Within My Hungry Arms - Ian S Rickard & Son

On Sunday morning, March 21st, my Dad heard journalist & Chaplain, Debbie Thrower speak on Radio 4 about a Grandmother who'd told her that she has "hungry arms" for her grandchildren, whom she hadn't been able to hug since the first lockdown. This inspired him to write "Within My Hungry Arms". He showed it to me, and we recorded it with my zoom. It was conceived, written and recorded in one morning. He is struggling to play guitar these days due to his neck and back problems, so I played guitar on the song for him.
A few days later, my sister, Ciara, filmed us in the garden and edited together this excellent video clip. Love the retro filter! She is really getting good at her new trade.

Trade secrets: We used the audio from the original Sunday morning recording. This is because outdoors you hear some car sounds and dogs barking which might have disturbed the recording. But next time, I will probably record the audio outside too, because I like the outdoor quality of the sound (to try and replicate this, I recorded some birdsong on that spot and we added it to the audio mix on the video).

1. (a capella)
I have hungry arms,
My heart is bleeding,
My mind is weakened,
My body needing,
I want to see an end,
To all this grieving,
And hold you all again ~
Within my hungry arms.

2.     D
Oh my days & nights~
     A7      D
Have been so lonely,
           G
A lifetime lingering,
              F#m
Thinking, "if only",
              G
But there's a sea to cross,
            Bm
To sail, so slowly,
              D                
'till I can hold you all,
G         A7      D
Within my hungry arms.
 
3.       D         A7    D
Páín punctuates my daily dealings,
     G
As I watch and wait,
            F#m
And keep my feelings ~
               G
All boxed and bottled up,
                Bm
My thoughts are reeling,
          D
Until I hold you all,
G        A7      D
Within my hungry arms.

4.        E
When this nightmare ends,
       B7  E
That's so elastic,
              A
And the daytime dawns,
                 G#m
With light, fantastic,
                  A
I won't feel so forlorn,
                         C#m
So damned, so drastic,
          E               
Once I've held you all ~
A               B7       E
Within my hungry arms.
 
5.         E
I have hungry arms,
       B7          E
My heart is bleeding,
                  A
My mind is weakened,
               G#m
My body needing,
                A
I want to see an end,
                 C#m
To all the grieving,
             E          
And hold you all again,
A         B7     E
Within my hungry arms.