Carolyn Arends Album: Under the Gaze Track: May You Live
May You Live Lyrics
Carolyn Arends
If there is a cup of life And we each get our quotas May you drink yours down, pass the rest around And not waste one iota And if there is a winding road And mountains meant for climbing May you be strong and brave, and constantly amazed By every new horizon
And may you live All the days Of your life May you live All the days Of your life
And if our days make up a dance Then have no hesitation Turn the music loud and send a crowd Of friends your invitation And if it's true that love's a song We sing in joy and sadness Then may your song be sung at the top of your lungs And may it bring you gladness
May you live...
And if there is another world That waits beyond the curtain Then when your time has come may you hear "well done" And may you know for certain
That you lived ...
C 2004 Carolyn Arends Music (SOCAN)
About the Song
In 1995 we released my first album and shot my first video, a clip for the song "Seize the Day". The video featured a series of quotes that we felt expressed the message of the song well. My personal favourite was from Jonathan Swift: "May You Live Every Day of Your Life". I always thought there was another song there.
Last year I was in the studio working with Roy on some demos. For a few minutes he was busy doing something technical and so I began noodling on the piano. At the end of the day he handed me a CD -- he had recorded my noodlings and thought I should have I listen. I liked what I heard and thought --- hmmm, maybe there's a song there.
A few months later I was pulled over on the side of the highway waiting a very long time for a taxi to come pick me up because my car had died on the shoulder of the road. I needed something to occupy my mind during the wait, so, while traffic whistled by me and my car engine gently smoked in the late afternoon breeze, I began mentally setting the Jonathan Swift idea to the piano music. It turned out there was a song there -- and I have Roy Salmond, Jonathan Swift, and a deceased 1987 Oldsmobile to thank for it.
"May You Live" turned out to be a good summary of the themes of this project (I wish I could take credit for that, but I'm not smart enough to plan out themes, I just recognize them when they show up). Every nano-second of this life is precious, because our lives and what we make of them matter deeply to God. So live this life abundantly, moment by moment, as fully and deeply and passionately as you can. But there's more to the equation. Live this life in the light of forever, knowing that the God who keeps His loving gaze upon you has prepared a place for you that will be more than you can hope for or imagine. We are called, by God's grace, to live for both the Now and the Not Yet.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith... (Hebrews 12:1,2)
