2.25.24

And you ask, “What am I not doing?”

She says “Your voice cannot command.

In time, you will move mountains,

And it will come through your hands.”

Yeah, I know. I wrote about a John Hiatt song last night too.

Whatever. It’s what I’m feeling.

Through Your Hands — from Hiatt’s 1990 album, Stolen Moments — is one of those songs that can make me feel inspired and hopeful while also making me cry like an overtired baby.

One time I did pull over on Interstate 89 for a good weep while listening to it, back in the midst of the divorce and feeling like I was an absolute disaster of a human being. But Hiatt’s lyrics put be back on track and kept me moving forward.

The song has been covered by the likes of Joan Baez, Don Henley, and David Crosby, but as far as I’m concerned, Hiatt does it best.

His weathered vocals are a necessary part of the song for me. That voice of his delivers the message of the song as someone who has been through hard times.

In some ways, Through Your Hands is the culmination of the journey Hiatt took listeners on through Stolen Moments and his previous two albums, Bring the Family and Slow Turning. Together, those three albums comprise the so-called Recovery Trilogy, the trio of albums that not only brought Hiatt significant mainstream success, but also marked his return to sobriety and healing following the suicide of his wife.

Through Your Hands is as much an anti-depressant for me as it is a profoundly enlightening song. It’s a song that makes me feel better, just knowing it exists. It reminds me of another song in that sense, but maybe I’ll get to that one tomorrow night.