This song was written a few short months after the events of 9/11. That version contained only the first two verses, as you hear them here. Nineteen years later, in the fall leading up to the 2020 US election, I added the a third verse, in which I stumbled upon a lyric line that I think turns out to be one of my more poignant observations, if I do say so myself. The song was written on the piano, and I borrowed Randy Newman’s trademark technique of singing along with the melody in the right hand. I love the intimacy that effect creates, and I am always open to approaches that can mask my limited singing ability. Never a bad thing to end on an optimistic note, even if it's cautiously so.
Lyrics
Dust on the rooftops, bones in the trees, clouds on the water, tooth in the breeze / Summer has fallen ashen and grey, stripped of her emeralds and light from her day / But sure as her roses will re-take the skies, love will come certain back to these eyes / Dust on the sidewalks, rust in the streets, boots on the high road land on the beat / Darkness has fallen, curtains are drawn / Nobody speaks ’til the cameras are on / But sure as the daybreak is nightmare’s demise, love will come certain back to these eyes / Love will come certain, warm as the sun / Love will come certain, stronger than one / Neighbours divided, praying on fears / Thumbs on the weigh scales, fingers in ears / Voices of reason are drowned in the crowd / Nobody wins if a tie’s not allowed / But sure as a low point must come before rise, love will come certain back to these eyes