Hello Music Lovers,
Happy Holiday Greetings to you!
Today, I'm releasing a new track from my upcoming album "New Road Home."
The song is called "Lady Liberty," and you can download it here:
iTunes: http://bit.ly/LadyLibertyiTunes
CDBaby: http://bit.ly/LadyLibertyCDBaby
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2EsTo9U
Stream it on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2zUmBqH
Please also check out Lady Liberty music video (from Johnny Jake!) on YouTube:
I'm releasing the song early because its message dovetails with an upcoming special musical event.
I've been singing with Middle Collegiate Church Jerriese Johnson Gospel Choir (MCJJGC) in New York City for close to six years.
This year, CBS will air a Christmas Eve service of Middle Church and MCJJGC to be aired nationwide on December 24th at 11:30pm. I have the honor of singing the solo on the classic James Cleveland gospel standard "Long As I Got King Jesus." (I'll share more details about the television program when I get them!)
I feel so free when I sing a big gospel song like King Jesus. It seemed fitting to release Lady Liberty to share at this time as well.
ABOUT LADY LIBERTY:
The lyrics for "Lady Liberty" focus on the symbolism of the iconic statue with emphasis on the Emma Lazarus poem "The New Colossus," which is inscribed on the statue's pedestal.
The poem's most famous lines:
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Lady Liberty is a much-admired and respected American monument. Droves of people visit NYC every year to visit it. People whose ancestors came through Ellis Island explain to their children, "This is what your great-grandparents first gazed upon when they came to this country."
We are very aware of Lady Liberty and her presence in our culture, but are we aware of what she represents as an American institution?
By standing proud in the New York Harbor with her torch eternally lit, guiding the way home to hundreds of thousands, Lady Liberty has spread a message of hope and inclusivity to immigrants from all over the world for over 150 years.
Is her message still relevant?
If we say we will support her, does it mean we will support the economy by purchasing posters and foam crowns?
Or does it mean we will support her gracious message to embrace immigrants looking for a better life in America?
This is the first protest song I have written, and it needed help being born. This song best represents what I've been learning as an active member at Middle Collegiate Church. I feel I have the freedom to express my faith in God through community activism when I sing in gospel choir.
I wanted to give Lady Liberty a voice so that she could do the same.
I would love to hear from you,
Love,
xx
Deborah
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"New Road Home," my third solo album, is due for release on February 14, 2019. Join my mailing list to get all the details!
Check out the Lady Liberty music video on You Tube: http://bit.ly/LadyLibertyYouTube