Songs of Recovery

These songs have come out of my 30+ years of recovery in the 12 steps. It feels as if they have been given to me from my Higher Power. I dream that they might be helpful to you, and I wish for you continued emotional, physical, and spiritual progress. Please feel free to share this link generously with others in recovery. Love, Cynthia B.

Tracks & Lyrics

1. Be Yourself And Let Yourself Be

You’re not like any other,
An original work of art.
You were put here for a reason.
Only you can play your part.
If you think you’re nothing special,
It simply isn’t true.
You’re a snowflake among snowflakes,
The one and only you.

chorus:
So, Be Yourself And Let Yourself Be,
Don’t compare yourself to others you see.
You are magnificent at your very core.
You are your greatest dreams, and so much more.
Be Yourself And Let Yourself Be.
Try to live your life fearlessly.
Underneath you’re already who you want to be.
Share your light shamelessly.

The world’s a giant potluck
set on an endless table.
We all bring something different,
exactly what we’re able.
Each makes to their own liking
a very special dish.
Together we share a feast
that fills everybody’s wish.

repeat chorus

The spider spins a web.
The caterpillar makes a cocoon.
The day is lit by the sun.
The night glows by the moon.
Everything to its essence must be true,
and as part of all that is,
we’re no exception to the rule.

repeat chorus

Be yourself and nobody else.
Be Yourself and Let Yourself Be.
Set yourself free.
Be Yourself.

2. Heaven Is In The Heart

Drop the pebble in the pond.
Feel it falling softly down,
and ease your busy mind.
Dip the bucket in the well.
Drink of love that never ends,
and leave all else behind.

chorus:
Heaven Is In The Heart ever being.
Beauty is in the eye truly seeing.
Wisdom is a river ever flowing, overflowing.
Listen. In the silence there is knowing.
There is knowing.

Take both feet from off the shore.
Sail in search of some thing more,
and find the truth inside.
Let the cork rise to the top.
Feel it float and safely rock,
and see your world align.

repeat chorus

3. There Is Someone For You

Dedicated to my Sweetheart, Shelly (1935–2023)

My rose colored glasses lay shattered on the floor.
I couldn’t understand what love was for.
And I could not let go of my heart anymore.
If you said you were in love with me, I’d show you the door.

chorus:
Somebody said, have faith. Believe there’s someone for you.
Be strong. Let your true self shine through.
Be kind. Your heart will lead you to find
that one perfect Someone For You.

Lately reality has become my friend.
I’ve found true comfort in a love that can bend.
Now, if my heartless heart found its way back to love,
I’m sure that you can find the one you’re dreaming of.

repeat chorus

I know. I know there’s Someone.
Someone. Someone For You.

4. Welcome To The Party

chorus:
Welcome To The Party.
The one that never ends.
A twenty-four seven celebration
of love and life and friends.
Everybody is included.
Nobody is excluded.
Welcome. Welcome To The Party.

Your presence is requested.
Your presents are suggested.
Everybody has a gift to bring.
Each and every guest has a purpose
deep down underneath the surface.
Everybody has a song to sing.

scat:
La da’n dee’n da’n la dup ladoo dat’n doh da dee.
La da’n dee dup ladoo da’n dee da doh.
La da’n deedle daydle leedle lap’n dee dup.
Welcome To The Party.

repeat chorus

Our Gracious Host surrounds us
with so much love and care, it astounds us. Anything you ask for you can have.
Each day is a special occasion
with a blessed recommendation
to relax, rejoice, and just be glad!

repeat scat

repeat chorus

Welcome! Welcome to The Party.

5. The Wish Planet

We can ride the moon,
sail the Milky Way,
eat clouds from a spoon,
chase the rain away.
We can catch the wind,
skate to the stars,
feel the world spin,
put rainbows in jars.

chorus:
This is The Wish Planet:
Roaring oceans and cliffs of granite.
This is The Wish Planet:
Make a wish, it will be granted.

We can touch the sky,
grow a forest from a seed,
dance with butterflies,
make a flower from a weed.
We can fly like kites,
turn winter to spring,
soar beyond the heights.
We can do anything!

repeat chorus

6. Ever Shining Bright

In the night’s gloomy starkness,
lies the answer to the darkness.
It’s just the blocking of the light
that is Ever Shining Bright.

From our dismal despair
comes the answer to our prayer.
We’ve been blinded to the light
that is Ever Shining Bright.

Light the candle.
Venture down the hall.
Turn the handle.
Open to Love’s call.

Like the sun glows undercover
in the night while darkness hovers,
we are radiant with light
that is Ever Shining Bright.

In the darkest of hours,
lies illuminating powers.
We’ve awakened to the light
that is Ever Shining Bright.

From our bleakest illusion
springs a brilliant contribution,
for we’re turning to the light
that is Ever Shining Bright.

Flip the lever.
The switch is on the wall.
Now and forever,
love is at our beck and call.

With this joyous revelation
comes such gleaming expectation,
as the world reflects our light
that is Ever Shining Bright.

Ever Shining, Ever shining,
Ever Shining Bright.
Oh so Bright.

7. Invisible Glasses

My view of the world was a little disturbing.
Much of what I saw was somewhat unnerving.
Turns out that my eyes were deceptively weird.
Nothing was actually as it appeared.

chorus:
I wear a pair of Invisible Glasses,
Not like the kind I might place on my face,
Mystical, magic, Invisible Glasses,
Wherever I focus, they do a hocus-pocus,
Making all that I see, get bigger to me,
In my mysterious, Invisible Glasses.

