Isabella (Lorena, Joseph Phillbrick Webster)

"I think I just realized that I wanna live."
 - Richard, The End

Here's a reflection from a newly aging Richard as he takes off from the Island in The End, to the tune of the Irish Rovers' Lorena. (Like most of the Irish Rovers songs I can't find online, this is from The Boys Come Rollin' Home; the version below is similar, but missing the repeated lines at the end.)

Isabella

Oh, the years crept slowly, Isabella,
Since I became an ageless man.
It was my penance, Isabella.
I earned that lengthy, lonely span.
Yet my quest for wisdom was sincere.
I let you be my guiding light.
And since I’ve seen the end is near,
I’m feeling grateful for this flight.

A hundred eighty, Isabella.
Yes, that’s what I am pushing now.
But I have waited, Isabella.
I never broke our wedding vow.
A hundred forty years away
From the night that brought me so much pain,
I love you more with every day,
And my devotion will not wane.

I wear your cross now, Isabella.
It may be another year or ten
Or half a cent’ry, Isabella,
Till at last I'm with you once again.
But I am free, and so to live
Is no longer such a drudgery.
I think I still have more to give
Even though the Island’s done with me.

Oh, the years crept slowly, Isabella,
Since I became an ageless man.
A hundred eighty, Isabella.
Yes, that’s what I am pushing now.
It was my penance, Isabella.
I earned that lengthy, lonely span.
For years, I’ve waited, Isabella.
I never broke our wedding vow.

Oh, the years crept slowly, Isabella,
Since I became an ageless man...


Lorena

I'll Fly Those Fellas Home (The Boys Come Rollin' Home, Tommy Sands)

"Here we go, Frank.  Come on.  Come on...  Amen."
- Frank, The End

Another Frank song.  I had presumed him dead ever since The Candidate, so I was thrilled to see him turn up alive after all, and then wind up one of the big heroes of the finale.  Here's Frank to the tune of the Irish Rovers' The Boys Come Rollin' Home.

I’ll Fly Those Fellas Home

I always will remember well the strange September day
Norris flew 815 out of Sydney.
I gotta get my rest, but oversleeping doesn‘t pay,
‘Cause poor Seth, he didn’t do so great, now did he?

But I’ll get through this.  I’ll do this.  I braved the salty foam.
With some spunk and with a prayer, I will get ‘er in the air,
And I’ll fly those fellas home.

I made it to the freighter with a madman and his friend.
My chopper didn’t crash in stormy weather.
I got us off the Island and I lost the beard and then
I brought Jack and all his buddies back together.

So I’ll get through this.  I’ll do this.  I braved the salty foam.
With some spunk and with a prayer, I will get ‘er in the air,
And I’ll fly those fellas home.

Now Miles has got his duct tape, and Ricky’s by his side,
And Ben is somewhere with his walkie-talkie.
I see the Island crumblin’, and it‘s lookin’ like we‘re fried,
But it‘s tiger time; I kinda feel like Rocky!

So I’ll get through this.  I’ll do this.  I braved the salty foam.
With some spunk and with a prayer, I will get ‘er in the air,
And I’ll fly those fellas home.

We're goin’ down the runway now, and a few folks showed up late.
I wonder, is it fun to see me stressing?
But in they go, with buckles on, so Sawyer, Claire and Kate
Are part of 316 and share the blessing.

Yeah, I’ll get through this.  I’ll do this.  I braved the salty foam.
With some spunk and with a prayer, I will get ‘er in the air,
And I’ll fly those fellas home.

Yeah, I’ll get through this.  I’ll do this.  I braved the salty foam.
With some spunk and with a prayer, I will get ‘er in the air,
And I’ll fly those fellas home.

Yeah, I’ll fly those fellas home!

The Boys Come Rollin' Home

She'll Fly Away (I'll Fly Away, Albert E. Brumley)

"Wow, Alex! Any higher, and you're gonna fly right off the Island."
 - Richard, Dead Is Dead

Here's a little song recollecting the sweet but somehow ominous swing set moment in Dead Is Dead. It's from Richard's perspective, first addressing Alex then Ben, to the tune of the Gospel song I'll Fly Away.

