Steemit Open Mic Week 77 - Silence (Waves of Life) - naTHAN Kaye (Original Song)
Please forgive my emotional intensity in this song sharing. This song is very close to my heart with an important message that needs to be shared about a subject that gets swept under the rug.
In a flood of tears, I penned this song within the first hour of finding out about Neil's suicide. After his passing, I felt his spirit visit me to say that he'd made a terrible mistake (but he couldn't take it back). His soul wanted me to try to prevent more unnecessary deaths.
The hairs on my skin still rise every time I play this song. Can you feel it too?
The song is an invitation to feel deeply about those that have left us, whilst reminding us about the philosophical understanding of the 'waves in life' & to communicate about what we are feeling inside...
This is dedicated to all who have survived the black dog of depression. If you're feeling down or having thoughts of self-harm, don't be embarrassed or shy or afraid, please contact your country's suicide prevention hotline right now!
30% of sales of this song go to Suicide Prevention Australia.
Lyrics
Silence (Waves of Life)
Spoken word intro:
We go through the waves of life.
We go through the up waves. The good times.
We go through the bad times. The down waves.
Nothing lasts.
The good times don’t last. The bad times don’t last.
It’s the cycles of nature.
Sometimes, when some of us are in those low waves, those low times, they can forget that the good times are coming back, like my friend Neil, my friend Pat (also good friends Evren, Daryl, Krystle).
So I find it really important to say that we must communicate how we’re feeling inside.
A problem shared is a problem halved….
Verse 1:
Neil, my friend,
What made you feel so bad that you had to make it end?
Neil, my friend,
What made you feel so sad that you couldn’t bend?
Pre-chorus:
Did you have to break?
Did you have to break?
Chorus:
Silence is not the way,
Silence is not the way,
Silence is not the way,
Lean on me,
Lean on someone today.
Verse 2:
Neil, my friend,
What message were you trying to send?
Neil, my friend,
What made you feel so bad? So sad.
Pre-chorus:
Did you have to break?
Did you have to break?
Chorus:
Silence is not the way,
Silence is not the way,
Silence is not the way,
Lean on me,
Lean on someone today
Pre-chorus:
Did you have to break?
Did you have to break?
Chorus:
Silence is not the way,
Silence is not the way,
Silence is not the way,
Lean on me,
Lean on someone today.
Today. Today.
Neil, my friend, we miss you.
Kneel, my friend, before the altar of your mind.
If you want to hear the album version, which is really powerful, click this link:
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Credits
From the album, Waves of Life, released October 25, 2016
Instruments: vocals, acoustic 6 string guitar & fx, electronic foot-drum kit - Nathan Kaye
Written, performed, recorded, produced and mixed by Nathan Kaye at Dreamseeds Sound Design Studio.
Stem mix and master by Michael Stavrou
© Nathan Kaye 2002
► Listen on DSound
► Listen from source (IPFS)
Video copyright © & ℗ Nathan Kaye 2018. All rights reserved.
Songwriting copyright © & ℗ Nathan Kaye 2002. All rights reserved.
HOLY SHIT!
I'm crying hard
I'll try to comment later... I promise :_(
Thank you Nathan
Me too!
Me three I cried on the inside
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I'm sorry, honoured and grateful for your response @hedac!
I'm sorry if it brought up pain, but I'm honoured that this music cracked you open and grateful that you still reached out to me to communicate in this way.
Thank you!
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I'm sorry my comment was not eloquent. I couldn't write.
The intro was already good... wise words, "a problem shared is a problem halved" and then the lyrics of the song, powerful message "Silence is not the way" ... boom! hit me.
Then the way you performed it at the end. Of course I had to cry. Who not? But then feelings started to flood something bigger inside me and I couldn't control it. I had a bad day yesterday. Don't be sorry. It is good to crack sometimes and let the pain go out. And you helped to do so in a powerful way that for me is hard to crack by myself. So thank you! Today I have recovered and I am good. And now... I'm sure the next wave is going to be a good one! And if it is another bad one... I'll have to halve it.
Thank you very much!
I felt your initial comment. Don't worry.
Btu thank you for coming back and sharing this with me. It's important. I need to get comments like this to help give me strength to keep going on with this mission when I'm feeling disempowered or low myself. These words of yours help me.
The least I can do is crack you open with my music. We should leak the heavy emotions out and be cleansed by crying so that we and those we love are not burdened by them.
I love the way you said, "I'm sure the next wave is going to be a good one! And if it is another bad one... I'll have to halve it." That is beautifully poetic!
Thank you @hedac!
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Oh Nathan!!! I cant barely reply because I am deeply touched and moved.......We need to communicate and look out for each other!!! YES!
Thank you @massivevibration!
That you were touched and moved that deeply is the highest of compliments!
Keep sharing the love around with all you meet.
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wow I was incredibly moved my friend! love the intro on this was felt, songs like this speak so loudly to the soul, this was fantastic. you always blow me back
Thank you so much @soundlegion! I just read your review in your top 5 list and resteemed it. Thank you so so much! xxx
This song stopped me in my tracks and touched me deeply. I had to walk away from my computer for a bit and regroup after hearing your meaningful, soulful lyrics as it brought back some emotional memories.
I have lost a few good friends to suicide and drugs. They were crying out for help and even though I did everything I could to help them they took their life anyway.
