Redemption Song
I feel so honored to read SP’s new book about Billy’s Unreal life. It’s nearly impossible for me to describe how I feel about success, suffering, life and death, but I’m going to try, because in the end, that is what a significant part of Billy’s life was about.
Billy did life right, and I don’t just mean ‘making it’ but understanding that love is what is important in the ‘Big Picture.’ Billy got it.
While trying to find just the right words to write, I ran into a neighbor while I was in the produce section at Safeway. While we chatted, I started to vent about aspects of my health and even shed a tear in frustration and self-pity.
In the middle of my little pity party, a woman in an electric chair cart and a very tall, blonde young man with a mental handicap, passed in between my neighbor and I in the aisle. The young man stops, turns and looks directly into my eyes and asks me, “What’s your name?”
I answer, “My name is Celeste, what’s yours?” He asked me again, as if I had not answered him the first time. After about the 5th time, I got it.
That young man was there for me. He was a gift from the universe…a reminder to get down on my knees and give Thanks for the blessings I’ve been given.
Billy wrote and performed songs about this level of gratitude. His music was optimistic His music was about life and not at all complicated. His music was not dark, but full of light and happiness.
“Be grateful. Live each moment as if it is your last. If you do this, everything about you and what you value will change.” This is how I knew Billy to live his life.
SP Clarke made an extraordinarily difficult job of telling Billy’s story, look easy. SP got it, and continues to spread the love Billy wanted so desperately to share.
Old pirates, yes, they rob I, Sold I to the merchant ships, Minutes after they took I From the bottomless pit.
But my ‘and was made strong By the ‘and of the Almighty. We forward in this generation Triumphantly. Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, None but our self can free our minds. Have no fear for atomic energy, ‘Cause none of them can stop the time. How long shall they kill our prophets, While we stand aside and look? Some say it’s just a part of it, We’ve got to fulfill de book.
Won’t you help to sing, These songs of freedom? ‘Cause all I ever had, Redemption songs.
But my ‘and was made strong By the ‘and of the Almighty. We forward in this generation Triumphantly. Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, None but our self can free our minds. Have no fear for atomic energy, ‘Cause none of them can stop the time. How long shall they kill our prophets, While we stand aside and look? Some say it’s just a part of it, We’ve got to fulfill de book.
Won’t you help to sing, These songs of freedom? ‘Cause all I ever had, Redemption songs.
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