She’ll Fly Away

Alex, wow! What buoyancy you've shown! You’ll fly away.
What a time to treasure when you’ve grown! You’ll fly away.
You’ll fly away from this place. You’ll fly away.
Swing so high that you almost touch the sky. You’ll fly away.

Listen, we are realistic men. She’ll fly away.
One day, he may try to take her, Ben. She’ll fly away.
She’ll fly away from this place. She’ll fly away.
Push her high so she’ll almost touch the sky. She’ll fly away.

Yes, push her high so she’ll almost touch the sky. She’ll fly away.

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

Alex's Grave (The Minstrel of Cranberry Lane, Michael and Judy Callahan)

"It's Alex... It's your daughter... After you left, I buried her."
- Richard, What They Died For


One of my favorite parts of What They Died For was the small scene in which Richard tells Ben that he buried Alex. It was such a testament to his decency and his long friendship with Ben. Additionally, I've been thinking a lot about Jacob as an Obi-Wan figure and his brother as akin to Anakin, and I've decided that Richard is like Yoda: old, wise, spending most of his life as an adviser. He's certainly acted as a mentor to Ben, and here I see him using this as one last teaching moment as he differentiates between violence for the sake of vengeance and for the sake of eradicating evil. Here's Richard, to the tune of the Irish Rovers' The Minstrel of Cranberry Lane.

Alex’s Grave

I have a confession to make.
I hope it helps ease your ache.
See, our friend here has found
Where I laid her in the ground.
We’re standing on Alex’s grave.

I heard the news, and I grieved
To think of your being bereaved
And remembered her wings
When she soared on these swings.
We’re standing on Alex’s grave.

Though I have felt the weight of grief
And the wrath that enticed me to kill,
It’s best to restrain every urge to cause pain,
To exert our virtue and will.

Ben, I know that has never been easy for you.
I’ve been trying to teach you for years.
Yes, I’ve told you that hate is a deadly drug
That only will lead to more tears.

But foiling the Devil could free us from Hell,
So let’s collect some C-4.
Although violence is wrong, it is time for the end.
It’s time we concluded the war.

We’ve gone through our ups and our downs,
With our laughs less abundant than frowns.
But you always will be important to me.
We’re standing on Alex’s grave.

Yes, you always will be important to me.
We’re standing on Alex’s grave.

The Minstrel of Cranberry Lane

Creepy Kid (Oh You Mucky Kid, Stan Kelly)

Little Jacob: You know the rules. You can't kill him.
Smokey: Don't tell me what I can't do!
- The Substitute

When that mysterious boy showed up in the jungle in The Substitute, it was a strange thing indeed. We now know that this was Jacob as a boy, so I presume that he is a ghost, which Smokey can see but Richard can't (though it's surprising to think that Desmond and Sawyer can). Here's a little reflection about little ghostly Jacob, to the tune of the Irish Rovers' Oh You Mucky Kid.

Creepy Kid

Oh, you are a creepy kid.
Smokey knows just what you did.
Are you merely his ego or id?
Are you a ghost, jungle lad?

You look so spooky standing there
Under your shock of golden hair,
And Richard claims to be unaware,
So is Smokey going crazy?

Your arms and hands are limply spread,
Augmented now with trails of red.
So are you a vision or are you dead?
Are you a ghost, jungle lad?

Oh, you are a creepy kid.
Smokey knows just what you did.
Are you merely his ego or id?
Are you a ghost, jungle lad?

You’ve cleaned up nicely now for James.
Is this another of your games?
When you warn your rival not to kill,
He doesn’t like rules, so he’s angry.

Perhaps it is your youthful plight
That’s reminded James to bear the light.
He’ll follow “John,” but it’s a con.
You’re counting upon his trickery.

Oh, you are a creepy kid.
Smokey knows just what you did.
Are you merely his ego or id?
Are you a ghost, jungle lad?

You really have an impish face,
But it could be his saving grace.
Yes, maybe the Smoke can be erased,
And you’ll be left with your brother.

Oh You Mucky Kid

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

Have a Rock (At the Hop, Arthur Singer / John Medora / David White)

Jacob: I see you got my present.
Smokey: Don't gloat, Jacob. It doesn't become you.
- Ab Aeterno

Here's a little ditty about Jacob giving Smokey the white rock at the end of Ab Aeterno, to the tune of Danny and the Juniors' At the Hop.

