This song was written as a submission for American Idol’s first songwriter contest. Howard and Mark used Appreciative Inquiry to tailor the song for the program — the first time either of them had created a song fully through the use of AI. Learn more about Potluck’s visit YouTube to see the video or post a comment.
2007 Mark S. Meritt
Lyrics
I was afraid I was forgotten in the shadows
Too weak to hope the sun would shine on me again
But you lit me up and helped me to remember
How alive I used to be, deep in every part of me back then
You were the faith that moved me forward when I faltered
You were the trust that made it safe to risk it all
To bet my life and all that I’ve believed in
To stand alone and vow to reveal the joy I now recall
We feared our dreams would fade away
But now we know they’re here to stay
I’m where I’m meant to be
No longer trapped so deep inside
Afraid of all that I’d denied
You saw in me
What I would come to see
And freed it so there’s nothing left to hide
I’ll lift you up, we’ll fly as one for our whole lives
When I look back on every step along the journey
I see how you unlocked each door through which I’ve grown
Though you may feel your sense of wonder is divided
You showed me how to give, now I know we’ll never live alone
My sun will shine to see us through
I’ll light the way that lives in you
I’m where I’m meant to be
No longer trapped so deep inside
Afraid of all that I’d denied
You saw in me
What I would come to see
And freed it so there’s nothing left to hide
I’ll lift you up, we’ll fly as one for our whole lives
We are the rock each other stands on
The reflections that set each other free
Our whole lives, we’re always more together
For you, for me, for we can be
We’re right where we belong
No longer trapped so deep inside
There’s nothing left for us to hide
We finally see
What we were meant to be
We’re free and now we’ve crossed the Great Divide
I’ll lift you up, you’ll carry me, we’ll fly as one for our whole lives
© 2007 Mark S. Meritt and Howard Ditkoff
In this song Our Whole Lives, the person who is singing this Lisa Glick, is her full name Lisa Glickenhouse? I think think she is a music and chorus teacher at Linden Ave Middle School? Is that true?
One and the same! Good catch 🙂