Candle In The Dark - Jon Yeager

An ode to Martin Luther King, Jr. by singer, songwriter and musician Jon Yeager.
ARTIST STATEMENT: "If memory serves correctly I think it was the summer of 2003 I had lived in Savannah, GA for a brief stint. Though I had visited before this "extended vacation", we'll call it, helped open my eyes to something I wasn't familiar with in Kansas City, the midwest of the United States. I saw for the first time racism. Though in small quantity, I saw poverty and an unwillingness to help first hand. Now, I had traveled a lot... every city has their slums, but this was different. There was something about the south, possibly, that brought it out more. Also around this time I had seen and excellent documentary on Martin Luther King Jr., a character who, up to this point in my life, was one we celebrated in elementary school and what not but was now a character I found myself becoming deeply intrigued by. Granted, I'm no expert on either subject... the black community or MLK, but these two things happening in close proximity put something in me, a will to pay tribute, in my own way, to someone who truly had a dream and the drive to see its realization. "Candle In The Dark" is unashamedly an ode to Martin Luther King, Jr. and, I hope, is a song that can shine light on the greater subject, love. We are a race with short fuses, acting and speaking without thinking. THIS is what brought about the struggle that Mr. King fought... intolerance and more over a simple lack of love. This is a song about someone who actually did something, bringing about change not only through his words but also through his actions. My challenge to the human race is to slow down and let love take the places of intolerance and impatience. Being the son of a preacher man, I notice that even in the Bible there is a list of words, adjectives describing what true and perfect love is. I find it no mistake that the first two are "love is patient, love is kind". With me included, let us learn how to love in a greater way, in a world changing way.
Lastly, some have already asked "what's the ultimate point of this song, choosing it as a single and making a video for it and such?" I will simply let Mr. King answer that for me....
"I have decided to stick with love, hate is too great a burden to bear." - Martin Luther King Jr.
-Jon Yeager / jonyeager.com
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LYRICS:
"Candle In The Dark" by Jon Yeager
Black boy, you never got it down
You never found that one way
That made you so profound
Black boy, no one could call you
No one could deem you lazy bones
You did more with one wink of your eye
And it's YOU...
You had a dream and had a way to make it right
You had the call and thought that maybe you'd might
You had a dream and had a way to make it right
You had the call and thought that maybe you'd might
The time was right and the time was tough
That year was on fire but not enough, love
You took a walk and you made a march
You blew that candle right in the dark and said "love"
You said "love"
Yeah, ohhhhh...
There's something in my eye
Oh, it's human nature
Black boy, the comets are arising
The stars are still surprising
Maybe heaven is still here in you...
Maybe heaven is still here in you...

[@CausalObserver74]

what a beautiful song...

[@alnewberry]

Wow, Jon. You weren't familiar with racism in Kansas City? I grew up in the northern part of Indiana, and the shock to my system when I moved to Kansas City was the racism. I do imagine it was much worse down in GA though. BTW, good to see ya. Hadn't heard your solo stuff.

[@junkhop]

it's a little flip, but i like it. great production musically and cool video concept. the man playing the host resembles malcolm X