Have a Rock

Jacob: Have a white rock.  Have a white rock.
Have a white rock.  Have a white rock.
Have a rock.

Well, I am overcome with glee now
Since Ricardo is with me now.
Have a rock.
See the bright alabaster
And recall who is the master.
Have a rock.
With a new adviser,
Those I bring will be wiser.
Have a rock.

Do you like your rock?
Do you like your rock?
Do you like your rock?
Smokey: Stop gloating!
Jacob: Do you like your rock?
Tell me, do you like your rock?

Smokey: Well, now you got yourself a steward.
What a happy day for you!
I got a rock.
Since he helped you win this wager,
Alpert doesn’t have to age.
I got a rock.
Now he never will die.
In the meantime,
I got a rock.

And so...
Do I like my rock?
Do I like my rock?
Do I like my rock?
Jacob: Well, do you?
Smokey: Do I like my rock?
Let’s see, do I like my rock?
Jacob: Well?
Smokey: No!

Jacob: Well, I am overcome with glee now
Since Ricardo is with me now.
Have a rock.
See the bright alabaster
And recall who is the master.
Have a rock.
With a new adviser,
Those I bring will be wiser.
Have a rock.

Smokey: Well, you got yourself a steward.
What a happy day for you!
I got a rock.
Since he helped you win this wager,
Alpert doesn’t have to age.
I got a rock.
Now he never will die,
And meanwhile,
I got a rock.

And so...
Do I like my rock?
Do I like my rock?
Jacob: Well, do you?
Smokey: Do I like my rock?
Jacob: Well, do you?
Smokey: Do I like my rock?
Let’s see, do I like my rock?

Stupid white rock.  Stupid white rock.
Stupid white rock.  Stupid white rock.
Stupid rock!

The End (American Pie, Don McLean)

Working through my feelings on the end of LOST a couple weeks ahead of time. Darlton, are you listening?

The End (A LOSTie’s Salute)

A long, long time ago,
Back when television was an idle, passionless routine,
An epic promo stopped me cold.
It seemed like cinematic gold
Created for a more convenient screen.
A fiery crash, a pressing query,
A score that sounded more than eerie.
I embraced this new show,
This fresh Robinson Crusoe,
This stunning tale of tattered lives.
Even if I’m pleased with who survives,
It’s sure to cut like John Locke’s knives
The day The End arrives.

A dry eye will be hard to come by.
No more series, no more theories,
No more castaway high,
And at this point, I’d be a fool to deny
That I hate to bid the Island goodbye.
Hate to bid the Island goodbye.

Do you know I came to love
All the folks who fell from far above
In September of ‘04?
And I soon made room inside my soul
For one crazed Scotsman in a hole
And Ben, who isn’t Henry anymore.
I’ve envisioned Richard as a sage
Since I noticed that he doesn’t age.
Fantastic Frank’s a find,
And I dig dear dizzy Dan's mind.
I sympathized with Dogen’s tragic case,
And Ilana touched me with her quiet grace.
I just don’t see how I can face
The day The End arrives.

I guarantee a dry eye will be hard to come by.
No more series, no more theories,
No more castaway high,
And at this point, I’d be a fool to deny
That I hate to bid the Island goodbye.
Hate to bid the Island goodbye.

Now for six years, it’s been on the air.
No other series can quite compare
In terms of sheer complexity.
Every episode hides a crucial clue.
Stranger in a Strange Land matters too,
Though tattoos are not exactly key.
Who’d’ve thought that run-down DHARMA van
Would fuel a hero’s rescue plan?
Who knew the code equates
To Jacob’s Candidates?
You’ve dropped crumbs along the twisted trail.
What tiny Season One detail
Will clinch who wins and who will fail
The day The End arrives?

I’m convinced a dry eye will be hard to come by.
No more series, no more theories,
No more castaway high,
And at this point, I’d be a fool to deny
That I hate to bid the Island goodbye.
Hate to bid the Island goodbye.

Faith and reason, loyalty and treason,
Enigmas deepening every season.
Cuselof, I tip my hat.
The polar bears, Hurley bird
And ancient monster are so absurd;
I appreciate it all the more for that.
There’s a four-toed statue on the beach.
When wet Walt spouted garbled speech
And Jacob’s cabin shook,
I had to take another look.
How do pylons form a Smokey shield
And why are Temple bathers healed?
What mysteries will be revealed
The day The End arrives?

