Sky Above and Earth Below

Back in Forest Glade

2008-08-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

I wonder how this hound of mine ain't given up the ghost
He still tries to chew the line that ties him to his post
His hair has gone more grey than red
And he's half-way blind and deaf
But when that old hound dog is dead
I won't have nothin' left, I won't have nothin' left

(Chorus)

I'm busted as a man can be, the only thing that's left of me
Is just these faded memories of a rusted-out old life
One cool glass of lemonade my pretty cousin Clara made
On a front porch back in Forest Glade
Where I dreamed she'd be my wife

You see that old hound sawin' logs, hell even he's got dreams
But dreams of men and old hound dogs
ain't worth a lot it seems
He's dreamin' he's a handsome pup
Like he was way back when
And if he gets rudely woken up
What good are his dreams then, what good are his dreams then?

(Chorus)

Oh Clara my love, remember that Sunday
When we took the long way, the long way back home
Will we discover our paradise one day
In bright farmer's fields where dogs freely roam?

Bitter wind through tall trees hisses
Reckless dreams and reminisces
Worthless thoughts of careless kisses
Are all that's left that's mine
Lame and limpin', all alone
Life gnawed right down to the bone
Listen to the cold wind moan
And hear the old dog whine, hear the old dog whine

(Chorus)

I really was back in Forest Glade not long ago, and naturally enough started humming this song to myself. And then I realize humming was about all I could do - the lyrics were mostly gone right out of my mind after verse one.

Even typing it in just now, I had to cut and paste from an existing file. It's as if I'm looking up a song written by someone else.

Remember This

2008-06-17T06:50:00.000-07:00

Please, remember this
The breeze and a tender kiss
The sky is pale blue
And I will never fail you
The way you run so wild and free
You touch the sun and the child in me
You're so young, so hard to hold
May the songs I've sung
Always enfold you

Will you please remember this?
The breeze and a tender kiss
Close your eyes, make a wish
Remember this, remember this

The roll of the ocean swell
It's like the toll of an ancient bell
I know that sound, it always lingers
As the time runs through my fingers
Tears reflect the sun
See the years see how they run
And like a fool I would try to save
This pool of tears the ocean gave me

Will you please remember this?
The breeze and a tender kiss
Close your eyes, make a wish
Remember this, remember this

Will you please remember this?
The breeze and a tender kiss
Close your eyes, make a wish
Remember this...

One of the hard parts of being a dad is watching the years go by, knowing that neither of us will remember it all, only wishing that those perfect moments would remain. You can never say to anyone "I will never fail you," but there are brief eternities when it feels true.

Once my daughter ran squealing into my arms across a green summer lawn at the age of six, and that was one such brief eternity.

Barefeet on a Gravel Road

2008-05-20T05:20:00.000-07:00

Barefeet on a gravel road
Chirpin squirrel, croakin toad
Saw a monarch butterfly leavin the coccoon
And it's barely even noon
Pileated woodpecker pounding on a tree
Humminbird hummin and a bumbley-bee
I wonder if I'll ever know what I once knowed
In barefeet on a gravel road

Barefeet on a grassy lawn
Got my little slugger ball cap on
Playin baseball with my kid sister
Let go of the bat, luckily missed 'er
Labrador retriever, bein a pest again
Not much of a fielder but she's our best friend
No grass was ever greener than what we walked on
In barefeet on a grassy lawn

(interlude)

Barefeet in a cedar wood
Soft enough for walkin and it smells so good
There's a cool little pool in a babblin brook
Let's stop to take a look
Buddy started clownin, he fell right in
Thought that he was drownin til I seen him grin
You gotta stand for somethin, there we stood
In barefeet in a cedar wood

Barefeet on a gravel road
Chirpin squirrel, croakin toad
Saw a monarch butterfly bein' born
On a sunny summer morn...

Another of the self-styled sentimental songs that have been pouring out over the past few years since taking up the ukulele. This one was inspired by watching a friend of mine walk to his car, literally in bare feet on a gravel road. It put me in mind of all those summers so long ago. We couldn't wait to get our shoes off when the springtime came, and we'd walk on the gravel wincing, knowing that by summer we'd be running across it without even blinking.

