Sometimes when I write a song, it's a drawn out process. But sometimes, it involves literally waking up in the middle of the night (or the morning) and sprinting to find a legal pad on which to write the words and grabbing the Iphone to make an audio note of melody, vibe, and song structure...which essentially just "appeared" in my head. Crazy stuff. There have been such songs on my prior records - and at least one on "Hidin' Downisland" - which I cannot honestly say I composed. It's more like I took dictation, really.
Odd and inexplicable "gifts" like these songs have always been a part of my life and my story reflects a considerable amount of unearned (and probably undeserved) grace. Take the way I sailed through my brush with the Big C. For those who don't know the story, in spring of 2014 I was diagnosed with cancer at the base of my tongue. After three months of hellish chemo and radiation and another three months of healing, the good folks at Mt. Sinai Cancer Center pronounced me Big-C-Free. (All proceeds from the sale of "Hidin' Downisland" are going to Mt. Sinai CC, btw.) My recovery, which continues today, has changed my lifestyle for the better and, as such, in my quirky story, even the Big C was a blessing: I am absolutely convinced that it was the Universe's way of buying me more time because but for the 25 pounds I dropped, I was probably headed for cardiac trouble. The Desiderata is true: "...whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should."
However, some of these "gifts" are really challenges, so be careful what you wish for. Consider my first overseas business trip after the Big C. I had meetings in Modena, Italy, and it was very snowy and cold. The San Luca shrine sits atop a hill overlooking Bologna, and the ascent to San Luca from the city's center plaza is a 10 kilometer mini-pilgrimage. Since I was feeling better every day, I decided I'd make the journey. Well, it's all uphill and by the time I was 2/3 of the way up, I was having to stop and rest every few minutes and eventually, to my astonishment, my knee actually buckled and I almost fell. It was at that moment when I realized the arrogance of my attitude and the lack of consideration I was giving my poor, irradiated and microwaved body.
Embarrassed and humbled, I sat down to rest and in the span of a millisecond the title, melody and chorus of a beautiful song called "The Steps to San Luca" appeared in their entirety in my head. I didn't have pen and paper but recorded the melody, sang the verse, and KNEW the song was a serious winner. When I got back, I sat down with Joel to sing him the song, he - as always - masterfully defined the incredibly complex underlying chords on a nylon string guitar, and he too was sold. Another miracle from heaven?
Yes, but this one with strings: two years later and after countless hours of effort, I am still stuck on the verses! I have simply been unable to write verse lyrics which can come even close to the melodic and lyrical integrity of the chorus downloaded to me from heaven.
C'mon, Muses, a little help?(-;