September 20, 2014: Maria Petrarca created a lyric video for this song!! Voici:
Maria Petracca's Lyric Video of Peter the Rockhttp://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/4634250 for "Peter the Rock"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GovEYN2NtRc to go to "Videos" & a montage version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwLKACz1YZA for interpretive dance live in concert
Back in 1990, my second son Peter was born; there was a rainbow outside our window at the hospital. We called him Peter Daniel Lajoie. Daniel is my brother's name. Why Peter? I had just written a song called "Peter the Rock". We were praying his faith would be as solid as that rock.
It wasn't one of those songs that you 'work on' as in 'writing a song'. It is more of an 'inspired song' that came in a rush of creation. It's a simple ABABAB, verse-chorus pattern, but as Greg commented the chord structuring was very unusual, pretty nice. I wrote it in the front room of our apartment in Hopkinton, MA as my wife listened. She said at one point, "You've GOT to change the last name to John Paul." I resisted as if it was 'my' song but I finally deferred. SHE WAS RIGHT. (All you husbands, you've GOT to admit this sometimes!) Later, it was pretty clear how amazingly prophetic this guy was, a very special man of destiny.
At one point, Jim Babish had us at his house to do a multi-track recording of it. It was just Greg Loell and I working on it. We laid down the 12-string and then began 'layering'. Greg did that beautiful work on electric and did a track of strings. I came up with the cello line on the synthesizer. Later, Denise helped me finish the vocals. I don't remember how the idea came about but someone must have said it; probably Julia again: you've GOT to send this to John Paul. Julia's mother had worked for the city of Boston before; the mayor Ray Flynn was now Ambassador to the Vatican under Clinton. Why not send it through him; he's a devout man from what we heard. I spoke to his secretary and she ASSURED me she would get it in. [What was that about behind every great man..?] He DID IT! I got a letter with the Apostolic Blessing that I keep framed in my Religion class school room to show my kids.
After it got all arranged and so on, I noticed something amazing about it: it is a virtual Bible Study on the primacy of Peter! I use it now in religion class to explain the teaching about the papacy, including the use of Isaiah 22:22. I also show my students the rocks at Caesarea Phillipi Jesus used to illustrate his point.
The dancers, especially Joyce Drahos, the creator, came up with this spine-chilling dance to this that is beyond awesome. They reprised it at the last Reunion Concert. {UPDATE: this video is found and put on site; the address is above!}
Enjoy this and have a rock-like faith!
Mark L.
July 21, 2010 at 7:21 pm