A Talented Legend

We watched most of the Grammy Awards last night.

I'm a longtime fan of the joyfully soaring artistry of the Dixie Chicks. And it was delightful to see my lifelong heroine, Joan Baez, introduce these three talented women who fought and worked to be seriously regarded.

I rejoice in their rebellious "Not Ready to Make Nice," because, as a woman, I've often also not been ready to make nice on someone else's cue. I GET it.

Mary J. Blige was a musical vision. If only she and Bono had sung "One"...

But my favorite of the night was by a musician I'd never previously heard of: R & B singer/composer John Legend. His soul-deep, gospel-tinged music touched my heart.

Today, I downloaded his new CD, "Once Again," and I can't get his haunting "Coming Home" out of my mind. The lyrics tell of the desperate desire of a young soldier to someday come home again. Legend's voice poignantly tells of the solider's pain and weariness.

I cried when I first heard it today. The Iraq War, and all its immorality, tragedy and anguish, hangs heavy on my heart, as it does for our country.

I urge... listen, really listen, to John Legend's "Coming Home."

Here are the lyrics:

A father waits upon a son
A mother prays for his return
I just called to see
If you still have a place for me
We know that like took us apart
But you're still within my heart
I go to sleep and feel your spirit next to me
I'll make it home again
I pray you'll fall in love again
Just say you'll entertain the possibility
I learned enough from my mistakes
Learned from all I didn't say
Won't you wait for me

It may be long to get me there
It feels like I've been everywhere
But someday I'll be coming home
Round and round the world will spin
Oh, the circle never ends
So you know that I'll be coming home

We fight to stay alive
But somebody's got to die
It's so strange to me
A new year, a new enemy
Another soldier gone to war
Another story told before
Now it's told again
It seems the wars will never end
But we'll make it home again
Back where we belong again
We're holding on to when
We used to dare to dream
We pray we live to see

Another day in history
Yes we still believe

It may be long to get me there
It feels like I've been everywhere
But someday I'll be coming home
Round and round the world will spin
Oh, the circle never ends
So you know that I'll be coming home

I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming?
You know that I'll be coming home
It may be long to get me there
It feels like I've been everywhere
But someday I'll be coming home
Round and round the world will spin
Oh, the circle never ends
So you know that I'll be coming home

John Legend Lyrics