Your Family - Story Behind the Song
A Family Welcomes its Newest Member
THE STORY
Sandy came to me wanting a song that would serve as both a lullaby and a welcoming greeting to her new grandson Jonah. There were two unique challenges in creating this song: (1) Sandy (humbly, I think) requested that the song be from her but not use the word “I” (pretty much all of my songs, you might note, are written in the First Person because I believe that gives them the most intimacy—so this was new territory for me). And (2) this song was to acknowledge the fact that Sandy’s husband Lew had passed away and would not be present to greet Jonah, but this was to be done in such a way that this fact would not be overly obvious nor made an “issue” of in the song.
(Photo: Sandy and her grandson, Jonah)
EPILOGUE
The song was a hit!! Sandy played it for Jonah’s parents and aunt shortly after he was born and all were visibly teary-eyed and moved. But perhaps even more wonderful, this song became a nightly ritual for Baby Jonah who often could be calmed by hearing the song when nothing else would do. As you might imagine, I LOVED learning this from Jonah’s parents and grandmother after the fact!
As an interesting side note, this song played an important role in my own ability to express myself as well. When my first child, Ben, was born the year before Jonah, I had wanted desperately to compose a song for him to welcome him in, but was so completely overwhelmed by the emotions of new-mothering that I found myself simply unable to do it. In writing this song for Jonah and his family, I finally found my own voice and was able to speak my truth in song to my own son as well. (And, too, this became a song I delighted in sending to special friends to welcome in their new babies as well).
THE RECORDING STORY
The acoustic guitar you hear here is my oft-credited musical friend Eric Kilburn. I mentioned to Eric that this song had a little of the bittersweet in it, because Sandy, as excited as she was about this new grandson, would have to welcome him in without her beloved husband Lew by her side, despite their lifelong assumption that they would usher in their grandchildren together. Inspired by that thought, Eric suggested we use harmonica to provide a subtle acknowledgement of the sadness that lay quietly inside the deep joy that Sandy felt. Its sound suited the “lullaby” aspect of the song as well, and once Eric played a few bars to demonstrate to me what he meant, I was sold.
(Photo: Anna Huckabee Tull and son, Ben)
THE ARTIST
Anna Huckabee Tull is an award-winning Boston Singer-Songwriter with six national releases to her credit, and a Master’s Degree in Spiritual Psychology and Applied Psychology. She is the mother (and co-creator) of two beautiful boys, Ben and Sam, along with her sublime and fabulous husband Jim. [More about Anna]
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© 2006 Anna Huckabee Tull. The rights for this song are filed and registered with the United States Copyright Office as a Sound Recording by Anna Huckabee Tull. Copies of these songs may not be sold or bartered. But sharing? Sharing is all good! Share away!