Kenny Loggins was recently inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. I feel this tribute is well deserved, not just for his long string of unforgettable hits, but for one particular song that inspired me when I needed it the most. I wrote about “Keep The Fire” before and why it’s more than yacht rock to me. Like everything else of importance in my life, I wanted to find a way to incorporate it into my stories.

That’s what I did with my work in progress, Escape from Arzack’s Castle. By showing you how I wove it into the story (while following fair use), I can explain why I appreciate this song and this artist so much. Let’s start by watching a recent performance.

For my main character, Julie Rubin, “Keep The Fire” has the same significance for her (and her mother) as it does for me. We first see it in a flashback when she recalls the car ride home after a humiliating loss at a softball championship.

When traffic caused us to stop, Mom and Dad turned to each other. They nodded. Mom flipped down the visor and slipped a CD out of the case. She inserted it into the CD player and skipped a few tracks. The SUV was filled with a synthesized voice followed by pounding drums and a bold, proclaiming electric guitar.

They were playing Kenny Loggins “Keep The Fire.”

Tears rattled in my nose and throat. Then my quivering lips could form a smile. Bold power chords, mellow 70s synths, stirring drums, and lyrics that inspired me even when I was at my lowest. Just like they did for Mom when she was younger.

Kenny Loggins comes up again when Julie is on the bus ride with her coworkers to visit their CEO’s mysterious residence.

“Aren’t you a little young for yacht rock?” Louise grumbled. I realized she was talking to Yusef.

“I like his music.”

I leaned forward so I could look at him. I noticed he was wearing a Kenny Loggins t-shirt. My smile widened.

“You like Kenny Loggins?” I declared, “So do I!”

“Which album’s your favorite?”

“Keep The Fire.”

“Ooh, that’s a good one. Very underrated.”

“How about yours?”

“High Adventure.”

“Another good one.”

Emory chuckled. “I listened to his music when I was your age.”

Louise sighed. “Doesn’t your generation have its own music? Why do you have to take ours?”

Yusef later explains why he became a Kenny Loggins fan. “My family, they came from Lebanon in 1982. They didn’t speak English. My father, he learned by listening to American music, especially Kenny Loggins. He became a big fan because he was so grateful that he helped him, through his music, feel at home in a new country. That’s why I’m a fan too.” This is based on fact because people can use music to learn a new language.

When Julie and her coworkers find themselves in danger, that’s where the connections with “Keep The Fire” are the strongest. Julie realizes the album cover offers a clue that can save them.

I looked down at the glowing fireball and noticed I was holding it in both hands at chest level. It reminded me of something I saw a long time ago. Like a photo. Or an album cover.

Keep The Fire by Kenny Loggins.

Keep The Fire.

I then noticed the shadow of a torch hanging in a sconce on the wall. In the game, a torch could create a fireball. Could a fireball relight a torch?

Keep The Fire.

I palmed the fireball as best I could in one hand and cocked back my arm.

And when things look the bleakest for Julie, she remembers a story her mom told her about how that song saved her at her worst time.

My voice broke. “What happened? How did you get through it?”

“Dad bought me this.”

Mom got out of the gaming chair and went to a bookcase. The bottom shelf had those old vinyl records. Mom pulled and pushed in a few of the albums until she found the one she wanted. She pulled it out and handed it to me. 

I had seen it many times before. On a CD case. On the screen of my iPod. But it felt different holding it in my hands.

Kenny Loggins looked up at me. His serene face. The gold robe. The orange aura around him. The glowing round ball he held up like a gift. It reminded me of the fireballs in the game.

And the song. The one Mom always played when I was at my lowest, like when we lost that championship game in Newport Beach years ago.

I could hear the synthesized voice, pounding drums, and proclaiming electric guitar just looking at the album cover.

Mom spoke softly, “There’ve been times in my life when I didn’t think things would ever get better. When I felt trapped with no way out. But when I put on this album, especially that one song, I can begin to believe again.”

Julie also believes again as she gains the courage to save herself and her newfound friends.

Not all of us go through life-and-death struggles like Julie (or me), but we all need something that inspires us to keep going. It can be a song, like “Keep The Fire,” or a movie, painting, or book. That’s the power of art, especially at times like these. It can uplift us, make us dare to imagine something better, and push through whatever difficulties were facing to get to that better day.

I hope that in writing Escape from Arzack’s Castle, and referencing “Keep The Fire,” it can do the same for someone else.

Related topics:

Words and music Songs to raise your spirit Creating a playlist for a novel A cautionary tale about youth sports

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