The Transformative Journey of Irish Songwriter Clare Cunningham

In this episode, the host engages in a captivating conversation with Irish singer-songwriter Clare Cunningham. Clare reveals her personal transformation and how it's deeply influenced her career as an independent artist. Aided by cognitive behavioral therapy, Clare redefines her art, shares her commitment to helping others, and talks about her struggles with mental health. They discuss the cultural and historical ties of Irish music and how they influence her artistry. The episode ends with Clare pouring her heart out into her anthem, 'I swear,' a song of hope and support.

00:11 Introduction and Personal Struggles

01:19 Meeting with Clare Cunningham

01:52 Clare's Independent Artist Journey

02:11 Clare's Breakout Year and Future Plans

02:29 Clare's Passion and Commitment

02:52 Interview with Clare Cunningham Begins

03:04 Clare's Experience at the 30A Songwriters Festival

03:54 Clare's Highlights of 2023

05:23 Claire's Mission and Personal Transformation

07:51 Clare's Childhood and Feeling Silenced

08:54 Clare's Journey to Mental Health Therapy

15:47 Clare's Experience with Thunder Mother

22:03 Clare's Songwriting and Irish Influence

28:40 Clare's Performance of 'I Swear'

33:36 Conclusion and Farewell

They were like, whatever you're doing, um, Yeah,

2

you're gonna have to give it up.

3

I don't know what you do.

4

I don't know what your lifestyle is,

but you're gonna be dead in 15 years.

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That's what they said.

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And I was like, I just remember sliding

in the wall crying going, I got it.

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Something's gotta change.

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Jason English (Host):

It's probably not St.

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Patrick's day as you listen to

this episode, but today we are

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talking with Claire Cunningham and

I promise you we're all Irish for

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at least the next 30 minutes or so.

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The Irish singer songwriter

currently lives in Nashville and I

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met with her inside her room at the

residence in, in SanDestin, Florida.

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And she had stuff absolutely everywhere.

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Weights, a workout mat and a portable

sauna thing that looks like an igloo and a

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burrito decided to have some fun together.

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Her workout routine is her outlet.

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As she manages her entire venture as

an independent artist, she manages her

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website, social media presence, all

her concert and festival and interview

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bookings, her swag and merch table.

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It's a lot.

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She's got a lot going on and I

was fortunate she took time for

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me right before a performance.

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At the 30, a songwriter festival, 2023

was a breakout year for Clare with the

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debut on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.

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And I'm sure last year set the

stage for even greater things.

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She hinted at the possibility

of a new Celtic album as well.

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She sings an acoustic

version of her anthem.

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I swear an incredible song of hope

and support, and you'll know the

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inspiration for it after you hear

the passion and commitment she has

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in helping others after the personal

transformation she's experienced as a

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person and artist over the last decade.

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Check her out on YouTube and social media.

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She has a lot of great

performances out there.

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Here's Clare Cunningham.

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Let's dive in.

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Clare Cunningham.

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So nice to meet you.

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Clare Cunningham: So nice to meet you!

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Jason English (Host): Welcome to Florida.

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Clare Cunningham: Thank you.

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Jason English (Host):

I don't live here, but

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Clare Cunningham: Yeah, where do you

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Jason English (Host): I live in Atlanta.

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We're at the 30 a songwriters festival.

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I was here last year.

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It's amazing because it's 30 venues,

all these artists it's impossible to

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see everything, but it's just different

because each venue is so intimate.

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Clare Cunningham: This

is my first 30A I've

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always wanted to play this one.

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Kind of was made aware of when I

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and of course it's a, it's a little

more prestigious than some of them.

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So you kind of have to get like

either invited in or have done some

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good things to be able to get in.

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And this year was, the year I got

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Jason English (Host): Well, congrats.

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That's

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Clare Cunningham: thank you.

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Yeah.

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I'm looking forward to it.

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Really looking forward to it.

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Jason English (Host): amazing.

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Uh, so it seems like 2023, it was a,

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giganticly huge

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year for you.

