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I’ve always been moved by the fortitude of the human spirit – by the ability of people to carry on in the face of crushing adversity. In my work, I come across many people who have been horribly treated and abused by dictatorial and savage regimes and who seek refuge in this country. Their courage and fortitude have always inspired me. After 9/11, I was moved by the same feeling and this song emerged as a testament to our miraculous ability to keep going when it seems as if all hope is lost. What’s In Store I consider myself a religious person and I have always believed in God. This is the first song that I wrote after 9/11, and it is addressed to God. More than anything, the events of 9/11 reinforced in me a sense that there is more to life than meets the eye, and that there are secrets to the universe and meanings that we cannot know in this lifetime. I rely on God to show me what’s in store, beyond this world. Horses I used to call this song “Horses Behind”, but people got the wrong idea! So I changed the title. Many years ago, I was wandering through southern Wales and met the man who is the subject of this song. He was caretaker to these beautiful horses and it was very clear that he and the horses had an incredibly strong bond. They followed him wherever he went. He appeared to be ancient: very wrinkled and wise-looking, and he walked with a cane. Yet, his whole face lit up like a child’s when he talked about the horses. I’ll never forget him or his horses. I Need You This is a love song for my husband, Michael. The song really needs no explanation. There’s A Light In the 1970’s, on a rainy winter afternoon, I met a man named Michael in a Harvard Square café. We spent four hours talking and he bared his soul to me in a way that sometimes only a total stranger can do. He was very sad and troubled, and it was very clear that he was reaching out for help and comfort. I did my best to help him see the innate value of his life, even though I hardly knew him. I went home and wrote this song for him. I never saw him again. Anchor This is a song I wrote for my husband, Michael. It speaks for itself. Reminds Me of Home It was a very snowy Sunday afternoon, and our family was stationed in our living room where a roaring fire was dancing in the fireplace, the cat was stretched out before the fire; the kids were playing games on the living room floor, we were drinking tea and this song just burst out of me. Angus is a fictional character, but I can see him very clearly in my mind’s eye. Time of Return In the Jewish religion, there is a special holy time between Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Repentence and the holiest day of the year) . These ten days between the holidays are called the “Days of Awe”. This song is about that time of year, when I am even more conscious of God and of my own shortcomings, than usual. Its focus is both human fallibility and renewal. Love Never Comes Too Late This is a song for my mother and her friend, Michael. They are both 81 years old and met last year when my mother moved into the assisted living facility in New Jersey where Michael was already living. My mother would be the first to tell you that her expectations for what would await her there were not very high. Happily, she and Michael found each other, and the rest, as they say, is history! Every time I sing this song it brings a smile to my face. Pull Me to You This is a song about the inevitability of magnetic physical attraction. Proud American I was in Manhattan on the morning of 9/11, on my way to a meeting across the street from the World Trade Center. I was caught up in the whole nightmare although, fortunately, I wasn’t close enough to the buildings to be in personal danger. But I was very emotionally affected by the experience, and more than anything, the whole thing served to ignite my search for meaning in the world, and rekindled my creative flame. I wrote a lot of songs in the year following the tragedy. The Proud American song, one of the first songs I wrote after the tragedy, reflects my experience being in New York that day, the tragedy that befell us, but also the song celebrates the way people came together for each other – ultimately it’s a positive song about the enduring human spirit.
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