Introduction (Live in London)

Song Meaning

This spoken-word intro to a live performance opens with a disarming anecdote about the narrator's ancient teacher, who, at 97, "clicked" his glass and quipped, "Excuse me for not dying." This sets a darkly humorous, almost defiant tone about aging and mortality. The narrator admits he "kinda feel[s] the same way," suggesting a shared, perhaps reluctant, persistence in the face of time. The primary emotional undercurrent is a blend of gratitude and a wry acknowledgment of the passage of time. The narrator expresses deep appreciation for the audience's sustained engagement with his music over "many years," framing them as keepers of his songs. This gratitude is juxtaposed with the stark reality of his teacher's advanced age and the narrator's own implied longevity, creating a subtle tension between present connection and the inevitable march forward. The most striking moment is the teacher's unexpected line, "Excuse me for not dying." It's a masterful piece of understated wit, flipping the expectation of frailty into a kind of defiant longevity. This unexpected pronouncement, followed by the narrator's echoing sentiment, highlights a shared, almost absurd, persistence against the natural order. The abrupt shift to thanking the audience and the peculiar mention of a self-operating object (