Every now and then people ask me “what was behind the song,” or in other words, what was the inspiration for the song. I have a category on my blog for “Behind the Song,” and I have posted several stories about how I came to write certain songs. Today’s Behind the Song is about “Star in My Sky” on my Swamp Romp album.
Johnette at Jazz Fest with the “Star in My Sky” ukulele.
A friend of mine is Jon Hornyak who works for the Recording Academy and is a member of the Memphis Ukulele Band. He is passionate about ukulele, and sent me one as a gift to spread the joy of ukulele. As soon as I opened the box and held the ukulele in my hand, I composed the song on the spot. The premise behind the song is about spreading joy and appreciating the beauty around us, so I guess the meaning behind Jon’s gift transcended to me. The lyrics are about living in the moment and living in gratitude, which is something I strive for every day of my life. The simplicity of the recording of the song honors this theme with only the incredible James Singleton on upright bass and me on vocals and the same ukulele Jon gave me. Eeeekkkk, talk about pressure being in the studio and looking across the microphone at James! He is a virtuoso!
The song also symbolizes the notion of paying it forward. When someone does something nice for you, you pay it forward and do something nice for someone else. I hope the song inspires you to pay it forward and to appreciate the natural beauty and quiet moments in life.
A hidden gem in the creation of the song is the title. My husband Scott and I had “you are the star in my sky” in our wedding vows!
Towards the end of the song, I added the “Starlight, Star Bright” rhyme often chanted upon seeing the first star in the sky. This traditional chant is set to my original music, and encourages children to wish and dream.
I hope you enjoy the song here on YouTube.