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You had so much going on.

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What were, what were

some of your highlights?

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Clare Cunningham: 2023 on a musical note

was definitely probably of the highest

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of standards.

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Mainly just because I got to debut at the,

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Opry, that was in March.

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So the year started off pretty, pretty

decent with getting the news of that.

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And then, anybody who gets to

Opry debut, sorry, at the Opry,

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like that's a big deal in itself.

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But then I also got invited, uh,

by Steve Earle, then to perform.

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Galway Girl with him, which like

growing up in Ireland, of course,

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like that's the song I grew up on.

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And then my biggest childhood hero, Mr.

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Garth Brooks, showed up on the

night to surprise everybody.

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And I got to meet him.

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And it was just like, it

was just one of the biggest

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highlights probably of my career.

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But, life goes on and then so the rest

of the year I got to, perform a lot of

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different things and I continue to do what

I do, but really for me, the highlight

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of any year is making a difference in

people's lives and so, you know, just

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receiving more messages of like people

who don't want to commit suicide or

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who say, you know, thank you for being

this voice that, we really still need

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in the world and that to me is like,

that's a successful year if I've managed

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to, , help others through their pain,

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Jason English (Host): That's way more

important than a hit record, right?

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Clare Cunningham: absolutely.

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And I'll say it time and time

again, whether people believe it

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or not, but like, I'm not here

for the Facebook likes and I'm not

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here for the money, the notoriety.

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I really, truly want to just

make a difference in the world.

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And however I can do that lyrically,

musically through my own life struggles,

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whatever, connecting with people on that

level, that that's, that's a good day.

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You know, that, that

to me is real success.

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Jason English (Host): So I, I believe

that every song has a story and

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I actually believe every musician

has a mission, even though they may

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not be so overt about it or not.

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Your mission is very clear.

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Like it's completely obvious in

every, almost every song you sing.

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And then, you know, in, in all the

content and the, in the interviews

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that you've done online and social,

social media, I guess for the

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people that aren't aware of you.

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What is your mission?

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Clare Cunningham: My main mission is

to leave this earth a little bit better

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than I came in, to be a voice of

inspiration, hope, and faith for those

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who feel like they can't talk or won't

talk to de-stigmatize conversations

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around mental health, through my music.

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And also show people that you

can do an array of things like

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you don't have to just focus on.

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One thing only, like it's, we, we are

a spiritual being, we're emotional, we

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have a physical need, we, you know, and

so I think I'm also big on my health and

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my fitness and, and so you as a human,

it, you're comprised of a lot more than

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just your physical body and making sure

that your mental health is in state.

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In check and your physical being and

emotional so it, you know, I'm trying

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to just show people that like you

gotta work on thy self, but also my

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testimony is a big part of that too.

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And so I know not everybody

who listens may have faith.

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But I want people to know, if you ever

just come across me and you think I'm

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all, you know, about Jesus and it's always

been that way, it definitely wasn't.

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And there's been a huge transition

in my life, having left all of

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that beautiful world to go follow

the devil for quite a while.

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Yeah, so I think You know, it's, it's,

it's a journey and, and I just want people

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to know that I'm here as your fellow human

as well, going through the same struggles

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and pain, um, but that, you gotta just

stay focused on, the present moment

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and don't look too far into the future.

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Don't look back.

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You're not going that way and

just continue life and, and

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you'll be, you'll be okay.

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But it doesn't come without

its hardships, of course.

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It's life.

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Jason English (Host): I think in

an interview, you mentioned that

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as a child and growing up you felt

silenced and that you didn't have

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a voice, can you expand on that?

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And was that a.

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Was that sort of like a traditional

religion sort of environment

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that you felt suppressed?

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Was it a family situation?

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Why didn't you feel like you had a voice?

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Clare Cunningham: Yeah, so

not everybody I guess has the,

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same cultural background I do.

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So I come from a very, very, very

tiny village in, in, in Ireland.

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And in general, and especially back,

we're going back quite a while, okay,

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I'm not as young as I used to be.

