Marie McGilvray: Listen

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I wrote this song after a chance meeting with a stranger. I went to get a pedicure, and the sweet vietnamese woman who was tending to me told me a heartbreaking story about how she had lost her baby girl a year prior. She was still very guilt ridden and even asked me if I thought she did the right thing in caring for her sick child. It turns out she did not have health insurance and so the local hospital discharged her baby from the neonatal intensive care unit. She died 2 days later. Her story stayed with me for days and I grieved her loss as well as the state of healthcare in this country. I wrote this song as a way to soothe some of that grief.

I want to wrap you
in the blanket you threw away
when baby Sarah died,
left your arms and this earth I’d hold you close, keep you warm
melt the cold and dark
calm your tender aching heart

I would calm, calm you love
Calm, calm you love

I want to rub your head sing you a lullaby
until we chase away your guilt and regret
I’d bring you sleep, dreams of love
extract the voices harsh
calm your trembling anguished thoughts

I would calm, calm you love
Calm, calm you love

I wish I could say something profound
to take your sorrow away
life is strange
loss makes a space for love, beautiful love

Let me calm, calm you love
Calm, calm you love

MARIE MCGILVRAY: vocals, acoustic guitar
MICHAEL ROJAS: keyboards
MATT SLOCUM: cello, cello arrangements
RON GOMEZ: percussion