©2008 Belltown Records, Inc.

All Rights Reserved

You don't know, you don't know just what it's for
But oh God, you've been through this before
And when all you have is doubt
I said you, you, you, you, you... will make it out

Blessed

Real Audio      Windows

There's a long, long road
But it leads me to your door
There's a wide and raging sea
But it leads me back to your shore

"This song clicked for me many years ago while sitting on my back porch, heat and humidity smothering me, mosquitoes dining on my flesh, cicadas competing with me in the volume of our respective songs. I had something I needed to get off my chest in the worst way, and at that moment, I remember feeling as though I wasn't confident I could do it. I wouldn't necessarily call it the dreaded writer's block, as I don't believe in that (at least not for myself) but I definitely had some trepidation approaching this piece, not sure I could say what I needed to say in the manner it needed to be said. My biggest goal in writing this piece was to take it beyond myself, provide comfort for others who might hear the song. I had no idea it would be somewhat prophetic....Years after the piece was finished, I finally bought it to my band and said, "here's a 'new' one." They wondered why I had waited to long to bring it to them. I am not sure why. But one of our debut performances of this piece was at a Hurricane Katrina Relief benefit concert in Columbia, MO. Several people approached me about 'Blessed' and said it sounded as though I had written it specifically about the tragedy of the hurricanes, and written it as a message to the survivors. I hadn't, but looking back over the lyrics, it did eerily enough seem to speak to the situation. Since then, I've had the opportunity to utilize it in a more concrete manner to help survivors of the hurricanes in Mississippi and Louisiana, by working with the Total Experience Gospel choir out of Seattle, WA. They added some amazing gospel vocals to the original track and we sold the sing to help raise money for the devastated areas, and ALL the proceeds went directly to survivors for tangible materials and supplies. Pastor Patrinell Wright (the amazing female vocalist you hear at the end of the track - if you have a copy of the hurricane relief edition of the song, that is) said, when she heard the song for the first time while we were discussing the possibility of collaborating: "how did Hilary know?" I didn't.....but perhaps that is the beauty of it all. The end of the piece is frequently commented upon, and I am often asked about it. The long violin solo and militaristic drum accompaniment was my concept/version of "dirge" (or funeral procession, a song for the dead). I wanted it to be beautiful, but also haunting. A mixture of the idea of trial and triumph, tragedy and hope, and death and rebirth."