Lyrics: Kay-lynn Carew / Robert Baitinger
I'm a songwriter who loves to collaborate with other songwriters, vocalists, musicians and producers.
For songwriters who dont sing or perform it is extremely hard to make ones mark in the music business because they dont have a platform to present and promote their work. This is more or less the situation that I, Robert Baitinger, have been confronted with since I started writing songs in 1978.
My idea is to complement my songwriting capabilities with the "helping hands" of excellent artists, musicians and innovative producers. In the age of the internet it has become easier to communicate and collaborate with musicians and producers all over the world. I am utilizing the internet and pursuing the idea of a conceptual studio band with a frequently changing lineup of artists. I call this project the "Rob B. Project" since I supply the melodies and/or lyrics of a song and other musicians/producers/songwriters contribute their talents and skills to make it come to life.
Story behind the song
In a songwriter forum Kay-lynn Carew posted this little story:
Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions.
Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching. As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea. The boy came closer still and the man called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"
The young boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves", the youth replied. “When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water."
The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference."
The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, “it mattered to that one!"
That little story inspired me to write the lyrics of this song.
Lyrics
It Mattered to That One
[Instrumental Intro]
[Verse]
There’s an old man with a pen by the sea
Walks the shore where the tide runs free
After the storm, in the early sun
Starfish scattered, more than one
[Verse]
Down the beach came a barefoot boy
Stopping to throw what the waves destroyed
Old man said, “Son, what’re you tryin’ to do?
Boy said, “Send ’em home before the daylight’s through
[Chorus]
He said, “It mattered to that one, back in the blue
Might not change the world, but I changed a few
When the odds are heavy and the right feels small
You just do what you can that’s all
I ain’t savin’ everything under the sun
But it mattered yeah, it mattered to that one
[Break]
[Verse]
Old man said, “Son, there’s too many here
You can’t fix it all, that much is clear
Boy bent down, tossed one more
Watched it disappear past the shore
[Chorus]
It mattered to that one, back in the blue
Might not change the world, but I changed a few
When the odds are heavy and the right feels small
You just do what you can that’s all
I ain’t savin’ everything under the sun
But it mattered yeah, it mattered to that one
[Instrumental Interlude]
[Final chorus]
It mattered to that one, back in the blue
Might not change the world, but I changed a few
When the odds are heavy and the right feels small
You just do what you can that’s all
I ain’t savin’ everything under the sun
But it mattered yeah, it mattered to that one
[Outro]
Old man smiled, turned back slow
With a brand-new story he already knows
