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Thank you for joining me for this 'backstory of the song time!' I am so excited to share this with you. I am the type of artist who really thinks about the lyrics I write and I want the songs to communicate a certain positive energy of Love and peace--as a transmission to this Earth Family, my family, including me!
Backstory of "Hello, My Name is Ruth" Song.
“Hello, My Name is Ruth,” is my musical biography. In creating my website, I thought a lot about how to present my bio. I thought, “Well, as a musician, what better way to share who I am than with a song.” So that is what I did!
Musical bios on websites are not that common, so I had fun being creative and taking charge of the process. The song came to me as all my songs come to me, through divine inspiration, and life influence. The process of song-writing for me, really feels like a discovery. I open up, listen, and let the melody come to my heart, with my ears and body following the resonance, sometimes like meeting a friend.
When the song came through me, I found two different main influences that the song itself references. Did you pick up on them? The first is the jazz standard, “Autumn Leaves” composed by Joseph Kosmo, original lyrics by Jacques Prévert, with the English words written by Johnny Mercer. This is a gorgeous song with a rich history. I remember as a child hearing my older brother Mark playing it on his guitar. It has such a lovely haunting melody with plenty of 7th chords to dazzle the ears.
The imagery of “Autumn Leaves” with the falling leaves also references an important personal milestone in my life. When I was in 6th grade, I won an art contest for musical composition at my elementary school. It was a “Reflections” contest with the theme of ‘falling dreams.’ I composed a piece and recorded it at home on a tape. Yes, a tape! As an introduction to the song, I described the way people reach for their dreams, as dreams fall to the ground like leaves in autumn, and that we have to reach out for our dreams and grab them! In the video, the image sequence for the second verse shows leaves on trees changing from green to brilliant autumn colors. I grew up in Utah, where each fall I got to witness the leaves change from green to bright colors. One autumn as I was growing up, I realized that it is the cold--the unstoppable challenge of the impending winter, that inspires the trees to pull their energy inside of them, causing their leaves to magically change color. Without this potentially frightening challenge of winter, the brilliant colors would never become visible. In a similar way, I imagine the realization of one’s dreams in the world as happening through a challenging, potentially frightening process of forging and alchemically transforming to show the world one’s colors!
I actually won 1st place in the Reflections contest, along with another young woman at the school. At the awards night, we each got to perform our pieces. Having public recognition for the ability I knew I had inside of me was affirming and exciting.
The second song that my bio song references is, “Happy Together,” by The Turtles. “Happy Together” is an epically beautiful song to me. It is one of those songs I learned as a young teenager and walked through the streets of my city singing alone, or with friends, sometimes at the top of our lungs! This song itself has been a friend to me over the years. For myself, a child of the 80s’, “Happy Together” is just so cool with its 60s pyschedelic pop vibe. I also love the way the song envisions a life of joy and happiness being with that one person who makes one’s soul sing.
Both of these songs have been hugely influential in forming my musical ears and heart, so I was completely thrilled to hear them show up in my music. Now, if you don’t already know, I must tell you and retell you that I am not a follower of a formula. I am more of an ‘open up and let inspiration flow through’-er. Music thrills me. The process of discovery and uncovery and the big reveal. I am humbled and ensouled by it! I was also surprised how the two songs seemed to sample themselves in the song and how they fit together. I did not consciously plan this, but more discovered it as I played and wrote the piece.
The song and basic lyrics came together first, and then later I hashed out more words through logic and artistic practice/discipline and listening, in order to communicate about Who I Am, to Yoooou! My goal was to give some basic and inspiring information about me, with an upbeat and playful melody and rhythm, with reference to musical greats. I share about me, including my sweet family of my husband Keaton and our 2 boys, Soleil and Luna, the sun and moon. I also wanted to tell you about my big goal of singing WITH you. That’s right, I want to sing WITH YOU! So if you haven’t yet, please join my Star Family on my home page of my website, and read this blog talking about eARThSong, the yearly world singing-together event.
Here are “Hello, My Name Is Ruth” song lyrics.
1
Hello, My name is Ruth
I live on Earth since my birth
My children are the sun and moon
& We’re happy together
2
The autumn leaves are out dreams
And things may be as they seem
But either way it’s time to play
& Be happy together
3
The Star, The Star
She’s not so far, so far
She shines, she sines so fine
Makes life holy Divine
4
Thank you Dear Son
For all the Fun, Keaton
Luna, Soleil, we play
& We’re happy together
5
I dream that we all sing
The whole wide Earth one song
And that means you must sing along
Let’s be happy together
6
Hello, my name is Ruth
Now sing with me, Let’s hear your truth
The note that sets your heart free
Let’s sing harmonies
7 & 8
{Sing harmonies}
9
Hello, my name is Ruth
Now take my hand, and hear this truth
Together we are humanity
Yes we are family!
Let’s live our dreams
Sweet harmonies
Shine as Earth Beings
Fun facts about the recording and mixing this song.
1. I recorded a total of 211 tracks before paring it down to the final 79 tracks that made it to the song.
2. All of the music was recorded in my “green room,” which is what I call my home recording studio, which is also the bedroom, because it is painted green with green carpet: also because it is where I get things ready to share with the world! I will be making a video sharing the equipment I used to achieve this goal, and will reference that video here once it is ready!
3. All of the singing and sound effects were done by my best friends in the world: Keaton, Soleil, Luna, and myself. Keaton does the beatboxing and whistling. Each of Keaton, Soleil, and Luna say their own names.
4. Pretty much all of the harmonies emerged during the recording process. When I first sat down to record, I had the melody and song, and that was it.
5. I have worked DILIGENTLY to bring this song to you, and I am so proud of it! I hope you enjoy it and that it seeps deep into your soul and brings a beauty home to you.
