“These Days” Foundation

My good friend, Andrew E. Hooker, has been involved in a number if things in my life. Back in the day, he and I used to do production work for Johanna Wild which “morphed” into Jon Butcher et al. Before that, he was in the service and saw combat in Nam. Over the years, we stayed in contact. Andy is involved with veterans groups in FL and across the country. I wrote a song entitled “These Days” that was written in support of the men and women in our armed forces and their families. Andy and I are working to establish the “These Days” Foundation to help raise awareness about the struggles that service men and women and their families go through every day.

Andy Hooker presenting Former Congresswoman Katherine Harris with a CD of "These Days" at the
Sarasota VA National Cemetery Ground Breaking/Dedication Ceremony, June 1, 2008.

The words of the song are dedicated to all who have served, to all that are serving now and to those that will serve in the future.

       These Days – by Michael Hill

How do we repay the strongest and the brave

What can we do for them when they’re so far away

And what about their loved ones, the daughters and the sons

Left behind when the troubles came in

           Give thanks to those who answer the call

           Give thanks to those who offer their lives

            To those who march in silence

            And those they left behind

          A nation hears the thunder

          Another world away

          Let’s open up our eyes right now

          And help them, we need to help them through these days

          Through these days

Freedom has its price and those that have to pay

Depend on us here at home while they fight to make us safe

And what about their loved ones, the husbands and the wives

Working hard and living with sacrifice

            Give thanks to those who answer the call

           Give thanks to those who offer their lives

            For those who march in silence

           And those they left behind

            A nation feels the thunder

           Another world away

           Let’s open up our eyes right now

           And help them, we need to help them through these days

           Through these days

           These days - are filled with blood and steel

These days - are long and so very hard

These days - are filled with pain and tears

These days - we miss these heroes of ours

 And what are we gonna say to the strongest and the brave

That live each moment waiting in the wind

And what about their loved ones, the old folks and the young

Left behind when the troubles came in

            Give thanks to those who answer the call

           Give thanks to those who offer their lives

            For those who march in silence

             And those they left behind

            A nation bears the thunder

           Another world away

           Let’s open up our eyes right now

           And help them, we need to help them through these days

           Through these days

           Through these days

            "These Days"

Andy Hooker presenting a copy of the "These Days" demo CD to DJ Doc Holiday at the Veterans Reunion in Melbourne, FL.
"These Days" was later played on the Main Stage sound system.

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