Singled Out: Edward Rogers' Porcelain

The inspiration for "Porcelain's" Charlotte came from a Musicians On Call visit to The New York Foundling facility in NYC. That day, I saw children and tiny babies that were given up to the city because their parents couldn't afford or didn't want to keep a sick child in their home. There was one young girl in particular that stayed in my head; she left a lasting image. I kept thinking, "what was going to happen to her while living in this very brittle white room with no one in the world to look after her?" I thought about what a tough and emotionally-disturbing life she was going to face. That experience and her reality motivated me write "Porcelain."

Charlotte holds her head up high
She wants to try and touch the sky
Lives in a world that's hers alone
No one enters fear of the unknown

Even though Charlotte's situation is unknown, I wasn't inspired to write a slow, and obviously sad song. I wanted the song to have an edge to it, reflecting the brittle situation she was put in and how she will have to deal with her future. And, I think the lyrics can have different meaning, different interpretations depending on who's listening. My producer, Don Piper, and I had three guitarists play on the track - Don, along with James Mastro and Pete Kennedy. I've worked with Claudia Chopek (violin) before, but on "Porcelain" her parts fight with the other instruments, adding to the intensity I felt the song needed. The rhythm section, Sal Maida and Konrad Meissner laid back a solid strong wall for the other musicians to play off of, while the intense baritone sax solo, played by Doug Weiselman, adds to the vibe of the song - pushing it to the last chorus and outro. The message is "it's a tough future for you out there"

Charlotte what will become of you
As your love ones fade away from view
No longer there to protect
The girl with the porcelain disease
Fading away