A few final Words
"The paper burns, but the words fly free."
Akiba ben Joseph (c.40-c.135)
at the stake, when the Torah was also burned
Erykah Badu recalls how a hallucinated conversation between J Dilla and ODB inspired her to write “Telephone”Badu thought of a story Dilla’s mother told her about her son’s dying days, when she would find him having conversations with an unseen companion. One time, when she asked him who he was talking to, he said it was Ol’ Dirty Bastard, who had died in 2004. As Badu recounted years later, Dilla explained to his mom: “He was telling me what bus to get on when I cross over. He said, ‘Don’t get on the red bus, get on the white bus. The red bus looks fun, but that’s not the one.’” That memory inspired Badu to write a song called “Telephone”, which starts: “Telephone, it’s Ol’ Dirty/ He wants to give you directions home/ Said it won’t be too long.”
A few weeks before he died, my father who was a skeptic and atheist, woke up from sleeping as I sat beside him. He tightened his grip on my hand, “Lisa...Lisa...the angels!” It was remarkable enough that he had referred to seeing angels one time, but he pointed to them on several occasions in his last days. The last reference to the angels was three days before he died, he announced, “Enough, enough...The angels said only three days left.”
Those who are on their deathbeds seem to have a kind of privileged connection to God, or Source, or all of creation.
Some might ask, “Why do we assume final words to be somehow closer to God’s truth?” And that is a good question. A large amount of literature answers this in spiritual terms: when we approach death, we are returning to Source, and our thoughts and words are therefore elevated because of this shift in dimension. The findings of the Final Words Project suggest that this may, indeed, be true.
Numerous are accounts, including one from Raymond Moody about his own father’s final words, that report not only of unseen beings, loved ones or angels, but also of a beautiful place, a place of well-being and contentment. Thomas Edison’s final words “It’s beautiful over there,” have been uttered by others before him and since. Could it be that Steve Jobs may have witnessed the same beauty that Edison described when he uttered these final words, “Wow! Wow! Wow!” ?
Comedian Sam Kinison who died in a head-on collision in 1992 said to no one in particular: “I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die.” But then there was a pause as if Kinison were listening to someone. Then he asked, “But why?” and after another pause “Okay, Okay, Okay.” A friend who was with him said, “Whatever voice was talking to him gave him the right answer and he just relaxed with it.”
For a few days before his death, songwriter George Jones lay in a hospital bed, suffering from complications from a respiratory infection, unable to speak. But just before he passed, as his wife was conferring with a doctor at his bedside, the Country-Western legend spoke.
“We were standing at the foot of the bed, and George just hadn’t said nothing, and all of a sudden, he opened his eyes, and I was fixin’ to go toward him, and the doctor kind of held me back, and George said, ‘Well, hello there.’ He said, ‘I’ve been looking for you... ‘My name’s George Jones.'”
Within moments, the 81-year-old was gone.
“He closed his eyes, and that was the end of it,” Nancy Jones explains. “So, in my heart, I know he was talking to God.”
Roger Ebert wrote a note to his wife before dying, “This is all an elaborate hoax" and described that he was experiencing a heaven that was vast and without any time or place.
Here are some additional final words from the famous across the centuries. For more about the final words of ordinary folks like you and me, check out Words at the Threshold.
Adams, John (1735-1826) "Thomas Jefferson--still survives..." (4 July 1826. Jefferson died on the same day.)
Adams, John Quincy (1767-1848) "This is the last of earth! I am content."
Addison, Joseph (1672-1719) "See in what peace a Christian can die."
Antoinette, Marie (1755-1793) "Farewell, my children, forever. I go to your Father."
Astor, Lady Nancy (1879-1964) "Jakie, is it my birthday or am I dying?" (Seeing all her children assembled at her bedside in her last illness.)
Austen, Jane (1775-1817) "Nothing but death." (When asked by her sister Cassandra if there was anything she wanted.)
Baer, Max (1909-1959) [American boxer, Heavyweight Champion 1934-5] "Oh God, here I go..."
Barrie, James M. (1860-1937) [Author of Peter Pan and other works] "I can't sleep."
Barrymore, John (1882-1942) Die? I should say not, dear fellow. No Barrymore would allow such a conventional thing to happen to him.
Bass, Sam (1851-1878) [Texas Outlaw] "Let me go - The world is bobbing around me." (Also reported as "The room is jumping up and down" and "The world is a bubble - trouble wherever you go".)