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People just didn't talk

about their feelings.

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Regardless of what was going on

in the family home or outside of

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it or in school or whatever, you,

never spoke about how you felt.

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That wasn't really the norm.

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So that's nothing wrong with culture,

it was just how it was back then.

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But yeah, I was the victim of some,

different things that happened to me

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in childhood and, due to legal reasons

and also, again, cultural reasons.

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It just kind of had to go under the

carpet a little bit, and throughout my

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adolescence, you know, there was a lot of

bullying that happened and, and different

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things like that, that again, I was so

shamed, even personally, like it wasn't

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even that I didn't have the option to,

I just always wanted to keep quiet about

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everything, and I did that until I was

around 27, 28, until I actually went and

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sought You know, a mental health therapy

and did cognitive behavioral therapy,

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which I highly recommend for people

who, feel like where's the first place

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I should start if you're looking to get

some help, because it kind of rewires

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and

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and rejigs your brain and I love studying

um, Brain, science, neurological

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science, , I think it's so interesting.

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We're all very, very interesting.

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Really my voice was, was

just not allowed to be

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given the

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way it is today.

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Now,

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Jason English (Host): which is

hard to imagine, I don't know you,

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but your personality and just how

strong you are, it's hard to imagine

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that you felt so suppressed, you

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Clare Cunningham: Yeah, well, I was a

completely different, I had a different

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mindset too, because I thought talking

about your feelings meant you were weak.

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If you, Were to admit there was an issue

in your life or that there was problems

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you were looked upon as less than or

that's at least what I thought, and so

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obviously has shifted over the years and

I had to kind of leave like I, I live

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a very kind of solo life if that makes

sense because I get very distracted by

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people and things I can lose myself if I

don't know if that actually makes sense,

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but, um, I had to kind of go on my own

pathway to be able to just focus on my

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calling and what I knew I had to do.

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And in order for me to do that,

I kind of needed a lot of like

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space, because my lifestyle and my.

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Livelihood is always around people.

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And so there's a lot of noise,

like physically but mentally too.

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Um, and I was always wanting to kind

of fit in but have my own way too.

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I would get called weird or strange or

like you're a little, and I still do.

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Like people don't

understand me as a person.

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But I don't really mind anymore

because I know what works.

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I'll take constructive criticism, but.

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I know what makes me happy and I

know how to best serve people around

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me if I've done what I need to do.

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And I think everybody should respect that.

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Like I need to respect others in their

lifestyles but others need to respect mine

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too and so when you tell me I'm boring for

not going out or I'm this or I'm too much

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or I train too much or I eat da da da, I'm

like just, just concentrate on yourself.

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I'll do the same.

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And I'll meet you somewhere in the

middle where, we can both have,

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a conversation or, or whatnot.

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Jason English (Host): What was the

timing of this sort of new focus on

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a mission to help people, be more self

aware and, pursue mental health describe

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that timing with your newfound faith

and sort of your, your testimony that

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you alluded to, did those, was it the

intersection of both of those things?

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Did that happen at the same time or

did they, was it independent of each

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Clare Cunningham: at the same time, or

did they, was it in the first place?

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like, the CBT, the Cognitive

Behavioural Therapy, worked for me,

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I wanted everyone to know about it.

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So I was more open in talking about the

fact that, hey, listen, I've tried this.

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I do believe there is an intersection

between the two for sure.

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Um, previous to me coming to, to Faith

as well, uh, once I had received the

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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, um,

I actually wanted a lot of people

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to kind of be Be made aware of it.

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So, you know, when you find something

that works for you, you're like,

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Hey, everybody, look what worked.

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You might not get as much positivity

around it, but nobody who's ever

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made a difference in this world

or who is successful has ever come

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against, the grain, so to speak.

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I just kept going on that trajectory

and then, with coming to the, faith

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world that I kind of joined back in

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I felt a little more open to be,

I was more free because I realized

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like I'm renewing myself now.

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I don't have to be ashamed of the

past or anything I've gone through.

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I'm a new creation now and that is a.

