8 O'CLOCK

Songs are incredibly personal; as it is for the
songwriter, so it is for the listener. They mean
something to me. More importantly, though, I would rather they mean something to you.
John Lennon was amused about all that people
read into his songs, when in reality, to him, they were about none of that. While I understand his amusement, I also appreciate the intimate nature of a song’s interpretation. As much as possible, I don’t wish to tell you what these songs are about. That is for you to decide.
Nonetheless, I’d like to share with you this journey
of mine.

8 o’clock
I had to get up early one morning—okay, 8 in the morning is early for me. I had gotten my coffee, turned on the television news...oh, too early for talking heads…and muted it. I sighed and sat down in front of my piano. With my fingers on the ivories,
I looked out the window. It was such a beautiful day. The low, golden sun was filtering itself through the trees, and the birds were busy building nests and otherwise doing what birds do best. I started to play, and this melody started to pour out. As it did, I turned back to the flickering shadows on the television.
It was war, destruction and death. The contrast between my two windows was breathtakingly shocking.