Beaverbrook, Lord (1879-1964) "This is my final word. It is time for me to become an apprentice once more. I have not settled in which direction. But somewhere, sometime, soon." (The last public statement before his death, speech at Dorchester Hotel, 25 May 1964)
Beck, Martha ( -1951) [American murderess] "My story is a love story, but only those who are tortured by love can understand what I mean. I was pictured as a fat, unfeeling woman. True, I am fat, but if that is a crime, how many of my sex are guilty. I am not unfeeling, stupid or moronic. My last words and my last thoughts are: Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." (Before her execution.)
Becket, Thomas (c.1119-1179) "I am ready to die for my Lord, that in my blood the Church may obtain liberty and peace." (One version of his last words.)
Beecher, Henry Ward (1813-1887) "Now comes the mystery."
Beethoven, Ludwig van (1770-1827) "Friends applaud, the comedy is over." Beethoven's publisher's web site (www.schott-music.com) claims his secretary wrote that he said "Pity, Pity - too late!"
Bevan, Aneurin (1897-1960) "I want to live because there are a few things I want to do." (During his last illness.)
Bogart, Humphrey (1899-1957) "I should never have switched from Scotch to Martinis." (Unverified -- attributed.) (A recent television biography of Bogart includes Lauren Bacall, his wife, saying that he was at home bedridden with cancer when she left the house briefly, maybe to do grocery shopping. "Hurry back", he said as she closed the door. When she returned he was dead.)
Brown, James (1933-2006) "I'm going away tonight." (Reported by his personal manager, Charles Bobbit, who said he was at Brown's bedside when he died, and added that Brown said the statement above, then took three long, quiet breaths, and closed his eyes.) [American boxer, Heavyweight Champion 1934-5] "Oh God, here I go..."
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett (1806-1861) "Beautiful." (When asked by her husband how she felt.)
Bouhours, Dominique [French grammarian] "I am about to--or I am going to--die; either expression is used."
Burbank, Luther (1849-1926) "I don't feel good."
Byron, Lord (1788-1824) "Goodnight."
Cavell, Edith Louisa (1865-1915) "Standing, as I do, in the view of God and eternity I realize that patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone." (To the chaplain who attended her before her execution by the Germans, 12 October 1915)
Charles I, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1600-1649) "Stay for the sign." (After the English Civil War, Charles was tried for treason, convicted, and sentenced to death. His last words were spoken to the executioner, waiting to behead him. He asked if he might be given a moment to pray, and then, when he gave the sign, the ax could fall.)
Charles II, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1630-1685) "I have been a most unconscionable time dying, but I beg you to excuse it." (Following the death of Cromwell, Charles I's son became King when the Stuarts were restored to the throne. Arts and Literatire thrived; Charles II was known as "The Merry Monarch".)
Childers, Robert Erskins (1870-1922) (Irish Nationalist, executed by an Irish Free State firing squad) "Take a step forward, lads. It will be easier that way."
Chubbock, Christine "And now, in keeping with Channel 40's policy of always bringing you the latest in blood and guts, in living color, you're about to see another first--an attempted suicide." (just before she shot herself during a broadcast)
Claudel, Paul (1868-1955) "Doctor, do you think it could have been the sausage?"
Cleveland, Grover (1837-1908) "I have tried so hard to do the right."
Costello, Lou (1906-1959) "That was the best ice-cream soda I ever tasted."
Coward, Noel (1899-1973) "Goodnight my darlings, I'll see you tomorrow." (On going to bed.)
Coy, Bernard ( -1946) [American criminal] "It don't matter; I figure I licked the Rock anyway." (After he was shot down attempting to escape from Alcatraz Prison)
Crane, Hart (1899-1932) "Goodbye, Everybody!" (Said when he committed suicide by jumping overboard during a steamship voyage.)
Crosby, Bing (1903-1977) "That was a great game of golf, fellers."
Crowley, Francis "Two Gun" (1900-1931) (American bank robber and murderer, before his execution in the electric chair) "You sons of bitches. Give my love to Mother."
Czolgosz, Leon (1873-1902) "I killed the president because he was the enemy of the good people, the good working people. I am not sorry for my crime." (Before his execution for the assassination of William McKinley.)
Danton, Georges-Jacques (1759-1794) "Thou wilt show my head to the people; it is worth showing." (To his executioner, 5 April 1794)
Dean, James (1931-1955) "My fun days are over." (Shortly before his fatal car crash.)
