The Air You Breathe In (Original)

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I wrote this song not long after the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that flooded Japan in early 2011.

I was struck by the enormity of the tragedy – feeling too impossibly tiny and unable to offer any kind of meaningful aid. That sent me into contemplation about the general state of affairs on this planet, recalling how often I'd found myself feeling a similar helplessness – watching from afar yet empathetically connected – all too aware of the considerable human losses.

I thought about Hurricane Katrina and the broken levies – about the seemingly endless wars and the cost of living as we do – about how isolated so many of us feel, despite being more technologically 'connected' than ever. As always, I felt a kind of deep sadness that felt too heavy to carry. This song was born of that sentiment.

Unfortunately, I can't remember how to play this one. That happens a lot. At least I made this rough recording right after I wrote it. If it only ever exists in this form, I suppose I'll be alright with that.

Thanks for listening...

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The Air You Breathe In

I know it's hard to keep your spirits up,
when everything around you is falling apart
and everywhere you see so much suffering;
so many people barely gettin' by

shouldn't we know by now how to share the wealth?
shouldn't we know by now how to care for our own kind?
why don't we care for our own kind?

and everyone you meet looks so lonely;
caught up in their own, secluded lives
it's difficult to keep the connection that we seek
in a culture designed to further divide

we stare at our TVs and our computer screens,
trying not to feel the emptiness inside,
oh, the emptiness...inside

the business of war is easy to ignore,
as we fill up our tanks and drive
but it's hard to feel safe, when levies break
and Earth shakes over shifting faultlines

the water rushes in, taking everything
and all you have left is yourself
and the air that you breathe in

I don't know if I can carry this world,
but I can try – oh, I can try; I've gotta try
I will take them on my shoulders and into my heart
oh, take them on my shoulders and into my heart
into my heart...into my heart, my heart, my heart

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