Let’s Make America Kind Again by Willy Grigg

Let’s make America kind again, let’s make America nice
Let’s take a look at the pie we’re sharing
and make sure everybody’s getting a slice
There’s plenty to go round the whole table
But there’s many sitting by an empty plate
If we can make America kind again
We can make America nice
We can make America fair again
We can make America great

I know you’re gonna tell me, we were never that kind before
But there was a time we treated a stranger
Just like the guy next door

Let’s make America hope again, Let’s make America brave
Brave enough to look at the problems
Maybe even settle down and behave
We all want the world to get better
But things can’t get any better while we hate
If we can make America kind again
We can make America nice again
We can make America better than it was
We can make America great

This is a song I wrote August 1, 2023 at Joyful Journeys Hot Spring in Colorado. A couple hours earlier, we had found out that Jenny’s Aunt Patsy had died. I was meditating about losing people I love. I was thinking of a memory of my father, in a hospital bed, saying he wasn’t afraid of dying, but he didn’t want to leave us behind. Saying goodbye is sad.

The Day You Said Goodbye by Willy Grigg

You held my hand, you sadly smiled
You turned your face to cry
You knew how much I loved you then
The day you said goodbye

You didn’t want to leave me
You didn’t want to go
You had to take a journey
Down a dark and lonely road

And maybe we will meet again
Beneath a different sky
You hold my hand like you did then
The day you said goodbye

I received a call last weekend from my dear friend Richard Perdue. He was celebrating his wedding anniversary on Harney/Black Elk Peak. He wanted to hear the song I played at his wedding. I had a hard time finding an mp3 of it, so I made a new recording of it over the last couple days.

Happy Anniversary Richard & Tracy!

For those interested in stories about songs (I’m one of those people), I wrote this song somewhere around 1998, 1999. I was swimming at Hippie Hole (see above picture). Back then before google published it’s location, it was much quieter and hard to find. I was swimming alone and someone had taken the rope used to help climb back up to the top. I just climbed the rock where the rope was. After the 2nd or 3rd time, I thought about little Adam who would have been 1-2 years old. I thought about how rough it would be on him, if something happened to me. After that, I took the long walk around to get back up (until the rope was replaced).

I Think About You – by Willy Grigg

Whenever I feel the threat of danger
Whenever I see a mysterious stranger
When I see the sun all bright and shining
Whenever I need a silver lining

When I hear some birds out singing and flying
Whenever I hear a baby crying
When I think my life is just beginning
Whenever I think I might be winning

You’re my peaceful forest, you’re my flowing stream
You’re the place I can lay me down and dream and dream

Heaven by Willy Grigg 6/2/23

I wanna go to heaven, it’s great to be in heaven
Whenever I’m in heaven, I’m in a heavenly state
There’s no oppression or aggression, when you’re up in heaven
That’s why I’m going to heaven, I can hardly wait

When I get there everything slides off my mind
My heart feels peace, I don’t even think about being unkind
Take my hand, let’s not be scared
Let’s make a plan, I’ll meet you there
That sacred place, where love is in the air

I wanna be in heaven, I like to be in heaven
Whenever I’m in heaven, everything’s alright
I think I learn a lesson, each time I’m in heaven
When nature reveals herself to me in paradise

Let’s slow down, touch the ground and grab a breath of fresh air
There’s chaos ruling and people drooling in their comfortable chair
But heaven’s really not that far, We’re safe beneath the moon and stars
To say what we mean, be who we really are

I like to go to heaven, it’s great to be in heaven,
I feel so safe there, I feel so free
Whenever I’m in heaven, my amps turned to 11
And the universe sings along with me
I like to be in heaven, I like to be in heaven

by Willy Grigg 3/3/2023

[E]You can be soft, [A] but you don’t [E] have to be soft [A]
[E] You can be strong,[A] but you don’t have to be [E] strong
[E] You have the right, [A] to decide who you are [E]
No one has the right, [A] to tell you you’re[B] wrong

[A] If you’re not [B] hurting no one [E] else
[A] It’s no one’s [B] business what you [E] do
[A] The songs you [B] sing, the clothes you [G#m]wear [C#m]
How could [F#m] someone be offended?
Why would anybody [B7] care?

