Thanksgiving

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Story behind the song

I wrote "Thanksgiving" on Thanksgiving Day in the early 1990s while recording demos under the name My Brother Judas. The original demo was sung by my partner, giving the song a different voice from the one you hear today. At the time, I was deeply interested in spiritual traditions, particularly Buddhist thought, and was asking questions about gratitude, suffering, compassion, and the larger rhythms of life. Those ideas naturally found their way into the lyric, making the song less about a holiday than about finding reasons for hope in a complicated world. Listening to it today, I recognize a younger version of myself—earnestly searching for answers and trying to make sense of life's mysteries. While my perspective has evolved over the years, I chose to leave the song largely unchanged. It remains an honest reflection of a particular season in my life and of the questions that shaped my writing at the time.

Lyrics

My heart is full of gladness for this day The wonder of the sacred game we play Here upon the earth Birth after rebirth Until there are no beings made of clay Drink from the cup of ages Wake from the sleep of time Though war and famine rages Peace is still alive My heart can feel the sadness of this day The suffering and madness of our way Here upon the earth Birth after rebirth The wheel of destruction and of pain Raise up your head from slumber See how the circle flies The alpha and omega Turn cartwheels in the sky Drink from the cup of ages Wake from the sleep of time Though war and famine rages Peace is still alive

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