32. The sun sets over The Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty (Liberty enlightening the world) stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. It's a symbol of freedom, democracy and opportunity. It welcomes immigrants to the USA. The idea for the statue was fist suggested in 1865, It was assembled in France ,then disassembled into 350 pieces before being sent in 214 crates to the USA. It was opened in 1886, some 139 years ago. There are several key features to the statue i.e. the figure ( the Roman Goddess of Freedom), the crown (representing the 7 seas and 7 continents),the tablet (on her left arm , celebrating American Independence), The Torch ( lighting the way to freedom), the broken chains ( symbolizing freedom from oppression), the robe ( a classic garment of the ancient world) and the face ( the designer's mother ).On a brass plaque on the inside there is a sonnet which says, ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free’ From the ground to the top of the torch is 93 meters and it weighs 225 tons 

The statue appears in The Godfather part II, X men , Independence Day and The Day after Tomorrow.it was also in Frank Sinatra's New York, New York song and Welcome to New York by Taylor Swift. The statue provides a back droop for major political and cultural events as well as activist and protests. There is only one suicide from the statue due to severe access restrictions. Changing attitudes to immigration have called into doubt the statues  original purpose. Some critics regard it as clumsy, coarse and too big. It's also been exploited for mass commercialization ,which trivializes its original intent. Constantly showing its destruction in films is thought as disrespectful. The statue remains a symbol of hope for most people.

This a song that celebrates the wonderful Statue of Liberty and all that she stands for, whilst at the same time featuring a man who has travelled to the statue to get help getting over his wife, who has died. The scene is set in the first few lines, ‘The sun sets, over The Statue of Liberty. An island, frozen in time .A Roman Goddess, on the shoreline. A dark and delirious night. A draped silent figure in white’

I deliberately tried to compose a moody song but one that also celebrated the glory of the Statue. The lyric video is one of my best ones, showing the statue from above and the panoramic view of New York harbour – please check it out

The man then explains the reason for his visit by singing,’ A deep friendship, to help with pain. So, this visit it an attempt at a last-ditch remedy. Can this inspirational place save him or not ? He is a ‘A lost soul, heartbroken’. He queries who the mysterious figure is and if she can help, ‘She lives a life of secrecy .A torch, a beacon, a freak of beauty. How old is she, deep in her soul’ He cries out in pain, ‘‘ Inches away, worlds apart. Ain ’t spoken, since I lost my wife. I ask, if she knows who I am. I’m here to cry, and raise the alarm’ 

He has driven a long way for this visit saying, ‘One thousand miles on the interstate. Give me a minute, to decide my fate’ and again, ‘A lost soul, heartbroken, A last-ditch remedy and then ,’ I’m a person lost in despair. Balancing between guilt and repair. Talks to us all, with hope and spirit. A shoulder to cry on, to mourn in secret’

But alas we are left not knowing the outcome , ‘A deep friendship, to help with pain. The sun sets, over The Statue of Liberty ’ It all adds to the mystery and intrigue around the iconic Statue