I guarantee a dry eye will be hard to come by.
No more series, no more theories,
No more castaway high,
And at this point, I’d be a fool to deny
That I hate to bid the Island goodbye.
Hate to bid the Island goodbye.

Now all those phrases are in my head,
Like “Are you him?” and “Dead is dead”
And “Live together, die alone.”
“Don’t mistake a coincidence for fate!”
And Jack’s cry, “We have to go back, Kate!”
By leaps and bounds, the lexicon has grown.
It’s always a hoot to spout the names
So snarkily assigned by James.
Though “Jabba’s” kinda mean,
I’m keen on “Mr. Clean”.
All the allusions make me feel obtuse.
How many more will you produce?
My library card will get some use
The day The End arrives.

I’m convinced a dry eye will be hard to come by.
No more series, no more theories,
No more castaway high,
And at this point, I’d be a fool to deny
That I hate to bid the Island goodbye.
Hate to bid the Island goodbye.

I said farewell to Jin and Sun.
Sadly, Charlie’s rock star days are done -
In this dimension, anyway.
Scott and Eko had violent deaths,
And I always will remember Seth’s,
Since you deigned to turn the pilot into prey.
From fatal falls and time disease
To filicide (curse you, Eloise!),
You’ve shown a special talent
For killing off the gallant.
Michael wound up a remorseful ghost.
Sayid repented and then was toast.
I wonder who I’ll miss the most
The day The End arrives.

I guarantee a dry eye will be hard to come by.
No more series, no more theories,
No more castaway high,
And at this point, I’d be a fool to deny
That I hate to bid the Island goodbye.
Hate to bid the Island goodbye.

I’m convinced a dry eye will be hard to come by.
No more series, no more theories,
No more castaway high,
And at this point, I’d be a fool to deny
That I hate to bid the Island goodbye.

Any Team Will Do (Any Dream Will Do, Andrew Lloyd Webber / Tim Rice)

As LOST draws to a close, I've been noticing a lot of fans identifying themselves as Team Jacob or Team Smokey, or to a lesser extent simply Team Whatever-Their-Favorite-Character-Is.  Here's a little ditty about that, to the tune of Any Dream Will Do from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  (For the record, I'm Team Jacob, or if we're talking more generally, Team Hurley.)

Any Team Will Do

Just close your eyes
And pick a winner:
A saint, a sinner,
Someone old or new.
Prepare to say
Who you’re defending
As we near the ending.
Any Team will do.

Will you promote (Will you promote)
The man in black clothes?  (Ah...)
Do you think Jack knows (Ah...)
How to see things through?
Is Sawyer tops (Is Sawyer tops)
Although he’s surly? (Ah...)
Do you honk for Hurley? (Ah...)
Any Team will do.

Well, one side’s dark
And one is light,
And we’ve been dragged
Into the fight.
So demonstrate with shirts and buttons
Whose Team you are on.

Though Jacob’s dead, (Though Jacob’s dead,)
Is he the ruler? (Ah...)
Is Richard cooler (Ah...)
Than the chosen few?
Are you for Ben (Are you for Ben)
Or Aaron’s mother? (Ah...)
Is Des your brother? (Ah...)
Any Team will do.

Any Team, any Team will...
Any Team, any Team will do.
Any Team, any Team will...
Any Team, any Team will do.

Find the Plants for Me (Take a Chance on Me, Benny Andersson / Björn Ulvaeus)

"Listen to me very carefully, John, because I'm not gonna have time to repeat this. You're gonna go into that greenhouse through that hole there. Once inside, you're gonna turn left. Go about 20 paces until you see a patch of Anthuriums on your left. They're in an alcove against the north wall. Face the wall, reach down with your left hand. You'll find a switch that activates the elevator. The elevator takes you down to the actual Orchid station." - Ben, There's No Place Like Home, Part 1

My dad is always giving me suggestions of songs to LOSTify, and today he mentioned ABBA's incredibly catchy Take a Chance on Me. That's one of those songs that just makes me grin from ear to ear when I hear it, so I knew I had to give it a shot. Here's Ben and John from the season four finale.

