Heavenly Father

Album: Wish I Was Here (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Bon Iver's Justin Vernon penned this song for the soundtrack to Zach Braff's movie, Wish I Was Here. Speaking to NPR, the film's music supervisor Mary Ramos said she screened a rough-cut of the flick for Vernon and his brother Nate in their living room. "They were enjoying it and laughing, but at a certain point, they just got quiet," she said. "When it was over, Justin started humming."

    "We talked afterwards about the relationship between Zach's character and his brother [Josh Gad], and Justin and Nate talked a little about their father - all the while Justin kept distractedly humming," Ramos continued. "Eventually, he sang out the words 'heavenly father.' Before I even left their house, Justin was recording the first version of the song in his downstairs studio. His inspiration was that immediate."
  • Also included on the Wish I Was Here soundtrack is "Holocene," a track from Bon Iver's self-titled 2011 album.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception.

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Queen

QueenFact or Fiction

Scaramouch, a hoople and a superhero soundtrack - see if you can spot the real Queen stories.

Barry Dean ("Pontoon," "Diamond Rings And Old Barstools")

Barry Dean ("Pontoon," "Diamond Rings And Old Barstools")Songwriter Interviews

A top country songwriter, Barry talks about writing hits for Little Big Town, Tim McGraw and Jason Aldean.

Don Brewer of Grand Funk

Don Brewer of Grand FunkSongwriter Interviews

The drummer and one of the primary songwriters in Grand Funk talks rock stardom and Todd Rundgren.

Sending Out An SOS - Distress Signals In Songs

Sending Out An SOS - Distress Signals In SongsSong Writing

Songs where something goes horribly wrong (literally or metaphorically), and help is needed right away.