After Graduation
Surprisingly, however, Michelle didn't initially intend to pursue a career in music. As an art history major and anthropology minor at West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania, she found herself managing the Walt Disney-Tishman Collection of African Art after graduation[1] in a somewhat frustrating role:
It was heartbreaking in some ways for me because...I had come from the Guggenheim where if somebody sneezed in the general vicinity of a painting...a conservator was there with a little Q-tip...and I was now working for a corporation...that because it wasn't necessarily making them any money, they were a little bit more trepidations in spending money on the collection...it was frustrating mostly at times to work for them because of that reason.
Music As A Career
Fortunately for her fans, after about 18-months at Disney's Imagineering arm, Michelle decided that "corporate America" wasn't for her and made the decision to reconnect with her musical roots while working as a waitress in Southern California. Indeed, it was during one of her waitressing jobs that she just happened to play a few songs on the piano while the scheduled performers were on a break, that the audience's reaction was so overwhelmingly positive that she realized that music was something that she needed to seriously pursue.
It was the most bizarre experience...everybody sat down and was quiet...I played three songs and people were asking me where my album was...
Success
Her songs have garnered attention in both film and television over the past few years. One of her songs "Stay" has been featured on "Alias" for ABC, "Wonderfalls" for Fox and the WB's "One Tree Hill" as well as in several independent film projects with Group 101. Another song, "Over You", was featured on "Smallville" for the WB network and the newly recorded "I'm There Too" played on the premier episode of Aaron Spelling's new drama "Summerland". "Summerland" also used "I Will Be Fine" later in the season and "All That I Want" featured in the premier episode of NBC's "Las Vegas". A recent showcase of the Sundance film festival introduced Michelle to many independent feature film makes some of who are using her music for upcoming projects this summer.
This past year, Michelle has been working on various other music projects in Los Angeles and the UK. "Project PI" by Al West features Michelle singing her song "Please". The album will be release in Europe by the end of this year.
Michelle is an active participant in the singer/songwriter community of Southern California, and has performed at clubs as diverse as the Whiskey A Go Go, the Hotel Cafe, Ghengis Cohen, the Joint and the Temple Bar, to name a few.
She recently recorded a select few songs with producer Evan Biegel of Seasound Studios in North Hollywood and is collaborating on an electronica album, due out early next year. New acoustic recordings are an on going project and a compilation of some of them will be released over the next few months.
God Bless The Child
Michelle Featherstone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who can find their way home
God bless the child
Who is weary in soul
Oh beware
To take care of yourself
Or you lack the strength
To help somebody else
God bless the child
Who is broken and bruised
God bless the child
Who just wants to be good
Oh beware
To take care of yourself
Or you lack the strength
To help somebody else
So take care, so take care
Of yourself
Oh beware
To take care of yourself
Or you lack the strength
To help somebody else
So take care, take care
Of yourself
(Merci ? Ang?lique pour cettes paroles)
The song "God Bless The Child" by Michelle Featherstone is a beautiful and poignant tribute to the struggles and resilience of the human spirit. The song opens by invoking a blessing upon those who can find their way home, those who are weary in soul. The lyrics then caution listeners to beware, to take care of themselves, or they will lack the strength to help somebody else. This is a powerful message about the importance of self-care and the limitations of our ability to help others when we are not taking care of ourselves first.
As the song continues, it pays tribute to those who are broken and bruised, those who just want to be good. Once again, the lyrics remind us to take care of ourselves if we want to be strong enough to help others. The song closes with a final reminder to take care, to take care of ourselves, so that we can have the strength to make a difference in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
God bless the child
May God bless and protect the child
Who can find their way home
Who has the knowledge and ability to return to a place of safety
Who is weary in soul
Who is mentally and emotionally exhausted
Oh beware
Be cautious
To take care of yourself
To prioritize self-care
Or you lack the strength
Otherwise you will not have the energy or resources
To help somebody else
To offer assistance to others
Who is broken and bruised
Who is physically or emotionally damaged
Who just wants to be good
Who desires to be a good person
So take care, so take care
Repeated reminder to be cautious and prioritize self-care
Of yourself
Of your own well-being
Contributed by Molly J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.