While I Still Have A Voice

~ Rock ~ 2013-04-21


In light of current world events, this seemed appropriate. A song about standing for freedom while we still can.

Notes / Back story

My original idea for this one was the first line, "While I still have a voice, let me sing." It came to me with a melody, as those catch phrases usually do. I noted it down somewhere and let it marinate for a few months, and then this last week I got the idea of it being about political stuff. It may seem obvious in retrospect, but then, a lot of things are.

Lyrics

While I still have a voice, let me sing
While I still have a voice, let me bring
Something meaningful
While I still
Have a voice.

While I still have a choice, let me speak
While I still have the strength, let me stand
For peace and Liberty
While I still
Have a chance.

While I still have the space, let me breathe
Let me live with the people I love
And let me keep
What is mine.
Let me be.

While we still have the peace, let us live
While we still have a hope, let us give
Serve one another
And protect each other
While we live.


This is our land,
Act while we can,
Lay it all on the line.

This is our voice,
We make the choice,
This is our time to shine.


While we still know the past, let us learn
What they knew in the days not long ago
And always remember
What our Fathers
Died for.

While we still have the means, let us fight
For the things that we know to be right
Above all else,
to preserve
freedom's light.

Look to ourselves
There's no one else
None to check the tyrant's power!

No other way
No other day
This must be our finest hour

This is our land,
Act while we can,
Lay it all on the line.

This is our choice,
Hear freedom's voice
This is our time to shine.
This is our time to shine.
This is our time to shine.

Visitor Comments

JG from United States ~ 2013-05-25 08:45:46 ~ Kelly, this is really nice. I like the drum track, sounds both military and patriotic. Great lyrics and melody. Well done!

Lloyd from United States ~ 2013-04-26 10:38:48 ~ Hi Kelly, really a good job again. Miss you buddy. How is your family? God Bless and keep up the good work.

JWL from United States ~ 2013-04-23 00:18:33 ~ Get it out to the media. It needs stronger voices to emphasize the great message.

PLJ from United States ~ 2013-04-22 18:02:59 ~ Thought it was beautiful and a very strong message. We certainly miss you!!

Diana L. from United States ~ 2013-04-22 16:21:10 ~ Wow! This is exactly what we all need to hear right now and done so beautifully. I, too, loved when you sang, "Let me be!" Don't we all just want to live in peace with our loved ones??? Good job, Kelly

DebAdams from United States ~ 2013-04-21 17:30:00 ~ Great Job! I think your song sends a message of powerful positive political action. You should submit your song for use in social studies and history curriculums in the school systems! Thank you! P.S. Please post on Facebook and You Tube!

Helge Sverre from Norway ~ 2013-04-21 08:54:49 ~ Very nice song Kelly! Would try to add a choir in the background :D
----------------------------------------------
But there is no REAL CHOIR preset on my synth... what to do? Funny because you're the second person to suggest a choir! - K

BVS ~ 2013-04-19 08:54:49 ~ Great ideas. Nice melody--unpredictable, not just the same old melody. Good sentiment to hear also in light of the Boston bombings. We do need some people out there speaking for freedom--and acting.

RLVS ~ 2013-04-18 09:54:49 ~ I appreciate the sincerity of a fake piano! (That sounds hilarious, but I really mean it. There are other songs you have written that are pretty heavy on the synth-sound, but this one starts off with just a simple piano, and to me that says that this is a song that you have very sincere/honest feelings about.)

MVS ~ 2013-04-18 09:54:49 ~ Seems to convey similar message to Patrick Henry give me liberty or give me death speech!!!

The very beginning before the singing dada dada dadedadeda da might be a bit busy.

love how it builds from ballad to march to pleadingly exultant. Perhaps the tempo could also push toward the end. Or maybe add a childrens' choir made up of sandy hook survivors (just kidding... it makes me sick seeing he who must not be named and his cronies/ handlers doing exactly that type of thing all the time trying to use emotion instead of logic because logic doesn't give them the answer they want.)

love the emotion in your voice on phrases like "let us live" “let me be”

Over all I really enjoyed it, I like the melody a lot and enjoy the times it doesn't go where I think it will.

The message is spot on, the current political commentary is obvious but the live your life now so that you will have freedom in your personal future is also applicable


NVS ~ 2013-04-18 08:54:49 ~ I love this one! Timely message of course and I like how it builds. Love the chord progression and the somewhat unexpected direction with chord progression in the chorus! So good!

So say something, already!

Please make a comment on this item. I'm especially interested in hearing what you liked about it or what you think I could do to improve.

Your online name or initials, to be displayed with your comment.
If you would like to be notified when a response is posted, you may enter your email address. This will NOT be displayed with your post.
PLEASE TYPE THESE CHARACTERS:
I read all comments personally before they appear on my site.