About The Vigil Project
by Suzanne Vega

This project occurred to me as I was promoting one of my own albums during the fall of 2001. Over those several months I had the occasion to speak to many journalists from all over the world. I also toured all over the United States. Everyone wanted to know the same thing; how is New York City after the attacks? What are people feeling? How are they coping? What happened here?

When I was able to, I continued going to the Greenwich Village Songwriter’s Exchange meetings once a week, and was struck by how many people were writing about this very thing. It was a natural response to try to bring these two groups together; those who wanted to know, and those who were here writing about life in New York City as we attempted to return to normal.

I was also struck by reports in the newspapers that said that the widows of those who died in the attacks were having trouble being compensated if one was not married to a fireman or a policeman. Jack Hardy’s brother Jeff died in the attacks. So we have started the Jeff Hardy Memorial Fund, and all profits from the Vigil project will go to this fund, which will be in turn donated to a charity that will benefit his family.

Here are the songs we have collected so far. These are all written by members of the Songwriter’s Exchange, an informal group that meets once a week at Jack Hardy’s house, and has been meeting since the late 70’s.

Regarding the production, there isn't much. I asked each person to record a home demo of their songs, and mail them to me on CD, so some are stark voice and guitar, and some people chose to add a bit more to their presentations. Thank you so much for listening.

Suzanne Vega
New York City
March 2002

1. The Firehouse - Christine Lavin
Christine Lavin describes her local firehouse on the Upper West Side of New York, and how the mood changed from hope to despair as it became obvious that there were almost no survivors.

2. Ground Zero - Jack Hardy
Jack Hardy’s song examines the feeling of guilt at being a survivor, as well as the sheer practicalities of survival.

3. It Hit Home - Suzanne Vega
A collection of feelings, thoughts and observations from someone trying to make sense out of something seemingly senseless. I lived 15 blocks from the World Trade Center for 10 years, and my own brother had been working there, but called in sick on that day. So I am speaking literally as well as figuratively.

4. The Beauty of the Day - Jon Albrink
A beautiful gentle song that asks the question: what if it never happened?

5. You Never Know - Wendy Beckerman
A poignant song about the preciousness of each life, especially in the face of a crisis.

6. World Trade Center - Bob Hillman
A view from a former New Yorker who was out of town.

7. Louisa, From Her Window - Tim Robinson
A fictional woman looks out of her apartment in Redhook, Brooklyn, and sees the aftermath of the attacks.

8. No Song - Richard Julian
A song that explores the futility of words to describe what happened on that day.

9. A Well Dressed Man - dawn Landes
dawn Landes is one of the younger members of the Songwriter’s Exchange. This song covers one of the most horrifying aspects of the attacks; the “jumpers”, as they were called by the firemen and newspapermen on the scene. It was adapted from a poem by Frank Tedesso.

10. On a Clear Day - Jack Hardy
A man remembers his brother. Jeff Hardy worked on the 101st floor of World Trade Tower #1, as a chef.

11. For Your Heart - Tim Robinson
A song for a friend who lost his brother, and an offering of comfort.

12. Boxcutters and Knives - Ina May Wool
Ina May Wool points out the ingenuity of the terrorists and simplicity of their tools, versus our technology.

13. Communists - Bob Hillman
Bob Hillman explores a world with changed priorities after September 11th.

14. The Skyline - Brian Rose
Brian Rose is an architectural photographer who has photographed many aspects of New York City, including the Word Trade Center. He sings about the damaged skyline here, how it will never be the same, how this has changed him personally.

15. Been Around - “Just Jill,” aka Jill Gewirtz
Jill Gewirtz is a psychologist who was working in an office building 2 days after the attacks. On that day alone there 100 bomb scares in Manhattan, and the city was in chaos. Here she describes what it felt like to be evacuated from her building.

16. Spoonfed - Andy Germak
Here Andy Germak takes the unexpected point of view of the Afghanistan people after Bush began dropping food packages on that nation, even as we were at war with them.

17. Life Goes On - Wendy Beckerman
Everyone says that life has changed as we know it. But what if it hasn’t?

18. Today - Noam Weinstein
A song about the magnitude of the moment.

19. Never Forget - Amy Marie Keller
Some people left New York after the attacks. Amy Marie Keller’s song says simply; “Nothing could keep me away.I am fire and wind and I live here.”

20. When Mohammed Came to the Mountain - Frank Tedesso
An apocalyptic vision of the violence and obscenity of the act, and the devastation left in its wake.