Story Behind The Song

When my dear friend Rick Haegg died of cancer, he left a deep impression on me, because he had always been grateful for every blessing in his life: love, career success, family, etc. He projected an aura of gentleness and gratitude that deeply touched me, and made me determined to practice gratitude in my own life.

Song Description

Life is full of love, acceptance, tragedy and hopefully, gratitude. We each need to count our blessings as the years go by. It can be difficult at times, such as when you lose a friend or loved one. But when one of my dear musical friends passed away, I wanted to pay tribute to him and his eternal sense of gratitude by expressing what I personally felt grateful for. The song is melancholy (a sense of loss is implied) but also joyful about the wonders life can bring us.

Lyrics

I'm grateful that I've got this new day/Another chance to make a better me/So often I was lost/And couldn't get across/To somewhere I was meant to be.
I'm grateful that I've got some good friends/Who cheer me when I'm feeling
down/Our stories are diverse/But lord,
it'd be much worse/If I did not have them around.
I'm grateful that I've seen the mountains/I love to breathe that alpine air/There's some who never do/
They're stuck with just one view/
But I've had chances here and there.

I'm grateful that I loved a woman/
I finally felt it true and clear/
I looked into her eyes/And my soul was like sunrise/It felt so good to call her "Dear"

I'm grateful that I spread the music/
I taught them, and I played on stage/
I opened up some ears/And overcame my fears/It doesn't matter what your age.

I don't know what will come tomorrow/
I only know there's time today/
I'll open up my heart
And do my special part
There's always one more song to play.