Born out of a particular, existential and current Jewish struggle, the song contains universal themes and aspirations, like respect, dignity and understanding.
Jen says the song is intended to be a response to the dark feelings of fear, anger and painful groundlessness that arose for so many of us after the atrocities of October 7th 2023, subsequent war and exponential rise in global antisemitism.
The opening lyrics to the song came to Jen after reading an article in Tricycle about the Buddhist notion of karma (action driven by intention which leads to future consequences), and reading another article in Tablet Magazine that included the observation that Arabs and Jews are partners in fate. (Partners in Fate is also the first ever joint Jewish-Arab emergency relief centre).
The essential sentiment for the song - that intentions matter and we can choose to widen or lessen the rifts between us.
Grateful to her band mates for lending their talent and allied support to the creation of this recording, Jen gives a special shout out to her partner Simon Law, who she says truly applied his deep skills to the recording, arranging and production of this song. Jen is also thrilled that occasional Shiner violinist Emmanuel Szeptycki, has contributed their flare and vibes to the song.
Words and Music - Jennifer Schaffer (SOCAN)
Jennifer Schaffer - Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Simon Law - Drums, Percussion, Background vocals
John Teshima - Acoustic Guitar
Hideki Kumagai - Bass
Dorothy Hwang - Mandolin, Background Vocals
Emmanuel Szeptycki - Violin
Arranged, Recorded and Produced by Simon Law at Studio Wolfrey, Toronto, Canada
Album Art and Graphics - Dorothy Hwang
