Angelina: A Wrinkle in Time

Something impossible just happened.

Do you remember the song “Angelina”, on my Indigo album?  The one that was inspired by a poster of a missing girl?  

The song was born out of one of the craziest synchronicity moments I’ve ever experienced as a collaborative songwriter, when my co-writers virtually picked the song out of my subconscious as if I were wearing it on me when I walked in the room (click here to see a Youtube video of me telling that story during a show at the Bluebird Cafe). So I knew it was a magical song…but I didn’t quite realize HOW magical….

Then, I got an email. “How did you know our Angelina?!!” it said. It was from the family of a young Canadian girl. They had just discovered my song, and they thought I must have written it about their 16-year-old Angelina, who had gone missing and was subsequently lost to a drug overdose in 2017.

“I’m so sorry for your loss”, I responded, “but I didn’t know your Angelina. I never saw the name - or the age - of the missing girl on the poster that inspired the song. The name just came into my head during the writing process, along with the line “you’d be sixteen”.  I actually wrote the song years ago, long before your Angelina went missing.”

“Hmmm…OK then…the timeline IS wrong,” they responded. “But we really thought it was about her! Because here’s the thing…look at this picture she drew that we displayed at her funeral!!!”

 I scrolled the page down to see the picture.  And it instantly stood the hair up on the back of my neck.

Here is Angelina’s drawing.

Now scroll up to the top of the page and take another look at my album cover for my Indigo album (with the song “Angelina” on it).

!!!!!!!HOLY MOLY!!!!!

 I don’t know what this means.  

But here’s what I’d like to think it means…

It means that a girl who is no longer living on this earth can still somehow communicate her love to her family. It means that she can do it through a song that was inspired by an idea whispering itself in a songwriter’s ear half a decade before her death.  Which means that our creativity comes from something bigger than us. And that time isn’t linear. And that when you’re gone, the essence of who you are still lives on.

Amen.

Thank you, Angelina. Fly in peace.

 *****

Quote from Angelina’s uncle: “I don’t know if the Angelina in your song was our Angelina, but it is for me. When she was missing, no one slept…asking the same questions in your song. You’ve brought something special to our family, and it resonates with us in ways that I cannot describe.”

Quote from Angelina’s mother, in response to my request to post about this:  “I would be so honored if you posted something on your blog.I find the most healing days during my recovery are days spent speaking of Lina, capturing her story…in the hopes of it falling upon ears that trigger personal change....or at least leaving an impression or momentary impact, in whatever form that may be.”

*****

Interested in more behind-the-scenes musings about songwriting, creativity, the Nashville music biz and life in general? Join my monthly Ko-Fi Club for unreleased songs and exclusive content.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a coffee here: