Richard Cory

[ebick]

Originally By Simon & Garfunkel, based on a poem by Edwin Robinson, but the version that drew my attention is on Wings Over America.



Em ```````````````````````````````D
They say that Richard Cory owns half of this whole town
```````Em````````````````````B7
With political connections he spreads his wealth around
``````A
He was born into society a banker's only child
``````Em````D``````G`````````A`````B7
He had everything a man could want, money, place and style

Em

The papers print his picture almost everywhere he goes
Richard Cory at the opera, Richard Corey at the shows
And the rumors of his parties and the orgies on his yacht
He really must be happy with everything he's got

```G````````````````Em
But I, I work in his factory
`````Am`````````````````Em
And I curse the life I'm living
``Am````````Em
I curse my poverty
``Am```````````````Em
I wish that I could be
`````Am````````````````Em
Oh, I wish that I could be
``````Am````````````````B7`````````Em
Yes, I wish that I could be Richard Cory

He freely gave to charity, he had the common touch
And they were grateful for his patronage and they thanked him very much
So my mind was filled with wonder when the evening headlines read
Em``````D`````````G`````````A```````````````Em
Richard Cory went home last night and put a bullet through his head

But I, I work in his factory
And I curse the life I'm living
I curse my poverty
I wish that I could be
Oh, I wish that I could be
Yes, I wish that I could be Richard Cory

[David Alpaugh]

Simon and Garfunkel mistakenly expand on the mistaken view of Richard Cory (that it is about a man whom we can know nothing essential about). I love their song, but it has nothing to do with Robinson's poem!

Richard Cory is actually about THE NARRATOR--a bitter mediocrity who uses Richard Cory to justify his own failure to his listeners.

My poem Richard Cory (His Untold Story) exposes the mean-spiritedness of Robinson's narrator, as well as Simon and Garfunkel's star-struck factory worker. Here's a link to the YouTube I created with the help of poet/friend Lynne Knight where my poem is counterpointed with Robinson's original (text of my poem follows):

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NPjFuAX3Ohk

RICHARD CORY (HIS UNTOLD STORY)

Turns out Richard Cory had pancreatic cancer;
Was told he had, at best, six months to live.
After the initial shock, he called his lawyer
To help draw up the will in which he’d give

The wealth so many envied mostly to charity;
His custom-tailored suits to Salvation Army.
Probate only noticed one peculiarity:
That provision for his cat! Was Cory barmy?

No one but his doctor knew what was going on.
There was no one on the pavement he could tell.
His friends were fair-weather; parents long gone;
Glib how are yous were answered with I’m well.

The pain finally got so bad he couldn’t walk
Downtown; couldn’t even climb out of bed.
You can guess the rest. To hell with idle talk
As to why Dick put that bullet through his head.

David Alpaugh

[ebick]

[JonnyBoy]

That was interesting......!