Finalist – Parkinsong 2026

Lust For Life

Hey Mister Parkinson
Novak and I
The both of us
Want our life back

Come on get lost
Leave our bodies alone
Move again our muscles
They’re here for a workout

Before you sneaked in
Quietly taking over the steering
Until the last bit of Dopamine
Will be used up by our brain

Hey Mister Parkinson
Novak and I
The both of us
Lust for the old life

Innocent lightness of being
Was stolen many years ago
We’re in the mood for love
Yet the beds remain cold

In our night dreams
We can save the world
But reality is lead boots
They are the truth

Hey Mister Parkinson
Novak and I
We slow down
And loose strength

Bed sheets drip of cold sweat
We fear to leave the house
And the car remains in the carport
Then sing me this song

Sing it till the tune fades out
Just as our lust for life
Novak, can you still feel it
The burning lust for life?

Finalist – Parkinsong 2026

We nearly all experience something nasty during our lives. Statistics tell the real story. In Mark Edward Fuller and Rene van Helsdingen’s case it was Parkinson’s disease, a brain disorder. This video combines a poem by Mark Edward Fuller, graphic art by Victor de Boo, animation and music by Rene van Helsdingen. Music performed by: Rene van Helsdingen – piano; Lain Barbier and Jane Proove – vocals; Teije ter Maat – saxophones; Jaap Voeten – trombone; Ivan Stavro Gambini – drums; Giacomo Dominici – bass. Music recorded at Marzi Recording Studio, Riccione, Italy. Engineer Dani L. Marzi. Additional recordings and mixing at the Farmsound Studio, Heelsum, The Netherlands. Engineer: Wil Hesen. Production: © Helsdingen Music 2021, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. http://www.renevanhelsdingen.com

The Nasty Side Of Life

Mark Edward Fuller

If that doesn’t get you
then this will

The nasty side of life
Comes without warning
In the blink of an eye
Changing you prospects
From good to appalling

One minute you’re there
Laughing and drinking
Laugh – ha ha ha ha ha ha

One minute you’re there
Laughing and drinking
The soul of the party
The next flat on the floor
Blood pressure sinking

If you knew what was coming
would you go – go on at all?
Given four weeks to live
On the first day of spring
Or a twin-tower fall

The nasty side of life
Comes without warning
In the blink of an eye
Changing you prospects
From good to appalling

When young and gullible
You blithely carry on
With careers and coupling
Restricting misfortune
To the unlucky one

But once you pass forty
Statistics tell the real story
With almost one in two
Nobbled by nastiness
Retirement plans end poorly

If you knew what was coming
would you go – go on at all?
Given four weeks to live
On the first day of spring
Or a twin-tower fall

The nasty side of life
Comes without warning
In the blink of an eye
Changing you prospects
From good to appalling

Life is a bitch we say
Life’s too short for complaining
… for complaining
When the last ditch appears
Raise your glass and hope
For a happy ending

There is no great escape
You can fly to the moon
Buy a Cryogenic crate
But the nasty side of life
Always comes too soon

If you knew what was coming
would you go – go on at all?
Given four weeks to live
On the first day of spring
Or a twin-tower fall

The nasty side of life
Comes without warning
In the blink of an eye
Changing you prospects
From good to appalling

Still you have believers,
Faith in Lord and master
Ducking the big question
What good will their God do
At life’s next disaster

If you knew what was coming
would you go – go on at all?
Given four weeks to live
On the first day of spring
Or a twin-tower fall

There’s no escaping fate
Just a matter of waiting
Till procreation done

There’s no escaping fate
Just a matter of waiting
Till procreation done
Evolution moves on
To new bouts of mating

Finalist – Parkinsong 2026

E.J. Ballard, passed away in November 2024 following a long and tumultuous journey with Parkinson’s and, later as consequence, dementia. He was a lifelong musician, deeply committed to his craft, and continued composing music well into the progression of his illness.

LOST AT SEA

Love is great to 
celebrate with words so gently 
rhyming. But all I can do is tell my 
true with approximate pitch and timing. 
So I’ll take a chance, sing you the 
stars, and hope that you don’t flee. 

Remember, remember me. 
Lost at sea. My boys and 
girls. Lost at sea. 

As my stride becomes the shuffle and
my back in a teapot spout 
and my face a fixed 
expression which allows a little dribble out.
My life’s mostly a 
cat shuffle but I won’t out rough the sea. 

Remember, remember, remember me. 
Lost at sea. My boys and girls, lost at sea.

And my garden fills with 
fairies. Medication makes minds 
mushy. And some who try to help 
me just end up getting 
pushy. And even my guardian angel
don’t find this caring cushy. 

Remember, remember me. 
Lost at sea my boys and girls. 
Lost at sea.
Remember, remember 
Be lost at sea. My boys and 
girls. Lost at sea. 

