Wake Me Up When It’s All Over

The official music video of Avicii’s “Wake Me Up” has a staggering number of views, verging on two billion.

Avicii was the stage name adopted by the Swedish musician Tim Bergling, and knowing that he committed suicide at the tender age of 28 makes the lyrics of the song that much more haunting:

Feeling my way through the darkness
Guided by a beating heart
I can’t tell where the journey will end
But I know where to start

They tell me I’m too young to understand
They say I’m caught up in a dream
Well life will pass me by if I don’t open up my eyes
Well that’s fine by me

So wake me up when it’s all over
When I’m wiser and I’m older
All this time I was finding myself
And I didn’t know I was lost

I tried carrying the weight of the world

But I only have two hands
I hope I get the chance to travel the world
And I don’t have any plans

I wish that I could stay forever this young
Not afraid to close my eyes
Life’s a game made for everyone
And love is a prize

A week after he was discovered dead, Bergling’s family released this open letter:

“Our beloved Tim was a seeker, a fragile artistic soul searching for answers to existential questions. An over-achieving perfectionist who travelled and worked hard at a pace that led to extreme stress. When he stopped touring, he wanted to find a balance in life to be able to be happy and to do what he loved most – music. He really struggled with thoughts about Meaning, Life, Happiness. He could now not go on any longer. He wanted to find peace. Tim was not made for the business machine he found himself in; he was a guy who loved his fans but shunned the spotlight. Tim, you will forever be loved and sadly missed. The person you were and your music will keep your memory alive.

We love you, The Family”

Mental health is being put to the test these days, perhaps no more poignantly than in the suicide of Dr. Lorna Breen, a talented snowboarder, cellist, salsa dancer, and ER doc in the epicenter of COVID-19 in New York City, feeling her way through the darkness, guided by a beating heart.  In the ultimate irony she physically recovered from her own bout with coronavirus but, as did Tim Bergling, found two hands insufficient to carry the weight of the world.