Lyrics
this is the story of a man named bill he was
This introduces the narrative, focusing on a man named Bill.
an old man he lived in a house with walls the
Describes Bill as an elderly man living in a small house.
size of a horse he was a lonely man they said
Highlights Bill's loneliness and how others perceived him.
he’d give his life for anyone when he was
Recalls Bill's past generosity, willing to sacrifice for others when young.
young but now the mere sight of anyone made him
Suggests a change in Bill's attitude; he now reacts negatively to people.
physically sick or so they said he was
Implies that Bill is physically affected by the presence of others.
disillusioned by the world outside he liked
Explains Bill's disillusionment with the external world.
no-one so I thought I’d go and try to be his
Expresses the narrator's intention to befriend Bill despite his dislike for everyone.
friend be his confident he used force to
Details Bill's resistance to friendship, using force to discourage the narrator.
discourage me but oh how I did persist a shot
Highlights the narrator's persistence despite physical obstacles.
to the leg did not stop me just meant two
Reveals the narrator overcoming a shot to the leg and continuing to befriend Bill.
weeks bed rest shunned from the outside
Describes the narrator's isolation from the outside world due to unconventional behavior.
world for dressing up like a girl meant his
Explains that dressing like a girl led to societal rejection for Bill.
life would lead to seclusion and poverty
Details the consequences of Bill's life choices, leading to seclusion and poverty.
living on vegetables and flowers that were
Describes Bill's diet, limited to edible vegetables and flowers.
edible Ii got through to him in the end by
Shares the narrator's success in reaching Bill by presenting a gift.
bringing a present it was a kitten oh how he
Reveals the gift as a kitten, eliciting an emotional response from Bill.
cried that day the tears rolled down his
Depicts Bill crying tears of joy upon receiving the kitten.
face tears of joy but then I found that the years
Discovers that Bill's years of seclusion had caused him to regress emotionally.
of seclusion had made him regress he was in a
Describes Bill's childlike state, potentially a consequence of his seclusion.
child like state and could only speak in
Highlights Bill's limited ability to communicate, reduced to one-syllable words.
words of one syllable or less
Concludes with the lingering impact of Bill's seclusion on his ability to express himself.
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