DeGarmo, C. (1994). Bridge [Recorded by Queensrÿche]. On Promised Land [CD]. Los Angeles, CA: EMI. Bridge is a primarily acoustic track released in 1994 by progressive rock band Queensrÿche on the album Promised Land. Guitarist Chris DeGarmo wrote the song about his own strained relationship with his father, who spent decades estranged from Chris. The track opens with the phrase, “Called me up today, struggling with the right words to say,” establishing the troubled communication reflective of fractured such relationships while recognizing the role time may play during periods of separation. The song has another related phrase, “time has changed the lives of me and you” that reflects the notion that time that separated people provides a further barrier to connection. The track goes on to explain the pain experienced from the perspective of a child dreaming about a time sitting next to his father receiving encouragement, “telling me I can” and then confronting the father with, “you know, you’re not there.” Often in such situations there may be efforts to shortcut the process necessary for working through emotions, a failure to accept responsibility for one’s role in the situation, or even the delivery of empty promises. The child in this story experiences those things and explains to the father that he is “trying to mend a bridge that’s been blown apart.” Then, DeGarmo comes the recognition there was never a bridge to begin with in the lyrics, “you never built it Dad.”

The thematic content tackled here can be appreciated as it mirrors scenarios counselors encounter across various counseling settings. The bridge section of the song acknowledged the pain and loss experienced in such relationships. In the end of the song, the child developed deeper understanding while still struggling with the realities of the relationship.

The content of this track would be useful for adult clients who experienced difficult or estranged parental relationships and are seeking either meaning and/or reconciliation. This song may be used in session to allow clients to reflect upon their problematic relationships or to facilitate writing homework to more deeply explore the tension, emotions, and difficulty involved. Such work is important as clients often struggle to put these confusing experiences into words. The lyrical content is directly applicable for helping clients in the beginning stages of mending or building their own interpersonal bridges.