You're so correct when you say there are good times and bad times. It's just a cycle of life and it's so important to remember during bad times that these difficulties will pass and good times will come again. I feel so sad some of my friends forgot that.
This song is a beautiful reminder that this too shall pass and thank you for that reminder.
Dearest @luzcypher,
This topic gets swept under the rug so much and yet I kept losing friends to suicide that I just reached a point where I said, "enough is enough"
and realised that if my music could somehow save some lives, then I will bloody-well use it to try to do exactly that!
In fact, I thought that if it each song I've written about this topic (there are many - a whole album) saves at least 1 life, then I've achieved something miraculous.
The first time this song was aired on radio someone called in to the station to say they were just about to take their life, but stopped.
This exact thing has happened with 2 of the other songs on the 'Waves of Life' album.
All I can say is that each time someone plays this song or I share it live, Neil's spirit, and also Everen's and Krystal's souls, reach out through the music frequencies into someone's heart.
Wow! The power of music, huh? Miraculous!
Anyway, I'm so honoured that it touched you deeply in this way.
Thanks so much mate!
huge Blessings to you, my friend!
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Behold the power of music. You're right, if it saves one life then it has done its job of reaching that person. I have lost too many friends to suicide and drugs and it really pisses me off.
Life is so precious and there will always be good times and bad times. It's just the way it is. People need to remember in the depths of despair that good times will return again. Life is full of cycles the wheel will keep turning.
Life is so precious!
All we can do, bruthaman, is keep inspiring, nurturing and helping others as best we can. If we live that truth by nurturing and inspiring ourselves, people will feel that veracity vibe off us...
I do it through my music. You're currently doing it through Open Mic. I'm certain that it's pulled people back from a dark place, mate. Thanks for making it happen.
Thank you for being you @luzcypher.
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Music is magic in that way and yes, many people have told me that Open Mic and Steemit has pulled them out of their funk and inspired them to make music again. It's what keeps me going.
These are some of the most interesting times we live in and there is so much to live for. I feel grateful every day.
Miraculous!
You're doing an amazing thing with this, so whenever you hear some idiot whining about it, just remember that you are saving people.
Bless you mate!
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Listening and watching yet again, mate - and I just have to tell you how I so much appreciate and dig on on your footwork insofar as the percussive elements of this gem is concerned... Right on, brother!
Yeeeeessss! I wondered if someone would notice the drums at all. I guess it's a compliment that everybody was too swept up in the emotion of the song to notice the footwork. I mean, that's what good music should do, where the individual instruments blend and subtly underpin the song to take people on a journey, but it's so great that someone noticed and that someone was you, mate. Only an astute fellow musician would pick it up.
Thanks @passion-ground!
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My partner @hedac first listened to your entry and inmediately called me to have a listen, there we were both sobbing (literally) while listening to it. In many ways we have faced many ups and downs. I know myself about being low and finding my thoughts worrisome (not to that point) but I have some gloom and doom engraved in my spirit that sometimes makes me doleful. I'm not so ready to share openly here but I understand and it resonates in places it hurts. I sometimes sing Annie´s song: just thinking about tomorrow clears away the cobwebs and the sorrows, bet your bottom dollar than tomorrow there´ll be sun. In dark times we easily forget how to kindle a smile, yet the power of a smile can do so much. I also had a friend that "broke" and she left way too soon. Curiously 3 days before I had been with her and she seemed so happy and having had some "messed up times" behind. They were family issues, nothing so serious but had been neglecting eating and she was frail. Still last thing I remember of her was her sparkling radiant smile, apparently full of a hope that was not entirely real... as she decided to take her own life soon after that. I always felt I failed as a close friend to read the signs and for the longest time I felt guilty. I always thought, being life so wonderful (and despite struggles I think it is) what makes someone reach that extreme? First time I got really depressed I understood how your brain can trick you. Keeping things inside is not healthy and some need to overcome a silly sense of "shame" of "not wanting to bother". So they swallow until choking with sorrow. I understand it now but I don't want to be down there. Beautiful performance, really powerful and emotive.
I'm so moved and honoured by your words and very grateful that @hedac called you over to listen to this.
Thanks so much for opening up like this here. I'm certain that if someone else feeling low were to read these words they would feel less lonely than before.
It rocks us so deeply when we lose a friend this way. They leave a wake of unanswerable questions and confusing emotions behind them for us to come to terms with. By doing that they've unwittingly burdened us with their troubles, but it's too late and we can't help resolve them, so they may as well have reached out to us before they had taken their final action.
That's why I try to encourage open communication around this so that the burden is shared and can potentially (likely) be resolved and healed.
But we can't get stuck in the past of 'would haves' & 'should haves' as it serves no good purpose.
All we can do is be aware of our own inner state and check in with others in our community to see how they're really doing.
Anyway, thank you so much!
Blessings
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nice music..i like music dear @nathankaye.
Such a heartfelt performance. That last break vocal was otherworldly... it felt like a deep deep cry! Losing friends or family to suicide is devastating and the guilt can be unbearable. Thank you for sharing and for promoting awareness to help prevent suicide.
Thank you so much @otage!
You really listened in closely and you 'get' why I do this and I deeply appreciate that.
Cheers mate!
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