A few years ago, my mom was sharing with me her struggle to comfort a friend whose son had committed suicide one year earlier. "What should I say?" she wondered. "Should I talk about it? Should I do something?" Then my mom said something profound. "I wish I could cry in her place, to ease her suffering if just for a day. If only tears could raise the dead."
Instantly, we both knew that a song was about to be born out of this tragedy. My mom and I wrote the song together, I recorded it, and my mom gave it to her grieving friend with no idea how she'd react. To our surprise, she found the song to be very comforting, and years later, she told my mom that she still listens to it when she's sad. She was touched that someone would memorialize her son's life in such a meaningful way.
lyrics
The whistle blew, the train was racin'
But no one knew It'd left the station
The warning lights had long been flashing
But no one saw till a crash brought us all to our knees
A load so heavy, a road so long
Should not be endured alone
It is for you these tears I shed
If only tears could raise our dead
If only tears could raise our dead
The siren sounded your disaster
Who held you up the morning after
I was not theere, I cold not hold you
But now this prayer and these tears are a small offering
A load so heavy, a road so long
Should not be endured alone
It is for you these tears I shed
If only tears could raise our dead
If only tears could raise our dead
The whistle blew, the train was racin'
But no one knew It'd left the station
The warning lights had long been flashing
But no one saw till a crash brought us all to our knees
My tears may never make you whole
But let them speak "you're not alone"
May your tears speak to Someone who
Longs to raise the dead in you
He longs to raise the dead you
My tears may never make you whole
But let them speak "you're not alone"
May your tears speak to Someone who
Longs to raise the dead in you
He longs to raise the dead you
This New Haven duo write bright and emotionally resonant folk music where sweeping strings elevate gorgeous melodies. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 23, 2021
A partnership between Yep Roc and The Southern Folklife Collection, the LP features a never-before-heard live performance by Doc Watson. Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 16, 2018