Well, now you’ve heard my little 
tune. In tune or 
thereabouts. I dedicate it to you all 
who stayed and heard me 
out. But spare a thought to those who 
are caught by some uncurable malady. 

Remember, remember me. 
Lost at sea, my boys and girls. 
Lost at sea. Lost. 
Lost. Lost at sea. My girls and boys.
Lost. Lost. Lost. 

Finalist – Parkinsong 2026

Door To Paradise

It is a cold cloudy night
as always ready to fight
lying in my bed with open eyes
I try to ignore the pain of those nights

I follow my dreams to the land I hope for
open the heavy old door
squeaks with an odd sound
turning it’s wooden old body around

This is where I will hide every night
Until me capable of
fighting my fight
let all things go
fully enjoy the show
door open or forever gone
until no one
hiding

A view of what might become
all the beauty in paradise already been done
flowering green with birds and butterflies
endless blue sky to arise

Oh sun stretching out your loving arms
warm the cold fear in my palms
endless hope and optimism
me dancing and singing the rhyth

This is where I will hide every night
Until me capable of
fighting my fight
let all things go
fully enjoy the show
door open or forever gone
until no one
hiding

Honest feelings and dedication
pure joy of doing things with fascination
There will be falling and impact
No more run away from the fact

life is full of up and down
you might fight for your crown
you’ll be a queen no matter what
a dirty dress is part of the plot

This is where I will hide every night
Until me capable of
fighting my fight
let all things go
fully enjoy the show
door open or forever gone
until no one
hiding

Slowly I begin to understand
I am the one, here where I stand
Behind days of daring
and night dreaming

As long as I hide
I have to fight
once I accept my role
the unknown will take over control

Finalist – Parkinsong 2026

A song about and for my mum who suffers from Parkinson’s disease. This song was made in collaboration with Prof. Bas Bloem. Half of all proceeds (if any) will go to research on the benefits of art for people with Parkinson’s. Released on WORLD PARKINSON’S DAY 2025

For My Mum

She can’t sit still, can’t walk.
Sometimes she runs the stairs up and down.
Suddenly she’s stuck. No turning, no movement.
… It’s done. So it’s hard to see the pain in
your eyes. Confusion that it’s you. But
you still try. It’s hard to see that
this thing inside slowly takes you
away from
love. From
love.

I’m holding your hand so the
shaking would stop. Cuz you’re a proud
woman. You don’t want people to judge,
but let them stare. Yeah. Let them talk.
You’re the bravest one I know. And I’m
proud you’re my mom, but it’s hard to
see the pain in your eyes. Confusion
that hits you. And you still try. It’s
hard to see that this thing
inside slowly takes you
away.
Oh,
away from
us.

Body freezes up while your mouth
shakes away. So much you want to tell me
and nothing you can say. I lay next to you.
… We’re staring outside. These roll over face.
And I can feel you’re giving up, but it’s hard to
see the pain in your eyes. Confusion
that it’s you. And you still
hard to see that this thing
inside slowly takes you away.
away from
us.

Oh, where
where do you draw the line?
When is it too hard to still try?
When when does it stop?
When has she suffered enough?
Cuz it’s hard to see the pain inyour
eyes. Confusion. Let it. But you always
try. It’s hard to see that this thing
inside slowly takes you away.
Oh, away
from
love.

Finalist – Parkinsong 2026

Climb This Mountain

He had a hard grip on the reins
As he led me up the Rocky Mountains
Singing all the way
Na na na na na na

My daddy never was afraid
He never lost his balance
Never let me stray
Na na na na na na

Pop Then one night
When he and I were drinkin‘
His hands they started shakin‘
And I knew he would never be the same
And I promised him that I would take the reigns

We’ll climb this mountain
Just like we used to
We’ll cross the river
This time I’ll pull you through
Though life is rocky And your grip is slippin‘
We’ll climb this mountain
We’ll climb this mountain

We’ve had some hard years
But some good days
And I hold on tight
To every word that he says
Thought we lost him once or twice
But somehow he comes back to life
Even though it’s getting harder to fight

We’ll climb this mountain
Just like we used to
We’ll cross the river
This time I’ll pull you through
Though life is rocky
And your grip is slippin‘
We’ll climb this mountain

Even if the earth is shaking
Under your feet
Trying to knock you to the ground
I’ll be making sure you’re steady
Hold on to me
You can never keep a good man down

INSTRUMENTAL

We’ll climb this mountain
Just like we used to
We’ll cross the river
And this time I’ll pull you through
Though life is rocky And your grip is slippin‘
We’ll climb this mountain
We’ll climb this mountain

And I sing for him
Na na na na na na
Na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na
Na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na