John Calvin “Saint Innocent”
Americana Highways brings you this premiere of John Calvin’s song “Saint Innocent” from his forthcoming album Greener Fields & Fairer Seas, which is set for release on Jan. 24. The album was produced by Nate Campisi, with art by Ricardo Cortés and photography by John Fusco. It was recorded and mixed by Nate Campisi at Mr Smalls Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, and mastered by Reuben Cohen at Lurssen Mastering in Burbank, California.
“St. Innocent” is John Calvin on vocals and acoustic guitar; Pete Freeman on pedal steel; Pat Coyle on drums and percussion; Greg DeCarolis on bass and B2 organ; and Kelsey Jumper on backing vocals. Saint Innocent pays homage to the best friend of John’s wife, who passed away too soon. A catchy rhythm with the acoustic guitar entwining with the pedal steel sets the stage to this wonderful tearjerker. Coping with death is never easy as a matter of course, but, when it’s someone too young and too dear and too full of life, the agony is particularly unfathomable. John Calvins speaks to this with a soaring harmony chorus, and an exquisite chorus that pleads on several levels: “Saint Innocent come and save me from the strain.”
In the months before covid hit, we lost our closest friend unexpectedly. She was spectacular, fun, silly, and kind. Hard to imagine worse timing. As lockdowns hit, so did the sense of loss. We coped as best we could, and not always in the healthiest ways. I doubt it ever stops hurting, but we can come to terms with it and be thankful for the time we had.
In a word, the song is wailing. Pete Freeman’s pedal steel and Kelsey Jumper’s harmonies give the song a plaintive feel. It’s a prayer to get things back to the way they were, knowing full well that you can’t. Barring that, you come back to where you are, working through acceptance and writing the warmest farewell you can.
During the bridge I sing, “Paint those starry skies for me / In gold and blue and green / And let ‘em light my way back home.” For fun, our friend Ellen worked in pyrotechnics, building up and breaking down rigs for fireworks shows. She was quirky like that. She just seemed to stumble into it. That’s what resonated with me the most, I think. That she picked up this playful little side thing without an ounce of self-consciousness. We should all be like that.
“Saint Innocent” is a song about saying goodbye. One day she was here and the next she was gone. Thinking about her was raw at the start, but we needed to say goodbye and we wanted the song to be a warm embrace. To say that she’ll be remembered always, every fireworks night she’ll be on our mind. Every time a cold beer hits just right, we’ll think of her. In a real way, she’ll always be with us.
Saint Innocent is actually a winery in Oregon, though it works as a prayer vigil and the ambiguity leaves room for the listener. When COVID hit shortly after Ellen’s death, we stumbled onto Saint Innocent and would celebrate each week gone by. So the lyric “Saint Innocent, come and save me from the strain,” leans on that deliberate ambiguity.
Ellen was that fun kind of silly and she was peas in a pod with my wife. We’d have a few pops and play Balderdash, which, if you haven’t played it, involves players making up believable word definitions. Ellen was such a lovely goofball and after a few pops she’d start every definition with “that’s when.” Not believable in the least, but funny as hell. Turning over a card and having to read “didunculus: that’s when…” got me every time. – John Calvin
Find the music here: https://hypeddit.com/svoozy
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