Find the Plants For Me

Ben: When you get inside, here’s a little guide
As to what you’ll see. Find the plants for me.
They are called Anthuriums. They’re against the wall.
Gonna have to hurry, John, ‘cause our window’s small.
There’ll be a switch that you’re gonna need to twitch.
Easy as can be. Find the plants for me.
Turn the elevator on. It’ll take you down.
Nothing left to wait for, John. Don’t you goof around.
Find the plants for me.
(John: Hey, Ben, you know this sounds crazy?)
Ben: Find the plants for me.

John: What about soldiers
Standing with rifles?
How do I avoid them?
Ben, you got me quakin’.
Am I mistaken?
Thought that we annoyed them.

Ben: John, you won’t get shot.
You worry about the plants.
I considered this in advance.
I’m ready.
I know that you think I’m nuts,
But show me you’ve got some guts.
Listen, don’t you scoff.
It’ll all pay off.

When you get inside, here’s a little guide
As to what you’ll see. Find the plants for me.
They are called Anthuriums. They’re against the wall.
Gonna have to hurry, John, ‘cause our window’s small.
There’ll be a switch that you’re gonna need to twitch.
Easy as can be. Find the plants for me.
Turn the elevator on. It’ll take you down.
Nothing left to wait for, John. Don’t you goof around.
Find the plants for me.
(John: Come on, you‘ll get me killed, won‘t you?)
Ben: Find the plants for me.

John: Give me one reason to trust you.
It would be unjust to
Throw me to the lions.
Though that would be rotten,
I’ve seen you plottin’.
You’d applaud my dyin’.

Ben: John, I give my vow,
Whatever that is worth,
That you’ve been primed from birth
To lead here.
Oh, yes, Richard yammered on,
“I hardly can wait for John!”
You will catch a break
For the Island’s sake.

When you get inside, here’s a little guide
As to what you’ll see. Find the plants for me.
They are called Anthuriums. They’re against the wall.
Gonna have to hurry, John, ‘cause our window’s small.
There’ll be a switch that you’re gonna need to twitch.
Easy as can be. Find the plants for me.
Turn the elevator on. It’ll take you down.
Nothing left to wait for, John. Don’t you goof around.

Listen, I’m a man with a master plan.
Easy as can be. Find the plants for me.
Turn the elevator on. It’ll take you down.
Nothing left to wait for, John. Don’t you goof around.

Listen, I’m a man who has got a master plan.
Easy as can be. Find the plants for me.
Turn the elevator on. It’ll take you down.
Nothing left to wait for, John. Don’t you goof around...

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?

Hugo, Lead On (Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond)

"Hurley, you asked me to trust you. This is me trusting you." 
- Jack, Everybody Loves Hugo

Jack's used to taking the lead, but it's nice to see him step back once in a while, and Hurley seems like a good guy for him to trust. Here's Jack to the tune of Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline.

Hugo, Lead On

It was a bluff.
That was apparent to me,
Though he instructed you before.
Look, I don’t care
Why Jacob cut the chatter;
Your intuition matters more.

Hey, you did say,
“Trust me, Jack.”
This is me trusting you.

Hugo, lead on. I’m with you,
‘Cause it’s time that I let go.
Richard is gone; I’m with you.
Let’s find Locke and say, “Hello.”

On my watch,
Juliet died.
Nothing I do can fix that.
Oh, how I’ve longed to nix that fall!
You’ve made mistakes,
But they have been far fewer.
Clearly you heed a truer call.

Hey, you did say,
“Trust me, Jack.”
This is me trusting you.

Hugo, lead on. I’m with you,
‘Cause it’s time that I let go.
Richard is gone; I’m with you.
Let’s find Locke and say, “Hello.”
Yes, let’s go.

Hugo, lead on. I’m with you,
‘Cause it’s time that I let go.
Hugo, lead on. I’m with you.
Let’s find Locke and say, “Hello.”
Hugo, lead on...

That Dynamite (Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, Elton John / Bernie Taupin)

"Um... I don't know if that's a good idea. I mean, for one thing, that stuff's really unstable..." - Hurley, Everybody Loves Hugo

Hurley has seen first-hand the danger of unstable dynamite. Here he issues a warning to Ilana, to the tune of Elton John's Saturday Night's All Right for Fighting.

