Brandi Carlile’s Emmy-award winning song “One Sacred Thing,” from the children’s show Jam Van, includes lines like “Only love can make a family/ Even when we aren’t the same,” making it the perfect song for Pride or any time of year. Jam Van follows alligator Anne and sheep Lamb as they explore the U.S. in their sky-blue van, joined each episode by real-life musicians who bring relevant songs to the travels. “One Sacred Thing” was originally part of the episode “Anne & Lamb Find A Family,” in which Anne is feeling homesick, and Carlile helps her realize that she is surrounded by “found family.” Listen to it while you watch the episode, or just turn on the music as a soothing bedtime song.
The lyrics give a gentle nod to family challenges (perhaps particularly for queer families), when Carlile sings “If you want to see a rainbow, you’ve got to learn to love the rain,” but they also unconditionally affirm that to make a family, “You only need one sacred thing/ A family is love.” It’s unsurprising that Carlile, a queer mom of two herself, wrote the song, and we should all be glad she did. (Bonus tip: If you want a song for grown-ups that will hit you in all the motherhood feels, try her 2018 song “The Mother,“)
Spotify link is above; if you prefer Apple Music, here it is.
