"Brothers" Premiere: JANUARY 5TH, 2018
CLICK HERE TO READ BILLBOARD PREMIERE
"Brothers" Co-Writers Britney Pfad and Meghan Counihan with Mary Gauthier at a Songwriting With Soldiers Retreat.
We’ve premiered two songs in advance of the album release, and today, we’re premiering a third song: Brothers.
Each song on this record is a glimpse inside the heart and soul of a Veteran (or their spouse). Using service members’ own words and stories, these songs bring listeners deep into the harrowing effects of war.
Brothers is a deep dive into what it was like for a female soldier who was a member of the first generation of US female soldiers to be sent into combat. Co-written with the great songwriter Georgia Middleman and Iraq War Veterans Meghan Counihan and Britney Pfad, this song is about a Soldier who was deployed to Iraq right after giving birth, while she was still nursing.
"Brothers" Co-Writer Meghan Counihan in uniform.
She had no choice - she had to go, so she went. What happened to her when she got there and how she was treated by her fellow soldiers, was as harrowing as the war itself.
Brothers addresses the sexism and push back that female soldiers had to endure from their fellow service members. Brothers is a powerful song, and I hope it moves the narrative forward in a way that is helpful to both women AND men.
I've learned, through my own songs, that the narrative of a wounded life can be re-written into a universal story that many relate to. This connection happens naturally - not by trying to write a "healing" song, but through honesty. An emotionally honest song can dislodge a seemingly frozen story, thaw the story, and release some of the infection. The song then becomes a step beyond the self, towards others who have felt the same way. This sacred occurrence can be transformative. Many of the co-writers of the Soldiers Songs have said their song was a turning point for them. Here's to the women, especially the ones who went first.
Thank you, Meghan, for your courage and your story.
We can't wait to get this out into the world!
Ladies and gentleman, I present Brothers:
Brothers
By Mary Gauthier, Meghan Counihan, Britney Pfad, Georgia Middleman
War ripped my baby from my breast
Now my name and rank cover my chest
23 hours I flew and wept
23 hours and I never slept
I wiped my face, changed my soaking bra
Told my body not to feel at all
I tried to be like you, what must I do?
To prove that I'm a brother too?
I thought RPG's were fireworks
That's how green I was at first
Blood blistered feet, black and blue
I slid inside my blood-filled boots
70-lb pack, plus you on my back
Spilled my blood on the road, man I carried my load
Kept you in my view, I'd die for you
Don't that make me a brother too?
It's ok to cry, that's what you say
But if I do I'm damned anyway
I learned to cry without a sound
'cause I'm afraid you'll put me down
You broke my heart on Veteran's Day
Don't you understand the words you say?
You raised a flag for the men who served
What about the women, what do we deserve?
I was just like you when the bullets flew
I had your back, you had mine too
Brothers in arms, your sisters covered you
Don't that make us your brothers too?
Say it for me, say it for you,
Your sisters are your brothers, too.
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"Brothers" Co-Writers and Iraq War Veterans Meghan Counihan and Britney Pfad with Mary Gauthier at a Songwriting With Soldiers Retreat.
