I was holding my wife’s hand, gently, deep in to the night, as she lay peacefully in bed, slowly slipping away from this life to the next.
Eileen’s cancer had become too difficult for her to manage. Late one night she had asked for me to ‘let her go’, from this life. It had been a long battle, nearly 8 years to be precise, undertaking treatment of all kinds to stave off the terrible disease. But now her body was tired, the treatment and illness had made Eileen so weak. She had been a strong and determined lady, wife, best friend, mother and grandmother. Eileen meant so much to so many of us. She had been my best friend in my life for 35 years, since I was 22, such happy years.
Watching her breathing become less and less, knowing the time was getting close for her to leave this earth, and feeling incredible pain to lose my wife after these 35 beautiful years, but with huge relief for her to be released from her suffering, I decided to adapt an old song with words trying to capture this close, unique, special and precious moment of someone you love slipping away.
I placed a piece of paper over her heart , got a pen and took this old song of mine, adapting the words to what she had said to me when making her decision to leave this world, “You have to let me go now. Please let me go”.
It was this song and these words I used for Eileen’s funeral, capturing the unique and precious emotion of that very moment. Thank you Kevin and Anni for your heartfelt support for helping record this song at such a difficult time (for all of us), 2 days after Eileen’s passing.
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‘I Feel You Slippin’ Baby’ was adapted from a previous song I had written back in the ’70’s, but with these words rewritten for Eileen
‘I Feel You Slippin’
copyright music & lyrics by
Ian Martyn
I feel you slippin’, baby.
You’re almost gone.
You’ll soon be leaving
and it won’t be that long.
So I’m writing these words of love,
just for you.
In a simple remembrance,
of us two.
Let’s laugh aloud, my love
at all the times we shared.
Let’s always remember
how much we both cared.
‘Cos I need you, baby,
like you needed me.
But now those times have gone,
I have to ‘set you free’.
And when you go, my love
don’t you be sad, oh no.
‘Cos no one can deny
all the love we had.
You’ll soon be leaving,
take care now my dear.
I’ll always think of you
And wish you were here.
There once was a girl,
like the one I dreamed.
She came in to my life
and loved me it seemed.
She asked ‘please let me go,
to a new life so serene’
I looked her in the eyes, and said
‘Go live your perfect dream’.
Rest in peace my love
A special ‘thank you’ to the following artist who very kindly gave their permission to use
their art with my song video
Josephine Wall – www.josephinewall.co.uk