A Song of Remembrance and Commitment

Here's to good souls taken far too soon

Here’s a fresh take on “Good Souls (Taken Far Too Soon),” a song of rememberance and commitment that I began composing after experiencing (as we all do with age) ever more untimely departures from family and community. I’ll be recording a more refined take soon when it’s album time, but the words, structure, chords and melody are pretty much locked after many months of tweaking.

I’m blown away by songwriters like the #fastfolk wizard (and now celebrity) Jesse Welles, who can pen and perform topical songs written off headlines as speedily as I used to cover issues when I was a newspaper reporter. But that hasn’t been my musical style.

In my 30 years writing and performing songs along with my journalism, I’ve taken the slow and iterative path. Songwriting for me (like much of my journalism) is best done as a give and take with audiences. You may recall a November post of an early version of “Good Souls”:

A Song of Thanks, Remembrance and Commitment

As was the case then, I’m eager for your feedback now in comments or via revkin@substack.com. I’m priming the pump in the thread with a touching reaction I got on Facebook from the writer Carrie Jones.

My focus in the restructured lyrics (in full below) is people whose influence in a family or community came quietly but forcefully. I've been working on this song since the fall of 2024, when it was sparked as part of a songwriting workshop at Bagaduce Music in Blue Hill, Maine. I've been torn by the desire to keep it singable in a pub or choir, but also retain some melodic and chordal richness.

This new version emerged after a test run in a community-singing workshop this week at the amazing Acadia Festival of Traditional Music in nearby Bar Harbor, Maine, which wraps up Friday.

The workshop was led by two fantastic singers and song collector/arrangers from Providence, Rhode Island - Benedict Gagliardi and Armand Aromin, who perform as the Vox Hunters. (Amorim is also a skilled violin maker.)

Benedict Gagliardi leads us in Byker Hill.

I’m pasting the lyrics to Good Souls below and here’s a pdf.

Good Souls - a toasting song of remembrance and commitment

54.6KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

The song is also on Facebook and YouTube if you want to share it from there:

Good Souls - a toasting song of remembrance and commitment

I have a list of names. 
I’m sure you have yours, too.
  
Of good souls from among us,
taken far too soon.

Let’s raise a glass and voices
and see what we can do

Not just to honor those who’re gone, 
but see their visions through…. 
 
Here’s to good souls taken far too soon.   x4

The quiet ones who’d never mind 
a temper lost or a word unkind.

Who’d lend a hand, lend an ear, 
watch your back, ease your fears.

Here’s to good souls taken far too soon. x2

Who’d fight a fire, fix a tire,
join you in a midnight choir.

Firm friends who’d lead us from behind
but fate took them before their time.

Here’s to good souls taken far too soon.   x4
 
Some were healers, some connectors,     
Some were builders, some were menders.
 
All gave a little more than they had to.
But they still left some work for us to do.

Here’s to good souls taken far too soon. x2
			
Let’s raise a glass and voices
and see what we can do
Not just to honor those who’re gone,
but see their visions through…. 

Here’s to good souls taken far too soon. [x4]