Johnny Orr Shares Heartache, Hope of Autism With New Single

Johnny Orr has released his latest single, 'We'll Get By (The Autism Song),' for Autism Awareness Month. The song touches on both the heartache of the disorder, as well as hope for a cure.

"A friend of mine asked me to write the song in 2012," Orr explains. "Candi Spitz and I became friends on Facebook, and she has twin sons who are autistic."

Spitz told Orr about her two boys, who appeared perfectly healthy, but started showing signs of autism as early as 12 months of age. By 17 months, neither child was able to make eye contact, and began rocking back and forth for up to 12 hours a day. It was a heart-breaking story that took Orr a long time to formulate into a song.

"It actually took a little over a year before anything came to me," Orr shares. "But I woke up one morning with the first couple of lines just dancing in my head."

The tunesmith ultimately penned a poignant tune, with lyrics like, "If you'll wait patiently, well then eventually / I will understand the words that you're saying to me / My autism, is like a prison, that I'm in."

Spitz, who is now the Vice-President of Blooming With Autism, which helps supply families dealing with autism with the necessary resources, says she credits more than just Orr's musical ability with the profound lyrics.

"God placed these lyrics in his heart," she insists. "Even though I have listened to this song at least a thousand times I still can't make it through without crying."

Spitz adds that she thinks Orr's new song will have far-reaching effects.

"Awareness is key," she adds, "and I believe Johnny's song will open a lot of eyes."

Watch the emotional video here, and download the single here.