Danette McMahon
Little girl walkin’ down the street—Had no shoes on her feet
Was it by choice that her feet were bare?
Did anyone at home know she wasn’t there?
It makes me wonder
Young (little) boy with hunger in eyes—Desperation he can no longer hide
No food in his stomach or a mother’s hand to hold
Has hopelessness finally taken it’s toll
It makes me wonder
How can I turn my head and look the other way
When unspoken words can have so much to say
“Do unto others pounded in my head”
Then, I heard a voice that clearly said
“You’re not an innocent bystander.”
Now, the little girl’s dancing with shoes on her feet
The young boy wears a smile…he’s had something to eat
Didn’t take that much time to help and do what felt right
I’ll sleep better knowing
I wasn’t just an innocent bystander
Woman cries, she’s been battered bruised
Ready to die, feels she’s got nothing to lose
Hates to go home at the end of the day
Cruel words and a fist always gets in the way
It makes me wonder
Old man sits alone all day, talking to himself
Sees his life like a book gathering dust on shelf
People watch from a distance, they’re afraid to come near
They can’t tell that he’s harmless and nothing to fear
It makes me wonder
How can I turn my head and look the other way
When unspoken words can have so much to say
“Do unto others pounded in my head”
Again, I heard a voice that clearly said
“You’re not an innocent bystander.”
Now, the woman can rest, she has a safe place to live
The old man shares his stories, he got so much to give
Didn’t take that much time to help, and do what felt right
I can rest better knowing
I wasn’t just an innocent bystander
Story
I lived in the Ft Lauderdale area, back in the late 80s. Driving to a new gig, I got lost and ended up in a rougher part of the city. (This was long before I owned an iPhone with GPS.) On the sidewalk, I noticed a little girl, barefoot, doing cartwheels on the sidewalk. She seemed happy as could be.
While living in South Florida, I experienced many beautiful areas, but none of them inspired me to write a song. No, those images are not what I held on to. Eighteen years later, I gravitated back to that child flipping upside down and around, shoeless feet in the air…but a joyful smile on her face. The questions raced through my head, making me wonder. What was waiting for her at home? What was her life like? Who was showing her love that would encourage a smile like the one I witnessed. Or, was she just overwhelmed with joy because she could do a cartwheel….something I had never mastered!
Lyrics were inspired from adds on tv. You’ve seen them…where there are all these malnourished children with eyes that had no tears yet they cried out. We have all heard the repeated stories of women being abused and not getting out of the situation.
In 2011, I started performing in retirement communities, working all levels from Independent Living to Memory Care. I sang “Young at Heart” for sweet Ellen’s 105th birthday and I’ve heard incredible stories of remarkable lives and accomplishments..even a Pearl Harbor survivor. So many of these sweet folks have amazing stories but can find few that have the time to listen. Everyone is in a hurry! Basically, this song is about slowing down and looking around. Without doing this, it’s more difficult to find the time to ask important questions and open our ears to hear that voice that wants to help direct us.