Take A Bow was the last track on the Bedtime Stories CD. – “You took my love for granted, why oh why the show is over, say good-bye.”
After Lucas’ death, I began to realize that life is but a fleeting moment. I began to understand people when they said, “We’re only guaranteed in life this very moment.” Since I had dedicated most of my life to my family and my mother, I decided that it was time that I started living my life for me, for once. I had a lot of things that I wanted to do and a lot of places that I wanted to see, and I knew I wouldn’t accomplish those things sitting around waiting for people to change. I had to make things happen for myself. Take A Bow expressed everything that I was feeling at the time.
By the time Christmas rolled around, I had decided to go back to Seattle, this time to spend the holiday with my niece, Matri. During my time in Seattle, I began playing around with the idea of moving to Seattle for good. I thought it was time to move away from North Carolina finally. There were just too many bad memories in North Carolina, and I needed to get away from it all. I needed a fresh start.
At this point, things were no better with my family, and my mother was completely bedridden. There was nothing more I could do for her. I was in my early 30s, and suddenly I had this urgency to live my life to the fullest.
The following month (January 1995) I gave Duke University my two-month notice. I figured that was enough time for them to find my replacement and enough time for me to plan my departure. By the time March rolled around I was ready to roll.
I went to visit my mother one last time and tried to get her to understand what I was doing, and why. Joel knew why I had to leave. I invited a few close friends over, threw myself a going away party, and then headed out for a night of dancing at the Power Company. We had a fantastic time that night. I danced my ass off!
The next week I loaded up my car and headed west. This experience would be my life’s first great adventure. I was excited and scared to death.
Interesting Side Note: Shortly after I left North Carolina, the owner of the Power Company pissed off the gay community, turned it into a straight bar, and eventually closed the bar down for good.
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Take a bow, the night is over
This masquerade is getting older
Light are low, the curtains down
There’s no one here
[There’s no one here, there’s no one in the crowd]
Say your lines but do you feel them
Do you mean what you say when there’s no one around [no one around]
Watching you, watching me, one lonely star
[One lonely star you don’t know who you are]
Chorus:
I’ve always been in love with you [always with you]
I guess you’ve always known it’s true [you know it’s true]
You took my love for granted, why oh why
The show is over, say good-bye
Say good-bye [bye bye], say good-bye
Make them laugh, it comes so easy
When you get to the part
Where you’re breaking my heart [breaking my heart]
Hide behind your smile, all the world loves a clown
[Just make ’em smile the whole world loves a clown]
Wish you well, I cannot stay
You deserve an award for the role that you played [role that you played]
No more masquerade, you’re one lonely star
[One lonely star and you don’t know who you are]
(chorus, repeat)
Say good-bye [bye bye], say good-bye
All the world is a stage [world is a stage]
And everyone has their part [has their part]
But how was I to know which way the story’d go
How was I to know you’d break
[You’d break, you’d break, you’d break]
You’d break my heart
I’ve always been in love with you
[I’ve always been in love with you]
Guess you’ve always known
You took my love for granted, why oh why
The show is over, say good-bye
(chorus)
Say good-bye [bye bye], say good-bye
Say good-bye
