Julie Miller, We Need You

My friend Will Briarwood was telling me about Julie Miller, Bruce Springsteen and 9/11…

“Remember the story about Bruce Springsteen, and the fan who said we needed him after 9/11?”

Refresh my memory.

“The story – at least the story that we saw on the morning news shows – was that Bruce was in his car somewhere in New Jersey, a few months after 9/11. A fan recognized him and yelled something like “we need you, Bruce.”

I do remember the story. And Bruce was inspired to write songs about 9/11, which became his album The Rising.

“Yeah. Bruce did make a great album, with some great songs.”

You said you were also thinking about Julie Miller.

“One of the first shows I saw after 9/11 was Buddy and Julie Miller at FitzGerald’s. Near the end of the show, Julie was talking about what was happening in the country -- I wish I had written down her exact words.”

What did she say?

“She talked about God, but only about love, not about hate. I remember her message as everyone should try to love each other a bit more and hate each other a bit less. That we should all reach out to anyone we knew who was a Muslim, or an Arab-American. Because that was what Jesus would do.”

That’s quite different from what a lot of so-called-Christians were saying at that time.

“I know – I seem to recall Jerry Falwell on tv, saying that we needed to kill the evildoers, in Jesus’ name.”

So your point about Bruce and Julie is…

“I wish that someone would see Julie driving around Nashville, and would say to her, ‘we need you, Julie.’”

Which would inspire her to make an album about…

“About what she said at FitzGerald’s.”

I don’t think I’ve heard anything new from her for a while – where has she been?

“Not sure. I checked around online, and I think the story is that she’s had some health problems, and a death in the family, and just hasn’t been able to make a record for several years. I have a Google alert for ‘julie miller,’ but most of the info I get is on many other people named ‘julie miller.’ “

Covivant is a big fan of hers. It would be good to hear Julie’s perspective on things.

“I mean, people have made records about 9/11. I think the best is the Sleater-Kinney song, ‘Faraway.’“

There were those Neil Young records, good and bad.

“And Butch Hancock’s most recent one.”

I’ve heard a song by Mudhoney called “Hard On For War. ” And I heard Richard Thompson play his new song last week, called “Dad’s Gonna Kill Me.”

“ ‘Dad’? “

Short for Baghdad. Like ‘Nam’ was short for Vietnam.

“Got it. So, are you going to put some Julie Miller lyrics at the end of the post?”

Yes, I am.


“You can have my heart
If you don't mind broken things
You can have my life if you don't mind these tears
Well I heard that you make old things new
So I give these pieces all to you
If you want it you can have my heart”