BEAUTY'S AT THE MERCY OF THIS WORLD is the title cut from my album of the same name. Without the liner notes and information included in the CD, the backstory of this song is not apparent. Streaming doesn’t give you that insight. Being a long time reader of album notes I miss that connection with the artist and the material: the lyrics, the writer(s), where & when it was recorded, who published the songs, the record label, etc. etc.
On the CD the dedication for this song is made “In memory of Princess Diana and Mother Teresa.” I was very troubled and moved by the sudden death of Princess Diana on August 31, 1997. It wasn’t that I was a royal watcher…it had to do with how impressed I was with the work she was engaged in internationally to shed light on serious problems. Princess Diana used her notoriety very effectively and graciously to accomplish heighten awareness of issues and bring about change. At 36 she was gone too soon, like a beautiful shooting star. So many in the world mourned her loss and tried to understand the media driven obsession that contributed to her death.
Within six days, on September 5, 1997, we were confronted with the reality of the passing of Mother Teresa. Once again the world reeled at the loss of such an iconic individual who represented for so many the type of person who symbolized compassion, selflessness, and pure love.
The world literally tuned in from all continents to the final services in London and Calcutta for these two very different yet very similar women. The flowers overflowed in floods of color as did the heartfelt messages from people from all walks of life. The out pouring of emotion and love also bought a laser focus on the insatiable appetite the media and the public had toward celebrity and the invasion of privacy that plagued Princess Diana for years. On the other hand, the coverage of Mother Teresa’s work with the most vulnerable among us could also be a catalyst for raising funds to support her work. Life is an interesting dichotomy.
I can’t change what happened but I can leave you with my song inspired by the lives of these extraordinary women and a few of their words to consider as we do the best we can each day, privileged to walk through this world …. Tom
Mother Teresa: (quotes)
“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”
“Peace begins with a smile.”
“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”
Princess Diana: (quotes)
“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.”
“Only do what your heart tells you.”
“I don't go by the rule book... I lead from the heart, not the head.”

Beauty's at the Mercy of this World
w/m Tom Benjamin
Pretty as a Princess Lovely as a rose Shimmerin' like a falling star
When the night is clear and cold
Like a poem tossed on a fire
As the edges twist and curl
Beauty's at the Mercy of this World
A life of true devotion Much like Rembrandt's use of light
Reveals but one solution Compassion in God's sight
Though she'll walk these streets no more
What she taught use must endure
Beauty's at the Mercy of this World
Flowers came from Portugal South Africa and Wales To London and Calcutta From a world that felt it failed To see the least among us While we paid the scavengers
Beauty's at the Mercy of this World
Beauty's at the Mercy of this World
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