Welcome Back
By Bennett Konesni
September 2024
Welcome Back
Welcome Back
Welcome Back
I’m glad to see ya
You got a friend to the left
A friend to the right
A friend in the morning
and a friend at night
Feels like just a minute since first we met
And I’m so glad to see ya
Welcome Back
Welcome Back
Welcome Back
I’m so glad to see ya
You got a friend down low
And a friend up high
A friend like you
is the apple of my eye
Feels like just a minute since first we met
And I’m so glad to see ya
You got a friend over there
and friend over here
We got friends all around
Can you hear
Feels like just a minute since first we met
And I’m so glad to see ya
Welcome Back
Welcome Back
Welcome Back
I’m glad to see ya
You got a friend in the night
A friend in the day
I’m so glad
you can hear me say
Feels like just a minute since first we met
And I’m so glad to see ya
The Story
I wrote this song inspired by Greg Boardman's "Welcome Table." His song got me thinking that the world needs more welcome songs, and that writing one well is a real test for a songwriter. The goal was something universal, something that makes people feel good and feel like they're part of something larger than themselves.
It travels well because it can be learned quickly, which means it can do its job in real time with real groups of strangers. I've sung it in all kinds of convening situations, but one that stands out is a gathering with First Light, a group that brings Wabanaki people back onto the land in the Northeast. The room was full of land trust leaders who had never met each other. By the end of the song, they felt like they were all part of something together. That's exactly what it's designed to do.