flashback friday - faith of a child

so, the first time i saw tori amos in concert (this was...wow...maybe '93? '94?), her opening act was this fabulous native american singer-songwriter named bill miller. i remember the entire concert hall being dead silent during his set - all of us were in awe with just how powerful and beautiful his music was. i, of course, went out and bought his cd within a day of the show because i just had to have his music for my collection.



for those of you who have no idea who i'm talking about, i am happy to introduce you to his music. miller, a mohican whose traditional name is fush-ya heay aka (translation: bird song), is both a multi-grammy award winning musician and master of the native american flute as well as a painter whose work is featured in the smithsonian's national museum of the american indian. he's not only toured with amos but also eddie vedder and arlo guthrie and collaborated with nanci griffith and kim carnes. his music, like his art, pays homage to his native american heritage. arlo guthrie said, "...Bill reminds me of what our singers and writers are all about, singing what cannot be spoken, echoing what cannot be heard, with compelling authenticity."

my favorite of miller's, by far, has to be faith of a child. it is easily one of the biggest tearjerker songs i've ever heard. even now, upon the nth time hearing it, i can't help but get teary while listening. and this is the true power and art of miller's music - he connects with his listeners in just such a way that you can relate immediately to what he's telling you. he is the epitome of an excellent storyteller.

have a listen to anita's tale and try to tell me that you are unmoved...

a child will walk, a child will run
a child with faith, faith will fly

anita hasn't walked right since she was small
her legs are short and twisted not straight and tall
she learned when she was young how to deal with the rejection
cast into a world with all it standards of perfection

most people looked away with a downward glance
and as a beautiful young woman, she was never asked to dance
her dreams were just as lofty as the girl next door
and she remember what her father said when she couldn't take no more

he said:
"someday, you're going to soar like a eagle,
you will run and never grow tired
you'll become a new creation
if you just keep the faith of a child,
keep the faith of a child."

now anita lives alone in a paper mill town
in a one room apartment at sixth and brown
she's got a steady job well its all right for now
she has plans for moving on if she can make it some how

her brown hands are folded as she bows her head to pray
over doughnuts and some coffee she made up yesterday
her mind begins to travel, she gives thanks to the lord
and a angel stands beside her, points out to the door

and said:
"today you going to soar like a eagle,
you will run and never grow tired.
you've become a new creation,
for you have kept the faith of a child -
kept the faith of a child, kept the faith of a child."

(m4a) faith of a child by bill miller

here is miller performing reservation road, another of his songs that i really like:



buy the red road, the album faith of a child is off of, HERE.