"pghboemike"...

I haven't listened to the song, "In The Ghetto" for years, but after watching the video you so generously shared, I searched it out and listened to it not only with my ears, but also my heart.

This is a very illuminating example of how listening to a particularly meaningful song becomes an experience that engages your full attention.

The composer, Mack Davis, spoke what I'd call the "songwriter's ultimate truth" when he said that his song "just wrote itself."

However, I don't think it was simply a matter of him waiting for something to fall into his lap. What Mr. Davis said that fully explained why and how the song came into being, was his admission that he'd been thinking consciously and with intent about how he could express his feelings about a subject that was obviously very important to him.

My point is, if your mind and heart and spirit are truly engaged in an internal dialogue about anything that truly matters to you, what's really going on inside you is tbat you're simply trying to solve a problem...

...and then, the song, when it arrives, is the answer to the problem.

By this I don't mean the problem is solved literally. For example, the problem of poverty that is part of what perpetuates ghettos hasn't been fixed yet.

Were Americans ignorant of the problem of life in the ghettos before "In The Ghetto" aired on the radio? 'Course not. But Mack Davis' soulful music and lyrical poetry -- the result of genuine inspiration, mind you -- by being so pleasing to our ears and non-threatening to our own personal views of the issue, ultimately contributed to opening our own hearts to a deeper consideration of the whole matter.

Through his song, he helped to break down our defenses and prejudices concerning what seems to be a difficult social problem to solve, and that, to my mind, is as good as being part of the solution.

As you think, so you do.

LOREN

Great listening to Mack Davis. For me, the key comment is that once you have the Hook - the song writes itself. Great interview.

What an interesting video I grew up hearing this song a lot in my household, and it's awesome to hear a little insight into the process that made it come to be.

Thanks so much for sharing!

What a wonderful interview! And what a shame that Mack doesn't own the rights to the song.

That's a great story. Interview done by my buddy Bart at the NSAI.

For the record, the guy's name is Mac Davis though. I was going to make a joke about him growing up too poor to afford the extra "k" then I realized that was inappropriate. But then again, maybe not. He was poor until he wrote that song. But not after.

Great song.