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Beautiful place to find yourself in

that it doesn't, it doesn't mean you

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go forward and you continue to sin,

but it means that's all forgiven.

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It's forgotten.

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Just go ahead and, and, and live life

now for, for him and, just be the

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person that you're designed to be.

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Jason English (Host): So I grew up in the

church, very active, all, my childhood.

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My earliest memories are, going

to Sunday school and church and I

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love a lot of those memories, but I

don't remember a lot of talk about

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self care and mental health, right?

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So I guess since this newfound

faith or renewed faith, um, has

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totally transformed who you are,

what's been the reception like of.

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The topic of mental health, going

to see therapists, et cetera.

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It feels like it should be more

accepting and more open than it

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would have been 30 years ago.

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I'm just curious, what have

you encountered with that?

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Clare Cunningham: Now, I had received

therapy and I did all of that prior to

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coming back to my faith, but there's

nothing wrong with seeking help.

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And there's nothing wrong

with taking medication if

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it's only for short term use.

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If you have no other way.

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Um, I don't condone not taking

it, but I do condone taking

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pills or taking, medication to

suppress what's really going on.

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Um, because everybody

comes with their issues.

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We don't escape life without that.

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And, um, there's something that you need

temporary, then, you know, But be mindful

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that it should only be for temporary use.

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Look, I've tried and tested, everything.

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I've tried and tested

different substances.

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I've gone to anything and everything

that I thought would give me temporary

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release, and it It does for a while

until you want the next thing.

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You don't necessarily need a church

to be Quote unquote religious, but in

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order for you to have a relationship

with the Holy Spirit like that's

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the most important relationship

You're gonna have in your life.

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You don't need to go somewhere with four

walls however you do need a community

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and you do need to be surrounded by

people who maybe can uplift you and

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Follow the same kind of good things

like we're meant to have them, you

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know, the fruits of the Spirit, right?

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Um,

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and if you're not seeking that You gotta

ask yourself, what are you seeking?

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Jason English (Host): So on that point.

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You were, part of a band

called Thunder Mother, right?

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Yeah.

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Was that the timing of sort of the,

those parts of your life, or was it even

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Clare Cunningham: God,

even before that, I think.

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I didn't really Look, I've always

been a really decent human.

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never been one to go around and

be, like, evil or anything like

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that, but the worldly things that

I was Searching for like, yeah,

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probably I did want more notoriety.

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I wanted notoriety when I was a

bit younger because I needed to

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quote unquote prove myself because

I chose a career that wasn't a real

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job, right, in other people's eyes.

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So when people do bring up like any

accolades I've done around, like,

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I'm just like, don't care for that.

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Like, I really don't like I it's

beautiful and don't get me wrong.

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I think it's it's a nice like ode

to what you're doing, but it's

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not what I strive for anymore.

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Um, but yeah, no prior to even getting

into the band in Sweden, like I

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think I was, I think I was around.

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13,

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when

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14, probably when I decided, Ah,

yeah, this lifestyle isn't for me.

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I'm gonna, I'm, I'm not,

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know?

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Screw the Lord, know.

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I was just like, I'm going, I'm leaving.

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This is, well, I saw

too much hypocrisy too.

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I saw people go to church that

were disgusting human beings

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and I was like, wait a minute.

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Everyone's saying they're nice, but

I know what they're really like,

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like.

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Jason English (Host): For those that

may not know Thunder Mother, what

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would you compare them to in terms

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Clare Cunningham: Oh yeah,

ACDC and Motorhead meets.

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Um, Yeah, it was, it was

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not the, it's not the Spice Girls.

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the furthest thing from the Spice Girls.

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Although I was still Scary

Spice probably, but, um, yeah.

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No, uh, very, very heavy classic metal

rock and roll, but like with a real

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cool groove, you know, ACDC was the

main influence of that band for sure.

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Very talented girls and it was, it was

a, it was a fun time but it was also some

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of the worst mental health I had had.

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I started having panic attacks.

