Get Here

by

Oleta Adams

Album: Circle of One      Released: 1991

US Chart: 3     UK Chart: 4

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This song was written and originally performed by Brenda Russell, who was working on an album in Stockholm, Sweden when inspiration struck. Says Russell, "It was a beautiful day, and I was looking outside. I was staying in a penthouse in Stockholm, so I was looking out over the city... Stockholm's a beautiful city. And then there were hot air balloons flying that day. And I was really tripping on how many ways you can get to a person. But anyway, I knew that's not what the [record] company wanted, and I went to bed. Later, I woke up, and the music was still there. And because I don't read or write music, it's extraordinary if a song is still in my head that I haven't jotted down or recorded. So if it's still in my head overnight, I think that's something extra special, it's like somebody trying to tell me something... So I said okay, well, maybe I'd better finish writing that song, because, you know, this never happens to me. So I wrote it... It was such a game for me writing that song, you know, how many ways you can get to a person. And the visuals. Like climb a tree and swing rope-to-rope, take a sled and slide down slope, ride a trailway, railway. You know, how many ways can you get to a person. And that became a fun thing to do."

Not surprisingly, Russell hears many stories from people who find comfort in this song when their loved ones are far away. But she was initially surprised that the song touched people on a deeper level. Says Russell, "The engineer, this fellow I was working with, came over, and he was the first person that I played the song for. I was kind of embarrassed because I thought it was pretty corny. It was so funny, because I always hear artists say this about songs that people love. Like John Mayer thought the Fathers and Daughters song was really corny. When I heard that I laughed, because that's exactly what I thought about 'Get Here.' You know, it's so corny, and meanwhile this guy's sitting here like, 'This song is great. What do you mean corny?'"

Oleta Adams' version of this song became a worldwide hit. Ironically, Adams first heard the song in a record store in Stockholm, Sweden. Says Russell, "It was so bizarre. It's like, that's where I wrote the song. And because I had written it there they were playing it a lot there. Because they were kind of proud of me, the Swedes. And she just happened to be in this record store and they were playing it, and she went, 'Whoa, what is that? I've got to have that.' That's how she found it, in the very city in the world where I wrote it." (Thanks to Brenda for speaking with us about this song. Read her full interview in the Songfacts interviews section. Her website is www.brendarussell.com/.)

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