Since all that I look at grows larger in size,
I can stare at what I want till it magnifies.
Was this optic prescription quite cleverly planned,
To make all of the goodness in my life expand?

repeat chorus

I see more love and more caring.
I see more peace and more sharing,
More dreams coming true,
More happiness too.
And I see a pair on you!
Mystical, magic, mysterious Invisible Glasses.

8. Time

I used to think that life was a pain.
It didn’t seem worth all the stress and strain.
There’s been many times I wanted to die.
I thought that life was just a living lie.
It could be that you have felt that way too.
It’s a human condition so many go through.
But if you can hang on and ride with the flow,
Time will bring you more than you know.

chorus:
Time can do magic.
A wave of the hands,
the tragic disappears.
Time can do magic.
It’s hard to believe
what Time’s got up its sleeve.

I never thought that I’d write this song,
that anyone might want to sing along.
I never thought dreams can come true,
But I’m here to tell you I know they do.
When things look the worst, it’s not what it seems.
The illusion of bad leads to much better things.
Everything is working out for the good.
It’s all unfolding just as it should.

repeat chorus

Amazing how the years have changed me.
I’m happy deep inside,
so glad to be alive.
Crazy how Time has rearranged me,
using all the ups and downs
to turn my life around.

final chorus:
Time can do magic.
A wave of the hands,
the tragic disappears.
Time can do magic.
It’s hard to believe
how much Time can achieve.

Ohhhhhh,
Time can do magic.

I used to think that life was a pain.

9. Cosmic Kitchen

Inspired by the writings of Louise Hay

Are you hungry for more?
Craving what you have never had before?
Why don’t you order from the diner
that is considered infinitely finer?

chorus:
At the Cosmic Kitchen,
The Chef is always itchin’
to light a fire
underneath your heart’s desire.
The special of the day is whatever you want.
It’s your personal universal restaurant.

At the Cosmic Kitchen,
service is tradition.
No stress, no lack,
you can always send it back.
You never need to dial, or to order online.
Think of what you’d like, and The Chef will read your mind.

It’s got a zillion stars,
but there’s no need for cash or credit card.
Just relax. Your order will be arriving,
delivered to you with the perfect timing.

repeat chorus

Saba dabop beeyow! Your order is on track.
Saba dabop beeyow! The Chef has got your back…

repeat chorus

Hello? Is this the Cosmic Kitchen? Well, I’d like to place an order. Let’s see, I’ll start with some peace soup, and I could really use some bread with that. In fact, just give me the whole loaf! And let’s see… to drink I’ll have some compassion tea, and oh, oh I’d love to have a wish fillet with holiday sauce. And for dessert, oh, I’ll have a piece of cake. Now you do deliver… Right?

View full-length video of “Cosmic Kitchen”

My Story by Cynthia Bythell

I was depressed and suicidal from the age of 7 for no apparent reason. In my late teens, I finally took 50 chloral hydrate sleeping capsules. They found me when it was too late to pump my stomach, and I went into a coma. When I miraculously awoke, the pain the attempt caused my loved ones was heartbreaking. Certainly, they would suffer even greater grief if I succeeded in killing myself. Suicide revealed itself as an unconscionable option for me. I would simply have to endure life until death came naturally.

I knew how to endure. As a child, I learned music could serve as a medication for my secret state of mind. My mother, a piano, organ, and voice teacher started me singing from day one, and playing piano from age five. Making music truly carried me through my childhood and teenage years.

Somewhere in the early 80’s, after picking up substances as an additional coping mechanism, and soothing myself with excess food until I weighed 325 pounds, I was brought to my knees. With no place else to turn, I accepted the idea of a Higher Power. It became clear this loving energy had always been watching over me. During this time, my first inspirational tune came to me. Time Can Do Magic was published by the Spinners on their Down To Business CD. With one foot in the “spiritual door,” a new level of existence was gradually opening up for me.

Meanwhile, I found my true love, Shelly. We settled down in Berkeley CA, and I began to perform professionally. I worked as a piano bar entertainer, strummed a guitar with my country band, and delivered singing telegrams. Then I became popular in San Francisco’s cabarets, and segued into a successful career as a jazz, swing, & blues vocalist/bandleader in the Bay Area for some 20+ years. During this period of time, my spirituality continued to grow deeper. This enabled me to gradually released my addictions one by one, and overcome depression without medication.

Eventually, in search of more meaning in my life, I let go of working as an entertainer. But without performance expression, I began to feel lost and empty. Although devoted to my daily prayer, meditation, affirmations, and inspirational reading & writing, the old depression seemed to beckon me. Apparently this was all just divine discontent in action, for suddenly, inspirational tunes started to come to me. Then, a guided meditation led me to realize that I needed to share these songs at large. My whole life began to make sense. I realized everything had always been unfolding exactly as it should. It felt like I had mysteriously survived the suicide attempt in order to overcome depression & addiction, and be able to share the spirit of this healing with others through my music.

Now my Higher Power is mostly called God, but I use many other names too. My belief is that God is good, ever loving, all in all, and that all is actually One. I envision understanding and acceptance among the many faiths, and choose to focus on commonalities found within the various paths to Spiritual Enlightenment.

I truly hope you find my songs helpful, for yourself or someone else in your life, and wish for you an ever increasing positive attitude, and unlimited spiritual growth.

Blessings!