This past April, friend and fellow musician Steven Johnson, who used to lend his acoustic guitar skills to our three-part folk harmonies – à la Peter, Paul and Mary – unexpectedly passed away. Steven, who eventually became a producer/writer for the Minneapolis-based Martin Williams advertising agency, performed extensively with us throughout the seventies. His son, Ben, would later pick up where his dad had left off, throughout the nineties.
Currently, Ben Johnson remains a member of the original cast for Peter Rothstein’s musical All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, which debuted as a live broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio in 2007 and has since toured the U.S. as a production, playing in such venues as The Kennedy Center, Cal Performances, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Among Ben’s father’s talents – other than being remembered as a creative, inspiring, kind, and funny man – was his ability to write a good song.
One such song of Steve’s, which we recorded in 1972 – arranged by Minnesota music legend Herb Pilhofer and Canadian composer and arranger Bob McMullin – is titled, “Hey Look Around You” (not to be confused with the Up with People song by the same title).
In tribute to Steve’s life and because the lyrics are timeless and relevant, I chose to share them with readers in this week’s column:
“Hey, look around you
Trouble has found you
Touches your forehead like
the rain
Seasons change, clouds
rearrange
Whether it’s rainin’ or it’s
cold
“There was a time when I
couldn’t smile
Sayin’ nothing, but talkin’
all the while
Hiding in a hiding place
That everyone could see
But hearin’ no one say,
‘Stop and lean on me.’
“Time wears you down
Strengthens your frown
Shows you the dangers
everywhere
“What’s been done’s been
done
You can try but you can’t
run
Someone watching you
Would love to call you son
All your life you’ve had to
Fight your way along
Trust in Him and bend to
Him
And sing a brand new song
“If you say that you see
But you actually pretend
The good will be gone
And you’ll be lost again
All things considered
You’ve done pretty well
So pick up your baggage
And forget you ever fell
“I do believe it
Funny how He sees it
Knows when you need a
helping hand
“Yes, I do believe it
Funny how He sees it
Knows when you need a
helping hand …”
Words & Music: Steve
Johnson, 1972, BMI
Former Cook County Commissioner Garry Gamble is writing this ongoing column about the various ways government works, as well as other topics. At times the column is editorial in nature.
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