Frank Loesser)

Smokey: Do you have any idea how badly I wanna kill you?
Jacob: Yes.
Smokey: One of these days, sooner or later... I'm going to find a loophole, my friend.
- The Incident

I've written quite a few LOST filksongs to tunes performed by Celtic Thunder, my favorite contemporary band, but I've never tackled one of Damian McGinty's, which has been increasingly agitating me lately since he happens to be the one member of the group that actually likes the show. And when I say likes, I mean loves, with an obsessive fervor I recognize all too well. So this one, to the tune of Standing on the Corner, the Frank Loesser song he covers in the group's newest release, is written especially for Damo.

It's a counterpoint to Tallies, Time and Tapestries, which has Jacob serenely meditating on his meeting with his as-yet-unnamed nemesis, which is depicted in the opening scene of The Incident. Here, the entity affectionately known as Smokey (and about a dozen other nicknames) responds to Jacob with rather less grace. Nonetheless, I can't help feeling a bit sympathetic to his position, and find in his stance a glimmer of sympathy for the castaways "whose lives [Jacob] wasted".

I think Jacob will have the upper hand in the end, but that Smokey will not necessarily be vanquished outright. Unlike, say, Voldemort, Smokey appears to have some sense of morality, and he also appears to have an understanding of what it means to be human. Martin Keamy and Anthony Cooper may well have been sociopaths who never truly loved anyone in their lives, but I don't think this quite applies to our shape-shifting friend. And while Jacob works against him, he seems to harbor little animosity toward He Who Must Not Be Named (because what we really needed was another mystery on LOST). Moreover, I'm starting to suspect that even these two answer to someone. So while I hope Jacob scores a spectacular victory, I can't helping rooting for Smokey's remorse and redemption, and thinking he's more Darth Vader than Sauron.

Sittin' on the Shoreline

Sittin' on the shoreline watchin' all the ships come in.
Sittin' on the shoreline watchin' all the ships come in.
Jacob, I don’t think you know how much this bores me.
Oh, what a waste this has all been,
This sittin' on the shoreline watchin' all the ships,
Watchin' all the ships, watchin' all the ships come in.

We are stuck at two extremes.
Had it up to here with all your schemes.
Had it up to here with all your clout.
So I’m off to find a loophole,
And when I do, I’ll kill you and finally get out!

Sittin' on the shoreline watchin' all the ships come in.
Sittin' on the shoreline waitin’ till they start to sin.
Jacob, it’s you who so haughtily ignores me,
You who insists that we begin
By sittin' on the shoreline watchin' all the ships,
Watchin' all the ships, watchin' all the ships come in.

We are stuck at two extremes.
Had it up to here with all your schemes.
Had it up to here with all your clout.
So I’m off to find a loophole,
And when I do, I’ll kill you and finally get out!

Jacob, I guess you would say that I’m a cynic.
Well, you’re naive, my noble twin
Sittin' on the shoreline watchin' all the ships,
Watchin' all the ships, watchin' all the ships come in.

Keep This Guitar Case for Me (While My Guitar Gently Weeps, George Harrison)

Hurley: Wait! You forgot your guitar.
Jacob: It's not my guitar.
- The Incident

Yesterday was George Harrison's 67th birthday, so I've had the late great Quiet Beatle on the brain. Here's a song to the tune of While My Guitar Gently Weeps. I've written once explicitly about the strength of the bond between Jacob and Hurley, and implied it another time, but I thought their iconic meeting deserved a song all its own.

Keep This Guitar Case For Me

I look in your eyes, see the struggle there, Hugo.
Keep this guitar case for me.
You think you’ve been cursed; I see blessing in you, though.
Keep this guitar case for me.

You have been blessed beyond all measure.
You are a treasure trove.
When you were handed a life of leisure,
You thought of others’ pleasure.

You come here and offer a gift to a stranger.
Keep this guitar case for me.
I hope you will help keep your friends out of danger.
Keep this guitar case for me.

All of your life, you’ve felt deflated,
Thought you were hated.
All of your life, I know you’ve waited.
Our meeting’s fated.

My friend, put an end to despair and confusion.
Keep this guitar case for me.
I’m here; I’m not dead, and I’m not an illusion.
Keep this guitar case for me.

