standing for change.

Ben E. King's Stand by Me is one of my favourite songs. Back in the day when I used to go karaoke every month or so, I loved singing that song. My voice can't handle those high notes, but it's such a good karaoke song. Well... Such a good song, period.

The reason I bring this song up is because over the weekend, I came across this video on YouTube of Stand by Me, but this version was simply amazing and moving. It's for a documentary to be released on DVD and music CD Spring 2009. It's called Playing for Change: Peace Through Music. The people who sing and play the instruments in the song are all street musicians from around the world. Each are recorded separately, and are then mixed together. My favourite is Grandpa Elliott. He has so much character...

It must be so exciting for the people who work for the Playing for Change Foundation; meeting the musicians, hearing their stories and recording their music and traveling all over the world... I'd like to work for them one day, but I wouldn't know what to offer, since I'm no musician...

Seeing this makes me want to travel so much more. With the routine life that I have, time seems to pass by so much quicker, and there's so much in this world for me to see, to experience, to be part of. One of these days...

I'm posting both Ben E. King's version and the Playing for Change Foundation's version of Stand by Me.


Ben E. King - Stand by Me


Playing for Change Foundation - Stand by Me