It was clear to me that she had been murdered, or maybe not. My imagination was going wild!
I was on a camping trip with our oldest daughter, and we were driving these winding country roads in Northwest Michigan on the way to the State Park where we were staying. It was the beginning of fall, and the leaves were turning into every conceivable shade of green, orange, yellow, red, and brown. Once in a while, you would see a tree in the middle of the forest whose leaves were completely red. It was a striking picture in my head, and I started imagining why that tree happened to be completely red in that very spot in the forest. Heart red, passion red, blood red. What might have happened there? That was the beginning of the song that became Red by the River.
One of the things that I enjoy about songwriting, or about the creative life in general, is that you see the normal world differently at times. You see stories where you might not have seen them before. You have a platform to express these stories that you otherwise did not have before. Stories are powerful. I get to relive that moment “driving the forest in Michigan” and experience the story in the song every time I play it. When I perform the song at a show, many listeners have shared their strong response to it as well. Maybe it will inspire you to find a story to tell in your own way.
Copyright © 2014 Jordi Baizan, All rights reserved.