Behind the Songs

Liner Notes for Hearing Hearts by the Rustic Riders. All songs written by Lisa Meissner Copyright 2008 1. Crossing: I love the sound of the Carter family and wanted to write a tune with that feel. I play traditional music weekly with friends. This one’s for them! 2. Old Songs: A celebration of those folks who have inspired me through the years and who are still chugging away – Odetta, Pete Seeger, Richie Havens, Georg Ward – this list goes on. 3. We Remember – This one wrote itself. Driving past the three war memorials in Saranac Lake, our town of 5,000 people the words were nearly completed by the time I finished the 15 minute drive to our house in the “suburbs”. My son had returned from Iraq less than 6 months before. As the war became more distant personally, I thought about how this effects our personal and national decisions. 4. Ghosts in the River – Shegeko Sasamori told her memories of living through the bombing of Hiroshima on the radio program called “The Story” on 8/6/07. This song arose from her story. 5. Don’t You Know: The phrase and tune that opens this song were rattling around in my brain for several months. Then we received word that my older brother had attempted to kill himself and no one could find him. This song was written as we walked the streets of NYC and drove through northwestern New Jersey searching for him. 6. Another: A parent’s lament with a happy ending. 7. Just One Step: Based on a Chinese proverb. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step.” My mother had chronic progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Each day she sought to do as much as she could, though each day was less and less she never gave up her spirit! 8. Tomorrow, Today: A tune about appreciating each day. 9. Know You Are Loved: This was written for my daughter’s wedding to the man she began dating 6 years ago, 1 month before she began to have MS symptoms. They have already weathered many struggles and continue to triumph with grace and humor each day. 10. Just Plain Folk: I wrote most of this while climbing Mt. Arab. Later that year we went to Haiti. The last verse reminds me of the beaches deep with garbage. 11. Where Would I Be: A Valentine’s Day gift. 12. I Did It: Began as a celebration of accomplishments and ended up as a celebration of honesty in our relationships. 13. Hearing Heart: A prayer

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