Lyrics & Story Behind Song #19: “Simple Song”
“Though your song be simple, let it play…“
I began writing “Simple Song” in 2007, when I was about 56 years old. At that time the lyrics were about my lifelong fear of expression—especially my fear that my creative expressions (my songs) didn’t “deserve” to be heard. I judged them as “too simple” to have any value. At that time, I had yet to release any music. I wrote those original lyrics as a way of GIVING MYSELF PERMISSION TO RISK SINGING MY SONGS ANYWAY but I wasn’t ready to act on that yet. I was still too afraid to trust the worth of my expression and “let it play”.
Martha Graham wrote: “There is a life force that is translated through you into action. Because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. If you block it…it will be lost. It is your business to keep the channel open.” In 2019 I finally gave myself the dream of my heart. I released my first album of original songs (I AM MADE NEW). Since then, I’ve continued to trust in the value of each “simple song” I create as I “let it play” in my world.
When I listen to “Simple Song” I’m reminded of another little bit of history. In 1973 Karen Carpenter released a version of “Sing” that became a smash hit, rising to #3 on the Billboard charts. That song spoke to my heart before I ever wrote my own version. What I didn’t know at the time was that Karen Carpenter was covering the song; she hadn’t written it. “Sing”, originally written in 1971 by Joe Raposo for Sesame Street, had already become a global sensation as a children’s song. What was it about that simple lyric that made its message so beloved and so universal? The words were:
Sing. Sing a song. Sing out loud. Sing out strong…
Sing. Sing a song. Make it simple, to last your whole life long.
Don’t worry if it’s not good enough for anyone else to hear.
Just sing. Sing a song.
Flash forward to 2025. My friend Elizabeth Faison and I “rediscovered” my old cassette tape of “Simple Song”. We began revising the lyrics as a lullaby. We imagined singing it as a message of support for people to value their creative expression as they would a newborn baby. Elizabeth realized she had been a teenager in 2007 when I was writing the song. At that time she had also been “living” its message, as she was afraid to trust the worth of her own voice. All these connections made birthing this song richer. The message of the song was like a torch that had been passed from songwriter to songwriter across decades. Creatives from every generation were reminding each other to risk and express. It was humbling to be part of that cycle. And we were both literally “reborn” collaborating on sharing this song with our world.
Lyrics: Simple Song
Verse 1: Though your song be simple, let it play.
Trust your heart. It will show the way.
Though your song be simple…so simple,.
Though it be simple, let it play.
Verse 2: Let your heart lead you. It will sing.
Let your heart lead you. It will sing.
A song so simple…so simple,
Music only LOVE can bring.
Verse 3: I can touch. I can breathe and stay.
Here and now. I know how to play.
A song so simple…so simple,
I trust my LOVE to lead the way.
Verse 4: Thought your song be simple, let it play.
Trust your heart. It will show the way.
Though your song be simple…so simple,
Though it be simple, let it play.