September 22, 2008 15:40

Cold War Kids pay tribute to David Foster Wallace

Band write poem - and possible song - about late author

Cold War Kids have written a poem in tribute to author David Foster Wallace who committed suicide earlier this month.

The band explained on their Myspace blog that 'This Is Water' might be turned into a song.

"Those of you who are familiar with the writer David Wallace know how much his passing affects us all," they wrote. "We wrote a short poem with him in mind that will hopefully become a song soon."

Frontman Nathan Willett later told NME.COM that "the poem is kind of an ode to his Kenyon Commencement Speech. If you haven't already read it, find it and read it now!”

The speech's text was recently reprinted by [url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/sep/20/fiction]The Guardian[/b] in tribute to the author.

Cold War Kids have named the writer of the 1996 novel 'Inifinite Jest' as a big inspiration for them in the past.

Wallace was found dead by his wife on Friday September 12.

The poem reads as follows:

'This Is Water'

First thing you taught me
Was to keep digging inside
At my intentions
Keep asking why why why

Second thing you taught me
Was to be sincere
Not like all these smart alec sarcastics
Drowning in fear

You reminded me -
This is water! And
It feels good to swim!
After you hooked me and you reeled me up
And threw me out again

Talked like professors
You talked like policemen and whores
You became so many people
I felt like I had known them before

The third thing you taught me
Is that when I'm waiting in line
At the supermarket checkout
That my time is not worth more than your time

Your head like a lightning rod
Your heart a cocoon
We certainly won't have another like you
Anytime soon.