BENNETT BRIER - ON WRITING HARIJAN

Category: BEHIND THE LYRICS Written by Bill Hurley

Austin-based songwriter Bennett Brier last album, Scorpio and Me, received a good deal of popular and critical acclaim, especially in Belgium, The Netherlands and France. Much of the focus of the album was around the song 'Harijan.' Gandhi died in 1948 but the story of how his non-violent civil disobedience led to independence for India continually inspires. Brier tells The Alternate Root how Gandhi’s story inspired him to write 'Harijan' and even change parts of his own life.

"As a songwriter, I hire others to perform my music. This approach is complicated. It is difficult for someone else to feel and share the inspiration that breathes life into my creation. While I hire musicians to be themselves within my songs, it’s rare when they come close to creating the song I hear and feel.

My most fully realized song – meaning it sounds closest to what I’d imagined – is 'Harijan,' from Scorpio and Me. The term 'Harijan' came to me from a Mahatma Gandhi biography I read.

In that book, the Dalits or "untouchable" class in India, is described as the lowest of all castes in that society, considered unsuitable for relationships in this life or in another through reincarnation. I remember that Gandhi described how the Dalits' children were particularly exposed to extreme conditions and prejudice; Gandhi, objecting to this injustice, called such children "Harijan" or "Children of God."

The phrase "Harijan" stuck in my mind. Once I read the Gandhi biography, for a while, I moderately submersed myself in aspects of Eastern philosophy and exercises, including Tai Chi, yoga, chakra meditation, and the Course In Miracles. These experiences coalesced into the song 'Harijan.'

Over the years, I slowly put words and music to these experiences, creating this song. I even "sample" somewhat from the Gandhi biography and from my lessons to write its lyrics. I created my tune and wrote my words but could never figure out the exact chords to finish the song.

When I began preparing to record Scorpio and Me, I was determined to finish and include 'Harijan.' I hired Jay Sims, an extraordinary singer, songwriter, and performer to produce and sing the songs on this album. I shared with Jay demos of every song that ended up on this album; all song demos were backed by me on guitar except 'Harijan;' I recorded 'Harijan' a cappella. I asked Jay to help me write the music for 'Harijan' to match how I wanted the song to sound. Together we worked out various transitions between song body, bridge, and chorus. With Stephen Doster on lead guitar, the result was magic.

'Harijan' is both exactly and beyond what I imagined my song could be. My a cappella version was sharper – more intense, proactive, observant. Jay's recording is meditative, plaintive, and ethereal as he calmly melds the feelings, words and music together. The recording reflects what I feel I've somewhat learned about the difficulties and hopes of love that we all share and face on our own.
"We all are children of God
We all are makers of love
Don’t care too much about what will be
Just trying to touch what goes in between
Harijan"