Choice

1.
C              Am   C
I just read an interview
C                Am     C
with a couple of people who
      G
  had died and returned
  and told what they learned
                        C
when given their living anew.

2.
The article pointed out
that people who carried doubt
  before they came back
  they saw only black
and nothingness all about.

3.
On the other hand, it's odd,
the one who had faith in God
  saw a beautiful sight
  and to our delight
saw a home beyond the bod.

4.
Those of you who haven't died,
you can take the holy ride.
  For eternal relief
  hang onto belief.
You can reach the other side.

5.
Being moral all your life,
even kind and even nice,
  if you don't want to know,
  if you don't want to go,
you will never reach Paradise.

6.
You can say what we want we see,
which is how it turns out to be.
  So, for people who care,
  please be heaven-aware,
You can dance up there with me.

The lyrics were composed in about 1975, probably around Christmastime, after I read a review in a Chicago newspaper, the Sun-Times I think, of a then-new book of interviews with people who had been pronounced clinically dead and then revived. I believe the book was Life After Life by Raymond Moody. The reviewer's name I neglected to note.

This is not just about what I read in the article about NDE's, but is also colored by conclusions I'd drawn from reading The Urantia Book, which at the time I had only read twice, and had been studying for but a little over two years. (For more information on The Urantia Book, you could see my article regarding it. For more articles and links to other sites concerning the UB, see Mindful Webworks Urantiana.)

The limerick-like tune was a half-remembered children's song, if you know it: I went to the animal fair, the birds and the beasts were there... something like that, and I don't know who might've written that, either. Or you can substitute any tune you want instead, I don't mind. You're just fortunate you don't have to hear ME perform this....