Wave at the bus THE SONG? Yes, it's true. We didn't write it, but we endorse it wholeheartedly. I asked Dale and Rain to each put together their thoughts on it. Here's what they say:
Dale:
I think every one of us have at one time or another in our lives dreamed or thought about having a song written about ourselves, or our lives, recognizing the fact that it will most likely never happen to us. When such a day unexpectedly arrives, emotions and apprehensions that you never knew were there start appearing. So while in the midst of this crazy "Waving" chapter in our lives, we were contacted by Mark Bruce, of the band "The Self Help Group" in England. He had read our story and was touched enough by it to ask if he could write a song about "the Wave." Not knowing what to expect, we excitedly agreed and waited. Over the following months I personally worried about what type of song it would be, thinking that this song once written would be a lifelong statement about what I was doing with Rain. I definitely didn't want to be remembered as a novelty/joke song (i.e. "It's FRIDAY, FRIDAY…" etc). We didn't know what kind of band The Self Help Group was, but Mark assured us he would take care of us, and he did. One day he let me know they had finished their album, and was sending us a copy. He thanked us for allowing him to use our story, but in retrospect I feel I need to thank him for what he has created. I was home alone at the time when the CD arrived, and excitedly I found a song called "The Bus" in the track listing and pushed the play button. A simple melody begins the song, and as two voices join the story begins to unfold, which tells of a small part of our experience and builds to a chorus of "Rain I'll be here, I hope you see, that it's all for love," I sat mesmerized at the sounds I was hearing and the emotions I was feeling, and as the song faded I found unexpected tears coursing down my face. I listened to it again and again, and found I had the same reaction every time. Their lyrics and music had captured the words and love that are in my heart, that I've never been able to say out loud. Mark Bruce and the Self Help Group had indeed taken care of us, and our story. And have given our family a priceless gift that we will treasure for the rest of our lives. I still have a hard time listening to our song, since my tears still flow every time I hear it. But it helps me to remember just what an incredible experience Rain and I have had together, and that yes, it was all worth it. Thank you for putting my heart into your beautiful song.Dale:
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| CD Cover |
I'm just a regular guy, and I found I truly enjoy the music of The Self Help Group. Having been a child of the 80's, a musician (a lousy one), and in a few bands, my musical tastes are varied and diverse, so I wasn't sure how I would take to their style of music. Upon receiving the CD I was impressed by the beautiful cover art, and center fold out pictures/info were a very nice addition to it as well. I don't know what genre this style of music is listed as (I'm sure some uppity critic somewhere has made something up) but I found it beautiful in its simplicity. Being able to actually hear all of the individual instruments and the individual vocals allowed me to connect to each song (no sweeping studio effects or heavy beats that are so prevalent in today’s music). The Self Help Group has real talent with songs recorded in such a way to lift one's soul to the heavens. This is the most honest and aching music I have heard in years, and it is simply wonderful.
-Dale
You can listen to samples (and buy the CD!) on Amazon. Click here for a listen. Or learn more on their website.
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| Inside CD Case |
I received a package in the mail addressed to "Rain Price" from the UK. I thought that was pretty odd, because I don't get mail often, let alone from the UK. But what was inside it? A CD! A pretty great one, too, written by The Self Help Group. Track 10 is titled "The Bus," and it talks about the feelings behind the wave. It felt pretty odd at first to hear my name in a song (in actual reference to me--we all know that the word "rain" is in a ton of songs, as my mom so aptly demonstrated here), but it was really cool to listen and hear their interpretation of the meaning of the costumes and the waving.
My dad and I have tried so hard to express the true feelings behind his waving, be it in television interviews, radio interviews, or casual talking, but this song connects for me because it's another medium that shows the intentions behind my dad's waving. The song is written from my dad's perspective – his thoughts as he waves to me. I've always loved music, and this song is a great expression of how my dad and I feel about his waving. "It's all for love." It really is. He waved because he loves me, not because he wanted to restrict my life and not because he wanted to just embarrass me. He wanted to be there for me during my high school years, when I began going off on my own, and to show that he cares. It's neat to see how he interacts with Ryatt (my little brother) and that makes me see how he couldn't show that he cares the same way with me, because I was in high school, which is why he waved. He thought of a super creative way to show his caring, and I appreciate that. This song addressed those feelings, and I liked it. The rest of the album is good, too!
-Rain
