Things to Come
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"Things to Come" is a digital-only single released by The Residents in May 2009, as the debut release on their online music download platform Robot Selling Device, through which they could release digital material directly to fans without having to go through any labels first.
"Things to Come", formatted as a single track almost eleven minutes in length, was designed to announce and tease The Residents' next multimedia project, Talking Light. The track is an early version of the title song from the set list of that tour. The title and cover art of the single are derived from the 1936 science fiction film of the same name, directed by William Cameron Menzies.
In December 2025, a mini-album titled Things to Come, Pt 2 was released as a follow-up to the 2009 single. The mini-album was a free MP3 download for subscribers of Cherry Red Records' Residents newsletter, featuring teaser tracks from several upcoming releases, mostly planned for release via the group's Bandcamp page.
Track listing
- WIP - Talking Light (10:44)
Lyrics
Once when I was a lonely teenager
I wandered into an unfamiliar area several miles from home. The land was badly eroded, and as I looked up the small ravine, I saw a weathered shack just up ahead.
Once when I was a lonely teenager
It wasn't very inviting.
As I got closer, I had the feeling that it must be deserted. I might have walked on by until I noticed a faded piece of paper stuck to the door and became curious to see what it said. In large, shaking letters were the following words: "If you find my baby inside, please bury him."
Lost in a light
Startled by such a strange message, I took the note off the door and realized that it was several pages long. Here is the conclusion:
"I could not stay (?). Something has my baby in that house, and I can't get him back. I don't know what it is except there is some kind of voice (?) to me. Every time I try to reach into the light and grab my baby, it burns my hands, but I don't seem to remember. Some kind of voice keeps coming out of that light and telling me to 'Find the ring! Find the ring!' I've tried to find it. God knows I've tried. I don't believe in the thought of (?). I even (?) the walls, but I can't find the ring anywhere. I ain't ate or slept for three days now, and I don't know what I can do except go and try to find some help, but I'm so weak. I don't know if I can make it back I'm so hungry. Please blessed God, because I think it may be somewhere weld up in here. I get the feeling that it must be the baby's fault, but I can see that he's done nothing to deserve this. Sincerely, Edgrey Watkins."
Lost in a light
After reading the note, I slowly opened the door, and walked into the shack. Except for a small area around an old bassinet in the center of the room, the interior of the small building was in a state of total chaos. I slowly worked my way through the jungle of broken furniture, loose floorboards, and other rubble until I finally reached the side of the bassinet. It was strangely spotless, and the top was covered by a clean, white blanket. Apprehensively, I reached out and slowly pulled away the blanket revealing the perfectly-formed skeleton of a baby clutching a wedding ring in its right hand.
Horrifying. I could think of nothing else to do but follow the poor woman's wishes, and bury her baby's sad remains. I couldn't bear to touch the (?) little skeleton, so I somehow managed to drag the bassinet back out through the rubble into the ravine outside. Using a stick and my fingers, I scratched out a shallow hole in the dry dirt, but just as I was about to dump the baby skeleton into it, I noticed something engraved on the ring. By this time, I was so deeply disturbed that I wanted to just leave everything and run home, but something compelled me to move closer.
The touch of the small, boney fingers against my own added the sensation of nausea to my already unsettled stomach, but I finally managed to free the ring. As I brought it closer to my eyes, I could make out a few tiny words: "The mother embraces hatred. Hatred embraces..." but that was it. The last word was all scratched out. No longer able to contain my feelings of fear, disgust, and confusion, I dumped the ring and the baby skeleton into the hole, quickly covered them up with dirt, and ran home.
Lost in a light
Once when I was a lonely teenager
No one has ever believed my story, and I have tried to convince myself that it must have been a dream induced by the instability of adolescence. I take comfort from that thought.