'I'll hold you on the other side': Louisville gets its own song amid coronavirus pandemic

Louisville officially has its own song, a patchwork of various artistic talents from around the city, that celebrates the Derby City during the coronavirus pandemic. 

The song, which local artists have poured their hearts into for about a month, made its big debut on Monday and is called “Lift Up Louisville." 

Mayor Greg Fischer called it a "love song" full of "all genres of our musicians together ... in a way that hasn't been done before in our city." 

Collaborators on the song include Louisville Orchestra music director Teddy Abrams, Jim James and Patrick Hallahan of My Morning Jacket, singer/songwriter Will Oldham, cellist and composer Ben Sollee, Scott Carney of Wax Fang, percussionist Dani Markham, hip hop star Jecorey Arthur, gospel singer Jason Clayborn, singer Carly Johnson, Kertis Creative and Stephen Kertis.

Abrams compared the collaboration to baking. Each person adds a little ingredient, and you end up with a beautiful product. It started with a piano track, then a few lyrics, then more and more instruments and revisions. 

"The song is a metaphor and a model for what happens when people set aside any of their ego, any of the things that they might want to see out of it specifically and all say 'we're just gonna build something together,'" Abrams said during a remote press conference on Monday. 

Coronavirus updates:Kentucky reports 202 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 3 more deaths

Coronavirus map:How many coronavirus cases are in Kentucky? Where are they?

Among the lyrics are the promises that, "I'll hold you on the other side," and "I'm gonna make it through, you're gonna make it too."

Arthur's rap break in the third verse was "treated as a spiritual endeavor," he said. 

"As a black American who descends from slavery, it's important to note that my ancestors used to sing spirituals," he said. "Those spirituals reflected the sorrow, but also, there was hope for tomorrow. And this music was no different." 

He chose the lyrics imagining he was on his porch telling someone about what's happening in the world, he added. 

Sollee said the song, put together in the midst of a pandemic, could encourage people to connect. 

"I hope that the people of Louisville can see and hear themselves in the song," he said. "I hope that it means that they know that even though there's a lot of physical distance that emotionally, we can still connect." 

You can watch the socially distanced music video on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=AcsiqH5AZ7g&feature=youtu.be and stream or buy it at sl.onerpm.com/2535968387. It's also available through sonaBLAST! Records. 

More coronavirus news:Thousands of Louisville residents seek financial assistance from COVID-19 relief fund

All proceeds from the song will support the One Louisville COVID-19 Response Fund, which helps financially support households, businesses and nonprofits working to fight the coronavirus in Louisville. 

“The arts are the soul of Louisville," Fischer said in a statement announcing the debut. “Our city is blessed with an amazing array of brilliant and compassionate artists who love their hometown. That love is the backbeat of ‘Lift Up Louisville,’ which tells the story of this moment in the life of our city, our country and our world. And the story of this moment includes the countless acts of kindness, inspiration and unity that we’ve seen in our city as people from every background and every neighborhood have found ways to lift each other up." 

Reach breaking news reporter Sarah Ladd at sladd@courier-journal.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ladd_sarah. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.