This song was originally written at a faster tempo. I performed it with LMNO in rehearsal and at at least one gig (2017?). I wrote it originally as a reaction to yet another horrific mass shooting. But the song seemed to apply to just about any political fiasco - police abuse, political corruption, and even a pandemic. I performed it on piano in the early days of the pandemic and then again later in the summer of 2020 for a solo show. By turning it into a slower groove ballad I was able to sing it a bit more relaxed and let the song sort of sing itself.
It took me a long time to finish the recording, lay down a simple trumpet solo and get the background vocals sort of the way I had them in my head. But by golly I finished it in 2021. Ho hum....
Maybe it's cheesy, overly sentimental, and just pure schlock. But it's what I was feeling at the time and if hoping for a better world, more sanity, more peace, less senseless violence, etc., then consider me a lost cause.
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Lyrics
Quietly words and music by Rob Birdwell
what in the world is going on
it seems like insanity
contentious body politic
causing such grief and calamity
and why are we shouted down
by fear-driven hucksters
who don’t give a damn about people
well, I’m not going, I’m not going
I’m not going
quietly
I wanna break on free
to a higher sense of purpose
and a better way of living
I’m not going quietly
I wanna scream
but even a soft voice
is strong
when it’s joined
by
millions....
we don’t need to see eye-to-eye
to come to agreement
let’s do it for humanity
let’s act like we mean it
‘cause we don’t want an empty chair
or moment of silence (no)
what we need is common sense
that’s why I’m not going, I’m not going
I’m not going
quietly
don’t ya wanna break on free
to a higher sense of purpose
and a better way of living
I’m not going quietly
I wanna scream
but even a soft voice
is strong
when it’s joined by millions....
a soft voice
is strong
when it’s joined
by
millions....
Copyright © Rob Birdwell / Birdwell Music LLC