Meyer & McGuire
Songwriter Notes
Song
of the Month #8 - “Shake the Dust Off Your Sandals”
(Track #2 on the Caught
in the Middle CD)
Lyrics: If your web browser does not support the Flash Player* included with the Lyrics,
or you are uncomfortable allowing/downloading the plug-in/add-on, you can still
listen to this song while you read. Just
go to our Downloads Page and click on the link, “Buy
Caught in
the Middle Songs from Napster”. Then, click on "Shake the Dust Off Your Sandals." You can listen to
it for free (not available outside the USA).
*Not being a
techie, I use the term “Flash Player” loosely.
In the early 1970s, Mark and Katie Warfel, two friends of
mine who now live in Clinton, New York, gave me a Braille copy of the New
Testament. At the time, I was a
“recovering Catholic,” and I was not in the market for any religion of any
kind. I initially started reading the
book to improve my Braille reading skills, but as time moved along, I found
myself drawn to the book every day. I
only read about a page or two, and then I gave myself some time for reflection
and meditation. Well, it is now 2007,
and I am still a “recovering Catholic.”
Also, I’m still not in the market for any religion of any kind. The book is leaning against my computer desk,
and I still read a page or two a day, reflect, and meditate. So, go figure!
As I read these stories over the years, I would often find
myself making connections with my life and the book’s episodes. For example, in my classroom, whenever I
would have to stop kids from selling candy for their fund-raisers, I would find
myself chuckling, thinking about Christ turning over the tables of the money
changers who sold their goods in the temple.
When I told the kids that my classroom was a house of prayer, not a den
of thieves, no one got the allusion, and once again, I found myself laughing
alone.
In addition to teaching, I also saw connections with the
Bible and the music world. Siobhan and I
play a wide variety of venues, and some of these places have introduced us to
some rather seedy characters. I am very
comfortable with these undesirables because I am just as much an outcast as
they are. The New Testament verifies
this. If you look closely, the stories
of the Bible often lump the deaf, dumb, blind, crippled, prostitutes, tax
collectors, and criminals into one group of rejects. They’re all waiting around to be cured or
saved. Christ often gets criticized for
spending time with these pariahs, but he responds by telling the Pharisees and
Sadducees that he did not come to heal the healthy. As a result, when I am with my outsider
friends in some dive bar, I often look around to see if Christ has stopped by
to spend some time with us. Quite often
he does, and when it happens, I usually hear his voice coming out of the mouth
of one of my unsavory friends.
By now, you readers of the scriptures know where I am going,
so I will quickly clear things up for you non readers. In the New Testament Christ sends his
disciples on their mission. He tells them
to go from town to town spreading their message. If they are accepted, they should embrace the
members of the community; however, if the people of the village reject the
message, they should shake the dust off their sandals, and move on to the next
town.
This simple story has inspired me for years. Teaching and playing music have always
subjected me to rejection, and this little tale has always restored my spirits
and given me the confidence I needed to persevere. As a result, the phrase, “Shake the dust off
your sandals” has become a code by which I live.
“Shake the Dust Off Your Sandals” emerged into a song
sometime in the mid ‘90s. I don’t know
where I was when it happened. It could
have been in this room, downstairs, on a walk, or riding in the car. What I do remember is the song started with
the chorus, so it probably got going shortly after one of my re-readings of the
story. Also, most likely I was
rebounding from a defeating experience in either teaching or music. The chorus developed as a code for living
because that was what the phrase was for me.
Because this code or phrase, whatever you want to call it,
played such an instrumental part in keeping my heart and soul spiritually free,
I decided the verses would be a reflection of my own life’s experiences. I created the verses into a ballad where I,
the narrator, recount the trials and tribulations of my life. At the conclusion of each verse, I indicate
that my freedom has come from listening to my Friend. In the final verse I reveal the identity of
my friend. It is my heart. My heart has kept me free throughout my life,
because whenever the message coming from it was rejected, my heart encouraged
me to shake the dust off my sandals and move on to share the message with
someone else.
The song, a folk song with spiritual nuances, moves along in
a somewhat free flowing manner falling somewhere in the middle of a tender
ballad and a hard driving tune. With a
guitar, a mandolin, a harmonica, a bass, drums, and backup harmonies, John and
Joe Dady and Tim Chaapel help Siobhan and me in creating one of those songs for
contemplation, reflection, and inspiration.
I like it, and I hope you do, too.
I dedicated this song to Luke and the boys. The boys, of course, are Matthew, Mark, and
John, and they, along with their sidekick Luke, are the writers of the
gospels. These guys have been part of my
life for over thirty-five years, so it is about time I give them some credit
for inspiring me when I need it. Their
writings have made me better at forgiving, respecting, understanding, being
courageous, developing confidence, persevering, finding patience, having faith,
accepting guidance, seeking wisdom, acquiescing, and loving.
I would also like to thank Mark and Katie Warfel for their
powerful gift. Little did they know how
much their present would significantly impact the direction of my life!
We
recorded this song in 1998 at The Garage, a little studio in Rochester, New
York. The Garage, as I have told you
before, is owned and operated by John and Joe Dady, two quintessential
musicians. When you record with them,
you can always count on great coffee, good stories, and an aching stomach from
laughing. I highly recommend John and
Joe if you are interested in recording.
Also, The Dady Brothers, John and Joe’s group, have many recordings of
their own, and they tour the United States and Ireland. Check them out on the web at www.dadybros.com.
Tim
Chaapel owns Mobile Music, a great music store in Canandaigua. If you think you might be interested in playing
an instrument, stop in. Tim will get you
off to a great start! He has guitars
that make you look really sexy! Also, if
your instrument has fallen on hard times, Tim will get it sounding like new in
no time. Check him out on the web at http://www.mobilemusic.downtowncanandaigua.com.
Well,
there you have it. I’ll have another
song of the month for you next month. If
you have any comments or suggestions, please pass them on to me. This is a work in progress, and I am always
looking for new ways to improve it.
(E-Mailed 11/18/07)
E-mail us at McRiley@Frontiernet.net