Dickinson, Emily (1830-1886) "... the fog is rising."
Eastman, George (1854-1932) "My work is done, why wait?" (His suicide note.)
Fillmore, Millard (1800-1874) "The nourishment is palatable."
Flynn, Errol (1909-1959) "I've had a hell of a lot of fun and I've enjoyed every minute of it." (Said shortly before his death.)
Fox, Charles James (1749-1806) "I die happy."
Gainsborough, Thomas (1727-1788) "We are all going to Heaven, and Vandyke is of the company." (Attributed last words.)
Gandhi, Indira (1917-1984) "I don't mind if my life goes in the service of the nation. If I die today every drop of my blood will invigorate the nation." (Said the night before she was assassinated by Sikh militants.)
Goldman, Charley ( -1970) [American boxing manager] "Only suckers get hit with right hands."
Gwenn, Edmund (1875-1959) "It is. But not as hard as farce." in _Time_ 30 January 1984 (On his deathbed, in reply to the comment `It must be very hard.')
Heine, Heinrich (1797-1856) "Dieu me pardonnera. C'est son metier." [God will pardon me. It is his trade.] (On his deathbed.)
Henry, O. (1862-1910) "Turn up the lights, I don't want to go home in the dark." (Quoting a popular song, 5 June 1910)
Hill, Joe (also Joel Emmanuel Hagglund or Joseph Hillstron) (1879 or 1882 to 1915) "Fire" (Just prior to his execution by firing squad in Utah for a murder he most probably did not commit.)
Housman, A. E. (1859-1936) "That is indeed very good. I shall have to repeat that on the Golden Floor!" (To his doctor, who told him a joke just before he died.)
Horatio, Lord Nelson (1759-1805 "Kiss Me, Hardy" (Thomas Hardy, the captain of HMS Victory, carried Nelson below decks after he had been hit, and this is what Hardy reported as Nelson's last words; but Nelson is also reported to have later said "Thank God I have done my duty"; Nelson's secretary, John Scott, recorded Nelson's last words as "God and my country". There is also speculation that what was recorded as "Kiss Me, Hardy", might have been "Kismet, Hardy".)
Huss, John (c.1369-1415) "O sancta simplicitas! [O holy simplicity!]" (On noticing a peasant adding a faggot to the pile at his execution.)
Jackson, Thomas Jonathan `Stonewall' (1824-1863) "Let us pass over the river and rest under the shade of the trees." (He had been inadvertedly shot by his own men.)
Jefferson, Thomas (1743-1826) "Is it the Fourth?" (4 July 1826)
Jolson, Al (1886-1950) "This is it. I'm going. I'm going."
Kath, Terry Alan (1946-1978) [Founding member of the rock band Chicago] "Don't worry, it's not loaded." (Reportedly said to Don Johnson, while pointing a 9-mm semiautomatic pistol to his own head. The single bullet left in the chamber killed him instantly.)
Kelly, Ned (1854-1880) [Australian folk hero and outlaw and legend]. "I suppose it had to come to this. Such is life." (As the hangman adjusted the hood to cover his face.)
Kennedy, John Fitzgerald (1917-1963) "If someone is going to kill me, they will kill me." (On arriving in Dallas, 1963)
Keynes, John Maynard (1883-1946) "I wish I'd drunk more champagne."
Lee, Robert Edward (1807-1870) "Strike the tent."
Lehar, Franz (1870-1948) "Now I have finished with all earthly business, and high time too. Yes, yes, my dear child, now comes death."
Lewis, Wyndham (1884-1957) "Mind your own business." (When his nurse asked him about the state of his bowels on his deathbed.)
Louis XIV (1638-1715) "Why are you weeping? Did you imagine that I was immortal?" (Noticing as he lay on his deathbed that his attendants were crying.)
Malcolm X (1925-1965) "Cool it, brothers..." (His last words before being assassinated.)
Marx, Karl (1818-1883) "Go on, get out. Last words are for fools who haven't said enough."
McLain, James ( -1970) [American criminal] "Take lots of pictures! We are the revolutionaries!" (Before being killed by the police, as he tried to shoot his way to freedom at his trial.)
Morant, Lt. Henry H. ("Breaker")(b. Edwin Henry Murrant) (1864-1902) [Australian Anglo-Boer War soldier and poet] "Shoot straight, you bastards! Don't make a mess of it!" (To the firing squad that executed him.)