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I, I was at my illest when I was

in that band because just years and

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years of touring and dealing with um,

severe narcissism within the band.

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I just, I wasn't enjoying myself.

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I was living in a country that, you

know, and I had, unfortunately, I had

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some severe cases of, uh, of stalkers.

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I just wasn't even living.

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I was living in fear continuously.

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it was a combination of all of that.

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And it wasn't.

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The band wasn't worth it then for me, I

remember being one of the last doctors

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I went to over my mental health, and

just my physical because I started

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getting, um, this really, rare form

of psoriasis because of the complete

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trauma my body was going through.

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They were like, whatever you're doing,

um, Yeah, you're gonna have to give it up.

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I don't know what you do.

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I don't know what your lifestyle is,

but you're gonna be dead in 15 years.

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That's what they said.

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And I was like, I just remember sliding

in the wall crying going, I got it.

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Something's gotta change.

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attacks.

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Jason English (Host): This

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Podcast is inspired by the mindset

that was illustrated by the television

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character, Ted Lasso, right?

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Positivity, empathy, vulnerability,

all those great things.

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Empathy as positive as he was,

and as inspiring leader as

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that character illustrated, he

had his own stuff going on.

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Including panic attacks and what

was interesting was, as the series

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progressed, it's like, there's

nothing wrong with this guy.

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He's got everything going, he

was going through a divorce.

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Yes, but he was able to lead, he was

able to motivate all those things.

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But then you saw that he was dealing

with stuff, the panic attacks, and then

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he sort of battled this whole idea of

self care and going to see a therapist.

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Right.

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So I think, on one hand, the positivity

was a good thing to, to sort of

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say, okay, I want to emulate that.

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Right.

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But everybody's got their stuff,

especially after, during and after COVID.

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And, he came around on the mental health,

like the therapist ended up being one of

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his best friends, but I guess, could you

relate to that in terms of putting out a

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public face of, maybe not a soccer coach,

but a rocker, you know, but like inside

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Clare Cunningham: you're dying

inside soccer coach, but a rocker,

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you know, but like, inside.

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2023.

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Look, I did four house moves.

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I was going through so much in my

personal life at times, especially

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only like as of recently, um, that I,

I hit a really, really big wall and

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I had some really dark days that I.

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Would, would have had it been in

the past and I didn't have the Lord.

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I, I'll just, I'll leave it there.

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But here's the thing, when people

would see me, they're not gonna know.

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But, nowadays, if somebody

says, how are you?

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I'm like, you know what?

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I'm actually not good.

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I'm going through a moment right

now, but I know things will be okay.

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So I think it's really

important that I don't lie.

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I don't tell them, Oh my God,

everything's great like I used to.

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I'll just say, look, do you mind?

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And if they're the praying kind,

I'm like, just throw me up a prayer,

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would So that's how I do it now.

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And so I think it's really important that

you don't dwell on the bad too much, but

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that people around us need to that we're

not doing okay sometimes because On the

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outside, everyone says, oh, but you're

so happy and so positive and so did it.

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I'm like, yeah, but you

don't know what's going on.

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But

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I want to be honest and raw, but

I also need to Show that you can't

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like stay in that funk either.

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It's okay.

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Yeah, you're gonna have your days,

but don't let the days turn into

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weeks, into months, into years.

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That's when you need to

like do something about it.

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And don't leave the world because you

think the world is too much to bear.

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I, I can sit here and safely say that

most of the things that are happening

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to me that are bad and distractions

and all the setbacks, you know, I'm

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going through a whole rigmarole of

visa stuff where I don't know what's

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happening in my life as we sit here

and talk right now, but I do know.

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That whatever is going to be, is

going to be, and I have to trust.

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Jason English (Host): How, how does

that show itself in your songwriting?

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Clare Cunningham: It definitely

comes across, I think, in the sense

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that when I'm in that kind of mind

frame, and the Lord wants to give

386

me a song, then that just pours out.

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So however I'm feeling, and usually

that's when I'm feeling at my lowest

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sometimes, is when those kind of

creations come out, because you're

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really feeling what you're going through.