My Sweetest Memory

2008-03-09T20:32:00.000-07:00

They all call me Sloppy,
But Joseph is my name
I'll flip your eggs and fry your bacon
An old-time jalopy
Is my only claim to fame
I'm flying when I'm making like I'm free

Trees, flowers
Birds up on the wires
Fade into a blur behind me
The motor and the muffler
And the rumble of the tires
Remind me of my sweetest memory

Eggs over easy, coffee in a mug
Load the loaves
And carry in the milk jug
Grilled cheese and ketchup
Coleslaw on the side
Studebaker waiting
For a Sunday morning ride...

They all call me Sloppy
But what is that to me?
I'm far beyond the reach of teasing
Driving my jalopy
Down the highway so carefree
With the breeze & my sweetest memory
The breeze & my sweetest memory
The breeze & my sweetest memory...

That's The Miracle

2008-02-07T18:19:00.000-08:00

Oh the world is small and spherical
It's empirical
You can see it from above
It's a marvelous magical miracle
That's the miracle of love

At times I get sad and cynical
It's clinical
Go on put on your gown and gloves
And point me the way to the pinnacle
Of the miracle of love

It was written in the works of Shakespeare
What it takes dear
Not too much ado
Goodness gracious, heaven's sakes dear
Life is just a stage we're going through...

In times gone by and historical
Only the oracle could gather
What the gods were dreaming of
And in words that were mostly metaphorical
She'd say the miracle of love

In the scriptures and the scrolls of sages
Turn the pages,
It's woven through and through
Scrawled upon the rock of ages
The love that's up above is found around here too...

And the world is small and spherical
It's empirical
You can see it from above
It's a marvelous magical miracle
That's the miracle
That's the miracle
That's the miracle of love!

Sometimes these silly little ukulele ditties turn out to be deeper than I thought.

Funny how the ones that start as practically jingles wind up as something like hymns.

There She Was

2008-01-29T15:20:00.000-08:00

She would not do anything
Without her precious wedding ring
And she never did anything alone

Yet there she was, a sorry sight
Alone along the road at night
And why she was
May never now be known

This is one of those little songs that comes to me in the moments before waking.

It's amazing how much there is in a song that doesn't say too much.

Carry Me Away

2007-12-30T20:37:00.000-08:00

In the cliffside, in the shadow
Where the seagull and the swallow
Pierce the sky with freedom's fearsome cry
Where the treetops slowly bending
To the ocean depths unending
Bow down their heads as the train goes rollin' by

Oh, the north wind blows down the channel
And the freight train howls in the tunnel
Sweet spring rain I will catch that train and ride
Carry me away, carry me away
Carry me away like the tide, like the tide
Carry me away like the tide

In the nighttime, where the river
Meets the sea that goes forever
The fog hangs down like curtains from the sky
Where the tugboats and the tankers
Weep for the weight of their anchors
The lighthouse turns, salt water burns my eye

Oh, the north wind blows down the channel
And the freight train howls in the tunnel
Sweet spring rain I will catch that train and ride
Carry me away, carry me away
Carry me away like the tide, like the tide
Carry me away like the tide

A couple of people I really respect have told me they like this song a lot.

I had to address the fact that I really don't know it at all. I wrote it, but I've never been inside of it. I decided it might be worthwhile to spend some time with it and see what happens.

The whole thing started with me holding the word "oh...." for a really long time and thinking how cathartic that felt.

The Christmas Cat

2007-12-11T09:07:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Cat was only a kitten
Hardly any bigger than a warm wool mitten
Lived on the scraps from the innkeeper's table
Slept in the hayloft over the stable
The sounds of the donkey and the cow and the sheep
Were her favourite lullaby before she fell asleep
She gazed at the stars in the Bethlehem skies
Through the cracks in the roof with two bright eyes

One cold night she awoke from a dream
A ray of starlight touched the wooden beam
In the corner in the hayloft, where she always slept
In that humble little stable where the animals were kept
A new star shone over Bethlehem that night
Bathing the stable in a heavenly light
And the donkey and the cow and the sheep were astir
And there in the manger right below her...

