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Link to performances, stories, lyrics and recordings: WITH ME
WITH ME
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Copyright 2015 by Judy Unger
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I look at the clouds and see your face
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You’re watching me; smiling from space
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Not sure where I’m going or when I’ll get there
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But you are with me; you’re everywhere
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When I’m discouraged, sometimes I crawl
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You hold me up so I won’t fall
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Not sure what will happen or where I will go
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But you are with me; that much I know
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With me, when I was born; with me as I mourn
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With me in every song; with me to keep me strong
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With me every day; with me in every way
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With me and always near
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You take away all of my fear
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Though I can’t see; you’re not in sight
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Through the darkness, you are my light
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Not sure of my life now or how things will be
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Yet I am certain, you are with me
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With me, when I was born; with me as I mourn
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With me in every song; you’re with me to keep me strong
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With me every day; with me in every way
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With me and always near; you take away my fear
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With me when I cry; with me when I die
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Watching my life unfold; you’re with me, as I grow old
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You’re with me . . . as I grow old
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In this video stapshot with my dad, I’m probably six-years-old.
I wrote the sentence “you’ve left my sight” in my song “Set You Free” to imply departure, not necessarily death. I wanted my song “With Me” to also relate to God, so I changed the line to “you’re not in sight.” That way it simply meant he was “unseen.”
Only a few weeks after my father’s death, I composed a new song, which I named “With Me.”
When I wrote “With Me,” I needed my father’s support more than ever – his love for me didn’t end with his death. He was watching my life unfold and comforting me. The feeling of him watching me from above was something I had also imagined when Jason died.
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Looking into clouds or into a night sky always gave me a feeling of awe, and caused me to ponder the mystery of life and death. Witnessing his death caused me to write the line “with me when I die.”
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Death has frightening elements for most humans, and although we die alone, I believe love eases our departure from this world.
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One of the few pictures of my father with my deceased son, Jason.
In the past, I was often unsure about the existence of God. I was amazed how I wrote a song remembering my father’s love, but later on, I realized that my song could also be related to God’s love.
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When my father took his last breath, I felt the presence of both God and Jason in the room at that moment. I believe that God blessed me with my music; it has soothed me and given me strength.
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I love this picture of my parents with me. They look so young and healthy. I want to always remember them this way.
In 2012, I was dealing with my parents’ care and three teenagers. I was overwhelmed by all the stress in my life and was being checked for a rapid heartbeat. I also had eye problems and was told I needed cataract surgery. I was so thankful that I had music to comfort me and save me!
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After composing my song “Set You Free,” which was about freeing everyone around me, including myself, I moved on to writing song after song and felt as if my life were a musical. My emerging songs erupted from me with gut-wrenching and honest lyrics. The lyrics were actually my subconscious speaking to me – and I listened.
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My song “Clear” emphasized that is was “never too late to turn your life around.” From the moment I composed “Clear” and wrote those words, I suffered deeply. I struggled to find the courage to go through a door that would completely change the direction of my life. I needed to follow my very own song lyrics that poured out from my heart. As I gathered my strength, my heart was constantly pounding; fear was destroying the preciousness of my life.
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Once I announced my decision to divorce my husband after 31 years of marriage, I had to deal with the tremendous pain of my husband and children.
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But what truly kept me going the most was my song “With Me.”
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I felt my father with me every step of the way. As scary as it was for me to face the unknown, the known was too sad and lonely for me to accept anymore. I was ready to face a new life that held challenges, as well as exciting possibilities. Sometimes, it does take risk and courage to follow something that is clearly in front of your eyes.
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I believe that God sent me my songs not only to help me, but also to share them.
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I hope I can inspire others to find their own courage.
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The picture on the left was the sky I used for this song’s cover image. I was in awe of that gorgeous sky. It changed from a sunset to darkness very quickly.-
The link below will play an excerpt from my voice lesson about this song:
WITH ME-LESSON CLIP WITH PEACHES CHRENKO 7/2012
Later stories about this song:
I didn’t enjoy tennis too much until I played women’s doubles. Those old rackets weren’t easy to play with and I spent more time chasing the balls than hitting them. Maybe that’s why I was so much thinner!
This card reminds me how much I depended upon my dad to help me with paperwork.
These are my actual lyrics – exactly as I wrote them.
myjourneysinsight 