The title 'Every Day is a Gift' comes out of my volunteer work at the Cancer Support Community – Benjamin Center (the CSC) in West Los Angeles. The CSC’s mission is 'to ensure that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action, and sustained by community.' Originally called 'The Wellness Community,' the CSC provides free resources, support and activities for anyone whose life is affected by cancer, including survivors, caregivers, family and friends, as well as those with an active diagnosis.
Around the time of release, I was leading monthly improvisational circle-singing sessions at the CSC since 2009. Modeled after Bobby McFerrin’s vocal orchestra 'Voicestra,' which, in turn is an outgrowth of ancient and tribal traditions, the circles are completely improvised vocal orchestras of interlocking melodic and rhythmic parts, combining to create 'a musical safety net' which participants can solo over. One of the activities I developed for the CSC circles involves affirmations. The participants each write a short affirmation on an index card. The cards are then shuffled in a tambourine and one is chosen by each section (high voices, medium voices, low voices, etc.). Then I create interlocking melodies to go with each affirmation to create a song or chant.
At one of the monthly circle singing sessions, a member of the circle wrote the phrase 'every day is a gift,' as his or her affirmation. During that same time frame, I was taking a songwriting workshop with Tim Fagan (Grammy-winning songwriter of 'Lucky' with Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat), in which we had an assignment to write a song based on a 'found lyric.' I was also already writing a song with some lyrical and melodic ideas that went well with this title. So, I decided to combine the song idea I was already working on with the found title to write 'Every Day is a Gift.'
Every Day is a Gift was one of the winning songs in the Songs For Life songwriting contest, and as a result was chosen to be the opening song on the 2015 Songs for Life compilation CD. Songs for Life is a project of crowdcare.org, a non-profit raising funds for cancer research.
lyrics
EVERY DAY IS A GIFT
We're all livin’ with a terminal condition called life
No matter how I try fight it, can’t deny it,
No-one gets out of here alive
Every golden sunset fades to black
Never know if it’ll be the last
But I know I’ve only got one chance
To live this precious life
Every day is a gift
Every day is a lesson how to live
Every day is a chance, oh
To sit it out or join the dance
Every day is a choice to lift your voice
To love, forgive, to live
Every day is a gift
It’s amazing how good an apple tastes
The sweet summer air after pouring rain
The sun shining on my face
I love the sound of bells and children laughing
The dizzy rush I get from dancing
My crazy friends, my family
I love this precious life
Every day is a gift
Every day is a lesson how to live
Every day is a chance, oh
To sit it out or join the dance
Every day is a choice to lift your voice
To love, forgive, to live
Every day is a gift
Whatever time I’ve left here on this earth
I’ll savor every minutes worth
And when I’m gone, I hope that you’ll remember
Every day is a gift
Every day is a lesson
Every day is a chance to live
Every day is a gift
Every day is a lesson how to live
Every day is a chance, oh
To sit it out or join the dance
Every day is a choice to lift your voice
To love, forgive, to live
Every day is precious
Every day is precious
Every day is precious
Every day
credits
from Save Your Heart (Digital Album),
released October 23, 2015
EVERY DAY IS A GIFT - Patricia Bahia / Harmony Bay Music (ASCAP)
Patricia Bahia: vocals, piano
Jonathan Hayes: guitars, engineering, programming, background vocals
Joe Ayoub: bass
Kevin Hayes: drums
An award-winning songwriter, singer, and cancer survivor, Patricia Bahia wrote her first song in 2004 after a cancer
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