Album Notes

Strength in Peace: A Song for Darfur is the first single off of Jodie Manross' upcoming album, Myth of Solid Ground, which will be released in the summer of 2008. After seeing the powerful documentary, The Devil Came on Horseback, Jodie was inspired to write a song about the genocide occuring in Darfur. Members of the non-profit organization 24 for Darfur heard Jodie's song, Strength in Peace, and invited her to sing it at a United Nations rally in September 2007. After many requests for copies, Jodie went about recording her song.

Sammy Merendino (producer and Cyndi Lauper's drummer) recorded and produced the song with special guests Austin singer-songwriter Darden Smith on backup vocals, Andrew Carillo on guitar (Joan Osborne), Graham Maby on bass (Joe Jackson and Natalie Merchant), and Rob Hyman (of the Hooters and co-writer of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" on keyboard).

Part of the proceeds of any purchase of "Strength in Peace: A Song for Darfur" will go to Darfur non-profit organizations such as 24 for Darfur http://www.24hoursfordarfur.org and Save Darfur http://www.savedarfur.org.


Strength in Peace (A Song for Darfur) Lyrics
music and lyrics by Jodie Manross

Can I buy into this life,
rent the air with my voice
for those who've seen suffering
and not enough joy

These open fields are burning
smoke fills these skies
the silence is haunting
and so many have died

Chorus:

A heart that hurts
comes with a voice that chokes
and a life that can't complete its work
Can we finally be free of all these hurtful things?
and find strength in peace.

How can I bring change
when so much is wrong
for a woman who has lost her husband, her daughter, her son
This violence unsettling,
it breaks my heart unending
can we get past where we've failed before?

Chorus


Strength in peace
and on and on

Strength in peace
and on and on.
And on and on.