Tomorrow is Today
Billy Joel
Lyrics:
I've been livin' for the moment
But I just can't have my way
And I'm afraid to go to sleep
'Cause tomorrow is today
People tell me life is sweeter
But I don't hear what they say
Nothing comes to change my life
So tomorrow is today
I don't care to know the hour
'Cause it's passing anyway
I don't have to see tomorrow
'Cause I saw it yesterday
So I listen for an answer
But the feeling seems to stay
And what's the use of always dreaming
If tomorrow is today
Still I'm waiting for the morning
But it feels so far away
And you don't need the love I'm giving
So tomorrow is today
Oh, my. Goin' to the river
Gonna take a ride and the Lord will deliver me
Made my bed, now I'm gonna lie in it
If you don't come, I'm sure gonna die in it
Too late. Too much given
I've seen a lot of life and I'm damn sick of livin' it
I keep hopin' that you will pass my way
And some day if your dreams are leavin' you
I'll still believe in you
I don't care to know the hour
'Cause it's passing anyway
I don't have to see tomorrow
'Cause I saw it yesterday
Though I'm living and I'm singing
And although my hands still play
Soon enough it will all be over
'Cause tomorrow is today
Right after Maurice leaves, Holden thinks suicidal thoughts. He doesn’t want his gory body seen by phonies, so he decides not to kill himself (104). However, before going to bed, Holden thinks about what it’s like to commit suicide. He thinks of how people, like James Castle, are able to escape the loneliness and repetitious bore of life by killing themselves. He gets even more depressed when he realizes that tomorrow will be the same as today, and the day after that, and the day after that, and so on.
Then, he falls asleep and continues to dream about death and escape. In the dream, he imagines drowning himself in the Hudson River. Then, he sees himself meeting Jesus, who is upset that so many people have let him down and agrees with Holden that they are all “phony.” This helps further convince Holden that suicide was a good idea. However, Holden is also reunited with Allie, who turns out to be upset with Holden, thinking that Holden’s suicide was a horrible idea. Allie shows Holden his mother, fixing his bed and putting his limp, wet, pale, rubbery body on the bed. It’s partly eaten by fish, both his eyes are missing and his left cheek is gone. He sees the grief that his mother endures. He regrets killing himself, but tries to distract himself so that he doesn’t get depressed, reasoning that his suicide was worth it because he has finally escaped. Even then, he wishes that he had a companion when he was alive who comforted him.
Oh, my. Goin' to the river.
Gonna take a ride and the Lord will deliver me.
Made my bed, now I'm gonna lie in it.
If you don't come, I'm sure gonna die in it.
Too late. Too much given.
I've seen a lot of life and I'm damn sick of livin' it.
I keep hopin' that you will pass my way…
Thesis:
The song, Tomorrow is Today, by Billy Joel, reflects the lack of interest of Holden, from J.D. Salinger's novel, Catcher in the Rye, with the repetitious nature of life.
Analytical Paragraph:
The song, Tomorrow is Today, by Billy Joel, reflects the lack of interest of Holden, from J.D. Salinger's novel, Catcher in the Rye, with the repetitious nature of life. In the song, Billy doesn’t feel that it is necessary to focus on each moment in his monotonous life or “know the hour.” This is because it doesn’t change or improve from how it was before, which means he already “saw it yesterday.” Similarly, Holden is indifferent throughout most of the novel. In one instance, Holden is not “in the mood” (63) when he watches perverts acting inanely in ways he doesn’t “understand” (63). This is evidence that Holden finds every human experience stupid and senseless. Again, throughout the book, people like Stradlater, Ackley, D.B.’s ex-girlfriend and the Lunts remind Holden of the meaninglessness of life because all of them, in some way, are fake and idiotic. As a result, Holden becomes more and more withdrawn and bored because he sees that everything is and always will be pointless.
YouTUBE Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCiW161e_YI
The song fits well with Holden's boredom, especially the line "saw it yesterday." It also reminds me of when Holden says he hates actors because they never act like people. When he goes to the play with Sally, He feels as though he already knows what's going to happen because everything is the same.
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