Morgan, John Pierpont (1837-1913) "I've got to get to the top of the hill..."
Mussolini, Benito (1883-1945) "But, but, mister Colonel..." (Before being executed.)
Napoleon I (1769-1821) "Chief of the Army."
Narvaez, Ramon Maria (1800-1868) "I do not have to forgive my enemies, I have had them all shot." (Said on his deathbed, when asked by a priest if he forgave his enemies.)
Oates, Lawrence (1880-1912) "I am just going outside and may be some time." (Before leaving the tent and vanishing into the blizzard on the ill-fated Antarctic expedition (1910-1912). Oates was afraid that his lameness would slow down the others.)
Olivier, Laurence (1907-1989) "This isn't Hamlet, you know, it's not meant to go into the bloody ear." (To his nurse, who spilt water over him while trying to moisten his lips.)
Palmerston, Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount (1784-1865) "Die, my dear Doctor? That's the last thing I shall do!" (Attributed last words.)
Philby, St John ( -1960) "God, I'm bored."
Picasso, Pablo (1881-1973) "Drink to me."
Presley, Elvis (1935-1977) "I hope I haven't bored you." (Concluding what would be his last press conference.)
Raleigh, Sir Walter (1554-1618) "I have a long journey to take, and must bid the company farewell."
Rhodes, Cecil John (1853-1902) "So little done, so much to do."
Rodgers, James W. ( -1960) [American criminal] "Why yes, a bulletproof vest!" (On his final request before the firing squad.)
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano (1882-1945) "I have a terrific headache."
Roosevelt, Theodore (1858-1919) "Put out the light."
Rosenberg, Ethel (1918-1953) "We are the first victims of American fascism!" (Before her execution.)
Rosenberg, Julius (1918-1953) "We are innocent. That is the whole truth. To forsake this truth is to pay too high a price even for the priceless gift of life. For life thus purchased we could not live out in dignity." (Before his execution.)
Runyon, Damon (1884-1946) "You can keep the things of bronze and stone and give me one man to remember me just once a year."
Saki (Hector Hugh Munro) (1870-1916) "Put that bloody cigarette out." (Just before being killed by a sniper, 14 November 1916)
Sanders, George (1906-1972) "Dear World, I am leaving you because I am bored. I am leaving you with your worries. Good luck." (His suicide note.)
Sedgwick, John (1813-1864) "Nonsense, they couldn't hit an elephant at this distance." (In response to a suggestion that he should not show himself over the parapet during the Battle of the Wilderness.)
Senna (Da Silva), Ayrton (1960-1994) [Formula One Race Driver] "The car seems OK..." [A few seconds later his steering column broke and he died when his car hit the wall.]
Shaw, George Bernard (1856-1950) "I want to sleep..."
Smith, Adam (1723-1790) "I believe we should adjourn this meeting to another place."
Stein, Gertrude (1874-1946) "Just before she [Stein] died she asked, `What _is_ the answer?' No answer came. She laughed and said, `In that case what is the question?' Then she died."
Stevenson, Adlai E. (1900-1965) "I feel faint." (Before collapsing.)
Thomas, Dylan (1914-1953) "I have just had eighteen whiskeys in a row. I do believe that is a record."
Thoreau, Henry David (1817-1862)
`Have you made your peace with your God?'
`I never quarreled with my God.'
`But aren't you concerned about the next world?'
`One world at a time.'
(Discussion with his aunt on his deathbed)
Thurber, James (1894-1961) "God bless... God damn."
Villa, Francisco `Pancho' (1878-1923) "Don't let it end like this. Tell them I said something."
Voltaire (1694-1778) "This is no time to make new enemies." (When asked on his deathbed to forswear Satan.)
Wallace, William (1270-1305, Scottish Patriot) "Freedom" [Ascribed to him in the film "Braveheart"; his actual last words, before being hanged, disembowelled, drawn and quartered, are unknown.]
Washington, George (1732-1799) "It is well, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go."
Webster, Daniel (1782-1852) "I still live."
Wells, Herbert George (1866-1946) "Go away... I'm allright."
Wilde, Oscar (1854-1900) "Either this wallpaper goes, or I do!" [The authenticity of this quote is complicated by his deathbed conversion back to Catholicism and the fact that a priest was with him up to the very end. Another deathbed quotation is also attributed to him: he asked for Champagne to sip as he died, and as he sipped, he is reported to have said: "Alas, I am dying beyond my means."]
