Award Winning Singer Songwriters

Better Angels
2019

All These Gifts CD - $20
Flash Drive - $20
Digital Download - $20
Instrumental Tracks-Digital Download $20

Download Album Lyrics, Stories Behind the Songs, Credits, and Donors

“We the People, Beyond Politics, Fierce Harmony, An Extended Family of the Heart.”

We think that really great music has a way of going beyond politics, beyond entrenched differences of opinions and ideologies, beyond divisive in-fighting....and lands deeply, powerfully, right in the center of the Heart.   May these songs, and the intention behind them, carry us through these challenging times with grace, determination, and good humor......always remembering who we really are.

Better Angels

Words and Music by Jan Garrett & JD Martin

Seeing the world through the eyes of a higher vision
Freely feeling the love that's breathing us all
Openly singing the song that holds us together
Willingly lending a hand to tear down the walls
Calling our Better Angels together
Calling our Better Angels as we go
Better angels....Better angels....Better angels
Calling on our better angels

Who brings the breeze at dawn to the mountain meadows
How do the wild grasses know how to grow
The essential invisible heart of all creation
Living inside of us now, and singing us home
Calling our Better Angels together                                            
Calling our Better Angels as we go
Better angels....Better angels....Better angels
Calling on our better angels
The better angels of our nature
The companions of our soul
The ones we can count on to guide us wherever we go
Though the dangers may be daunting
We know that we're not alone
We're lifted up....taking the high road home

Better angels....Better angels....Better angels
Calling on our better angels
Better angels....Better angels....Better angels
Calling on our better angels

 © 2018 Foolchild Music & Gill ‘n’ Goldie Music (ASCAP)

Ancestors

Words and Music by Jan Garrett & Melinda Wood Allen

Sky above, earth below
Fire within me, this I know
Wind and water, sand and time
Live and breathe, and beat this heart of mine
Live and breathe, and beat this heart of mine

The stones beneath our feet hold the memories
The stars light the way through the dark
The greening of the leaves, the stirring of the breeze
The river's song reminds us who we are

Sky above, earth below
Fire within me, this I know
Wind and water, sand and time
Live and breathe, and beat this heart of mine
Live and breathe, and beat this heart of mine  

Can we walk the city's canyons when the moon is on the rise         
Can we let our native kindness shine through
Will we recognize the stranger, see the light behind the eyes
Let the beauty of our hearts be what we do

Angels and Ancestors are watching over me
We're a chain of survivors, breaking free
I call on those who've come before and those who've yet to be
And I believe that they believe in me

Sky above, earth below
Fire within me, this I know
Wind and water, sand and time
Live and breathe, and beat this heart of mine
Live and breathe, and beat this heart of mine
Live and breathe.....

 © 2017 Foolchild Music (ASCAP), Melinda Wood Allen Music (BMI)

 

Home of the Brave (Immigrants and Pilgrims and Refugees)

Words and Music by JD Martin, David Roth, Karen Drucker

For the past four years Guadalupe checked in
To the Phoenix office of immigration
Both of her kids, US born
But everything changed the day that they took her away

In the home the brave and the land of the free
We are immigrants and pilgrims and refugees
From every nation, one family
When you come for Guadalupe.....You come for me

For the past two years Kamal made his rounds
Interfaith Medical Center, New York City
He went to Sudan to visit his mom
But everything changed, he couldn’t come back, he was stranded

In the home the brave and the land of the free
We are immigrants and pilgrims and refugees
From every nation, one family
When you come for Kamal.....You come for me

Give me your tired, your poor, huddled masses
This is America, built by dreamers.....Yearning to breathe free

If I had to leave my country, what would I do
If the way I dressed was a trigger for you
If I’m not welcome here where would I go
Could I sail away on an unknown ocean of hope

chorus
In the home the brave and the land of the free
We are immigrants and pilgrims and refugees
From every nation, one family
When you come for Guadalupe
When you come for Kamal
When you come for my neighbor
You come for me

© 2017 Gill ‘n’ Goldie Music, Maythelight Music (ASCAP), TayToones Music (BMI)

 

Wild Heart

Words & Music by Jan Garrett & Karen Drucker
(Inspired by Brené Brown and her book, Braving the Wilderness, used by permission)

