When Danielle first told me about the heart-touching history
behind the writing of this song, I was hesitant to write a review of it for
fear that I would not do it justice. I
am still a bit fearful of that, but after a week of having it tug at my heart,
I decided I had to give it my best shot. So, here it is.
I will dispense of the usual discussion about production
quality, normally my favorite part of an analysis, because the production is
flawless – ready for airplay on any major syndicated network alongside of the
greatest artists in country and Christian music.
Sir Elton John once said,
“Music has a healing power. It has the ability to take people out of themselves
for a few hours.” Danielle’s song “Always
With You,” is one of those songs that heals, and that is exactly what she
was trying to achieve with the tune, for both herself and her listeners. She
needed a song that would remind her of her loss, and that would help inspire
others to “chin-up” in the face of adversity.
On her seventeenth birthday, Danielle lost her beloved Grandmother
who had been battling cancer. Her Grandma was the devoted family-type, who
always attempted to inspire family members to keep a sense of humor, and to
accept and be kind to everyone by means of the “Golden Rule.” As
chance would have it, a week before the diagnosis of cancer, Danielle was in
Quebec City. Knowing that her Grandma was not feeling well, she stopped at a
local church to light a candle and say a prayer. Near the church, she found a
shop and bought her grandmother a gift – a stone with an angel engraved on one
side, and the phrase “Toujours Avec Toi” inscribed on the other – “Always With
You.”
Shortly after giving the gift to her grandmother, the
diagnosis came. Along with the diagnosis came conversations between the two of
them about fears and beliefs, and the phrase “Always With You” took on a new
meaning for Danielle, and she knew it would be the title of her next work. She
and her producer wrote the song within an hour, and she was able to record it
in time for her Grandmother to hear it just before passing.
As proof of her Grandmother’s love of family, Danielle now
wears a heart pendant that her Grandma had made for her before passing. On it
is a cross and the words “Toujours Avec Toi.” The pendant was made before her
Grandmother knew that Danielle was writing “Always With You” in her honor.
Ms. Haskell has
the wonderfully unique talent of writing relatable lyrics for the masses. Whether or not you are a person of faith, the
song will inspire you to be strong in the face of adversity, focus on the
good and not the bad, and to remember that regardless of who you are, someone
out there will always be with you.
“Rain, keeps pouring down. No break in the clouds. No peace
for your soul. The days, keep moving so slow. You’re looking for hope. And you
feel all alone, but you’re not alone. I am here. I am here!” ~ Danielle Haskell
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