Akiba ben Joseph (c.40-c.135)
at the stake, when the Torah was also burned
Erykah Badu recalls how a hallucinated conversation between J Dilla and ODB inspired her to write “Telephone”Badu thought of a story Dilla’s mother told her about her son’s dying days, when she would find him having conversations with an unseen companion. One time, when she asked him who he was talking to, he said it was Ol’ Dirty Bastard, who had died in 2004. As Badu recounted years later, Dilla explained to his mom: “He was telling me what bus to get on when I cross over. He said, ‘Don’t get on the red bus, get on the white bus. The red bus looks fun, but that’s not the one.’” That memory inspired Badu to write a song called “Telephone”, which starts: “Telephone, it’s Ol’ Dirty/ He wants to give you directions home/ Said it won’t be too long.”
A few weeks before he died, my father who was a skeptic and atheist, woke up from sleeping as I sat beside him. He tightened his grip on my hand, “Lisa...Lisa...the angels!” It was remarkable enough that he had referred to seeing angels one time, but he pointed to them on several occasions in his last days. The last reference to the angels was three days before he died, he announced, “Enough, enough...The angels said only three days left.”
Those who are on their deathbeds seem to have a kind of privileged connection to God, or Source, or all of creation.
Some might ask, “Why do we assume final words to be somehow closer to God’s truth?” And that is a good question. A large amount of literature answers this in spiritual terms: when we approach death, we are returning to Source, and our thoughts and words are therefore elevated because of this shift in dimension. The findings of the Final Words Project suggest that this may, indeed, be true.
Numerous are accounts, including one from Raymond Moody about his own father’s final words, that report not only of unseen beings, loved ones or angels, but also of a beautiful place, a place of well-being and contentment. Thomas Edison’s final words “It’s beautiful over there,” have been uttered by others before him and since. Could it be that Steve Jobs may have witnessed the same beauty that Edison described when he uttered these final words, “Wow! Wow! Wow!” ?
Comedian Sam Kinison who died in a head-on collision in 1992 said to no one in particular: “I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die.” But then there was a pause as if Kinison were listening to someone. Then he asked, “But why?” and after another pause “Okay, Okay, Okay.” A friend who was with him said, “Whatever voice was talking to him gave him the right answer and he just relaxed with it.”
For a few days before his death, songwriter George Jones lay in a hospital bed, suffering from complications from a respiratory infection, unable to speak. But just before he passed, as his wife was conferring with a doctor at his bedside, the Country-Western legend spoke.
“We were standing at the foot of the bed, and George just hadn’t said nothing, and all of a sudden, he opened his eyes, and I was fixin’ to go toward him, and the doctor kind of held me back, and George said, ‘Well, hello there.’ He said, ‘I’ve been looking for you... ‘My name’s George Jones.'”
Within moments, the 81-year-old was gone.
“He closed his eyes, and that was the end of it,” Nancy Jones explains. “So, in my heart, I know he was talking to God.”
Roger Ebert wrote a note to his wife before dying, “This is all an elaborate hoax" and described that he was experiencing a heaven that was vast and without any time or place.
Here are some additional final words from the famous across the centuries. For more about the final words of ordinary folks like you and me, check out Words at the Threshold.
Adams, John (1735-1826) "Thomas Jefferson--still survives..." (4 July 1826. Jefferson died on the same day.)
Adams, John Quincy (1767-1848) "This is the last of earth! I am content."
Addison, Joseph (1672-1719) "See in what peace a Christian can die."
Antoinette, Marie (1755-1793) "Farewell, my children, forever. I go to your Father."
Astor, Lady Nancy (1879-1964) "Jakie, is it my birthday or am I dying?" (Seeing all her children assembled at her bedside in her last illness.)
Austen, Jane (1775-1817) "Nothing but death." (When asked by her sister Cassandra if there was anything she wanted.)
Baer, Max (1909-1959) [American boxer, Heavyweight Champion 1934-5] "Oh God, here I go..."
Barrie, James M. (1860-1937) [Author of Peter Pan and other works] "I can't sleep."
Barrymore, John (1882-1942) Die? I should say not, dear fellow. No Barrymore would allow such a conventional thing to happen to him.
Bass, Sam (1851-1878) [Texas Outlaw] "Let me go - The world is bobbing around me." (Also reported as "The room is jumping up and down" and "The world is a bubble - trouble wherever you go".)