Alexandra (Hallelujah, Leonard Cohen)

"She's not my daughter.  I stole her as a baby from an insane woman. She's a pawn, nothing more. She means nothing to me. I'm not coming out of this house. So if you want to kill her, go ahead and do it - "
- Ben, The Shape of Things to Come


Ben has always been one of the most fascinating characters on LOST, and his tale seems continually marked by tragedy, some of it brought upon himself. It's hard to say how much blame he deserves for the death of his adopted daughter in the devastating season four episode The Shape of Things to Come, but it's clearly something that's been eating away at him. Season six's The Substitute gives me reason to hope that Sideways Ben, purified by his horrific experience on the Island and his remorseful reponse to his complicity, is atoning for his failure to protect his daughter by spending his days in a position where he can guide teens like her to better lives. Here's a reflection to the tune of Rufus Wainwright's version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah.

Alexandra

It hadn’t been an easy year.
The little girl who you held so dear
Had made it pretty clear she couldn’t stand ya.
Oh, teenage love’s a tricky thing.
You only sought to clip her wings
To fling away a threat to Alexandra.

Alexandra, Alexandra.
Alexandra, Alexandra.

Defiantly, you had made her yours.
You snatched her from the out-of-doors
Though wars were fought and Widmore would’ve banned ya.
And yet it was your choice to spare
The child and leave her mother there,
Despairingly imploring, “Alexandra!”

Alexandra, Alexandra.
Alexandra, Alexandra.

Steering her to the secret spot,
You sought some solace in the thought
She’d not be caught by those who would demand ya.
But Keamy brought her back home to you.
Now your mind games wouldn’t do,
And you knew that you had lost your Alexandra.

Alexandra, Alexandra.
Alexandra, Alexandra.

The mercenary called your bluff.
You loved her, Ben, but not enough.
You gruffly said the isle would reprimand ya.
In the dead of night, your darkest dreams
Were littered with the tortured screams
Of Keamy’s lily victim, Alexandra.

Alexandra, Alexandra.
Alexandra, Alexandra.

You were traumatized at first
And, haunted by your last outburst,
You cursed the man accustomed to command ya.
But the blameless blood that was freely spilt
Then forged in you a transforming guilt,
So you built a life to honor Alexandra.

Alexandra, Alexandra.
Alexandra, Alexandra.
Alexandra, Alexandra.
Alexandra, Alexandra.

John Locke in the Rain (Brown Girl in the Ring, Traditional)

One of my favorite images from LOST is the iconic shot of John Locke on the beach, giddy as he gets drenched in his first rainstorm on the Island. His curious relationship with rain continues throughout the series. Here's a cheerful ditty about why John is so happy to get soaked, to the tune of Boney M.'s Brown Girl in the Ring.

John Locke in the Rain

John Locke in the rain,
Grinning at the sky.
John Locke in the rain.
What a happy fella!
John Locke in the rain.
Not sure how or why,
But he knows just when it’s gonna stop.
To the drop!

Miracles happen.
Yes, indeed, they do!
Oh, yes, miracles happen.
He’ll tell Walt about it.
Miracles happen.
He has been renewed
And he knows just when it’s gonna stop.
To the drop!

He was in a wheelchair.
Suddenly he walks instead.
He was in a wheelchair.
Suddenly he walks instead.

Does he know, had Jacob not been there,
He would probably now be dead?
Does he know, had Jacob not been there,
He would probably now be dead?

Miracle. Yes, it’s a miracle.

John Locke in the rain,
Grinning at the sky.
Yes, it’s John Locke in the rain.
What a happy fella!
John Locke in the rain.
Not sure how or why,
But he knows just when it’s gonna stop.
To the drop!

Miracles happen.
Yes, indeed they do!
Oh, yes, miracles happen.
He’ll tell Walt about it.
Miracles happen.
He has been renewed
And he knows just when it’s gonna stop.
To the drop!

He was in a wheelchair.
Suddenly he walks instead.
Does he know, had Jacob not been there,
He would probably now be dead?

Miracle. Yes, it’s a miracle.

John Locke in the rain,
Grinning at the sky.
It’s John Locke in the rain.
What a happy fella!
John Locke in the rain.
Not sure how or why,
But he knows just when it’s gonna stop.
To the drop!

He was in a wheelchair.
Suddenly he walks instead.
He was in a wheelchair.
Suddenly he walks instead.

John Locke in the rain,
Grinning at the sky.
John Locke in the rain.
What a happy fella!
John Locke in the rain.
Not sure how or why,
But he knows just when it’s gonna stop.
To the drop!

Tallies, Time and Tapestries (Poems, Prayers and Promises, John Denver)

One of my favorite scenes in LOST - and one of the most iconic in the series - is the opener of The Incident, which at last introduces us to the elusive Jacob and reveals that he has a nemesis.

When I watch this scene, I can't help being reminded of the old Looney Tunes cartoons about Ralph the Wolf and Sam the Sheepdog. Ralph spends his day trying to steal Sam's sheep, while Sam spends his day trying to thwart his efforts. Just when it seems like one will have the definitive victory, the bell rings to signal the end of the workday, and they cease their chase, exchanging pleasantries before they head home in separate directions.