The starlight fell on a baby's face
Full of peace and warmth and grace
As his mother sang a lullaby of love
And his father looked to the sky above
As he saw the star and he caught the eye
Of the Christmas cat in her perch on high
And he gently reached and gathered her
And he brought her down by the babe to purr

And the Christmas cat and the baby slept
As the father prayed and the mother wept
Tears of hope for their baby boy
Angels came to share the joy
And local shepherds to behold
And wise men bearing gifts and gold
And the tiny babe and the Christmas cat
Slept all through the night like that

The Christmas cat awoke in the dawn
As the sunlight rose and the night was gone
She was all alone in the manger hay
And she wasn't really sure how she got that way
Was it all in a dream that she might have had-
The baby boy and the mom and dad?
Wise men, shepherds, star so bright
Over Bethlehem that night?

The Christmas cat was only a kitten
Hardly any bigger than a warm wool mitten
She wasn't much good at a mystery
And she didn't know a thing about history
She only knew what she believed
And she thought about that, and she felt relieved
And she listened to the donkey and the cow and the sheep
And she closed her eyes, and went back to sleep...

Streetcar Named Despair

2007-11-17T08:03:00.000-08:00

On a streetcar named
Despair....
Among the huddled masses crowded there
There stood a sweetheart with a smile to spare
And sunlight sparkled in her eyes

She was an angel in
Disguise...
It didn't take me long to realize
Among the frowning faces, heaving sighs
The daily bread, the daily mail...

I took in every last
Detail...
The way she laid her hand upon the rail
A sack of silk scarves from some rummage sale
And the smooth sheen of auburn hair

I took a moment to
Declare...
How it just made my day to see her there
Perhaps I fumbled but I didn't care
She rose, and winked

And left
me
Standing there

Oh precious moment of
Delight
Amid the endless days and sleepless nights
There stood an angel blessed with
Auburn hair

On a streetcar...

Gordie Came Home From the War

2007-11-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

Gordie walked out of the tavern last night
Ran into Robert, started a fight
It seems like that boy
Can't do anything right
Since the day he came back from the War

He's callin' his Katie a whore in the street
Then he's down on his knees
And in tears at her feet
Cryin' you could have at least been discrete
While I was away to the War

And all the blue-haired ladies cluck
When Gordie tears off in his truck
You'd think he'd show
Just a little more pluck
For a boy who'd been to the War

Why if Robert hadna cared for Katie
Left alone with Gordie's baby
She'd have gone completely crazy
While he was away to the War

Sunday morning, Gordie lurches
Past the crowds outside the churches
Throwin' stones at dogs on porches
On his way back to the War

Robert's gone to check on Katie
One tooth missin', left eye shady
He's holding on to Gordie's baby
Like she was the spoils of the War

Gordie stares but he keeps on walkin'
Through with cryin', done with talkin'
Katie's pretty knees start knockin'
Like Gordie's did in the War

Now Robert wants to talk things over
He's chasing Gordie through the clover
He says you know she never was my lover
When you was away to the War

And all the clouds go driftin' by
Like shells exploding in the sky
And now Robert, with his swollen eye
Is wading in to the War

And gazing into Gordie's face
He takes him in a man's embrace
Commits one act of mighty grace
And sends him home from the War...

I've never sung this song the same way twice. It remains fluid, the story changing and shifting with each telling. I still can't say definitively what the relationships are, written against the backdrop of this perfectly familiar town. I don't even know if Robert sends, or brings Gordie home. I only know that's where Gordie winds up.

Lotto Paradise

2007-10-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

There's a store
At the end of a row of houses
Everyone knows where Chow's is
Everyone goes there for ice
And for milk, and for
Choc'late and chips and tobacco
Flowers and candles and canned goods
And the lotto paradise

Hey Billy!
Get yourself down to the corner
Walk and don't run that's an order
Hey wouldn't it be nice
If we win
We'll go down south of the border
Now go get a ticket for mama
On the Lotto Paradise

I was six, and
My brother Larry eleven
He broke his leg in the coal chute
I had to do all his chores
There was one thing
That I thought was better than heaven
When mama reached under the bed and
Said Billy, go down to the store

Hey Billy!
Get yourself down to the corner
Walk and don't run that's an order
Hey wouldn't it be nice
If we win
We'll go down south of the border
Now go get a ticket for mama
On the Lotto Paradise

There's a store
At the end of a row of houses
I been there since I first wore trousers
I'll go there til I go no more
They sell ice
And choc'late and chips and tobacco
Tickets that don't take you nowhere
On the Lotto Paradise

