Storm survivor channels emotion through song: "My Mind on Tuscaloosa" | Arts & Culture

In the aftermath of the terrible April 27 tornadoes, those who survived the storms are still working through their grief and the harsh new reality the tornadoes left behind--a reality where close friends are gone, homes are demolished and favorite hangout spots have been swept away. In the ravaged, altered landscape, gruesome piles of rubble remain as a constant reminder of what was lost in just a matter of seconds.

A singer-songwriter from Tuscaloosa named Sean Rivers channeled his emotions and thoughts from the days following those storms into a song called "My Mind on Tuscaloosa," which he uploaded to YouTube on May 9. In the video, he says the song is his way of dealing with his emotions during this time and adds that he hopes it will help others who also lost loved ones. Rivers dedicated the song to his friend Loryn Brown, who died in the storm.

Brown, a 21-year-old from Wetumpka, died in her Tuscaloosa home when the tornado struck. She was in her house with a roommate and friend and on the phone with her mother when the tornado hit, killing all three inside. Her father and grandfather recovered her body after arriving at the remains of her home with heavy equipment to get through the debris, according to an article on WSFA's website. Brown was a student at Stillman College and had plans of attending the University of Alabama in the Fall. In her memory, scholarship fund has been set up in her name, according to her obituary.

Another part of Brown's legacy is Rivers' song, in which he references her as the "sweetest girl that I've known to this day." He closes out the video by saying, "Rest in peace, Loryn Brown, rest in peace to everybody we lost in this tornado across the state of Alabama," and offers these final words of encouragement to other storm survivors: "Stay strong, cause we're gonna be alright."

Below are the lyrics to Rivers' song which he posted with his video on YouTube:

In memory of Loryn Brown, all those lost in The April 27th Tornados, and in honor of the great city of Tuscaloosa damaged in this tornado. We will be back and be even stronger than ever!

Lyrics:
April 27th when the lights went out
I thought, Ive seen this Kind of thing before
so many storms come through
I've grown numb to it,
I don't pay much attention anymore
But when our cell phone service weakened and we couldnt reach our friends
and the fear of the unknown
started to set in
some of us got angry
some of us just cried
when the storm that i blew off
changed all of our lives
(Chorus)
We lost the sweetest girl that I've known to this day
We watched the city we all met in
get blown the hell away
and when you think about whats happened here
oh it's sure to move ya
I've got my mind on Tuscaloosa

(2)
There used to be resturants on that street
and there used to be houses
on that concrete
and that storm may have made our population smaller
but he biggest thing it did
was make all of us stronger

(Repeat Chorus)

They say they've never seen anything like this in History
and I wonder why it took her
and why it left me
and every day i wake up praying that it's all a dream
and try to look at the brighter side of things

We've got the sweetest angel looking out for us today
We've still got Bryant Denny
so we can still watch the tide play
and maybe god just knew we all needed something to move us
and keep our minds on Tuscaloosa
I've got my mind on Tuscaloosa