Raconteurs – "Steady As She Goes" (2006)

Find yourself a girl and settle down

Live a simple life in a quiet town

Here’s a transcript of my conversation with my mother today (which is typical of my conversations with her on other days, too):

Me: Good morning!  How are you?  It’s a beautiful day today – you should sit outside after lunch.

Her (after a long pause): I can’t hear a word you say.

I checked to make sure her hearing aids were in her ears – they were.  Then I checked to see if I needed to buy toilet paper, adult diapers, or other supplies for her.  Then I spent a few minutes looking on my phone for any new photos of my grandkids to share with her.  By then, it was almost 1100a – time for me to drag her to the group exercise class at her assisted living facility.

Me: It’s about time to go to exercise.  I’ve got your keys.

Her:  . . . .

Me (standing in her doorway, holding her keys):  Ready to go to exercise?  We should go now so we’ll get a seat.

Her (under her breath): Sh*t.

Me:  Ready to go?  I’ve got your keys.

Her (under her breath): Sh*t.

Eventually she got up and we walked down a long hallway to where the exercise class is held.

Her (as we walked): Sh*t . . . sh*t . . . sh*t.

I had never heard my mother – who is 93 years old – utter that word until about a year ago.  Now she says it – mutters it may be more accurate – every time I see her.

Her (when we get close enough to see which of the facility’s physical therapists is leading the exercise class that day):  It’s that fat girl. . . . Sh*t.

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“Steady As She Goes” was the first single from the Raconteurs’ 2006 debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers.  It made it all the way to #1 on the Billboard “Alternative Songs” chart.

The Raconteurs’ third studio album, Help Us Stranger, is scheduled to be released next month.

Click here to listen to “Steady As She Goes.”

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