Sweet Dreams: A Shout Out To All My Co-Writers...

Sweet Dreams

Sitting on the counter, little eyes dreaming bright
“I’m gonna be on Broadway, Mom! You’ll see my name in lights!”
And she lifted me so high that of course I couldn’t see
Sometimes mothers have to give up dreams.

Kneeling by the bedside, middle of the night
This is hardly Broadway, and I’m running out of light
Then not harsh, and not loud, just whispering all through me
“Sometimes mothers have to give up dreams.”

Peering in the bedroom, little eyes fast asleep
But I’m the one who’s dreaming, just to watch them breathe
And lullabies by nightlight are the only songs I need
Sometimes mothers have the sweetest dreams.

Sometimes mothers have the sweetest dreams.
-Em (and Zach!) 6/27/08



It's hard to think of what I wouldn't give up for these guys...

















To really give appropriate credit to everyone involved in the writing of this song, I would have to mention at least 5 other people, so here goes:

-Thanks, Jenny Philips, for saying "Sometimes mothers have to give up dreams" in a panel in a songwriting workshop. That set it all in motion.
-Thanks, Holle McRae, for sitting by me in that workshop, looking at my scribbled, tear-stained notes of the concept, and sharing with me your thoughts about Broadway lights vs. nightlights.
-Thanks, Zach, (my awesome brother) for staying up half the night with me to stand by the piano and say, "Okay, just play what you have so far," and helping me package what I was trying to say, and brainstorming with me what it feels like when the spirit talks to you until we came up with "whispering all through me" and helping me condense my thoughts into a song form. I will remember that forever.
-Thanks, Jake, (my cute little then 1 year-old!) for waking up when I went into my mom's computer room at 4 am to type up the lyrics, and for letting me hold you and just savor being with you, until the missing line, "lullabies by nightlight are the only songs I need" settled into my heart.
-Thanks, Mom, for waking up the next morning in your pajamas (that said Sweet Dreams on them!) and listening to the almost finished version of the song, crying, and then helping me come to "she lifted me so high that of course I couldn't see."

Sometimes songwriters have the coolest friends. :)