When I Rise
Image by Gocha Tsinadze
So many of the world’s great tunes have been passed along through many communities and generations, taught through call and response, adapted and transformed and held by voices of all kinds. This is one of those songs – based on a poem by Wendell Barry, adapted into song by Wendy Tuck and many others, and spread far and wide through community choirs and singalongs and gatherings. I’m grateful to have learned this song from my friend Nathan Koci, who joins me in singing it.
LYRICS
Lyricist: Wendell Barry
Composer: Wendy Tuck
When I rise, let me rise
Like a bird, joyfully
When I fall, let me fall
Like a leaf, gracefully
When I stand, let me stand
Like a tree, strong and tall
When I lay, let me lay
Like a lake, reflecting all
When I speak, let me speak
Like the wind, strong and free
When I love, let me love
Like the sea, relentlessly
When I rise, I will rise…
CREDITS
Nathan Koci: vocals, accordion
Elena: vocals
Hilary Hawke: banjo
Brett Parnell: acoustic guitar
Yoshi Waki: upright bass
Colin Brooks: drums
John Foti, Sonia De Los Santos, Marianna Perez, Philippa Thompson: vocal responses