Beaverbrook, Lord (1879-1964) "This is my final word. It is time for me to become an apprentice once more. I have not settled in which direction. But somewhere, sometime, soon." (The last public statement before his death, speech at Dorchester Hotel, 25 May 1964)
Beck, Martha ( -1951) [American murderess] "My story is a love story, but only those who are tortured by love can understand what I mean. I was pictured as a fat, unfeeling woman. True, I am fat, but if that is a crime, how many of my sex are guilty. I am not unfeeling, stupid or moronic. My last words and my last thoughts are: Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." (Before her execution.)
Becket, Thomas (c.1119-1179) "I am ready to die for my Lord, that in my blood the Church may obtain liberty and peace." (One version of his last words.)
Beecher, Henry Ward (1813-1887) "Now comes the mystery."
Beethoven, Ludwig van (1770-1827) "Friends applaud, the comedy is over." Beethoven's publisher's web site (www.schott-music.com) claims his secretary wrote that he said "Pity, Pity - too late!"
Bevan, Aneurin (1897-1960) "I want to live because there are a few things I want to do." (During his last illness.)
Bogart, Humphrey (1899-1957) "I should never have switched from Scotch to Martinis." (Unverified -- attributed.) (A recent television biography of Bogart includes Lauren Bacall, his wife, saying that he was at home bedridden with cancer when she left the house briefly, maybe to do grocery shopping. "Hurry back", he said as she closed the door. When she returned he was dead.)
Brown, James (1933-2006) "I'm going away tonight." (Reported by his personal manager, Charles Bobbit, who said he was at Brown's bedside when he died, and added that Brown said the statement above, then took three long, quiet breaths, and closed his eyes.) [American boxer, Heavyweight Champion 1934-5] "Oh God, here I go..."
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett (1806-1861) "Beautiful." (When asked by her husband how she felt.)
Bouhours, Dominique [French grammarian] "I am about to--or I am going to--die; either expression is used."
Burbank, Luther (1849-1926) "I don't feel good."
Byron, Lord (1788-1824) "Goodnight."
Cavell, Edith Louisa (1865-1915) "Standing, as I do, in the view of God and eternity I realize that patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone." (To the chaplain who attended her before her execution by the Germans, 12 October 1915)
Charles I, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1600-1649) "Stay for the sign." (After the English Civil War, Charles was tried for treason, convicted, and sentenced to death. His last words were spoken to the executioner, waiting to behead him. He asked if he might be given a moment to pray, and then, when he gave the sign, the ax could fall.)
Charles II, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1630-1685) "I have been a most unconscionable time dying, but I beg you to excuse it." (Following the death of Cromwell, Charles I's son became King when the Stuarts were restored to the throne. Arts and Literatire thrived; Charles II was known as "The Merry Monarch".)
Childers, Robert Erskins (1870-1922) (Irish Nationalist, executed by an Irish Free State firing squad) "Take a step forward, lads. It will be easier that way."
Chubbock, Christine "And now, in keeping with Channel 40's policy of always bringing you the latest in blood and guts, in living color, you're about to see another first--an attempted suicide." (just before she shot herself during a broadcast)
Claudel, Paul (1868-1955) "Doctor, do you think it could have been the sausage?"
Cleveland, Grover (1837-1908) "I have tried so hard to do the right."
Costello, Lou (1906-1959) "That was the best ice-cream soda I ever tasted."
Coward, Noel (1899-1973) "Goodnight my darlings, I'll see you tomorrow." (On going to bed.)
Coy, Bernard ( -1946) [American criminal] "It don't matter; I figure I licked the Rock anyway." (After he was shot down attempting to escape from Alcatraz Prison)
Crane, Hart (1899-1932) "Goodbye, Everybody!" (Said when he committed suicide by jumping overboard during a steamship voyage.)
Crosby, Bing (1903-1977) "That was a great game of golf, fellers."
Crowley, Francis "Two Gun" (1900-1931) (American bank robber and murderer, before his execution in the electric chair) "You sons of bitches. Give my love to Mother."
Czolgosz, Leon (1873-1902) "I killed the president because he was the enemy of the good people, the good working people. I am not sorry for my crime." (Before his execution for the assassination of William McKinley.)
Danton, Georges-Jacques (1759-1794) "Thou wilt show my head to the people; it is worth showing." (To his executioner, 5 April 1794)
Dean, James (1931-1955) "My fun days are over." (Shortly before his fatal car crash.)