We are man & woman, we are black & white
We're the spaces in-between us, we are wrong & right
We are so much more than what we can see
And we're following our longing

We are tough and tender, we are brave and afraid
We are scared and excited, we are grit and grace
We are standing together, we are standing alone
And we're searching for belonging

Strong back, soft front, we are walking the wilderness
Strong back, soft front, wild heart
I find myself living in that high lonesome sound
Trying to fit in, In the middle of a crowd
I'm a solitary dreamer, on the outside looking in
And I'm following my longing

Well, it takes a lotta courage to finally leave home
And go out beyond the boundaries of the safety we've known
But we take our take better angels wherever we go
When we're searching for belonging

Strong back, soft front, we are walking the wilderness
Strong back, soft front, wild heart

Well, I hope that I can learn what it takes to be brave
And offer to you the connection I crave
'Cause when I stand in my soul, I can give you my song
And I know that that's my True Belonging

Strong back, soft front, we are walking the wilderness
Strong back, soft front, wild heart

Strong back, soft front, we are walking the wilderness
Strong back, soft front, wild heart.......Wild Heart

© 2018 Foolchild Music (ASCAP), TayToones Music (BMI)

Everything To Do with Love

Words & Music by Jan Garrett, JD Martin, Harold Payne, Freebo

I had a dream, a vision, woke up singing
In the middle of the night, 'cause the world had finally got it right
It's got nothing to do with history, or which side has lost or won
It's got everything, everything to do with love

When you hear a voice, calling, somewhere inside you
Saying we're not alone and the music fills your heart with hope
It's got nothing to do boundaries, or thinking that you gotta be tough
It's got everything, everything to do with love
It's got everything, everything to do with love

With our differences behind us, the world looks new
Maybe something as simple as kindness can see us through

Well it takes as long as it takes, and we know it
When the moment is right I'll hear somebody singing in the morning light
There's so much hope to hold onto, and so many songs to be sung
It's got everything, everything to do with love
It's got everything, everything to do with love

I had a dream, a vision, woke up singing
In the middle of the night, 'cause the world had finally got it right
There's so much hope to hold onto, and so many songs to be sung
It's got everything, everything to do with love
It's got everything, everything to do with love

 © 2009 Foolchild Music & Gill ‘n’ Goldie Music (ASCAP)
Harold Payne Music & Bassline Music (BMI)

 

Count Me In

Words & Music by Jan Garrett & Glen Roethel

Well, I know that you and I haven't always seen eye to eye
But it's gone beyond a game of lose or win
So, if we can come together and move on from where we've been
Baby, you can count me in

Gimme some rhythm and give me a groove
Gimme a high tone feeling that makes me wanna move
If we can find some soul, I just might lose these blues
Baby you can Count me in

I been hanging around with my opinions too long
Got to take a breather....so I can sing my song
If I come on easy, I can end up strong
Baby you can Count me in

You can count me in so we can both step right out
Together we can improvise something worth shouting about

I will you give me an inch, so we can both take a mile
We can invent a syncopation that will make us smile
If we lighten up a little, we can travel in style
Baby you can Count me in

You don't need to memorize the words to this song
We can just make it up as we go along
When we listen to each other, we can't do it wrong
Baby, you can count me in

We will go sailing free, honey, the groove, the groove is on me
The music just might be the breath of fresh air we need

When we follow the feeling that follows the dream
We're bound to find some changes that will set us free
Even when they take us into a minor key
Baby, you can count me in

 Well, we can take and give
We can live and let live
It's a surprising possibility that you just might bring out the best in me

When we expand our horizons beyond what we know
We get a whole lot farther than we thought we could go
There's something much wiser here that's running the show

We're looking at a win/win
Let's do this thing
Baby you can count me in

© 2018 Foolchild Music (ASCAP), Laughing Buddha Music (BMI)

 

Out of the Shadows

Words and Music by JD Martin, Joe Henry, and Doug Johnson

When I was small
Tall people told me
You should be seen
And not heard
But last night I dreamed
The children were speaking
And the whole world was listening
To their words

You be the spark
I’ll be the candle
We’ll start a fire
The darkness can’t handle
Fuel it with love
Love makes it grow
Together we’ll come
Out of the shadows

If one drop of rain
Can turn into a river
That cuts through a mountain
To reach the sea
Then why can’t a word
Spoken in kindness
Cut through the blindness
And set us free

You be the spark.....

