ArloNet • COMMUNITY SONG FOR RUSSIAN FAMILIES

Cheryl Harrell · **Posted:** Sat Aug 26, 2000 1:17 am

Wow. Did you want us to all make up our own stuff for the CDs? I can do that too. (Bad songwriter that I am & I never remember what I write but I could for this one.) LOL!

kittywest · **Posted:** Sat Aug 26, 2000 2:32 am

Well Cheryl, it's more of a collaborative idea....the coolest part is writing stuff together. (Like on the storyboard...well, sort of.)
I started with 4 lines of lyrics, and asked for help. Nathen offered some ideas, from that I got 8 more lines. So, we have a chorus and verse structure for starters. Then Rob and Joe added thoughts, words, and Larry pointed out that we have more than one song in the works here. So, I think we're just going with what comes, developing it together into what it will be. I'm sending everyone who wants to be involved a tape of what I've come up with so far, music and how the song might be sung...then,if after listening to it, anyone wants to add, subtract, change anything, we'll see how that works. So basically, some of the music is to go on the CD for the Russian families, and the rest we will use to develop a special arlonet/blunder CD that we can hopefully use as a Guthrie Center fundraiser. It's a fun way to share our confusion and talents

, and at the same time possibly be able to help support the Church. Arlo's Music has brought us together here, after all...it seems only natural to me that we could use what we've been given to give back!
Scroll down the posts and check out what's written and see if any ideas come to you that you want to share. For a song that would go to the Russian families, I am looking for the spirit of comfort, Unity, Compassion, etc., keeping political refrences to a minimum if at all. My reasoning here, is that I'm sure it won't get to the people if Russian Customs finds it in the least bit offensive. And the objective is to get it to them, bring them comfort, to show that we care. So far, I have one completed recorded song, another one in the process with little kids singing "This Little Light Of Mine" (I got that idea from Starchild) and the one we have here with the verse and chorus. Joe has some good lyrics started...I'm trying to see if they can fit smoothly with the one song..if not, it will be another song.
Now a Blunder/arlonet CD will be a different story...literally!
Have I confused you enough?

kittywest · **Posted:** Mon Aug 28, 2000 8:52 pm

I've got another verse for the song we've been working on..I'll write out the whole thing so you can get a better perspective.
(chorus)
Lift up your burdens, Lift up your sorrows
We across the ocean will lift with you
We'll raise up a prayer for a peaceful tomorrow
This is one thing we can do
(verse)
Mother's on the farm, baby in her arms
Grandpa's in the fields, crying
Sister's in her room. wonderin what to do
Is there any reason for this dying?
Who will hold the plow, brother's gone now
Who will write his name in the sky?
Will mother smile again? Who will take up his pen
To show the effects of Pride?
(chorus)
(another verse):
You are not alone, In your Russian home
We all share the world, together
Let us all link hearts, In cities and on farms
And join in the things that really matter
We can all hold the dream, It's not hard as it seems
Lifting up our voices in song
And our children will know, we all helped make it so
We wish your sadness gone!
So,
Lift up your burdens, Lift up your sorrows
and we across the ocean will lift with you
We'll raise up a prayer for a peaceful tomorrow
That is one thing we can do.

I think that might be enough said for one song...what do you all think?
I'm gonna work with Joe and Bumper's lyrics and the other one's of Nathens- How about some words/thoughts/ideas ...for either one of the CD's.

Bumper · **Posted:** Wed Aug 30, 2000 11:37 am

Great start, Kitty, & yes perhaps "lifting" as a title, active, in the presnt & future, hope out of dispair & sorrow.
"There is hope without answers
as we all grieve for the brave,
that one day, no sailor
need dive neath the waves,
to circle & stalk
for reasons unclear,
to chase after ghosts
with anger & fear......"

just musing here,,,
I'm still working on transfering "miracles" for you Kitty

<center>--- Edited 1 times, lastly by Bumper on Aug 30, 2000 ---</center>

kittywest · **Posted:** Wed Aug 30, 2000 12:59 pm

Your "musings" are wonderful, Bumper. Thank you!
We are really making some progress on this project. I've been in touch with a Russian group of "mothers" who are helping to distribute gifts to the families, to see if they can get a CD to each individual family, and to let me know if perhaps they might need casett tapes instead of CD's. Also have some high ranking political people looking into cutting some of the "red tape" that may be involved. Plus some American military helpers and an American Cultural affairs person located in Russia. A friend of mine is checking with the Russian immigrant population here to see if they'd like to sing one of the choruses in Russian..that would have a powerful impact.
Please keep your ideas coming. Music can cut through all barriers.
Thank you all for your help thus far. Again, this is not for profit.I am working on gathering whatever money it takes to get this project done, so that is not an issue either. There will be only enough made for one to each Russian family and one for each person who has helped with this. Period. Everyone who helps write this material (including the ideas for the words ) will be listed in the graffics as co-writers.

