July 2019, my beloved grandmother passed away peacefully, early in the morning, at the age of 100. I turned over my responsibilities for the day and hopped on a plane to Los Angeles to be with her body and my grieving family, and while I was in the air, I heard and recorded this song. I sang it later that day, and my cousins and I sang an arrangement at her memorial service later that year.

 

This first video is from later that week, after my grandmother’s passing. I was staying with a friend who is no stranger to grief. She is, and her husband was, prolific artists, and their home is full of art, built into the very landscape of their property. What you’re seeing here is part of their pool, their rose garden, some of Sherman’s sculptures, and the weaving rock walled path that snakes among grapevines. Sherman and Stacy laid most of this wall together while Sherman was alive; Stacy finished it after Sherman’s passing. It was a beautiful home in which to process some grief and begin to breathe again…and I spent the day in the garden and the pool, playing with this song.

 

This second video is from my Gramma’s memorial service in October of that same year, the first time this song was performed. This is a slightly simplified arrangement, (no third harmony). My cousins Amy and Elena are singing with me; we are Leo Baeck Temple in Los Angeles. The song begins at 1:46.

Lyrics:
Time has told, time will tell
Of a love that does not end
Love holds on, all is well
Even as our pathways bend
I still feel you, we are never alone
Step by step, we all walk each other home

(last time through)
I still feel you, I am never alone
Step by step, we have walked each other home

(These teaching tracks are very imperfect in that the pitch drops significantly, but hopefully they’ll get the point across. Sheet music is in the works.)

ALL:

Melody Including Solo:

Part 2, Lower Harmony:

Part 3, Higher Harmony:

Part 4, the Round:

Available for arrangement and/or performance; please contact for permissions.