Whirling Around The Sun

2007-09-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

I planted last year's tulips
When the frost was on the trees
And I can't wait to see them up
And waving in the breeze
I'll be out there weeding,
I'll be down upon my knees
As the world just keeps on
Whirling around the sun

Birds are at the feeder
Chirping at the squirrel
Smoke is in the chimney,
I watch it drift and swirl
I can hear the springtime calling
Like the laughter of a girl
And the world just keeps on
Whirling around the sun

I wondered in my younger days
What lay beyond the hill
I wandered my wayfaring ways
But now I'm mostly still
It's just my mind that wanders
And I guess it always will
As the world just keeps on
Whirling around the sun

Cat is on the carpet,
Curled up in a sunbeam
I'm sipping at my coffee
Dancing in a daydream
I am floating, I am drifting
Like a cloud upon the jetstream
And the world just keeps on
Whirling around the sun...

I wrote this one for my mom when she was getting ready for retirement. I figured she'd never really sit still, and she hasn't, except in pretty moments like this one.

Ron Nigrini taught me a drop-C tuning which I used for this tune to give it a slightly exotic feel.

Here to Stay

2007-09-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

It feels like motion sickness,
But I haven't moved an inch
Since the moment that you
Up and walked away
Leaves are tumblin' from the trees
And darlin' it's a cinch
Those dark clouds rollin' in
Are here to stay

Chorus:
Here to stay, but you're all gone
If not forgotten
There's nothing that a man could do or say
The gate you closed behind you
Will be broken down and rotten
Before you're ever back and here to stay

The flowers that I picked for you
In summer's sweetest garden
They've all been turned to dust
And blown away
Upon the icy wind that caused
Your sweetest heart to harden
Now that icy wind is here to stay

Chorus x 2

The Old Man's Workshop

2007-08-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

This is a counting song: Start with the intro, and then, after each new verse, repeat previous verses in descending order as per 12 Days of Christmas or Rattling Bog. It's a marathon to memorize, but worth it when you pull it off in a live setting.

Intro:
Well I remember my Grandad raving
About a fella who'd keep anything worth saving
You could find a little treasure to match any craving...
Down in the old man's workshop

Verses:
Two bed posts from an old brass bed
An army cot and a buffalo head
At least that's what my granddad said
He found in the old man's workshop

A sledge and a wedge and a hedge cutter
A bucket of balls and a left-hand putter
Copper tube and a hinge for a shutter
Churn for making butter

A license plate from a 43 Ford
99 feet of extension cord
A volleyball net and a diving board
And a Japanese samurai sword

A mirror cracked right down the middle
Bag of cement and a pancake griddle
Propane torch and a hand-made fiddle
Snowshoes big and little

A brand new blade for a lawn-mower
Starter cord for a snow blower
Picture of the Queen with a champion rower
A window that won't lower

A sign that said Sweet Corn For Sale
A mailbag that said Royal Mail
A keychain that said Red Cap Ale
Hanging on a rusty nail

A Santa Claus suit and an old bed pan
A pair of sandals from Pakistan
You could find anything but the old man...
Down in the old man's workshop!

There really was an old man with a marvelous workshop who inspired this song. He was a World War II veteran, a crafty old codger with severe lung damage from a gas attack and a lifetime of smoking. He could build anything.

Some of the items mentioned could actually be found in his shop near Oxford, Nova Scotia. Others are drawn it from my memory of all the old men's workshops, basements, sheds and garages I knew.

I'd like to see this song laid out as an illustrated children's story. At the end, the picture would reveal the old man, happily fishing by a nearby stream.

The King is Gone

2007-08-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

Fire in the woodstove,
Burnin' low
Rain on the rooftop
And the radio
Newsman's voice comes down
With a somber ring:
The King is gone,
Long Live the King

Truck wheels spinnin'
On a gravel road
Long night's haulin' down
With a heavy load
Every breaker-breaker says
The same damn thing
The King is gone,
Long Live the King

You did not go down in a blaze of glory
Like the proud young prince
Who once played your part
You were not some saint in a sacred story
You died on your throne with a broken heart
Your earthly kingdom blown apart

Tiny TV screen
Black & white
Hear the women keening
Through the night
Like a choir of angels
They bow and sing
The King is gone
Long Live the King

You did not go down in a blaze of glory
Like the proud young prince
Who once played your part
You were not some saint in a sacred story
You died on your throne with a broken heart
Your earthly kingdom blown apart

It's Over

2007-07-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

Well it's over, when it's over
And it's over when you're walking in the rain
And you'll never get that feeling back again, oh
When it's over and you're walking in the rain

And it's over, when it's over
And you're lugging all your luggage down the lane
And you're never gonna pass that way again, oh
When it's over and you're walking in the rain

We had so many things to talk about
On the sunny days when skies were bright and blue
Now I only seem to walk about
And the only thing that's blue
Is the heart that wasn't true...

