I learned my craft as a composer/lyricist writing for the theater.  It’s probably why I write a lot of story songs.  I worked and studied as an actor and that also gave me my own interesting slant on song writing.  I try to write from my own particular corner on life, but sometimes I can write from a particular character perspective that is not me – though even in those songs there’s always an essence of me in them even if they are of another character.

I sometimes like to write from the particular perspective of the singer for whom I’m writing.  In the case of Julia Wade, my wife and Watchfire Music recording artist, this is particularly true.  Because I know her so well, sometimes I can get inside of her and see things from her point of view.  Before writing this kind of a song for her, I’ll usually discuss the moments in depth with her and glean from her feelings all that I can.  Then I know that when I’ve finished writing the song, she’ll naturally have a real affinity for it.

Julia’s long been fascinated with Mary Magdalene and has spent countless hours researching her life on line and reading books about her.  She was deeply into the discoveries, revelations and suppositions brought out by Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” long before the book came out and fueled the imaginations of millions around the world.

I’ve also long been fascinated with Jesus’ last breakfast by the sea with his disciples after his crucifixion.  Mostly it was always the mood of the scene that transfixed me.  It’s filled with great mystery, clarity, sadness, and hope all at the same time.  It’s these qualities of opposites that always make for great drama and the metaphorical nature of Jesus’ calling across the waves from the shore to his disciples fishing and telling them to cast their net on the right side has captured my imagination since childhood.

So it was a natural for me to wonder where Ms Magdalene was through all this on that particular morning.  Would she not have been there too?  Though the Bible makes no mention of her, I decided to place her into the scene and have Julia tell the story through Mary’s eyes.  Perhaps she wasn’t invited by her male counterparts – after all they had no idea of Jesus’ impending visit as they went a’fishing.  Perhaps she furtively stood on a dune back behind the beach there on the Sea of Galilee and watched the whole thing go down.

I Was There
Music and Lyrics by Peter Link

I was there on that morning by the sea
As the sun broke purple through the haze
I was there as they cast their nets in sorrow
And the waters yielded nothing
As the sky was all ablaze

I was there as he stood upon the shoreline
Watching those he loved struggle on
I was there as he whispered ‘cross the waters
“Cast your nets now on the right side
For the night is surely gone”

Yes I was there with the master
In the purple light of dawn
I was there as we all went struggling on

I was there
And the catch that day was a billion souls
And it’s happening again
He’s teaching us to pray
He’s teaching us to heal
And then we too can be
Fishers of men

I was there when he told them how he loved them
And his words burned a purpose in their hearts
As the fire turned to ashes then he left them
But the gift of God stayed with them
In the inward parts

I was there