Lingchi

“Saying goodbye is death by a thousand cuts”

Angela & Uncle Jerry discuss how the phrase 'death by a thousand cuts' originates from Lingchi, the Chinese practice of execution by slow cutting, used prior to 1905. Uncle Jerry explains that the cuts were not like paper cuts, they would nip pieces off fingers or cut flesh so it wouldn't easily heal, making it a long-lasting, torturous way of killing someone. The song's title is a direct metaphorical use of this historical practice.