You’ve [E] got a voice, inside of you
Iit wants to sing out, it wants to ring true
I’ve got a voice, inside of me
The song I sing might not be right for you

Is there anything more cruel?
Then to tell someone they’re wrong
Wrong because of how they feel (inside)
That can’t be changed with prayers or magic wands

You can be soft, but you don’t have to be soft
You can be strong, but you don’t have to be strong
You have the right to decide who you are
You have the right to decide who you are
You have the right, be who you are

This is a song about the end of a career, relationship, life, planet. There comes a time when it’s too late.

Too Late by Willy Grigg 7/22/22

Thought I saw you running, you knew this day was coming
When you decided, this can wait
Now your sky is falling, there is no hole to crawl in
I’d like to help, but it’s too late

Don’t look innocent, dear. We both know how we got here
We know there isn’t an escape
No reason to get formal, we haven’t reached new normal
We can’t go back now, it’s too late

Tell me have you ever seen a clearer sky?
Everywhere you look, man, it’s hot and dry

We could have talked this over, when things were still in order
But you had too much on your plate
Such a sad catastrophe, this didn’t really have to be
We had our chance, now it’s too late

I was thinking about what different people want. I was guessing some people want more things, some want more love and some people are so depressed, they want to burn everything down. Remember Socrates! “An unexamined life is not worth living.” What is it you want?

What Is It You Want? by Willy Grigg 2/4/22

[G]What is it you [Bm] want, then?
[Em]What’s it take to [G/D] get [D]you [G/D] high[D]er?
What is it you want, then?
What kind of things get you inspired?

[CM7]We all want to be [GM7]warm and safe
And [CM7] we all want to be free from hate
We [CM7] don’t get everything we want and [Bm7] sometimes we’re not sure
[Am7] If our hearts are golden, if [D7] our desires are pure

What is it you want, then? Is it something you can get on credit?
What is it you want, then? Just how likely do you think you’ll get it?

We’ve [CM7] been misled by [GM7]fairytales
Golden [CM7] memories, leave out [GM7] dark (fine) details
There’s [CM7]emptiness inside us and [Bm]it won’t go away
Until [Am7] we shine a light on the[D7] words we can’t say

Last October, I had to say goodbye to this guy, my uncle, Ed Talaga. This guy had been part of my life as long as I can remember. He was always there to help me, guide me and encourage me.

I wrote this song while I was driving into town to catch a plane to Michigan to go to his funeral. It’s hard to say goodbye to someone you love. I’m glad he was a part of my life.

Saying Goodbye by Willy Grigg 11/1/2021 Nemo Rd towards Saginaw Mi
I’m going back home to say goodbye
To say goodbye to someone I’ve always known
And I see where he lies, and I see him pass by
And I’m saying goodbye
And he’s leaving alone

He’s saying goodbye to the sunshine, saying goodbye to the birds
Saying goodbye to the friendly faces he’s known
He’s saying goodbye to the horses, saying goodbye to the clouds
Saying goodbye to the cowboys with their guitars

It was so long ago when we first said hello
And I knew you before, I even knew how to speak
And we worked in the field, Then we worked on your car
And I’d hand you the wrenches, Then we’d get something to eat

And I’m saying goodbye to a good man, Saying goodbye to a friend
Saying goodbye to someone, Who’s always looked out for me
I’m saying to my Uncle, saying goodbye to Ed
Wherever I travel you’ll always be a part of me

Cassandra by Willy Grigg 6/23/21

You [Am] tried to make the [G] science true
You [Am] checked your methods [G] through and through
Yet, you find people treating you
Like Cassandra

You said time will bear you out
And there’ll be floods and heat and drought
But other voices drowned you out
Like Cassandra

No one [G] hears, no one [C]wants to make a change
It might [E7]hurt, It might [F] cause a little [G] pain

Someday, it’s true the blind will see
When this world’s just a memory
And they’ll be cursing you and me
And Cassandra