That Dynamite

So Richard said that we’d all be dead
Unless he could destroy the plane.
I think he’s in shock, and I wanna talk,
‘Cause it’s hard to see what we would gain.
Those sticks you’re loading have a good chance of exploding
Long before we intend them to.
Our luck will decrease if you’re not in one piece -
And cease altogether for you.

Well, don’t wanna be like a broken record.
I gotta give a warning, though.
That dynamite is mighty flighty.
Any second it could blow.
Maybe if you’d got a little Arzt on you,
Then you would admit I’m right,
‘Cause that dynamite’s a fright’ning sight.
Bump it and it’s goodnight, goodnight, goodnight.
Trust me, it’s true.

I can see that you’re back, and in your pack
You’ve gathered what we need for this attack.
But you do it and our mode of transportation’s gone,
And we’re stuck here on this Island still with phony John.
Ilana, think it over before we leave.
Don’t you have something less destructive up your sleeve?
Are you looking for trouble? Well, you found it. Yes,
You use that stuff, it’ll only make a mess.

Well, don’t wanna be like a broken record.
I gotta give a warning, though.
That dynamite is mighty flighty.
Any second it could blow.
Maybe if you’d got a little Arzt on you,
Then you would admit I’m right,
‘Cause that dynamite’s a fright’ning sight.
Bump it and it’s goodnight, goodnight, goodnight.
Trust me, it’s true.

No, don’t wanna be like a broken record.
I gotta give a warning, though,
‘Cause that dynamite is mighty flighty.
Any second it could blow.
Maybe if you’d got a little Arzt on you,
Then you would admit I’m right,
‘Cause that dynamite’s a fright’ning sight.
Bump it and it’s goodnight, goodnight, goodnight.
Trust me, it’s true.

Dynamite, dynamite, dynamite.
Dynamite, dynamite, dynamite.
Dynamite, dynamite, dynamite.
Say goodnight!

Dynamite, dynamite, dynamite.
Dynamite, dynamite, dynamite.
Dynamite, dynamite, dynamite.
Say goodnight!

Dynamite, dynamite, dynamite.
Dynamite, dynamite, dynamite.
Dynamite, dynamite, dynamite.
Say goodnight!

Still Think You're Dead? (A Hard Day's Night, John Lennon / Paul McCartney)

"Still think you're dead?"
- Jacob, Ab Aeterno

When Jacob first met Richard, poor Ricardo was in an awful state. It took a dramatic demonstration to convince the future Ageless Other that he was, in fact, still alive. Here's Jacob, to the tune of the Beatles' A Hard Day's Night.

Still Think You’re Dead?

You really think you’re dead
And you are in the afterlife?
You really think you’re dead
And you were talking to your wife?

What you’ve been told is a lie.
I know you don’t wanna die,
So do you still think you’re dead?

I’m gonna drag you down
And make you flounder under a wave.
Well, it looks like you’re afraid to drown;
That’s how the living would behave.

If you don't answer me, then
I’m gonna dunk you again,
So do you still think you’re dead?

Talk some sense. Never give in to despair.
Talk some sense. Look at you gasping for air, air!

So you really think you’re dead
And you are in the afterlife?
You really think you’re dead
And you were talking to your wife?

What you’ve been told is a lie.
I know you don’t wanna die,
So do you still think you’re dead?

If you don't answer me, then
I’m gonna dunk you again,
So do you still think you’re dead?

Talk some sense. Never give in to despair.
Talk some sense. Look at you gasping for air, air!

So you really think you’re dead
And you are in the afterlife?
You really think you’re dead
And you were talking to your wife?

What you’ve been told is a lie.
I know you don’t wanna die,
So do you still think you’re dead?
So do you still think you’re dead?
So do you think you’re dead?

Jughead (Whispering Jesse, John Denver)

Richard: How do I know you weren't sent here on some suicide mission? That I'll take you out to the bomb, and you'll just detonate it?
Daniel: Because... I'm in love with the woman sitting next to me. And I would never... I would never do anything to hurt her.
- Jughead

After Ab Aeterno, that scene in Jughead in which Daniel's love for Charlotte wins Richard over seems even more meaningful. At the time, I took it as a mark in Richard's favor, that he's noble enough to recognize the value of true love, but it goes deeper than that. Like Daniel, he has loved deeply, so he empathizes, and I think he senses Daniel's sincerity. Daniel, who I have come to think of as "the little prince" referred to in the episode that followed and who never has seemed more authoritative than in this brief stay in 1954. Here's a recreation of their conversation to the tune of John Denver's Whispering Jesse.

