Songwriter
I am not a trained musician. But I am a storyteller who can highjack a guitar or keyboard until it gives up the goods. They seem to arrive at a steady pace, and I just bring them in for a landing.
Here are a few I’ve written in observance, in tribute and to help others in need. I hope they give up the goods to you, too.
V
As the pandemic wore on, we just needed a little shot of belief that we could make it through ‘til spring. And maybe a good dance beat. In either case, it was important to acknowledge that we were all in this together. We had a moment filled with pain and doubt / nobody knew for sure / a new year comes to help us figure it out / how kindness could be the cure.
This is a song for every new year and every new day. I absolutely plan to annoy my friends every year with this one, probably starting around Thanksgiving, by sharing it again and again. Let the world turn ‘round / let a good day start anew / let’s put some faith in one another / and take a sunrise point of view.
Many things came together to create a truly unforgettable Inauguration Day on January 20th. On January 21st, a friend and I tried to tie the threads together into our own message of hope. Feel your heart start opening / don’t you think it’s time? / words like honey flowing say / we’re here to shine.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina nearly destroyed the historic New Canal Lighthouse in New Orleans. The next year, my friends began a series of swims across Lake Ponchartrain to raise money for the rebuild, and I wrote this song to help keep them going. And so they built that lighthouse / to keep them safe at night / Katrina took the lighthouse / but she couldn’t take the light!
