Sing slow, sweet chariot: Buddy Wasisname's Wayne Chaulk rerecords song for woman planning her own funeral

A Random Island woman had the ultimate song request filledwhen Wayne Chaulk of Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers personally rerecorded a song to be played at her funeral.

We did it exactly the way Eleanor wanted it.- Wayne Chaulk

Eleanor Parrott, 80, contacted the band's managerin March to see if it was possible to rerecord one of her favourite songs, Carry Me. The manager then called Wayne Chaulk, who wrote the tune.

"She was making all the arrangements for her funeral because she didn't want pressure and stress on her family," Chaulktold the St. John's Morning Show.

"She said she had everything done except one thing. She wanted the music that would be played when she was leaving the church."

Chaulk said it turns out Parrott loved the original version of Carry Me, but had one problem with a tempo change halfway through, where thesong gets faster.

At first the band's manager wasn't sure it was possible, but Chaulkknew he had to do it.

"I just immediately envisioned this lovely elderly lady who knew who she is and what she wanted and she was so kind and compassionate," he said.

I said, 'Wow, this is just one of those things that you have to do.'"

Solo recording

The rest of the band was unable to get together so Chaulkrerecorded the song in a slower tempoin his son's home recording studio.

Finally Chaulk and his wife drove to Parrott's home in the town of Petleyon Saturday and personally delivered a CD to her with the new version of the song.

"There she was in this little cove with all her family. She's got nine children, 25 grandchildren and she's a very happy, loving well-balanced 80-year-old lady who's turning 81 in July," Chaulk said.

For Eleanor only

Chaulk said Parrott, who is a big fan of the band,immediately recognized him and thanked him for recording the song. In fact, she even offered to pay him for it, which he declined. However, she did insist on giving him a present, and a little golden horse and carriage figurine now sits on his shelf at home as a reminder of her gratitude.

Chaulksaid the band has no plan to release the new recording, as it is only for Eleanor and those who go to the funeralwhenever that may be.

"We did it exactly the way Eleanor wanted it," he said. "That song is for Eleanor only."