Getting sick with Covid-19 forced me to stop. I had to experience my busy mind without the habitual means of entertaining or busying myself. I found little energy or interest for anything other than strumming my guitar. But as I can’t play properly, I knew only two songs the whole way through. So within a few days I started singing my own words and melody. Sometimes I liked what I heard, so recorded it on my phone. Then I experimented with expressing a mood I was feeling through a melody and words. That produced some chunks, but nothing like a song. So I called a friend and asked him how to create verses if I have a chorus. “Try doubling the chords you used for the chorus” he said. With that I was on my way, soon writing down lyrics for verses and deciding when to return to a chorus. “You need a bridge” said another friend, after I sent him my first attempts. I didn’t know how to create a bridge, but after messing around with some ideas, I found what sounded about right.
Fast forward four months and I am releasing one of the songs I wrote in those two weeks of illness and isolation.
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The song is called #TrustWeGetThere and the lyrics are about reconciliation. There is a massive difference between, on the one hand, seeking what’s true and good, and on the other hand, seeking to demonise, dominate and impose one’s ideas on other people. As more of us experience more anxiety about our personal or global situations, some of us can respond in a defensive way, where we try to reassert our identities and worldviews. I know that at times I have become angry and judgemental, and how that can be a temporary release from feelings of sadness, fear and despair. However, like everyone, I live beyond such moments. I find it helps to remember that every one of us will, when experiencing grief or facing mortality, if not before, experience an invitation into acceptance and reconciliation with a feeling of universal love.
The extent to which masses of us could connect with that feeling and outlook, to make it part of our private and public conversations, is unclear to me. It may not be enough to prevent aggressive and authoritarian attitudes and policies from spreading as societies are further disturbed (see my paper on psychology and authoritarianism), but ultimately, we will all get there in the end.
The video for the song ‘Trust We Get There’ shows some clips of me performing a set of my songs for the first time, as well as playing with the musicians who helped me record it. One of my friends is a film maker, and after bringing me some essentials when I was self-isolating, he turned his camera on, so we have footage of me mid-Covid that appears in the video. In fact, we have so much footage of that situation, we are making a short film, which will include some of the other songs I wrote while I had Covid-19.
The song will be available on streaming and downloading services within a month or two. As the message of reconciliation has a Christmas vibe to it, I am releasing it earlier than that. If you like it, please share the song with friends and on social media. If you would like to hear my next releases, then sign up to my new band’s mailing list. We are called Sambiloto. If you sign up, you will receive a link to download the mp3 of the song for free.
Whatever happens to the music,, it feels fun to have made a few tunes. My huge thanks to Joseph, Seba, Vasudev, Papillon, Leo, Adri and Devlin for helping me make this a reality.
Lyrics follow below. xx jem
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TRUST WE GET THERE
(Am Dm G)
Seeking what’s right from wrong
Is a way we can be strong
Trust we’ll all get there in the end
where each will find wisdom is their friend
Fighting for right not wrong
Keeps us from finding our song
Trust we’ll all get there in the end
where each will find wisdom is their friend
(F, G)
Love is unpredictable
Love is never won
Love is uneditable
Love is freedom’s hum
(Am Dm G)
Forcing what’s right not wrong
hides our fear we don’t belong
breathe and leave the need to feel strong
breathe and leave the need to go on
(F, G)
Love is unpredictable
Love is never won
Love is uneditable
Love is freedom’s hum
(C, Dm)
Coming back to love
There’s only love, and not yet love
Love is my truth
Love truth
CREDITS
Composer: Jem Bendell
Lead vocal: Jem Bendell
Backing vocals: Devlin Goldberg and Hanna Winkler
Harmonium and piano: Leo Caputti
Bass guitar: Adriana María Olarte
Guitar, drums, calabash: Seba Tierra
Sound engineer: Seba Tierra
Arrangement, mix and master: Seba Tierra
Video filming: Joseph Nwokeabia (with thanks to Wekku Ari Saaski)
Video editing: Joseph Nwokeabia and Jem Bendell
Prof Jem Bendell 