22/08/2010 - Collin Raye: She's with Me

Wie lassen sich tiefgreifende menschliche Begegnungen oder Erlebnisse musikalisch verarbeiten und darstellen? Den Country-Sänger Collin Raye hat über mehrere Jahre die nicht aufzuhaltende Kranheit seiner Nichte Haley beschäftigt, bis er ihr letztes Jahr den heutigen Song of the Day "She's With Me" widmete:

Raye's next album, Never Going Back, was released on April 28, 2009 on the Saguaro Road label. Its first single is "Mid-Life Chrysler". It also includes the track "She's With Me," which is a tribute to Raye's granddaughter, Haley, who has been suffering from a severe but undiagnosed brain disorder. (Quelle: Wikipedia)



Leider verstarb Haley im April 2010, wie AOL Music berichtet. Zu ihrem Leben und ihre Inspiration für "She's With Me" äusserte sich Collin Raye, als letztes Jahr das o.g. Album erschien (siehe auch YouTube-Video weiter unten): Haley inspired me to write the song," Collin tells The Boot, with a lump in his throat. "In life, bless her little baby heart, she can't do anything. She's totally helpless in every way. She can't hold her head up, she can't sit up, she can't roll over, she can't scratch if she itches, she can't let you know if she's in pain. It's just a miserable little life she has ... But, I always feel like it's such an honor to take her places and be her representative on this earth and say, 'Oh, hey, she's with me.'

"The idea hit me," Collin continues, "I just realized that when she leaves this earth, she's going straight to Heaven. There's no stop-off point for that baby. She's the most perfect human being that I've ever encountered. How could she have ever sinned or even thought about anything bad? So she's perfect and clean. And at the gates of Heaven, I'm hoping she'll be standing there with me, and when He looks at me and says, 'I don't know bud, we got a lot to think about here before we let you step in.' ... I'm hoping because she was with me, and because I was her liaison in this world, that she'll be mine and get me into the gates of Heaven. I hope I can hold on to her little coattail, and let her say, 'Let him in, he's with me.'"

Mit "She's With Me" spricht Collin Raye an, was viele andere Eltern beschäftigt. Mit dem Musikvideo und seiner Direktheit, indem auch Haley selbst gezeigt wird, rennt er bei Betroffenen So heisst es bei einem YouTube-Kommentar:

Thank you for this song! I have a 9 yr old silent angel with Rett Syndrome named McKenna. She wasn't diagnosed until she was 5 yrs old. It is difficult to see our little girls regress without knowing why and feeling helpless because we can't stop it or help them. These silent little girls are such a blessing and we are blessed to be a part of their lives. Thank you for putting into words what is in our hearts.

Collin Raye wollen wir zu seinem heutigen 50. Geburtstag und vor allem zu seiner musikalischen Nahbarkeit gratulieren.