Jughead

Richard: So you are the leader, and I hear from Ellie
You don’t want to tell me where your comrades have gone.
Daniel: And why would I do that? You just want to kill them.
Richard: We didn’t start this, friend. The battle lines have been drawn.
Your people came calling with evil intentions.
Did Ellie here mention that they fired first?
Daniel: We weren’t with those soldiers. We’re on a mission.
Let me disarm that bomb before it can burst.

I think the device is in need of new casing,
Which I am basing on these burns on this man.
If you send me over there, I know I can fix it.
Richard: I wish I could trust you; don’t know how I can.
I ought to fear you because you might be here to
Detonate Jughead and blow us away.
Daniel: I love this woman who’s sitting beside me.
I never would hurt her. Believe what I say.

Richard: Detonate Jughead?
You won’t, you’ve convinced me.
Your manner is princely.
You’re guided by love.

Whispering Jesse

I Am With You (All My Loving, Paul McCartney)

"My love. We are already together."
- Isabella, Ab Aeterno


I loved the tender moment in Ab Aeterno between Isabella and Richard, facilitated by Hurley. Here's Isabella, to the tune of the Beatles' All My Loving.

I Am With You

Close your eyes now, Ricardo.
I know this is hard, so
It’s best if you hear and don’t see.
It was my time to leave,
And you don’t need to grieve,
For Ricardo, you’ll always have me.

Let this man be our buffer.
You don’t have to suffer.
I hope that you won’t disagree.
It was my time to leave,
And you don’t need to grieve,
For Ricardo, you’ll always have me.

I am with you. I was with you then.
I am with you. Take my cross again.

Close your eyes now, Ricardo.
I know this is hard, so
It’s best if you hear and don’t see.
It was my time to leave,
And you don’t need to grieve,
For Ricardo, you’ll always have me.

I am with you. I was with you then.
I am with you. Take my cross again.
I am with you. I am here with you.
I am with you. Take my cross again.

Cork in the Wine (Bottle of Wine, Tom Paxton)

"Think of this wine as what you keep calling Hell. There's many other names for it too: malevolence, evil, darkness. And here it is, swirling around in the bottle, unable to get out because if it did, it would spread. The cork is this Island, and it's the only thing keeping the darkness where it belongs."
- Jacob, Ab Aeterno

Jacob provided an intriguing metaphor for the relationship between him, the Island and Smokey in Ab Aeterno. Here I have him ruminate to Richard about the wine bottle to the tune of the Irish Rovers' Bottle of Wine.

Cork in the Wine

Cork in the wine helps to confine,
Helps to keep the evil from spreading.
If he should go, surely he’ll sow
Doom and despair where he’s heading.

This thing you call Hell, I know it well.
Yes, it’s a problem of mine.
How I have strained to keep darkness contained!
I must keep the cork in the wine.

Cork in the wine helps to confine,
Helps to keep the evil from spreading.
If he should go, surely he’ll sow
Doom and despair where he’s heading.

You come and you fight. You will never choose right.
That’s how he defines humankind.
It’s taking so long, but I will prove him wrong
While I keep the cork in the wine.

Cork in the wine helps to confine,
Helps to keep the evil from spreading.
If he should go, surely he’ll sow
Doom and despair where he’s heading. (2x)

Long as I’m here, my objective is clear.
It’s drudgery, yes, but that’s fine.
Though it’s been rough, I am patient enough,
So I’ll keep the cork in the wine.

