Song of the Week “Closure”

I wrote this back in 2001 when there was a debate over the impending execution of John Byrd. One thing I noticed in almost every news story about the death penalty was the use of the “closure” and how the death of another human being (guilty or not) could make someone feel better and how one …barbaric act can lead to another (state-sponsored) murder. I also tried to bring out some of the facts of the case and ask why do we go through all this. This was the first time I was in the studio with Brian Preston producing/playing bass and Mark Reinhart helping out on guitar and drums. I recorded this and “A Time for Tears” and released them on a CD single to hand out at the protests and demonstrations I played at. I remember meeting John Byrds’ mother and her telling me how much the song touched her. Despite all the protests and questions about the case, John Byrd was murdered by the State of Ohio on February 19, 2002. In the years since, 30 more men have been executed in the name of “justice” The final version of the song appeared on my first CD “Late Bloomer” in March of 2003.

bdg 12/10/2009