THE FRAY - Live in Manila (Photographs) By: Joel H. Garcia

The haunting intro of the song "How to save a life" of the Fray is one of the reason why I got hook and listen to this band and the more I lurk at the lyrics the more I understand it's meaning. 

According to lead singer, pianist and songwriter Isaac Slade, the song was composed and influenced by his experience while working as a mentor at a camp for troubled teens:

“One of the youngsters I was paired up with was a musician. Here I was, a protected suburbanite, and he was just 17 and had all these problems. And no one could write a manual on how to save him.”

Slade claims that the song is about all of the people that tried to reach out to the boy but were unsuccessful. As Slade says in an interview, the boy's friends and family approached him by saying, "Quit taking drugs or I won't talk to you again," but all he needed was some support. 

The verses of the song describe an attempt by an adult to confront a troubled teen. In the chorus, the singer laments that he himself was unable to save a friend because he did not know how.

Sometimes all we need is a song that we can relate, to save us from everyday troubles of life. 

These are the photographs that I took and felt during THE FRAY performance here in Manila. Hope you like it. - JHG