Story Behind The Song

"Out of the Shadows".....The Story Behind the Song February 14, 2018: Jan and I did a sweet Valentine's Day concert in Aspen, and the next day we flew to Tampa for a weekend at the Positive Music Awards. It was when we arrived in Florida that we first heard the news: There had been a terrible mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, just 200 miles down the road. 17 students and staff members were killed, and 17 others were injured. It was the deadliest shooting at a high school in United States history, surpassing even the Columbine High School massacre that took place on April 20, 1999, here in our home state of Colorado. Jan and I were horrified, of course, and so shocked and saddened. We really didn't know how to express our grief. But what started happening within hours of the shooting, was that the student survivors themselves started speaking out eloquently, shouting their outrage to the media, railing against the insanity of gun violence, and calling B.S. on the lack of action by politicians. So, a month or so later, when I had a chance to write a song with Joe Henry and Doug Johnson, one of the inspirations that first sprang to mind was that horrendous shooting and the student's strong and focused response. It was the younger generation....the kids themselves....who were taking it upon themselves to show up and spearhead drastic changes Systemic Change that we adults couldn't seem to manage by ourselves. As we played with the idea, the music took the direction of a classic country song, and these lyrics eventually fell out: "Last night I dreamed the children were speaking, and the whole world was listening to their words. You be the spark, I'll be the candle." It's as if these wise and soulful young people are now leading all of us out of the shadows. And together, we really can, and we really will, make a positive difference in the world.

Lyrics

Out of the Shadows
Words and Music by JD Martin, Joe Henry, and Doug Johnson

When I was small
Tall people told me
You should be seen
And not heard
But last night I dreamed
The children were speaking
And the whole world was listening
To their words

You be the spark
I'll be the candle
We'll start a fire
The darkness can't handle
Fuel it with love
Love makes it grow
Together we'll come
Out of the shadows

If one drop of rain
Can turn into a river
That cuts through a mountain
To reach the sea
Then why can't a word
Spoken in kindness
Cut through the blindness
And set us free

You be the spark.....

Into the light
With open eyes
Don't you think it's time

You be the spark.....

© 2018 Gill 'n' Goldie Music, Cool Hand Music (ASCAP); Sydney Erin Music (BMI)