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Jason English (Host): So

you're obviously Irish

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Clare Cunningham: how'd you know,

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Jason English (Host):

questions about that.

393

So sometimes in your songs and

whether it's, prerecorded videos

394

or the, live, content that's on

YouTube, the Irish accent comes

395

out in some songs and others it

396

Clare Cunningham: I know.

397

Jason English (Host): that intentional

or is it just, is it just a thing?

398

Clare Cunningham: I would love to

sit down and have something wired

399

up to me to figure out why that is.

400

And I think because of that, people

actually think I intentionally put on

401

an accent and I really, really don't.

402

And if I were to sing you a

song that wasn't of my culture.

403

In an Irish accent,

you'd, you'd just laugh.

404

It's, it's next to impossible

to try and do that.

405

So I think it's whatever to do with

the music, the scales and the culture.

406

It just seems to really,

really come out naturally.

407

And then when I sing something of a

pop or blues or something else like of

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a folky type thing, then it doesn't.

409

And I have no explanation as to

why that is or isn't the way.

410

It's definitely, it leaves it more

authentic for the Celtic stuff, but

411

it's, it's certainly not put on.

412

It's just, I think it's just due, I'll

tell you what I, as I'm sitting here

413

trying to figure it out, I'm pretty sure

we grow up on American music, right?

414

So when you hear a pop song,

you hear the inflections, you

415

hear the way it's pronounced.

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That's what you do.

417

That's how you learn.

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It's like people who learn English as a

second language in a different accent.

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Right.

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So it's similar to that.

421

Whereas the Irish stuff, of course,

is all sung by mostly Irish and

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their accent kind of is integrated.

423

So I think it's just, again, the

inflections and how you pronounce

424

the words just seems to naturally

flow with the accent more.

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Jason English (Host): That makes sense

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I'm

427

not an

428

an expert on Irish.

429

Music, U2 is one of my favorite bands,

but there is something like, whether

430

it's U2, especially the early stuff,

Sinead O'Connor, there's, there's a

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certain sort of tension in the music

of, those, artists that you don't

432

feel or sense with a lot of other

bands from other parts of the country.

433

Like what, what is it about that?

434

I

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Clare Cunningham: think as well,

I mean, there's so many more Irish

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artists that you guys wouldn't have

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Jason English (Host): no, I picked

two, I probably picked two of the most

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Clare Cunningham: No, you've

picked two great ones.

439

But I think it's due to the suppression

and oppression in our culture.

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It's, it's in the lineage there, I

don't think people realize how bad

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things were in Ireland, like most of the

citizens in Ireland back in the day had

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to emigrate, there was a lot of slavery.

443

There's a lot of the famine.

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And, when you look at any culture

that comes from, from struggle or

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pain it's just, there's like hard

times and struggle pain, poverty.

446

Yeah, all of Like, black

music, it's the same.

447

It's like anything that comes from

all of those kind of suppressed, kind

448

of painful, um, cultural dealings.

449

It's in the DNA.

450

It comes right through and it

comes right through in the music.

451

So Irish music is, is probably loved on

a scale because it's, it's storytelling.

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It's unwavering truth.

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It's raw.

454

It's real.

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There's songs you guys

will have never even heard.

456

And we're just , that's,

what I grew up on, you

457

grew up on,

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Jason English (Host): Who's,

who's an Irish artist that a

459

Clare Cunningham: Oh, uh, Christie

Moore, Mary Black, Frances Black.

460

You guys already know the Cranberries,

they're amazing obviously.

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The Wolftones.

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Obviously you have the Pogues and

the Irish Rovers, The Bards actually

463

were a band, a local band, that I

used to go and see in concert, and

464

they became a good family, kind of,

like, they, they got to know us as

465

well and they were amazing as well.

466

Jason English (Host): Well, you wrote

a song that's an ode to your home

467

country, that's not full of tension

and strife and struggle, right?

468

Quite delightful.

469

What prompted you to, write that?

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Clare Cunningham: McCree, right?

