Rachael Sage’s “Blue Sky Days” Celebrates the Human Spirit (premiere)

It was a different world when PopMatters premiere Rachael Sage’s “Both Hands” at the start of the year. Before the full-fledged swing of an international pandemic, her invigorating take on the Ani DiFranco tune set us moving at a hopeful pace. Even in the face of adversity—probably especially so—is where Sage’s spirit truly shines. Her optimistic rendition of “Both Hands” was representative of her recovery from endometrial cancer. Written in those same days of recovery, her “Blue Sky Days” also looks to become a hopeful anthem delivered just in the nick of time for all of us.

Sprightly piano arpeggio sets the scene as Sage eases into her arrangement from steady beginnings into a full-blown sunset. It’s a triumph of the human spirit that doesn’t shy away from reminding us of what we’re truly made of. In recent years especially, Sage has honed-in on communicating the art of whole-bodied healing through her music. Along each step of the road, she has succeeded.

“Blue Sky Days'” music video features ten-year-old figure skater Morgan Sage. While there’s no blood relation between the two, both Sages do what they do best—Rachael rocks the piano while Morgan rocks the ice. It was art-directed by Rachael and was born from her passion for the sport. She reflects, “For me as a survivor, it was important to pair this song with imagery that exemplified the freedom that comes from regaining control not only over one’s physical body but over one’s spirit as well. When I saw Morgan skate, her sheer joy and pure expressiveness immediately reminded me of what I felt when I played my first show after my recovery.”

“Blue Sky Days” was produced by Sage alongside Andy Zulla (Rod Stewart, Kelly Clarkson).