On Your Way
New single!
A love song, across the borderlines
I wrote “On Your Way” for my daughter’s wedding—a songwriting assignment that I found a little intimidating, to be honest. I’ve written songs for many occasions over the years, but of course wanted to deliver something special and meaningful (no pressure, Dad!).
Eventually I found my way in. I got thinking about how the bride and groom grew up in such wildly different places, geographically and culturally…met on the other side of the world by an amazing twist of fate…and stayed together through all sorts of moves and changes to create a life together. And all that guided my lyrics.
I didn’t realize it until later, but “On Your Way” uses almost the exact same chord shapes as “Leap of Faith,” which I wrote right before my daughter was born. So these two songs are like bookends to me now. I love how, in creating art, sometimes there’s a grander design at work than you intend.
Performing “On Your Way” at the wedding, accompanied by my partner and my brother, was a beautiful and emotional experience, but at the time I didn’t really think about sharing the song outside of family and friends.
Then the great group of writers in my long-running Songwriter Circle, which meets monthly online to discuss new work, convinced me I should put the song out there publicly. So I performed “On Your Way” at a couple of shows and got some lovely (and a little bit teary) feedback, decided to make a proper recording, and wound up very happy with the result.
So now I’m sending this song on its way...and hoping it finds and connects with you.
Credits
Words and music by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers (Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers Music/ASCAP)
JPR lead vocal, acoustic guitar, bass, cajón, tambourine
Wendy Sassafras Ramsay accordion, backing vocals
Andy Dru Rodgers ukulele, backing vocals
Mixed and mastered by Phil Henry
Photo by Alexa Ray (aorphoto.co)