One Day (A Child's Prayer)  mp3 (file size 7,022kb) - download

One Day (A Child's Prayer)    realaudio - streaming

  Hannah & Dean Friedman

About the song: 'One Day' was written during the Gulf War. It's a conversation between a parent and child in which the parent tries to respond to the child's confusion over the frightening images of war she sees on TV. I finally recorded it with Hannah in 1995 when she was nine years old. We were invited to sing it live on the 'Kelly Show' out of a TV studio in Belfast accompanied by a children's choir.

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'One Day'

  words and music by Dean Friedman

Daddy, daddy, I was watching the TV

A little girl came on she looked a lot like me.

They said a missile killed her family

Please tell me, daddy dear, could something like that ever happen here?

 

My little sweet potato, do not be afraid

Armies still make war but the war’s still far away

And one day soon that too will end I pray

So come and sit in daddy’s chair and help me sing a simple prayer.

 

            One Day the world will be a better place

            On every child’s face a smile will be.

            And One Day, One Day there will be no trace

            Of war, disease, pollution, pain or poverty.

            And One Day, One Day with God’s loving grace

            The human race will finally be free.

            And that day fighting among men will cease

            And we’ll all live in peace in one world, One Day.

 

Daddy, daddy, can you tell me what this means?

I saw a photograph in the magazine.

It was the thinnest child I’ve ever seen.

An empty bowl was all he had and he looked so very sad.

 

Oh, my precious one, how can I explain?

There are some countries where there’s not a lot of rain.

And people starve because they have no grain.

But, Daddy, how could that be fair? Shouldn’t everybody share?

 

            One Day...

           

Daddy, daddy, I think I understand.

Children they fight over toys and men fight over land.

But, daddy, all the killing, is that what god had planned?

I’m just a kid but still I say, there ought to be a better way.

 

My little princess, when did you grow so wise?

If only presidents could see through children’s eyes.

If only generals could hear the babies’ cries.

Then all the pain we’d soon forget and though it hasn’t happened yet...

 

            One Day the world will be a better place

            On every child’s face a smile will be.

            And One Day, One Day there will be no trace

            Of war, disease, pollution, pain or poverty.

            And One Day, One Day with God’s loving grace

            The human race will finally be free.

            And that day fighting among men will cease

            And we’ll all live in peace in one world, One Day.

                                         

copyright © 2001 Dean Friedman Music