Dickinson, Emily (1830-1886) "... the fog is rising."
Eastman, George (1854-1932) "My work is done, why wait?" (His suicide note.)
Fillmore, Millard (1800-1874) "The nourishment is palatable."
Flynn, Errol (1909-1959) "I've had a hell of a lot of fun and I've enjoyed every minute of it." (Said shortly before his death.)
Fox, Charles James (1749-1806) "I die happy."
Gainsborough, Thomas (1727-1788) "We are all going to Heaven, and Vandyke is of the company." (Attributed last words.)
Gandhi, Indira (1917-1984) "I don't mind if my life goes in the service of the nation. If I die today every drop of my blood will invigorate the nation." (Said the night before she was assassinated by Sikh militants.)
Goldman, Charley ( -1970) [American boxing manager] "Only suckers get hit with right hands."
Gwenn, Edmund (1875-1959) "It is. But not as hard as farce." in _Time_ 30 January 1984 (On his deathbed, in reply to the comment `It must be very hard.')
Heine, Heinrich (1797-1856) "Dieu me pardonnera. C'est son metier." [God will pardon me. It is his trade.] (On his deathbed.)
Henry, O. (1862-1910) "Turn up the lights, I don't want to go home in the dark." (Quoting a popular song, 5 June 1910)
Hill, Joe (also Joel Emmanuel Hagglund or Joseph Hillstron) (1879 or 1882 to 1915) "Fire" (Just prior to his execution by firing squad in Utah for a murder he most probably did not commit.)
Housman, A. E. (1859-1936) "That is indeed very good. I shall have to repeat that on the Golden Floor!" (To his doctor, who told him a joke just before he died.)
Horatio, Lord Nelson (1759-1805 "Kiss Me, Hardy" (Thomas Hardy, the captain of HMS Victory, carried Nelson below decks after he had been hit, and this is what Hardy reported as Nelson's last words; but Nelson is also reported to have later said "Thank God I have done my duty"; Nelson's secretary, John Scott, recorded Nelson's last words as "God and my country". There is also speculation that what was recorded as "Kiss Me, Hardy", might have been "Kismet, Hardy".)
Huss, John (c.1369-1415) "O sancta simplicitas! [O holy simplicity!]" (On noticing a peasant adding a faggot to the pile at his execution.)
Jackson, Thomas Jonathan `Stonewall' (1824-1863) "Let us pass over the river and rest under the shade of the trees." (He had been inadvertedly shot by his own men.)
Jefferson, Thomas (1743-1826) "Is it the Fourth?" (4 July 1826)
Jolson, Al (1886-1950) "This is it. I'm going. I'm going."
Kath, Terry Alan (1946-1978) [Founding member of the rock band Chicago] "Don't worry, it's not loaded." (Reportedly said to Don Johnson, while pointing a 9-mm semiautomatic pistol to his own head. The single bullet left in the chamber killed him instantly.)
Kelly, Ned (1854-1880) [Australian folk hero and outlaw and legend]. "I suppose it had to come to this. Such is life." (As the hangman adjusted the hood to cover his face.)
Kennedy, John Fitzgerald (1917-1963) "If someone is going to kill me, they will kill me." (On arriving in Dallas, 1963)
Keynes, John Maynard (1883-1946) "I wish I'd drunk more champagne."
Lee, Robert Edward (1807-1870) "Strike the tent."
Lehar, Franz (1870-1948) "Now I have finished with all earthly business, and high time too. Yes, yes, my dear child, now comes death."
Lewis, Wyndham (1884-1957) "Mind your own business." (When his nurse asked him about the state of his bowels on his deathbed.)
Louis XIV (1638-1715) "Why are you weeping? Did you imagine that I was immortal?" (Noticing as he lay on his deathbed that his attendants were crying.)
Malcolm X (1925-1965) "Cool it, brothers..." (His last words before being assassinated.)
Marx, Karl (1818-1883) "Go on, get out. Last words are for fools who haven't said enough."
McLain, James ( -1970) [American criminal] "Take lots of pictures! We are the revolutionaries!" (Before being killed by the police, as he tried to shoot his way to freedom at his trial.)
Morant, Lt. Henry H. ("Breaker")(b. Edwin Henry Murrant) (1864-1902) [Australian Anglo-Boer War soldier and poet] "Shoot straight, you bastards! Don't make a mess of it!" (To the firing squad that executed him.)
