The Voice

To the tune of Leonard Cohen’s Bird on a Wire

I had begun recording my songs as an homage to Leonard Cohen when I remembered being 17 and desperate to discover if Jesus was real enough that I could count on him in real life. I had heard that he promised to be with me no matter what, that he could completely overwhelm my fears. So to find out, I went alone to New York City, intending to sleep in Grand Central Station. This is the story of that remarkable day and the song that resulted.

 

 

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All My Children

To the Tune of Leonard Cohen’s A Thousand Kisses Deep

A few years ago I felt especially overwhelmed by all the meanness and tragedy in this world. But if a lifetime of working for justice and against racism had taught me anything, it was that most of what happens in this harsh world is not the will of any good God. That night I shut myself off in a distant room and for hours yelled at God. How, I asked, can you stand our billions of tortured prayers? Ultimately, exhausted, I listened. This is the story of that distress and the redemption that seeped into me.

 

 

 

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