I’m so sorry about the problems with the site. Here I’ve asked you to listen to my husband’s music and objectively critique it and yet you aren’t able to leave those critiques in the comment section. Sounds like a sneaky plan to me! Just kidding, of course. If there have been any comments that could even be considered negative, they’ve all been constructive and really helpful. But I will admit, I’m having affirmation withdrawal. I love checking the site periodically throughout the day and seeing your positive comments. It’s a really good ego boost for the songwriter, too. You know those creative types. They’re soooo sensitive!

Anyway, I realized a couple of weeks ago that I hadn’t put my e-mail address anywhere on the site. I had meant to put it up, but I kept forgetting about it. So now’s as good a time as any. Until I get it up permanently somewhere on the sidebar, I’ll just give it to you here. If you have a comment that you just have to get off your chest or a burning question that you didn’t want the whole world to see, just send an e-mail my way and I can get back to feeling good about what I’m doing here. I’ve really been in the dark here these last couple of days!

pam@songwriterexperiment.com

A couple of years ago, my husband received a forwarded e-mail from his mom that was forwarded from one of her friends. I can’t remember why she even sent it to us. It was a copy of a letter that this woman’s son-in-law had sent to his wife while he was in Iraq. It was probably not unlike most letters that are sent from military husband’s to their wives back at home, but something in this particular letter got to my husband. The man was telling his wife how much he missed her and told her that the barracks that they had been staying in had been destroyed in a fire and he lost all of his personal belongings and mementos in the fire. He didn’t even have any pictures of the kids left to look at. You could tell that he was feeling pretty down and then he started listing some things that he missed and couldn’t wait to see when he got home. He mentioned things like rain, because it’s so hot and dry there, and the smell that little boys have when they come in from playing outside. It was just really sweet.

From that forwarded e-mail, my husband got the idea to write a song about someone who is away from home for some time for whatever reason and makes a list of the things he wants to see when he gets home. And that’s the story behind the Coming Home Song.

**Update** I can’t believe this, but the songwriter and I were cleaning out our bedroom this morning and he found the original e-mail that contained the letter from the soldier to his wife. It’s from 2003 when he was in Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Here it is, with names changed because I don’t know who they are so I can’t ask permission to post it!

Hello Gorgeous,

It’s been a weird week. I don’t really remember the last time I talked to you, but last Monday, around 0300 in the morning, our building caught fire. I crammed my clothes into a trash bag, left my ruck, my cot, and my box of extra supplies, and grabbed my flight bag, which holds all of my important stuff (records, pictures and letters) and got out. Sitting in the parking lot watching the smoke billow out of the doors I realized, to my horror, that I had left my two filled cameras and more importantly Joshua’s first letter to me, Rachel’s letter to me, Mama’s card to me, which I was using as a bookmark in Moby Dick, and the latest bunch of pictures you sent. The greatest of these was my son’s first letter to me. Honey, it so depressed me. We had to relocate shop and find a new place to live. We found a place to live at an abandoned house at the end of the airfield where most of the company has been living while here. We spent Tues. and part of Wed. scrubbing the soot and smoke out of our clothes.

That night I started to feel sick. I don’t know if I caught dysentery, a twenty-four hour bug, or some strange bacteria grown in the Middle East, but it put me down. I became dehydrated and slept 14 hours! Many have become sick here. I mean what do you expect when you cram 10,000 soldiers on an airport. The latrines are pitiful and you could throw a rock from the door of the latrine and hit the cooks in the field kitchen. I’m finally able to keep food down and have put about two gallons of water in me today. Got a box from Mom and Dad as well, so the day ended pretty well. Earlier we were able to go back into the building and see if anything was salvageable. It was all ash, except for my field jacket. I wish Jacob’s letter had survived by some miracle, but all I found was ash.

I miss you, darling. I’m tired of this campout and want to come home. I dream about you all the time. I was lying awake this afternoon, because you can’t really sleep in the midday here, and had a vision of hugging the boys and Ginny. I kissed Joshua’s head and could smell the sweaty boy smell as he hugged me. Everyday, I put up the pictures Ginny in her Easter dress, Joshua in his Spiderman jammies and Jaden in his Superman, and my favorite picture of you and the boys as I start my shift and carefully take them down when it’s time to go home. I’m counting down the days now till I’m back in your arms. I love you and miss you and can’t wait to kiss your wonderful lips. You are the precious jewel of my heart.

With all my love,

Sam

P.S. The comments about the rain and Diana Krall, in Thursday’s email, were just plain cruel. Oh, and could you pass along the interesting part of this to Mom and Dad, etc. Thanks, beautiful.

We’re having computer problems. The new song will be up late this morning.

Okay, I know it isn’t Monday yet, but I just had to tell everyone how much I appreciate your comments! I’ve even caught my husband checking them out. And he’s mulling them over, too. So if you’ve ever wanted to have an influence on radio, this is your chance! It’s nice to have feedback given by someone other than your relatives and hear comments other than, “Who could not like your music? You’re the best songwriter the world has never known.”

Seriously, your comments are very insightful. I’m working hard to narrow down next week’s song. It’s been a hard decision. I realize that some of you aren’t big country music fans and to tell you the truth, my husband and I really don’t listen to it much ourselves. It just so happens to be the genre that his music fits into best. Sometimes he’ll make a song that is not necessarily country sound more so to appeal to that market. So I think I’ll pick something that is more middle-of-the-road, as far as the genre.

Overall, I think it’s been a good first couple of days. I really didn’t know what to expect and I’ve been pleasantly surprised. We’ve gotten a lot of constructive criticism but nothing really negative. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that!) You’re a very generous group when it comes to compliments!

And now, I’m going to go get some much-needed sleep. The last couple of days have been pretty exciting and I’m a little behind in that area! Until Monday…

P.S. If you’re a first time visitor, go here for the full story.