471

Oddly enough, that was the very, very,

very first song I wrote about Ireland.

472

Jason English (Host):

when you were living here

473

Clare Cunningham: when I just moved here

474

a show, it was, the Nantucket Project, and

it's out in Nantucket in Massachusetts.

475

I was gonna be performing at this event,

and this is the biggest yearly event

476

that they put on, like, every year,

and, like, ex presidents, I knew it

477

was a big deal and I was like I gotta

get a song and I remember sitting in my

478

sister's spare bedroom in her house on

Nantucket, where she, she resides and

479

I was just started writing the song.

480

And it came out in like 15 minutes

and it's odd because the very first

481

song that I write about my country

is the one that like has just proven

482

to be time and time again a timeless

number that I can do and I finish

483

absolutely every single show with it.

484

Or if I have only one song to perform

for any event, that's my go to.

485

Jason English (Host): It's like absence

makes, makes the heart grow fonder,

486

Clare Cunningham: yeah, and I've

since wrote another one, it's

487

called, I'm on my way, bhealach.

488

And, uh, yeah, I just got that one

recorded in the studio last week and I'm

489

really excited because I'm going to put

out a full Celtic record now this year.

490

Uh, it was meant to be out like

at the end of last year, but house

491

moving and visa stuff and life

just got in the way of everything.

492

I'm gonna be, yeah, there's a lot

more of that stuff coming your way.

493

Yeah.

494

Jason English (Host): Well,

you talked about 23, I was

495

going to ask you about 2024.

496

So this new album, what

else is on the docket?

497

Clare Cunningham: loads

and loads of festivals.

498

I've got, some mini tours.

499

I've got, what else?

500

Um, yeah, I'm still, to be honest,

when January hits, that's the

501

time, it's the quiet time, but it's

most of the time when you start.

502

Getting in all the bookings.

503

So yeah, I've got pretty much the whole

year mapped out for the major like

504

festivals that I'm still getting more.

505

Jason English (Host): Well,

thank you for the time.

506

Could you play a couple of

507

Clare Cunningham: Yeah, 100%.

508

Jason English (Host): Awesome.

509

Thank you.

510

Clare Cunningham: So this song I

swear It goes out to anybody who needs

511

a song that will help them through a dark

day because everybody has a dark day at

512

some point in their life where you know

somebody and one in four adults, um,

513

suffers from some form of mental health

issues in their life at some point.

514

And I actually think that number is

probably higher after the pandemic.

515

Um, so.

516

Just know that if you're

going through something that

517

it's not going to be forever.

518

This too shall pass and you'll, you'll

get through it and hope this helps.

519

It's not a race as long as you get

where you're going it's not always easy.

520

Living life not knowing

what's on the other side.

521

Close your eyes.

522

Promise don't be afraid.

523

Dream of the better times to

come and just keep the faith.

524

I promise you, like me,

you'll see it through.

525

It's taking all of your

strength to just stay strong.

526

When you feel like giving

up, keep holding on.

527

It's gonna be alright, might not be

overnight, With a lot of love and

528

mercy, and a little less pride, You'll

get there, you'll get there, I swear.

529

I know cause I felt what you're feeling

When the well has run dry, it seems

530

like your dream, only nightmares.

531

Like a battle,

532

that you'll never win.

533

Broken record, always on.

534

And the worries just don't fit.

535

Taking all of your strength

to just stay strong.

536

When you feel like giving

up, keep holding on.

537

It's gonna be alright,

might not be overnight.

538

A lot of love and mercy,

and a little less pride.

539

You'll get there, you'll

get there, I swear.

540

It's gonna be alright.

541

Bright might not be often, but with a

lot of love and mercy, and a little less

542

pride, you'll get there, you'll get there.

543

You get there, you get there, you

get there, you get there, I swear.

544

Jason English (Host): Thanks so

much for joining us for another

545

episode of Curious Goldfish.

546

Please follow and subscribe to

the podcast and on social media.

547

Also, tell your music

loving friends about us too.

548

Until next time, stay curious.