"God Is In (Goddess In)"
God is in the child's eye, see them wide, wondrous wise
God is in the rain and snow, and each snowflake this we know
God is in the trees and air, the rocks the birds the bees the bears
God is in the clouds above, God is in each act of love
God is in the oceans deep, some say God goes there to sleep
God is in the mountains high whistling a lullabye
God is in the darkest wood, God is in your neighborhood
God is in a place that's near...sometimes it's just not so clear
God is in the Christian house-bread and wine and holy cross
God is in the Jewish home-shalom chave rim shalom
God is in the Muslim- Allah hu akbar salaam
God is in the Hindu way...Jai Baquan Nameste
God is in those dancing Pagans-each drop of perspiration
God is in the Vatican, Quaker Meeting, Rhastaman
God is in the flowing Tao then and now and now and now
God is in the Atheist....and all the things that don't exist
God is in...God is in....God is in....
I don't know where you go
In between the lightning and the darkness
I just know I'm not alone
Born in this Beautiful Universe....
God is in the Ozone layer --holier and holier
If not inside the atom bomb- at least the atom bomber's Mom
God is Darfur, Bhagdhad, Jerusalem, Serbia, Morovia, Liberia
Sagovia, Ugoslavia, Montana, Oklahoma
God is so inspired by those who fly and those who try
God is insatiable- sing and dance way past full
God is in you and me, someday God will help us see
God's love with love so live
Live and love and that's enough
This is a song I heard originally at a folk festival in Canada a few years back. A wonderful artist writer named Billy Jonas had written this romp through all religions with two other writers: Laura Mahr and Chris Chandler and in it's original version has a multitude of verses, some of which are quite funny. You can hear Billy's original version on his website.
I fell in love with it and thought it was perfect for the "Prism" collection. I did have to cut some of the verses as it was almost a 7 minute song! And the comical aspects of some of the verses, which were so entertaining at the folk festival, overshadowed the absolutely brilliant lines that I wanted to highlight about different religions. So I edited some out and then in the process of recording Annie Roboff and I added a bridge to just lift it up and drop it down in a different key. This gave the song a melodic ark that to me brings the verses home when they come back in. Although excellently written in it's original form, I wanted to highlight the verses that addressed all of the many cultural ways God is in.
I recorded a basic backbeat track first with the help of my son Ernest and some loops. I put down the guitar vocal and started to build from there. Adding instrumentation and background vocals. I ended up writing a little background verse that's tucked up underneath the second verse, which is something I love to do. It's very inspired by the Beach Boys style of layering bg's. I also did this a lot in the fade:
(outro additional background vocal lyrics:)
God is in the child's eye in the sweet spot in the rain and snow and god is in the trees the rocks the birds the bears the bees I know and God is in ....sweet by and by
Background vocals:
God is in sweet drops
and the white flakes
of the rain and snow and
God is in the trees, the rocks
the birds the bears....
the bees-I know and
God is in the silent nights of dreams
and the sweet by and by
In the last couple years I've had the wonderful opportunity to meet Naomi Tutu (Bishop Tutu's daughter) who lives in Nashville. She has beautiful children! And her talented son Mpilo agreed to come and sing on this song as well as Parker Leonard (my engineer David Leonard's son). They are both nine years old at the time of the recording. Here they are hanging out and singing in the studio!
And here we all are having a tea break on the studio couch.
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