Diversity and Inclusion Matters

Chapter 5Analyze the Data

Seeing It So Clear Now

“Babylon” is a song written and performed by David Gray. It is one of my favorite songs, and I have found that the melody always relaxes me. In the lyrics of the song, Gray sings about a moment of clarity in feeling unafraid of admitting mistakes.

I recently heard an interview with David Gray. He talked about the moment and the context in which he wrote “Babylon.” He said he was in a small second-floor apartment on a perfect summer afternoon. The sun was up. He had the apartment windows open, and a perfect breeze was coming through the window. He could hear the street noise, and it was comforting. He could hear the cars passing, but it was the kind of traffic you hear on a Sunday afternoon when people are driving but not on their way to work. The birds were chirping, and it was the perfect temperature with the kind of breeze that cools the skin but doesn't knock anything off the table.

In that environment Gray was able to sit down with his guitar and write, arguably, the best song of his career. He said during the interview he knew the song was good, but he did not know how good. Gray said, “I didn't know what I had.” It was clear from the interview that hindsight had provided him with the vision to see things clearly, as he described in the song. “Babylon” turned out to be a great song, far beyond anything Gray had imagined.

Several years ago, when my son, Justus, was close to graduation from high school, I was reminded of the ...