A photo in the newspaper inspired a Calgary woman to write a song for Ukraine, now she’s on a mission to raise money for the relief effort

Calgary singer/songwriter Carolyn Harley was inspired to write a song after seeing a photo in the newspaper of an ordinary man from Ukraine heading off to war. She wrote “Ordinary Man – A Song For Ukraine'' to explore the reality of a man going to war. Since its release, Harley has started a $10 donation challenge to raise money for Ukraine relief. Together, she believes the community can make a difference and she hopes her song will inspire people to donate to the effort.

We caught up with Harley to chat about her song and ongoing fundraiser.

Tell us about your song and the story behind it.

As a songwriter, you never know what is going to hit you hard. I saw in my newspaper a few months after the start of the war in Ukraine, a photo of a man in Ukraine in his ordinary clothes learning to throw Molotov cocktails. It really hit home for me. I thought this could be my husband, my son, my brother, or a friend. I thought one day he was going to work and the next he was going to war. I thought he was just an ordinary man. That is how I ended up writing the song “Ordinary Man.”

The song explores the reality of a family man dealing with war and his dreams of a new tomorrow. I performed the song at The Rocky Mountain Folk Club in the spring of 2022 and was approached by people who encouraged me to record the song. I went into the studio that summer and then had a powerful lyric video created for the song.

 

What impact has your song had since its release?

People who have had the opportunity to hear the song and see the video are moved and emotionally connected by the song to the reality of the war in Ukraine. The impact so far has been within a limited circle of social media reach and at concerts and special fundraising events. The financial effects of the $10 challenge are unknown to me because I do not have a way of knowing who has chosen to donate. I am going on the reaction of the people who have found the song and the lyric video and told me that they believe in the song. The song is ALSO a way to remind people of the reality of the war and its effect on ordinary families.

Why do you feel the need to speak out and support the people of Ukraine?

The world seems to be in a state of chaos right now and we are all feeling anxious about our future and the future of our children and grandchildren. As a songwriter, I was impacted by the image in my newspaper of the ordinary man preparing for war and was inspired to write the song “Ordinary Man.” I believe that there is power in music, and I also believe that with my ability to write songs that connect with people I have the responsibility to do all I can to get the songs out to the world to work the magic that is inherent in words and melody. Every war impacts us. If we can feel a connection with others to make a difference, we are working to heal our souls from the damaging effects of world disasters. When we all work together, we can make a difference. We are all connected.