inspiration i could live without

Terra, David. David, Terra.

i've just written my second song for this joyous bastard, and wish i'd never felt the need to write either. the first was "The Question", after David's wife Heidi died a few years ago. it became part of our "Tiny Rehearsals" project, dubbed by some as "a few ditties about death". he was in the front row for the single show we did, and the picture above was taken the same night. he's the most lovable goofball.

the new one is called "While You Were Gone", about our experience the last three weeks while David was in an induced coma after a horrendous motorcycle accident.

the good news is that he's awake again, and healing, slow and sure. his fiance, the strong and wondrous Julie, has been at his bedside throughout and kept us updated. in the meantime, thousands of friends and strangers across the continent have been praying for him in their way.

what would it be like to miss three weeks of your life, only to wake up in pain and confusion? i don't really know. but i wanted somehow to let him know what it was like for us, while he was gone.

while you were gone, i took up my pen and i
laid it all out, that you'd rise again
i sent out a message, like thousands of others
women who love you, and all of your brothers

while you were gone, the earth went on spinning
like wheels beneath you. the day was beginning.
i bet you were laughing, a moment before
silence defeated the motor roar

while you were gone, angels would dance on the
head of a pin, if given the chance
so we gave it to them. we danced too,
on pins and on needles. we danced for you

while you were gone, the moon didn't spin
it started out dark, and lit up again
it looked like hope, and a little like you
grey and white, from black and blue

while you were gone, hearts were afire,
aching with owning a single desire
a vision to hold us: an arm on a shoulder
we're walking ahead. we're getting older

while you were gone, the earth went on spinning
like wheels beneath you. the day was beginning.
i bet you were laughing -


i would have been quite content in other circumstances to have never written these songs, but, reality being what it is, i'm glad i could find a way to write them. they started in a place that was so full of emotion, i needed time and distance to be able to turn the passion into craft.

and simply DOING something was a balm to my feelings of helplessness.

cheerslove
paul