Into the light
With open eyes
Don’t you think it’s time

You be the spark.....

 © 2018 Gill ‘n’ Goldie Music, Cool Hand Music (ASCAP); Sydney Erin Music (BMI)

 

 

 

We Are Not Afraid of the Dark

Words & Music by Jan Garrett & JD Martin

I wake up in a world where night is falling
But I'm not afraid of the dark
I walk not alone through the valley of the shadow
For love is alive in my heart
Love is alive in my heart

Love is alive, love is alive, love is alive in my heart
Love is alive, love is alive, love is alive in my heart

We meet in the middle and out beyond the edges
Under a canopy of stars
We live in the love that holds us together
And we are not afraid of the dark
We are not afraid of the dark.

We are not afraid, we are not afraid, we are not afraid of the dark
We are not afraid, we are not afraid, we are not afraid of the dark

I wake up in a world where night is falling
But I'm not afraid of the dark
I walk not alone through the valley of the shadow
For love is alive in my heart
Love is alive in my heart

Love is alive, love is alive, love is alive in my heart
Love is alive, love is alive, love is alive in my heart

Love is alive, love is alive, love is alive in my heart
Love is alive, love is alive, love is alive in my heart

We are not afraid, we are not afraid, we are not afraid of the dark
We are not afraid, we are not afraid, we are not afraid of the dark

We are not afraid, we are not afraid, we are not afraid of the dark
We are not afraid, we are not afraid, we are not afraid of the dark

© 2018 Foolchild Music & Gill ‘n’ Goldie Music (ASCAP)

Shine On

Words and Music by Jan Garrett & JD Martin

When in the course of human kindness, it becomes clear the time has come
To willingly set aside our blindness, and see the world as one.

Nobody here has yet forgotten all of the joys we've ever known
And following freely what we feel, we're finding our way home.
Shine on....Shine on
Steady on....Steady on

We, the People, come together, bringing the best of who we are
All we remember, tough and tender, leading with our hearts    

The future is looking back with love, encouraging every step we take
Guiding us through the darkest times, and blessing us on our way
Shine on....Shine on
Steady on....Steady on

Protecting what is gentle, Protecting what is wild
Connecting what is living in every woman, man, and child
A joyful revelation, the hope comes shining through
In the silver singing river, in the rising of the moon
Shine on....Shine on
Steady on....Steady on

Where are the ones we've lost forever, leaving a longing in our souls
Gathering all this love together, we're setting our sights for home

Every road we've ever traveled, all of the wonders near and far
All of these gifts come 'round again, and bring us to where we are

Shine on....Shine on                Protecting what is gentle, Protecting what is wild
Steady on....Steady on            Connecting what is living In every woman, man, and child
Shine on....Shine on                A joyful revelation, the hope comes shining through
Steady on....Steady on            In the silver singing river, in the rising of the moon

When in the course of human kindness, it becomes clear the time has come.....

© 2019 Foolchild Music & Gill ‘n’ Goldie Music (ASCAP)

 

All Shall Be Well

Words & Music by Jan Garrett, Megon McDonough, and Karen Drucker

All shall be well, all shall be well,
All manner of things shall be well
All shall be well, all shall be well,
All manner of things shall be well

I am walking through the green pastures
And I know that I'm not alone
The song of the meadowlark sings to my soul
Tenderly calling me home

All shall be well, all shall be well,
All manner of things shall be well
All shall be well, all shall be well,
All manner of things shall be well

I am walking beside the still waters
As fresh as the breeze at dawn
The voice of my ancestors whispering, giving me
The strength to carry on

All shall be well, all shall be well,
All manner of things shall be well
All shall be well, all shall be well,
All manner of things shall be well

Surely goodness and mercy will follow
And love will be leading the way
Every shadow will shine, In the fullness of time
And bloom in the hearts of the brave

© 2018 Foolchild Music, Eagle Woman Music (ASCAP), TayToones Music (BMI)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Choral arrangements by Larry Nickel
of Cypress Choral Music

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