Morgan, John Pierpont (1837-1913) "I've got to get to the top of the hill..."
Mussolini, Benito (1883-1945) "But, but, mister Colonel..." (Before being executed.)
Napoleon I (1769-1821) "Chief of the Army."
Narvaez, Ramon Maria (1800-1868) "I do not have to forgive my enemies, I have had them all shot." (Said on his deathbed, when asked by a priest if he forgave his enemies.)
Oates, Lawrence (1880-1912) "I am just going outside and may be some time." (Before leaving the tent and vanishing into the blizzard on the ill-fated Antarctic expedition (1910-1912). Oates was afraid that his lameness would slow down the others.)
Olivier, Laurence (1907-1989) "This isn't Hamlet, you know, it's not meant to go into the bloody ear." (To his nurse, who spilt water over him while trying to moisten his lips.)
Palmerston, Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount (1784-1865) "Die, my dear Doctor? That's the last thing I shall do!" (Attributed last words.)
Philby, St John ( -1960) "God, I'm bored."
Picasso, Pablo (1881-1973) "Drink to me."
Presley, Elvis (1935-1977) "I hope I haven't bored you." (Concluding what would be his last press conference.)
Raleigh, Sir Walter (1554-1618) "I have a long journey to take, and must bid the company farewell."
Rhodes, Cecil John (1853-1902) "So little done, so much to do."
Rodgers, James W. ( -1960) [American criminal] "Why yes, a bulletproof vest!" (On his final request before the firing squad.)
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano (1882-1945) "I have a terrific headache."
Roosevelt, Theodore (1858-1919) "Put out the light."
Rosenberg, Ethel (1918-1953) "We are the first victims of American fascism!" (Before her execution.)
Rosenberg, Julius (1918-1953) "We are innocent. That is the whole truth. To forsake this truth is to pay too high a price even for the priceless gift of life. For life thus purchased we could not live out in dignity." (Before his execution.)
Runyon, Damon (1884-1946) "You can keep the things of bronze and stone and give me one man to remember me just once a year."
Saki (Hector Hugh Munro) (1870-1916) "Put that bloody cigarette out." (Just before being killed by a sniper, 14 November 1916)
Sanders, George (1906-1972) "Dear World, I am leaving you because I am bored. I am leaving you with your worries. Good luck." (His suicide note.)
Sedgwick, John (1813-1864) "Nonsense, they couldn't hit an elephant at this distance." (In response to a suggestion that he should not show himself over the parapet during the Battle of the Wilderness.)
Senna (Da Silva), Ayrton (1960-1994) [Formula One Race Driver] "The car seems OK..." [A few seconds later his steering column broke and he died when his car hit the wall.]
Shaw, George Bernard (1856-1950) "I want to sleep..."
Smith, Adam (1723-1790) "I believe we should adjourn this meeting to another place."
Stein, Gertrude (1874-1946) "Just before she [Stein] died she asked, `What _is_ the answer?' No answer came. She laughed and said, `In that case what is the question?' Then she died."
Stevenson, Adlai E. (1900-1965) "I feel faint." (Before collapsing.)
Thomas, Dylan (1914-1953) "I have just had eighteen whiskeys in a row. I do believe that is a record."
Thoreau, Henry David (1817-1862)
`Have you made your peace with your God?'
`I never quarreled with my God.'
`But aren't you concerned about the next world?'
`One world at a time.'
(Discussion with his aunt on his deathbed)
Thurber, James (1894-1961) "God bless... God damn."
Villa, Francisco `Pancho' (1878-1923) "Don't let it end like this. Tell them I said something."
Voltaire (1694-1778) "This is no time to make new enemies." (When asked on his deathbed to forswear Satan.)
Wallace, William (1270-1305, Scottish Patriot) "Freedom" [Ascribed to him in the film "Braveheart"; his actual last words, before being hanged, disembowelled, drawn and quartered, are unknown.]
Washington, George (1732-1799) "It is well, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go."
Webster, Daniel (1782-1852) "I still live."
Wells, Herbert George (1866-1946) "Go away... I'm allright."
Wilde, Oscar (1854-1900) "Either this wallpaper goes, or I do!" [The authenticity of this quote is complicated by his deathbed conversion back to Catholicism and the fact that a priest was with him up to the very end. Another deathbed quotation is also attributed to him: he asked for Champagne to sip as he died, and as he sipped, he is reported to have said: "Alas, I am dying beyond my means."]