Back in 1990, I was asked to perform at the Long Island Sound Earth Day festival. It was suggested that I write an original song for the occasion that would be a real Hand-Holding-Swaying Kumbaya type of song as the finale. Being passionate about the topic, I was not interested in performing this sort of song. I didn’t want the audience walking away cheerful about the Earth’s impending danger. I wanted the song to be a punch in the gut, But, I hadn’t written anything yet.
Those in charge were very insistent that I stick with the Kumbaya theme.
I went to bed that night and experienced a very vivid nightmare;
I was old and my grandchild was sitting on my lap wearing a sort of gas mask. Through the mask I heard a muffled voice ask, “Grandpa… what was it like to breathe the real air.”
I awakened in a panic. I felt guilty. I had let this little person down. It was my Grandchild!
Even though it was just a dream, I felt the guilt and felt the panic. It was the most vivid nightmare I had ever had. I remember it in every detail to this day.
In several minutes I penned the song “Grandpa.” It was effortless. It was more like remembering than creating. No cross-outs, no getting stuck for words. It was all there including the melody and the chant… which was not very Kumbaya.
Flash forward to the concert.
After wards, an older man approached me. He looked shaken. He took my hand.
“I traveled all the way from California to meet you.”
“why?”
“Someone passed along your recording of “Grandpa” and told me it was written after a nightmare. Is that true?”
I said, “Yes. Very true. It shook me up.”
His eyes teared up and, with a bit of a gasp he said, “I had the same nightmare. I just had to meet you.”
I recorded and performed this song a few times over the last few decades and I don’t think I’ve ever written anything as powerful. Its the song I’m most proud of.
Just as the pandemic was taking over all of our lives, I was inspired to record it again. This time, with my young daughter. She did a terrific job.
The pandemic dominated our lives and I put the project aside and forgot about it until this past week. With Earth Day approaching and the fate of the world looking bleak, I thought it was time to finish it.
I was going to have my daughter sing on it again but found her youthful vocals from the early pandemic days sounding so perfect, I left it all in place.
It will be released on all platforms this weekend.
It premiered on Youtube tonight.
Have a listen. Save the world.
-JM