Cork in the wine helps to confine,
Helps to keep the evil from spreading.
If he should go, surely he’ll sow
Doom and despair where he’s heading. (2x)

Bottle of Wine

Richard's Penance (Casey's Last Ride, Kris Kristofferson)

"We'll always be together."
- Isabella, Ab Aeterno

Richard: Can you absolve me of my sins so I don't go to Hell?
Jacob: I can't do that either.
Richard: I never want to die. I want to live forever.
Jacob: Now that... I can do.
- Ab Aeterno

Ab Aeterno gave us a whole lot of background on Richard, a fundamentally decent man who accidentally killed a man in the heat of extreme agitation, much like Desmond did with Kelvin. (And y'know, maybe I can go ahead and blame Jacob for that bus accident; he seems especially good at orchestrating crashes for the purposes of bringing people to the Island...) We saw his profound love for his wife and his deep desire for absolution. Scarred by a corrupt priest's statement that he was going to Hell unless he could perform sufficient penance, which would take a long time indeed, he welcomed Jacob's offer of a job that would allow him to do a lot of good. Here's a reflection on his story to the tune of John Denver's Casey's Last Ride.

Richard’s Penance

Richard was a humble man who labored with a lofty plan
Of going with the wife he loved to seek another world.
Stumbling to the table of the doctor who seemed able to
Repair her broken body, Richard’s desperation swirled.
His hands were built for farming, and he had no thought of harming
When he left his little cottage and rode out into the rain.
But Richard made an error at the apex of his terror,
And he heard his love’s last words as he was dragged away in chains.

“Here,” she said. “Take along my only worldly treasure.
Go,” she said, “mindful of the promise that you hold.
Please,” she said, “know that we will always be together.
Yes,” she said, “even if my very life goes cold.”

Richard swapped a prison cell for passage on a ship to Hell,
Or that’s how he perceived it when the vessel came aground.
There he met a Man in Black who told him that he must attack
The Devil; then an angry whack from Jacob turned him ‘round.
That’s when Jacob mentioned his disdain for intervention
With the pawns who earned detention on the Island he controlled.
But his rival’s reach was greater, so perhaps a mediator
Was a fitting compromise who could advise his flustered fold.

“So,” he said, “what will you be paid for this endeavor?
No,” he said, “I cannot absolve your sins for you.
Still,” he said, “you insist you want to live forever.
Now,” he said, “that is something I‘ll be glad to do.”

“Here,” she said. “Take along my only worldly treasure.
Go,” she said, “mindful of the promise that you hold.
Please,” she said, “know that we will always be together.
Yes,” she said, “even if my very life goes cold.
Yes,” she said, “even if my very life goes cold.”

Cursing His Protection (Losing My Religion, R. E. M.)

"I devoted my life, longer than you can possibly imagine, in service of a man who told me that everything was happening for a reason, that he had a plan, a plan that I was a part of, and when the time was right that he'd share it with me, and now that man's gone so...why do I want to die? Because I just found out my entire life had no purpose."
- Richard, Dr. Linus

My dad is always on the lookout for songs to suggest to me for LOSTification. His most recent offering was REM's Losing My Religion. I've always found that song quite the downer, so my reaction wasn't too enthusiastic, but then I realized that it really was fitting for Dr. Linus, an episode in which so many characters express profound doubts about the man to whom they have looked as a godlike entity. Particularly striking is Richard Alpert, who, after well over a century as Jacob's faithful follower, hits rock bottom as he believes all of his service was in vain. Here's a rant from him.

Cursing His Protection

My life is longer,
It’s longer than you
Could ever guess, Jack.
It’s all because of Jacob.
He said it was a gift.
Oh, no. He steered me wrong
For far too long.

I’m here on the Black Rock.
I’m back where I started and
Cursing his protection.
He said he had a plan,
And he said he would share it with me.
Oh, no. He steered me wrong.
He just strung me along.
I thought that I had a purpose.
I thought that he told the truth.
But now I think I want to die.

Every leader
And every bad decision moved us
In the right direction,
Or so I told myself back then
As the cycle began again but
Oh, no. He steered me wrong
For far too long.

Remember this.
Remember this,
And make sure your friend does too.
Remember this.
Do not believe what he told you.  Now, 
Jack, I’m decades overdue
To leave this old life,
For he steered me wrong.
I thought that I had a purpose.
I thought that he told the truth.
But now I think I want to die.

It was all a lie.
It was all a lie.

I’m here on the Black Rock.
I’m back where I started and
Cursing his protection.
He said he had a plan,
And he said he would share it with me.
Oh, no. He steered me wrong.
He just strung me along.
I thought that I had a purpose.
I thought that he told the truth.
But now I think I want to die.

Yes, it was all a lie,
So why not die?
It was all a lie.
All a lie, all a lie.
Lie.