rbrown · **Posted:** Thu Aug 31, 2000 4:29 pm

Song that sucked

<center>--- Edited 3 times, lastly by rbrown on Oct 21, 2000 ---</center>

kittywest · **Posted:** Fri Sep 01, 2000 10:48 am

Yesterday I read an article about a man who had been part of the Kursk crew, but left in November to follow other pursuits. He is devistated by the deaths of his friends. His final quote looks like a good intro for another song...:

"In the Navy we had a tradition to say a toast for those lost in the open sea. So the next time you toast, you do it for the guys from the Kursk." (Alex Tresniowski, People mag.,Sept. 4 issue)

Bumper · **Posted:** Fri Sep 01, 2000 10:55 am

Kitty, tape came in yesterday's mail wow your guitar & voice sound great! I'll work on more "musing" lyrics today, & will incorporate the toast to Kurst crew in them

Rough cut Kitty, feel free to alter/edit;

"RAISE UP"
There is hope without answers
as we grieve for the brave
that one day no sailor
need dive neath the waves
to circle and stalk, for reasons unclear
to chase after ghosts, with anger & fear

Political leaders with power-lust cursed
ignore their constituents' hunger and thirst
the hunger for freedom, the thirst not to cry
the prayer that no more sailors needlessly die

With God-given glory, from land to land
from heart beat to heart beat, from hand to hand
We raise up our voices, not war but love first
and promise to remember, the brave men of the Kursk

<center>--- Edited 2 times, lastly by Bumper on Sep 01, 2000 ---</center>

kittywest · **Posted:** Fri Sep 01, 2000 8:34 pm

Great, Bumper! Thanks. I'll start playing around with it this weekend. If anyone else wants to try their hand at setting this to music also, please do! We can compare by mail tapes....
I strongly recommend that you check out the Russian Culture site I mentioned before. Many messages back and forth from all over the world. There are a few answers from Russians, and one or two from those directly related.

kittywest · **Posted:** Fri Sep 01, 2000 8:44 pm

Lot's of food for thought on Kursk subject:
http://forums.about.com/ab-russiancultr/messages/?msg+118.3

kittywest · **Posted:** Sat Sep 02, 2000 6:41 pm

Noah Paley, songwriter and performer from Hatteras Island has donated one of his new songs for this project. He'll have it recorded and ready to transfer to our CD as soon as we're ready!!This song, he said, was inspired by the downed Kursk. Here are the lyrics:
BOUND FOR LOVE
There are boats in calm harbors, spreading the news
"bout good boys lost at sea in big waves the wind blew
and the words of this loss raise the dreams they once knew
bound for love

Take one minute to see what's alive on this land
Hear the leaves in the wind, whisper loud as a band,
and feel the roads of this life cross the palms of your hands
bound for love
bound for love

They're very few answers
that make sense to me,
riding clutchless toward heat wave
liberties
arresting your fears
get's you out of jail free
on parole with personal
felonies.

Close your eyes at the light.
Hold the world as it flies.
Sun high over your head
through a hole in the sky
that is rimmed with tall clouds
like long traing passing by
bound for love.

All the preachers and poets
are driven to stand
in stark light of bare bulbs
we erect on time's sand,
piecing puzzles of hope,
using words as they can
bound for love
bound for love.

They're many bad questions overheard every day.
Weary hearts sit down and send you on your way.
A fence in the field frames the dead where they lay
all their lessons lost with nothing left to say.

So take one minute to see what's alive on this land
Hear the leaves in the wind whisper loud as a band,
and feel the roads of this life cross the palms of your hands
bound for love,
bound for love,
bound for love,
bound for love.

Noah is a wonderful human being and an awesome writer and player. You can check him out at: www.noahpaley.com

fitzy · **Joined:** Sep 12, 2000 **Posts:** 353

Incredible lyrics...Thanks for all of your efforts, Kitty, you are truely inspiring!

starchild · **Joined:** Sep 24, 2002 **Posts:** 579 **Location:** IL

This is wonderful - and thanks to you for sharing Noah's words... From the start, when I think about the Kursk, I've imagined the brave and sadly unfruitful rescue attempts by the weary sailors, on dangerous seas. My brain seems totally on the blink, when I try to put it into words, but - could we include a song for the brave rescue workers? In spite of everything working against them, they tried...

kittywest · **Posted:** Sun Sep 03, 2000 12:02 am

Thanks fitzy..it takes one to know one..

Star..great angle!! I truely hadn't thought of that. Now that you mention it, god, I can only imagine their heartbreak...so close...
Yes. Good idea. Song for the rescue workers. I'll put on my thinking cap..and anyone else that has an idea about it, please do the same..
Got some music to "Raise Up", Bumper's last lyrics. I think it's gonna be a fast song...it just seemed to want to be..we'll see. I'll send somemore tapes when I get two songs down so I won't be slowing up the US Postal Service with massive amounts of tapes in their bags...

kittywest · **Posted:** Sun Sep 03, 2000 1:26 pm

I've been working on Bumper's latest lyrics and am wondering if there are any other singers in this bunch....I think it would be way cool to have each verse sung by a seperate person, and repeat the last verse (after a powerful guitar solo) in 3 part harmony. Anybody here up for that? Just say yes, and I'll work out the logistics and mechanics of it, wherever you are.

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