A Choice?
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"A Choice?" is the sixth track from Act 3 of The Residents' 2025 "modern opera" Doctor Dark. In this track, Dr. Anastasia Dark's comforting presence seems to relieve Mark of his anguish, but only temporarily; Dark emphasizes that only the finalization of life can truly end Mark's suffering.
"A Choice?" was one of four tracks which were premiered in advance of the album, on Australian independent radio station 2BOB Radio on January 7th 2025. A demo of this track (under the working title "White Guys Return") was later released on the Doctor Dark's Demos album, exclusively to streaming services.
Libretto
Completely in tune with Mark's pain, the physician's soothing voice acts like a silken sponge, pulling the teenager's agony out and into the room where, like a pile of bile on the carpet, it becomes a thing they can both witness and explore.
[DR. DARK] You need me, for I feel the weight of your shame, and I feel the force of your unending pain; I will pull it from your spirit, and we'll see how it glows and grows inside your dying soul. [MARK] I... I feel... I feel the pain and the shame coming out of me... it's rising... it's rising like a big, dark, heavy cloud right in front of my face. It's ugly, ugly... but... I FEEL FREE! I FEEL FREE! I'm light... I'm happy... I'm floating... I think I could dance... I can dance... I CAN DANCE!
Freed from this burden, the young man dances with joy until the physician explains that this relief is only temporary. As long as the teenager limits his life to this plane of existence, the pain will always be there. There is an alternative, says Doctor Dark, but it must be freely chosen. Almost imperceptibly, he nods at his machine.
(Can't you see you're not free?) [DR. DARK] I can show you my way, but it must be chosen. (Guns are all around you.) (Guns are glory.)
Flying into a rage once more, Mark hurries into his room, grabs several guns and returns, angrily confronting the doctor. Screaming that Doctor Dark and his machine will be his first victims, he lifts a shotgun to his shoulder as Maggot's voice echoes in his head again.
You will show them my way; It will blow them away.
- Doctor Dark CD edition at Cherry Red Records (UK/EU)
- Doctor Dark vinyl edition at Cherry Red Records (UK/EU)
- Doctor Dark CD edition at MVD Shop (US)
- Doctor Dark vinyl edition at MVD Shop (US)