EVER, DIANE

At Track One (00:00 Diane sings her version of ‘Silent Night’, one of her favorite songs.  

Jas performs ‘EVER DIANE” at 01:36. 

 

When she was born with Down Syndrome AND a hole in her heart, the doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital told my parents that their daughter would never survive,

“Why don’t you leave her with us, we’ll take care of it”.

My father replied,

“We’ll just be taking our daughter home with us, thank you.”

And she DID survive — for 53 years!

 

Ever, Diane, by Jas Hilsdon © 1999

Lyrics:

Momma said from the beginning you were all of a wonder

With your heart compromised, and the down in your eyes

The doctors said you wouldn’t make it – baby’s heart could never take it

And they didn’t give you long, to be ever Diane…

 

Poppa said whatever happens, you belong to God in Heaven

And we’re blessed to recall – you were ever at all

And it must have been the love in you and the miracle of life in you

Was as good as any other, strong as ever, Diane…

 

Under this or any other circumstance if at all by any means by any chance,

come wherever it may – any possible way it’s a matter of can, Diane

And you showed us you could do it – if we only left you to it,

Could we ever stop believing, in you ever Diane?

 

Would you bloom where you were planted?

Could it be you’re enchanted?

How many years has it been – “Happy Birthday”, again?

It looks to us as though you made it, Life’s a melody, you played it –

Thank you for the reminder – you were ever, Diane.

 

It’s the happiness you brought us, and the music you taught us,

Makes us all realize blessings come in disguise

And the person you were meant to be is the light that you were sent to be

just as good or even better – brighter than ever, Diane…

 

Under this or any other circumstance if at all by any means,

by any chance,

come wherever it may – in any possible way it’s a matter of can, Diane.

And we knew that you could do it, if we only left you to it,

And we’ll never stop believing in you ever Diane…

 

No we never stopped believing in you ever Diane… Diane…Diane.

All Rights Reserved © By Jas Hilsdon, 2013

 

Jas Hilsdon,   On writing the song:

“Right after my sister Diane died, I felt bad that I hadn’t finished writing her special song yet. I’d been working on it, every once in a while, for a good eight or nine years. So I dragged it out again and really concentrated on it. I knew I wanted it to be called “Ever, Diane”. The verse melody was there, the chorus melody and lyrics were mostly there, but I was short of lyrics, and I had a big problem resolving the bridge. I sat at my desk with my guitar and the sketchy lyric sheet, and as I sang and played the song to myself, I’ll never forget having certain key phrases just drop into my head. Like “It must have been the love in you_ and the miracle of life in you_ was as good as any other”, or “Happy birthday again”, or “Life’s a melody, you played it”. It was like a light went on. And then, all of a sudden I stumbled on the right progression of chords to bring the bridge back into key from it’s modulation. And then, I heard Diane’s voice as though she were standing right behind me, but a little bit above me, saying, “Go on. Finish it. I like it.” I knew she was smiling down on me.”