He stood in a Rainbow

This excerpt was related to me several years ago, as Mr. Abraham has been gone from this earth for over ten years. Hearing of this event spurred me to pen one of the best songs I wrote in my brief, unprofitable, experience as a songwriter.

Although it has been many years since I picked up my guitar, I can claim to be a registered BMI (Broadcast Music Incorporated, a group which collects and distributes royalties for much of the country music trade) writer. Although I have written many songs, I only have two we recorded, sent to BMI, entered a copyright, and actively promoted. We did get some airplay and sold enough copies to cover expenses, but never collected a royalty check from BMI.

It was Quentin Abraham who "took me to the mountain." The phrase "take them to the mountain" was a favorite of his, and was his way of indicating someone had an experience that would influence them for the rest of their lives. Quentin Abraham was a school teacher and grade school basketball coach, as well as owning a music publishing company he called Salute Publishing. He loved singing and writing music, and dreamed someday of becoming known for his music.

Quentin taught grade school at Oblong, Illinois, for several years, leaving for Santa Claus, Indiana, to form a music studio with two other music-making friends of his. The studio wasn't successful, and Mr. Abraham returned to Flat Rock School in Flat Rock, Illinois, to teach grade six. He also coached the basketball team to a second place ranking in state tournament play during one of his coaching years. He was one of those teachers all students never forgot, as he gave everything to his pupils. "When I took that team to State, I took them to the mountain," he would say, "they'll never forget that experience!"

Quentin took me with him on several "jam" sessions, a few which were held at our house. Many of his friends played quite well, and Joe Miller had even played professionally, having his own radio program in the western states, back in the 1950s. I got a chance to try out some of my songs, in between some of their creations, and was encouraged to record a novelty number I called Thank Goodness It's Friday. We spent some time deciding what to put on the flip side of the demo record we planned to record and use in Nashville for promotion. While showering in preparation for the trip to the recording studio (a converted garage in Indiana), I recalled the story Abe told about being in the rainbow.  After toweling off and grabbing clothes, I hurried upstairs and penned the song:

He Stood In a Rainbow.

Verse I
I chased rainbows all my life and never caught 'em,
I had wished my name in lights, and never got 'em.
I wanted money, joy, and fame,
Never knew who was to blame,
I only found myself an ordinary man.

CHORUS

Then I met a man, who stood beneath a rainbow.
With all the pretty colors falling around,
I met a man, who stood beneath a rainbow.
But he seemed such an ordinary man.

Verse II

He wasn't famous, handsome, tall, but he seemed healthy,
He wasn't rich or known by all, but he seemed wealthy.
He had a family, home, and wife,
And an ordinary life,
He was wealthy in the blessings that he shared.

REPEAT CHORUS

Verse III

And then I knew I'd found my rainbow , but not seen it,
I wasn't looking at my life, but right between it,
For who needs money, joy, and fame,
When they're healthy and without pain,
And have their families to share rainbows all the time.

Finish

I met a man, who stood beneath a rainbow,
With all the pretty colors fallin' 'round.
I met a man, who stood beneath a rainbow,
But he seemed such an ordinary man.
He stood in a rainbow, with the blue skies above.
He stood in a rainbow,
That rainbow was love.

What better tribute could a person have, but to be still remembered by so many whose lives he enriched by his presence on this earth?