Text by Bruce Gallanter (Downtown Music Gallery, December 10th, 2021)
“And When I Die” Written & Performed by Laura Nyro (in 1967)
Covered by Peter, Paul & Mary & Blood, Sweat and Tears
And when I die and when I’m dead, dead and gone,
there’ll be one child born and a world to carry on, to carry on.
I’m not scared of dying and I don’t really care.
If it’s peace you find in dying, well, then let the time be near.
If it’s peace you find in dying, when dying time is here,
just bundle up my coffin cause it’s cold way down there,
I hear that it’s cold way down there, yeah, crazy cold way down there.
And when I die and when I’m gone,
there’ll be one child born and a world to carry on, to carry on.
My troubles are many, they’re as deep as a well.
I can swear there ain’t no heaven but I pray there ain’t no hell.
Swear there ain’t no heaven and pray there ain’t no hell,
but I’ll never know by living, only my dying will tell,
only my dying will tell, yeah, only my dying will tell.
And when I die and when I’m gone,
there’ll be one child born and a world to carry on, to carry on.
Give me my freedom for as long as I be.
All I ask of living is to have no chains on me.
All I ask of living is to have no chains on me,
and all I ask of dying is to go naturally, only want to go naturally.
Don’t want to go by the devil, don’t want to go by the demon,
don’t want to go by Satan, don’t want to die uneasy,
just let me go naturally.
And when I die and when I’m gone,
there’ll be one child born, there’ll be one child born.
When I die, there’ll be one child born.
When I die, there’ll be one child born.
When I die, there’ll be one child born.
When I die, there’ll be one child born.
Most folks know of New York singer/songwriter Laura Nyro from her hit songs like: “Wedding Bell Blues”, “Stoned Soul Picnic”, “Eli’s Coming”, “Sweet Blindness” and the above gem, “And When I Die”.
Each of these songs were hits by other contemporaries: Fifth Dimension, Three Dog Night and Blood, Sweat and Tears. The thing is that Laura Nyro was a great singer, songwriter and arranger herself, recording most of these songs first for her own albums, starting in 1967. Ms. Nyro recorded ten studio albums and a half dozen live records throughout her career, sadly passing away at only 49 in April of 1997.
I recently listened a best of compilation with Frank at the store and we were astonished at the consistency, great songwriting and soulful voice of Ms. Nyro. This past week I’ve listened to her first first five albums, all studio efforts and all on Columbia, each one a real treasure. I know that Laura Nyro influenced quite a bit of her peers both during and after her career.
Todd Rundgren still sings her praises, as do I. There is something pure, piercing and wondrous in the above song which haunts me every time I hear it. It is sung poetry/music that speaks directly to the heart. If your heart is still beating and you believe in the power of Love to inspire you, then I urge you to check out the songs of Laura Nyro someday soon.
