A song about love that’s big enough, and healthy enough, to hold someone loosely, support them fiercely, and allow them to change.

© 2023 STORY & TUNE

All music and lyrics by Ben Grace & Karyn Thurston

Produced and mixed by Jeff Berkley at Satellite, part of Studio West in San Diego, CA.

Mastered by Mark “Robbie” Robinson 
Production Assistance Amelia Sarkisian

Lead Vocals: Ben Grace & Karyn Thurston
Guitar: Jeff Berkley
Keys: Ben Grace
Drums: Josh Hermsmeier
Bass: Rick Nash

Hurricane (single)

Buried somewhere below law and order candidacy, border walls, and the tyrannical reign of patriarchy and white supremacy, the mother heart in the American dream has been long forgotten, perhaps before she ever began. She beats for the yearning of her beloved to breathe free. She beats for justice, for enlightenment and liberty for all. She is mother to the exiles and safe harbor for the weary. She is keeping her lamp lit until each and every soul comes home to equity, until what was taken is returned, until blood no longer spills from her shores. She is holding onto mercy, and she is holding on for good.

Torch is our love song to her revolution. May she come with lightning. May she light up the shore.

Written by Karyn Thurston & Ben Grace

Performed, recorded, produced & mixed by Ben Grace
Vocals, whistle, acoustic guitar, piano, & programming by Ben Grace
Backing vocals by Karyn Thurston

www.storyandtune.com

Lyrics:
She don’t keep a record
Of the wrongs that we will carry
She is hellbent and wary
She was always quick to cry
And hope is swooping circles
That she used to be afraid of
The shapes that she is made of
Well it happens they can fly

And she don’t believe in Jesus
Not the way you think she should
But it’s Mercy that she’s holding
And she’s holding on
For good

Well she’s aching at the edges
Yeah she’s breaking at the seams
She has always been a dreamer
But her midnight’s closing in
She’s a vessel and a healer
Love can pick its poison
She is swallowing the noise and
She is staying till we win

And she don’t believe in Jesus
Not the way you think she should
But it’s Mercy that she’s holding
And she’s holding on
For good

Bring your tired & huddled masses
Bring your yearning to breathe free
Bring your never was and has-beens
Bring your desperate liberty
She is mothering the exiles
She is coming home for more
She is holding back the lightning
She is lighting up the shore

And she don’t believe in Jesus
Not the way you think she should
But it’s Mercy that she’s holding
And she’s holding on
For good

Torch (single)

Written by Ben Grace & Karyn Thurston.
Inspired by a prompt from the Singer-Songwriter Challenge in honor of Sarah Morris' birthday.

Produced, arranged, recorded & mixed by Ben Grace
All instrumentation by Ben Grace
Backing vocals by Karyn Thurston

www.storyandtune.com

Maybe By Next Christmas

The first song Karyn & I wrote together on Oct 14 2018. I was in a hotel room in Birmingham & it was also the first time we spoke on the phone. I had written a chorus to a piece she had posted on Instagram & asked for her cell no to send her the voice memo.

Story & Tune