HIVE's First Original Song

When I wrote “Lay It All Down,” I intended it to be sung by the compassionate, soulful voices of HIVE. There was something about the story in this song that I sensed HIVE would be able to embody, perhaps because I know all of these women to have huge hearts with a deep well of empathy, even in the face of adversity, loss, and sorrow. I wrote the chorus (not in its final form) several years ago actually; it was one of those song seeds that lives with you for a long time before you know how to plant it and let it grow. A few months ago, when I finally came back to this song seed, I was thinking about all the hate we’re seeing in this country right now. Legitimate hatred for specific groups of people. It’s scary and upsetting, and frankly for me, very hard to understand. I started thinking about how I could access empathy, knowing that the root of all hate and anger in human beings is generally pain and/or fear. As the old adage goes, “hurt people hurt people.” I know this to be true, as I’ve seen it so many times in my own life. Accessing empathy for those who say and do awful, hateful things doesn’t excuse it by any means. But I do believe there is power in understanding each other, and perhaps knowing in our hearts that there is no such thing as evil; I believe at my core that who we perceive as being born “bad guys” are actually people in pain, people in a state of intense fear, and people with various states of mental illness (often caused by trauma). Of course, I’m no expert, this is just what I know to be true for me (I also need to mention briefly, as it is relevant and important to be said that I don’t believe ANY of this justifies violence and I am a strong advocate for gun reform).

ANYWAY, BACK TO THE MUSIC. The ultimate message of this song is that our frailty is part of being human, and that ultimately, if we can create space for greater vulnerability and expression of our pain and fear, there is much healing that will take place. Also, that there is LIGHT in all of us, regardless of what we've been through. This song isn’t written about a specific person or two people, but I believe the “I” could be anyone and the “you”could be anyone. Because that is one thing we all share, a human commonality across all kinds of differences, is our experience of suffering, of grief, of of hardship -- this is part of being alive! Only through love -for ourselves and for others- can we soften the blow.

LAY IT ALL DOWN - Written by Lisa Forkish

(C) 2018 Lisa Forkish Music

I see your hands are shaking

Take them in with mine

We can stay like this in silence

If you need to pass the time

It doesn’t have to all be fine.

I see your body’s aching

From carrying that weight

We can stay like this in silence

No need to complicate.

Lay it all down

I’ll take your burden

I know you stand in your pain

So let me see your hurtin’

We can share your burden.

Your anger is your weapon

The shotgun’s just a tool

You can show your pain and fury

I don’t take you for a fool

This world can be so cruel.

Let me be your witness

Your freedom from the truth

Come into the light now

The shadows will not soothe.

Lay it all down

I’ll take your burden

I know you stand in your pain

So let me see your hurtin’

We can share your burden.

I see your frailty

It’s coming from your human

I see your light now

It’s coming from, it’s coming from