Ode to the Simple Human Needs that Last
– by Barbara Lewis
I wrote this song to celebrate the wonder of the holiday season through the simple human needs that last. It was a snowy night in Vermont, USA – early December – when I began the song. I was writing music for my first Christmas concert in Montreal at the lovely Tudor Hall in Ogilvy’s.
Later, when it was completed, Holly Arsenault, a good friend and a fine jazz pianist came to my Montreal apartment and we created this very low-tech recording. I have better recordings of this song now. But this one is my favorite.
The Lyrics:
Ode To The Simple Human Needs That Last
Look around you, there’s a glow
A quiet, calm, yet rich tableau
Wood that’s smooth and dark with age
That resonates from a timeless stage
Go back with me through time’s deep eyes
To another Christmas, in an older guise
A family gathered near a blazing hearth
Where the dinner’s cooking where there’s noise and warmth
They entertain themselves they sing
Their stories have a distant ring, but listen closely,
What they say is what we all desire today
Friends who love us, room to breathe
Time to grow and hearts at peace
Power to change when things go wrong
Having somewhere we belong
Sense the spirit here tonight
As past and present and our hopes unite
See the tree a symbol still that all these dreams can be fulfilled
Beyond the gifts, the fancy whims,
The complex waters in which our spirit swims,
Feel our strong bond to the past
Through the simple human needs that last
Friends who love us, room to breathe
Time to grow and hearts at peace
Power to change when things go wrong
Having somewhere we belong
Imagine that the day will come
When the dreams we’ve dreamed and songs we’ve sung
Will open doors that once were closed
Where future songs can be composed
Hear the laughter of the children
See the light as people gather on a Christmas night
To celebrate in their chosen way
The deeper meaning of a Christmas Day
So, look around you, there’s a glow
A quiet, calm, yet rich tableau
Wood that’s dark and smooth with age
That resonates from a timeless stage