Veterans are 57.3% more likely to die by suicide than non-veterans, with estimates ranging from 17 to 24 veterans dying by suicide in the U.S. each day. That is somewhere over 7000 per year.

What is not so obvious is that there were 49,316 suicides in 2023 in the United States.

The top 20% of countries with high suicide mortality (over 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people) are:
Guyana: 40.8 deaths per 100,000 population.
Suriname: 25.9.
Uruguay: 18.8.
United States of America: 14.5.
Haiti: 11.2.
Canada: 10.3.
Cuba: 10.2.

It is not so difficult for me to understand the situation with vets. I have to wonder why the other 40,000 suicides happened.

What would the United States and Canada have in common with Haiti and Cuba?

I indirectly have access to conversations with people from Cuba. Haiti is often in the news. However good or bad our governments are here in the US and Canada, and the general quality of life is, it certainly does not compare with Haiti or Cuba.

It is always shocking when someone calls to say someone you know well has killed themself.

The song in question was written due to conversations of this sort on a music forum in Texas. The hope was that someone would hear it and understand that they are not alone and that other people are going through similar things and perhaps reach out for help.

Perhaps all of us should try to write a song or two about serious subjects, in the hope that it may have a positive influence on someone.

Cheers,

Billy

“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”