Threads of White and Blue:
A note to a best friend and his new wife
If you don't want to read the long and detailed story about this song ;), click here.
The Story
On August 21, 1999, Richard Hurst, my friend since junior high school, was married to his college sweetheart, Melissa Arrisola (who confirmed that I DID spell her name right! ;) This was a significant day, because none of us among his friends had expected it to happen any time soon. (If you read the words to my song Rowdy, you'll see what I mean.) But it did. And it was a wonderful thing to see.
When the wedding was announced several months before, another fiend of mine, Dave Humphries (who had helped me write the "Canada" songs), suggested that a song was certainly in order to remember this moment. I agreed. At the time, I wrote a MIDI track with just backing strings, bass, piano, and drums to which I would add a melody and words later. (This is the "backing" version listed below, although I added the guitar break later.) I held off on the words because I wasn't sure what exactly to say in them.
And then one weekend Richard, his mother Marie, Melissa, and another relative named Julie came to Round Rock to do the wedding shopping.
Despite my total lack of experience in this :), I quickly agreed to go along with them. For one, it had been awhile since I had seen them, and anytime with my friends is great...even while picking out floral arrangements. :) Plus, it proved to be the catalyst from which the lyrics came...I found out that their wedding colors were White and Blue.
I had trouble getting to sleep that night because I just kept thinking about that. "White and Blue...White and Blue...I KNOW I can do something with this..." Eventually, I think I actually had to GET OUT OF BED and write some ideas down before I could sleep! :) The next day I took those ideas and finished the words.
To familiarize myself with how I wanted the song performed, I made another version of the song with a guitar playing the melody line. (This is the "trainer" version of the song.) I hoped to eventually record myself singing over the backing track and give them the song in that format, but it hasn't happened yet. But the next best thing is to dedicate this page so that everyone can see what my intentions are.
This isn't the first time I've done this, as those of you are familiar with Wedding Carol know. But while that was purely an instrumental, this HAD to be a song, lyrics and all. I just couldn't stand for anything less.
So to everyone who comes here, enjoy! And especially to Richard and Melissa...I give you my gift at last.
The Song
Click here to begin playing the "Backing Track" version...this is the one I plan to add vocals to.
Click here to begin playing the "Trainer" version...this one features the melody on guitar.
Threads of White and Blue
The Lyrics:
(spoken)
"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother,
and shall cleave unto his wife:
and they shall be one flesh."
(music begins)
The trials wait at every turn, and thoughts of men are cold.
The pain of distance cuts within, and memories grow old.
Yet through it all two hearts combined, and love began to grow,
And for a while our world's refreshed within its warming glow.
Chorus:
God bless the hope you hold within, to guide you on your way.
God bless the path you'll walk upon, until the coming day.(*)
God bless the love you show the world, the love is shining true,
Bound with a thread of purest white, and a thread of blue.
My friends, you found each other, and a joy it is to see.
Once facing life alone, but now, together you will be.
Let nothing stand between this love, but let your hearts be strong,
Enjoy this life that waits for you, and take God's love along.
Repeat Chorus
Bridge:
Our prayers we pray for you
Our joy we give to you
Our hearts go out to you
Our love will be with you
(guitar passage)
And now your love is shining out, the flame is lit anew,
Glowing in purity of white, and the righteous blue.
(fadeout)
(spoken)
"Wherefore they are no more twain,
but one flesh.
What therefore God hath joined together,
let not man put asunder."
* For those who may be confused as to what this lyric means, let me explain what I believe. I believe that Jesus Christ Himself will come back to the Earth, cleanse it from all that man has polluted it with, and establish a Kingdom here. Richard and Melissa also believe this, and that is why I wrote it in this fashion.