Ripped the chorus lyrics from an overheard comment from a well known female songwriter who's name always escapes me. Ugh. Sorry to you, babe for being so brilliant, but out of my memory.
This is a total country song, properly sung by Emmylou Harris or Townes Van Zandt. I think she got it right, that songwriter. Sad songs lift the heart. They tell the truth, which is always preferable to the safely oblique.
I'd kill to have someone cover this tune some day, lap steel, brushes, stand-up bass, even a muted, inappropriate trumpet. Video in an empty room.
This is one from my backporch garageband demos. Make 'em quick. Move on.
Not sure when this was done, or even the name of the studio (in the South End - now defunct) where i recorded it. Barry Marshall produced. Jane Mangini played piano and Mike played drums. I know we were lucky to have a full choir from a nearby church flesh it out. The incomparable REBECCA PARRIS sings her heart out here (this woman can really hold a note forever). HEAVEN WILL COME is part of THE KINGDOM, a musical I've written which can be read and listened to simultaneously (for those who have the time) here:
http://rickberlin.me/ambition/index.html
Although the song provides a specific plot point in the script, it also implies that no matter who you are, no matter how dark the day, that we will all, each of us, be lifted up in our hearts in the presence, visible or not, of the loved one we wish for, of a spirit, of Grace. In the story, the character of Rose (who is many hundreds of year old) is giving life to Isaac who has fallen out of the tallest tree in the woods, and lies dead at her feet. She transfers, like all sweet mentors, all of her compassionate Self to the small boy. As she sings, he lives and Rose 'moves on'.
PS I'd kill someday to see THE KINGDOM staged or made into a movie.
Truth for all of us: without our friends we are nothing, nowhere, nobody.
from PAPER AIRPLANE, track released 19 April 2010 cast:
piano JANE MANGINI guitars KEVIN BARRY/DUKE LEVINE bass ANDREW MAZZONE (RICHARD GATES track 8) drums ANDY PLAISTED harp DENNIS BRENNAN backup vox DENNIS BRENNAN/RICHARD GATES
produced by RICK BERLIN/DENNIS BRENNAN/JOE STEWART recorded/engineered by JOE STEWART @ HI-N-DRY/HUMMELVISION mixed @ HUMMELVISION mastered by IAN KENNEDY @ NEW ALLIANCE EAST MASTERING
from HALF IN THE BAG, track released 18 April 1987 Half In The Bag (No Deal Whatsoever Records) 1993. Produced, engineered, arranged by Chet Cahill in his house in Malden, Randy Roos - Orchestra Luna (layered up 4 guitar tracks)
The meaning behind this tune is blatantly obvious, ok? 'Nuf said. And a perfect happy song for any too-much-to-drink T-day afternoon.
Billie Best (Chet's wife) did the spoken word grill and I answered back with a Woody Allen mumble. What Billie does here is Insanely Right-On and Funny about this most horrible to guys embarrassment. (All comedy requires someone being embarrassed - or so I read Newsweek the other day.)
The most peculiar reaction to this song happened when I played it at Jacques and I swear there was a line-up of truck drivers on stools at the bar to my right and I got 'em to sing the 'can't get it up' chorus in unison with fist-pump choreography. Had it been on film it would have gone viral on UToob for sure.
Driving the dishwasher home from Doyles one night, we got talking. It turned out in the conversation that the kid hadn't seen his father in years (I was driving him home to his Aunt's house). He told me about a year ago his Dad showed up on his birthday with a wrapped present under his arm. He was contrite. He asked his son:
'You must hate me after all these years, right?'
'How can I hate someone I don't even know?' the kid replied.
Ain't that the truth. This is why the original seed for the song has evolved into a (somewhat) protest song about fighting prejudice in others and more especially, in ourselves. It's filled with f- c- and n-bombs.
An aside: Bursting into the kitchen at Doyles, Billy Charles, the Haitian chef said (all in good faith):
'I think a faggot entered the kitchen.'
In a rare wise-assed comeback I said:
'I think a nigger just called me a faggot.'
We both lost it. Big laughs all round. I think, on some level, this is what the song is about.
I include this video from the night 5/9 when Berlin + The Old Stag String Quartet performed live @ the Hi-n-Dry studio (the Mark Sandman Project) - http://www.hindry.com/sandman_project/ We performed the full record w/ Brendan Cooney (conductor/arranger), Meredith Cooper (violin), Marnie Hall (violin), Joe Simcox (viola), Fabrizio Mazzetta (cello), jJane Mangini (piano), Saran Hund + Andrew Ross (vox), Joe Stewart (engineer), cameras (Chico Eastridge + Ryan Jorgensen), edit Berlin
This from OLD STAG, track released 14 September 2008 cello Katie Franich v2 Christina Hornby v1 Meredith Cooper viola Joe Simcox string arranger Brendan Cooney produced by Rick Berlin album recorded by Joe Stewart in Rick's livingroom (strings recorded in a classroom at BU) misc sounds from Centre Street in Jamaica Plain mixed by Sir David Minehan at Woolly Mammoth Sound photos by Rene Rives jacket design by Shaun Wolf Wortis mastered by Dave Locke, JP Masters
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 02:05PM 
