From the recording Change
Change was written in 2020 after the death of George Floyd and the resultant protests across the United States. This shift caused me to ask myself, "What kind of Change Am I?" This was tough stuff. I called my friend and co-writer Frye Gaillard and asked him to jump in on this write. Frye is an American historian and I felt his input was exactly what I needed to write "Change". I was right. Frye and I, both white, both privileged, were trying to find our place in the movement toward change. It is from our perspective that the song is written. It is a both a call and a acknowledgement to all our brothers and sisters.
Lyrics
Change - Anne E. DeChant, Frye Gaillard ©2020
I can’t pretend that I’m the one who
has been put upon
I can’t pretend that I am not to blame
for measuring the state of things by
how its treating me
Believing we’re treated all the same
I was thinking our history had
nothing to do with me
I wasn’t there no blood is on my hands
But if I tremble at the cross of Jesus
Then the words I can’t breathe
means it’s time to understand
are you ready yes I’m ready
are you ready yes I’m ready
Chorus:
What kind of change am I
What kind of change are you
C’mon listen to our brothers love our sisters love each other
The call ain’t nothing new
What kind change are you
2 V.
I’ll tell you that I’ve traveled far down
the road with my guitar
And in all the places that I go
On the poorest part of town
Good folks get trampled down
Lord knows they go dreams they wanna grow
They’re tearing down the Family Dollar
Putting up an ice cream parlor
Seven bucks’ll buy a gourmet cone
We keep draining all the color ’til
We’ll never know each other
Neighborhoods are lines we have drawn
are you ready yes I’m ready
are you ready yes I’m ready