Seeing Stars

This morning I heard a song, “Seeing Stars,” for the first time. It’s a lovely acoustic piece by American folk singer-songwriter Meg Hutchinson (b. 1978), who lists her inspirations as mountains, woods and ponds, and poets like Mary Oliver (1935-2019), Robert Frost (1874-1963) and William Butler Yeats (1865-1939).

Hearing the title phrase reminded me of a night when my sweety and I drove out of the city to nearby Birds Hill Provincial Park, as I discuss in my post on Brian Eno’s “Clear Desert Night.” (I long for those summer days and nights as we sit here surrounded by a large dump of heavy, wet snow from Tuesday and Wednesday… but the forecast keeps improving, so maybe spring is indeed coming.)

“Bugs out on the water, make it look like rain
Leaves on every tree, once again turning
Summer′s past but it’s never far
If you look real close you might see scars
But me, yeah me I′m only seeing stars

Evening light, on a gravel path
I could be scared but I’ve had enough of that
Oh, big old moon, rising up
Even in this light you might see scars
But me, yeah me I’m only seeing stars

When they take everything
And you′ve got nothing left
A deer in the headlights in your hospital bed
Just dreaming of a simple life
A gentle man, a solid night
Me and the dog, down at the reservoir
If you look real close you might see scars
But me, yeah me I′m only seeing stars
Oh…

Seems all your songs are about leaving
Seems both your hands are about now
Geese up in the sky, home through the dark
If you look real close you might see scars
But me, yeah me I’m only seeing stars”

“Seeing Stars,” by Meg Hutchinson.
Lyrics retrieved from Musixmatch.com.

I think Hutchinson’s poetry and music are about the place in life she has worked hard to get to, where she isn’t defined by the losses and hardships endured but rather by the awe she experiences, having lived through many highs and lows along the way. And what a lot of work it can be to get to that place… a mostly uphill climb with many slippery sections where one can lose ground temporarily.

“Seeing Stars” comes from Hutchinson’s second studio album, Come Up Full (2008).

Now you know a little about why this is my Song of the Day for Today. Thanks for joining me here.

Please enjoy the official video from the Feed Them with Music YouTube channel. (It’s a project intended to build “a community of artists and fans that understand the arts are the most powerful tool for positive change in our culture today.” Hutchinson speaks beautifully and invitingly about this work after she plays her song in the video.)

With my best to you,

Steve