I was searching for exactly the right song to parody for the insightful and moving “one thing”
speech that the character “John Henry Giles” (played superbly by Harry J. Lennix) gives to House in “DNR.”
(Note: This parody draws heavily on the specific dialogue from that entire “DNR” scene and the tag scene line:
“I’m in pain.” For the presentation of this parody, not all of this dialogue is formatted below in direct
quotation marks. So, I’d like to credit the original source material where appropriate.) Fortuitously, I heard the song
“One Thing” by Finger Eleven, today, and thought, “Ah! Perfect.” :-) Original lyrics:
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/fingereleven/onething.html ***
“Something”
Can’t sleep, tonight
After what Giles said last night
He saw through
me both times
Down to my sanity’s thin line
This isn’t something I planned
And I do what I can
But
I spend all my time
Walking that line
[Chorus]
If God traded all
My life away and left me “one thing”
Can
I live for “one thing?”
If I figure cases out
And learn everything about my “one thing”
Does
that make me something?
Try as I might
I can’t just walk on by—
They can charge me with a crime
But
no one died this time
How does Giles know
What I don’t want to admit I know:
My “one thing”
is why I’m here, so,
I’ll just make my rounds
[Chorus variation]
If I think about all
The lives
I’ve saved with my “one thing”
That must count for something
If I miss out
On everything but this
“one thing…”
Who cares if I have no wedding ring?
[Chorus variation]
If it hits me hard and
true—
That “one thing” I do—
Saving patients is something, and I need something
So what if
I’m worn out
And live “south of normal,” obsessing?
God left me “one thing”
Oh,
yes I know
What it’s like to go
Through life so
Constrained and bound
Every time I go
Into the briefing
room I have to know.
What makes these puzzles so
Irresistible until they’re unwound?
[Chorus variation]
I
wouldn’t trade it all—
Everything people think is missing—
For my “one thing;” no, not
my “one thing”
I’ve sorted it out
If I’m in pain, it’s nothing
As long as I have my
“one thing”
[Repeat final chorus variation x2]