Jacob and his Nemesis measure their existence in eras rather than days, but it seems that at the end of each era, they too have this moment. Just how genuine is their enmity, anyway? Do they truly hate one another? Or is it more of a partnership? Here are some musings from Jacob, to the tune of John Denver's Poems, Prayers and Promises. (Hat-tip to my good friend Beth, whose contemplation on the possible alchemical framework of LOST gave me the perfect way to extend my slightly reworked version of Jacob's famous quote.)

Tallies, Time and Tapestries

I’ve been on this Island for a long, long time -
Just how long, you know, my old friend.
Although you don’t believe in my grand design,
I’ll prove that you’re mistaken in the end.
We’ve waged an epic battle. I summon, you repel.
You see the worst in men, I see the best.
We keep the scales in balance, do our duties well.
But now and then, it’s nice to have a rest.

You and I understand
How years slip past like grains of sand
Until we stand again as brothers on this shore.
You’re dark and I am light, but now, we needn’t fight.
We have a chance to meet as equals, to enjoy a warm rapport

And talk of tallies, time and tapestries
And which of us is winning,
And whether it has been a waste
And when we will be done.
Why does the world have suffering?
Does fate or free will triumph?
Might we part in friendship when at last the war is won?

You see the ship is coming now; we’ll soon resume our game.
I know what you will have to say to that.
“They come, they fight, destroy, corrupt… It always ends the same.”
How well we have rehearsed our little chat!
You know as well as I do what I’ll tell you in response,
What I’ve replied for centuries untold.
“You’re wrong,” I’ll calmly counter. “My friend, it just ends once.
The rest is progress - lead refined to gold.”

You and I understand
How years slip past like grains of sand
Until we stand again as brothers on this shore.
You’re dark and I am light, but now, we needn’t fight.
We have a chance to meet as equals as we often have before

And talk of tallies, time and tapestries
And which of us is winning,
And whether it has been a waste
And when we will be done.
Why does the world have suffering?
Does fate or free will triumph?
Might we part in friendship when at last the war is won?

Poems, Prayers and Promises

Just Because He's John (Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Richard & Robert Sherman)

As of the season five finale of LOST, Ben Linus appears to be a very broken man. While I hated Ben's ultimate actions in his last scene of The Incident, his frustration seems understandable. Here's his little rant to Jacob to the tune of the Sherman Brothers' Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Just Because He’s John

So, just because he’s John, you let him march in here like Moses.
Following you hasn’t really been a bed of roses.
What about me, Jacob? Can’t you see why I oppose this?
Just because he’s John, you let him march in here like Moses!

I’m just a pitiful, unloved little guy.
I’m just a pitiful, unloved little guy.
I’m just a pitiful, unloved little guy.
I’m just a pitiful, unloved little guy.

I longed to be your lackey when I was a lonely lad.
My final test of loyalty was killing my own dad.
I shivered as he shuddered and the blood poured out his nose,
But, sure that you would love me more, said, “That’s the way it goes.”

But just because he’s John, you let him march in here like Moses.
Following you hasn’t really been a bed of roses.
What about me, Jacob? Can’t you see why I oppose this?
Just because he’s John, you let him march in here like Moses!

I’m just a pitiful, unloved little guy.
I’m just a pitiful, unloved little guy.
I’m just a pitiful, unloved little guy.
I’m just a pitiful, unloved little guy.

Those lists and the instructions Richard handed down to me...
I did what I was told to and I waited patiently.
Though John was in a wheelchair, he came here, and he was fine;
My service was rewarded with a tumor on my spine.

For just because he’s John, you let him march in here like Moses.
Following you hasn’t really been a bed of roses.
What about me, Jacob? Can’t you see why I oppose this?
Just because he’s John, you let him march in here like Moses!

I’m just a pitiful, unloved little guy.
I’m just a pitiful, unloved little guy.

[Spoken] Jacob: Benjamin... whatever he's told you, I want you to understand one thing. You have a choice.
Ben: What “choice”?

For more than 30 years, I went along with all your plans.
You banished me and left my daughter’s murder on my hands.
It’s clear now that you’ve never cared for me in all my life.

[Spoken] Well, here goes, then.

You couldn’t just apologize, so now you get the knife!

[Spoken] I would fight back if I were you...

Oh, just because he’s John, you let him march in here like Moses!
Just because he’s John, you let him march in here like Moses!
Just because he’s John, you let him march in here like Moses!
Just because he’s John, you let him march in here like Moses!