Song Lyric Sunday

My blogging buddy, Jim Adams, weekly offers up a different topic to write about on Song Lyric Sunday. This week he asked us to pick a song written or performed by someone who was born in the month of July. I honestly changed my pick a few times before deciding on my choice.

Who do you chose? Doc Severinsen celebrated his 99th birthday on the 7th, Buddy Guy turns 90 at the end of the month, and Ringo Starr turned 86 on the 7th. Then there are those who are no longer with us like Bill Withers, Bill Haley, Kay Starr and Dobie Gray. As I looked at the possibilities, I found an artist that truly made a positive impact on me – Martina McBride.

Martina will turn 60 on the 29th of this month. She has come a long was since her first album in 1992. She went from selling Garth Brooks merchandise early in his career, to a country music icon, winning the Academy of Country Music’s Icon award in 2019.

Her hits include Independence Day, A Broken Wing, Wild Angels, Valentine, Happy Girl, In My Daughter’s Eyes, and so many more. In 2005, she released an album of classic country cover songs entitled Timeless.

Before I talk about the song I chose, let me share my Martina McBride story.

The radio station I worked for at the time (B95) had just partnered with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. We committed to doing a radiothon once a year to raise money for the hospital and to help find a cure for childhood cancer. In the early days of the radiothon, we would broadcast from the local mall (which just happened to be across from the station). At the mall we had various things that were part of a silent auction.

One of the silent auction items was a Martina McBride Concert Package. It included a limo ride to the show, backstage passes to meet Martina, and pretty good seats near the front. The woman who won the package bid over $700 for it. I was to meet the auction winner at the show and make sure that she got the backstage passes and tickets. I had a backstage pass, too, so I went back with her.

As I recall, we were one of the last people in line. The fan club members and others went first. When it was our turn, I introduced our auction winner to Martina. I explained the amount that she bid and Martina was floored by this. Martina called one of her crew over and said something to them. That crew member walked away and Martina gave her undivided attention to our winner. She took time to autograph everything that our winner had with them, including the T-shirts she bought at the venue.

While we were talking to Martina, her crew member returned. First, he gave her the money back for the shirts she had bought. He had a huge bag of Martina swag that was filled with hats, pictures, and other things. Then he handed her this huge rolled up poster. The poster was actually one of those posters that was made to fit in the windows of record stores as promotion for an album. Everything was autographed. Martina took pictures with our winner and made her feel like she was her number one fan. I was SO impressed by her generosity.

I may not have felt like it when the song was released in 2001, but I certainly feel it today. Blessed was a song off Martina’s Greatest Hits Album. It was written by Brett James, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey. It would go on to become her fifth Country #1 single, topping the chart for one week.

Troy recalls that “Brett and I had written “Who I Am” (a hit for Jessica Andrews) and that was the first song that really blew up for us. It got so much attention. It was like, ‘What’s so different about this song?’ It’s not a love song, so I was on this kick about writing songs that aren’t just love songs.

“There’s not that many of them, so people respond to them,” Verges continued. “That was in my head for a while, and it still is. If you can do that … write a song that’s not a love song, it’s a way to stand out a little bit. ‘Blessed’ is a love song, but it’s not a romantic love song. Part of it is, but it’s about celebrating life.”

Source: songfacts.com

I get kissed by the sun each mornin’ put my feet on a hardwood floor
I get to hear my children laughin’ down the hall through the bedroom door
Sometimes I sit on my front porch swing just soakin’ up the day
I think to myself, I think to myself this world is a beautiful place

I have been blessed (I have been blessed)
And I feel like I’ve found my way (found my way)
I thank God for all I’ve been given, at the end of every day
I have been blessed (I have been blessed)
With so much more than I deserve (I deserve)
To be here with the ones that love me
To love them so much it hurts
I have been blessed

Across a crowded room, I know you know what I’m thinkin’ by the way I look at you
And when we’re lying in the quiet and no words have to be said
I think to myself, I think to myself this love is a beautiful gift

I have been blessed (I have been blessed)
And I feel like I’ve found my way (found my way)
I thank God for all I’ve been given, at the end of every day
I have been blessed (I have been blessed)
With so much more than I deserve (I deserve)
To be here with the ones that love me
To love them so much it hurts
I have been blessed

When I, when I’m singin’ my kids to sleep
When I feel you holdin’ me
I know

I am so blessed
And I feel like I’ve found my way
I thank God for all I’ve been given, at the end of every day
I have been blessed (I have been blessed)
With so much more than I deserve (I deserve)
To be here with the ones that love me
To love them so much it hurts
I have been blessed (I have blessed) oh, yes
I have been blessed (I have been blessed) oh, yeah, yeah

found my way
(I have been blessed) found my way
(I have been blessed) found my way