Well it's over, when it's over
And it's over when you're walking in the rain
And you'll never get that feeling back again, oh
When it's over and you're walking in the rain

And it's over, when it's over
And you're lugging all your luggage down the lane
And you're never gonna pass that way again, oh
When it's over and you're walking in the rain

Tweet tweet, starlings in the maple leaves
Singing silly songs of love's refrain
Sweet sweet darling how my poor heart grieves
In this lonely little lane
Trudging for the train...

Well it's over, when it's over
And it's over when you're walking in the rain
And you'll never get that feeling back again, oh
When it's over and you're walking in the rain

And it's over, when it's over
And you're lugging all your luggage down the lane
And you're never gonna pass that way again, oh
When it's over and you're walking in the rain

This song sprang up one rainy Winnipeg morning, as I lugged my luggage down the lane. I was headed home from the Great Canadian Ukulele Expo, and this is the first song I ever wrote for a uke.
It's not factual, but it's always felt True. You'd have to hear the melody to know what I mean.

Love, Love

2007-07-19T15:02:00.000-07:00

Love, love - I chased you everywhere
Love, love - You left without a care
Love, love - the laughter and the tears
Love, love - the freedom and the fears...

Love, love - the moments of my youth
Love, love - eternity of truth
Love, love - the glory and the pain
Love, love - the sunshine and the rain....

Love, love - the forest all around
Love, love - the seed on barren ground
Love, love - the water and the flame
Love, love - the beauty and the blame...

Love, love - the baby in the womb
Love, love - the body in the tomb
Love, love - the matter and the mind
Love, love - the sighted and the blind....

Love, love - the peace to save the world
Love, love - the flag of war unfurled
Love, love - the answer to my prayer
Love, love - the cause of my despair
the cause of my despair
the cause of my despair....

This song is played in 12/8 time, the signature of classic ballads like "Sea of Love" and "Unchained Melody." Between the howl of lust and the wail of grief beats the curious case of the human heart.

Do Not Speak

2007-07-04T11:27:00.000-07:00

I know the way your poor heart grieves
Like rain upon the fallen leaves
I touch the tears upon your cheek
I beg you, do not speak
I beg you, do not speak

I place my hand upon the door
Just like so many times before
My rage is strong but my heart is weak
I hope you do not speak
I hope you do not speak

I shoulder up my walkin' load
I set my boots upon the road
I know not what it is I seek
But I pray you do not speak
I pray you do not speak

I walk for miles along the track
I feel your eyes upon my back
I cross a cold and cruel creek
I cannot hear you speak
I turn my eyes toward the peak
I cannot hear you speak

I cannot hear you speak
I cannot hear you speak

You do not speak....

Rosie Can You Read This

2007-06-23T13:24:00.000-07:00

chorus:

Rosie can you read this?
The writing's on the wall
My car is in your driveway and
My boots are in your hall
But my heart is on the highway
Heading back to Montreal
Oh Rosie can you read this
Can you read my words at all?

The grass between your fence-posts
Is the finest shade of green
And the apples in your orchard
Are the ripest I have seen
I love to drink the water
That runs along your creek
Oh Rosie let me write this down
I'm too choked up to speak

(chorus)

I'd play on your piano
But I fear my hands would shake
Sing you sweet soprano
But I know my voice would break
I'd shout it from the housetops
If I thought that I'd be heard
Oh Rosie let me write this down
Before I lose the words

(chorus x 2)

Inspired by a bit of graffiti on the wall of the men's washroom at the legendary Free Times cafe, this little ditty is such a pleasure to sings and play that it's never really fallen out of my repertoire. I love the sligthly cheeky images, drawn from a farm in the Lunenburg area. There really was a Rosie living there, but there never was a story. Until the song, that is...

