Video

Butterflies in a Jar -- Colin Wiebe

I wrote this song about a friend of mine who had lost everything. His story of loss, victimization and attempted suicide touched me deeply.  I was struck with this image of a butterfly in a jar, dying a slow death. I imagined being totally exposed, having nowhere to hide and what it would be like to experience that feeling of utter helplessness. The subtle paraphrasing of certain verses from Psalms were intentional.

The video was filmed in the drug infested streets of Gastown in Vancouver BC Canada. The original actress for the video called in sick on the day of the shoot and we had to find a replacement at the last minute. The girl in this video is my oldest daughter Jessica. It was an eye opening experience for her to spend a day on skid row and one I’m sure she’ll never forget. Jessica still refuses to watch this video to this day (I think it’s because she doesn’t like the way she looks wearing that make-up. She was portraying a former addict who returned to this neighborhood to help others.

These Eyes -- Clip from “Every Song Tells a Story” with Randy Bachman

Someone emailed me to alert me that this was on YouTube. I have no idea where this is but it has to be an “Every Song Tells a Story” gig because we are sitting on stools. I’m wearing my red shirt which I usually pull out around Christmas.

Compassion

“Our family has sponsored a fourth child. We are so abundant in this country that I believe we all need to reach out and help support those who are less fortunate. I believe strongly in what Compassion Canada is doing. I am freely donating my time and resources into helping out these kids. I challenge you to sponsor a child today.

We were in some of the most dangerous parts of Santo Domingo. Have a look . . .