Song for Marilyn as introduced & played at the retreat
Plans were in place for Ed Olsen to participate in a SongwritingWith:Soldiers® retreat early in 2025. Ed postponed the plans because Marilyn was so ill and sadly, Marilyn passed away. Ed joined a retreat later that year in Evins Mill, TN. Instead of writing of his experience about Vietnam, his words flowed about the relationship he had with Marilyn. With the help of Will Kimbrough, Song for Marilyn was created.
Edward Olsen and Will Kimbrough collaborate to create Song for Marilyn.
Will Kimbrough is an acclaimed Nashville-based Americana singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist known for his work with artists like Emmylou Harris, Jimmy Buffett, and Todd Snider. A 2004 Americana Music Association Instrumentalist of the Year, he has released numerous solo albums and co-wrote Buffett's viral hit "Bubbles Up".
Ed and other veterans listen to their songs.
Appreciating and celebrating their songs.
Above photos by Ed Rode and property of SongwritingWith:Soldiers® for participant's personal and non-commercial use.
Song for Marilyn
At 15, I felt was alone,
Even with my family and at home
So on a special night,
My friend and I went to the church dance
We got to the door and then across the floor,
I saw her as someone I knew I'd adore
The room was full, I didn't care,
It seemed like no one else was there
Except that redhead that caught my stare
I felt real awkward, took a chance,
I went over asked to dance
Who knew at 60 years that was our start
That little redhead stole my heart
We started out as friends, it grew from there
We fell in love from just that stare
We shared our lives for 60 years,
Shared with laughter and some tears
When I was down and did not care
I fought a war I thought made me a man
But the war came home with me, I fear
Lived inside of me for all these years
She stood by me to help me deal,
Emotions I could no longer feel
She was always there, right by my side
What the war had done, I could not hide
At night, she'd hold me sometimes with tears,
Because my mind was full of nightmare fears
Why did she have to pass away,
I thought I'd also die that day
Her love for me is always in my mind
How do I live without the love
Of the one who saved my life
The hurt I feel by her loss every day
I must live on her memory and find a way
All my dreams of the time we shared,
I realize now just how much I cared
Now I live every day with her at my side,
Love and memories that we share, I must keep alive
She was my best friend, my lover, and my wife
But more than that, she gave me life
That little redhead that caught my stare,
On that special night, I saw her there
That little redhead that caught my stare,
On that special night, I saw her there
Released September 16, 2025
©2025 SongwritingWith:Soldiers Music (ASCAP) / Will Kimbrough Music (BMI)
SongwritingWith:Soldiers® uses songwriting to inspire healing and connection. At retreats, veterans collaborate with professional songwriters to turn their experiences, often of combat and homecoming, into songs. Creating and sharing this music helps participants rediscover creativity, rebuild trust, and reconnect with loved ones, while sharing their stories bridges the gap between military and civilian life.