It's A New World

2007-06-17T03:32:00.000-07:00

Well the morning's comin'
Dawn is breakin'
Smell the coffee
Eggs and bacon
My legs are shakin'
It's a new world...

Sun is risin'
Sky is glowin'
Clouds are driftin'
Life is growin'
My mind is blowin'
For a good world....

Bees are buzzin'
Birds are singin'
Lights are flashin'
Bells are ringin'
It's time for bringin' on
A new world
Yes it's time for bringin' on
A new world

Just before my daughter was born in the spring of 1996, in a moment of peculiar attunement to the beauty and vitality of life, I wrote this simple prayer for the beauty of the morning.

Anything Could Happen

2007-06-12T10:47:00.001-07:00

He was a quiet stranger, hardly said a word
She drifted into danger
Just like a lonesome bird
He said his name was Michael, wasn't up to much
They rode his motorcycle
He couldn't feel her touch
Who knows where the wild wind blows
When the weary sun lies down?
No one in this town

chorus:
I'm thinking 'bout you baby
The way it always was
And anything could happen
But nothing ever does
I'm thinking about you baby
The way it used to be
And anything could happen
But not to you and me

The highway slid beneath them, just like a garter snake
He muttered through his teeth when
He couldn't find the lake
She said her leather jacket
Was left back at the bar
Screamed and made a racket
He said we've gone too far
Who knows why the wild wolf howls
At the first scent of a deer
No one around here

(chorus)

Raindrops on the window
Shadows on the blind
Her hair upon the pillow
Morning on my mind
I fumble for the matches
Light a cigarette
It all comes back in snatches
And I wish I could forget
Who knows why the sunrise glistens on the morning dew?
Nobody but you

(chorus x 2)

This song bridges from my older, Canadiana material to a series of more recent songs that are more about the landscape of the human heart and mind. I'm really fond of the image of the highway like a garter snake, and the whole setting for the song is the swath of Rainbow Country between Parry Sound and the Muskoka Lakes.

I thought this was a love song between awkward, angry, reluctant lovers, and maybe it is. But as I read it now, it could also be vignettes from a murder mystery.

I'm sometimes embarassed by my darker material. I'm sorry to have so many bad spots in my own psyche. I do think that it's an artist's duty to try to get at the truth of things.

Anyway, I love to sing this song, whatever it's about.

Nova Scotia Girl

2007-06-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

At the edge of the hill, by the side of the road
Near the Bay of Fundy shore
In a tiny one-room shack abode
According to the local lore
Where the blackberries grow, and the north winds blow
And the tidal waters swirl
Was born the loveliest lady I know
She's a Nova Scotia girl
Nova scotia girl sings:

Nana na na, na na na na na na...

Sharp as a tack, good as gold
Pretty as a purple clover
And though she's not so very old
She's roamed around all over
From the Fundy Bay to Vancouver Island
Halfway round the world
But she'll always say with that sweetheart smile
She's a Nova Scotia girl
Nova Scotia girl sings:

Nana na na, na na na na na na...

Silky skin and a great big grin
A head full of crazy curls
A corn-fed cutie and a brown-eyed beauty
That's a Nova Scotia girl
Where the oxen low and the roosters crow
And the barn-cat chases the squirrel
The wild rose blooms and the red spruce looms
For my Nova Scotia girl
Nova Scotia girl sings:

Nana na na, na na na na na na...

This is the true story of a gorgeous girl who was born among the weathered bones of her father's mostly broken dreams.

Life springs miraculous and glorious from the most rustic of roots.

Sentimental Boy

2007-05-27T05:38:00.000-07:00

Baby's in the cradle, robin's in the nest
Mommy's in the kitchen and Daddy knows best
And the grader's going to smooth the whole thing over
Weeping tile will soon be growing clover
Can't you see our baby throwing a bone to Rover
He's bound to be a sentimental boy...
Surely be a sentimental boy

Snowshoes in the winter, gumboots in the spring
Sandals in the summer, in the fall you'd better bring
Your wool socks and your work boots with the steel toes
Stack that firewood up into neat rows
Don't stand there wondering where the wondering geese go
Oh no...
You're bound to be a sentimental boy
Don't be such a sentimental boy

But the seasons keep on turning
That's the reason that I'm yearning
While the leaves are burning

(instrumental)

And it's high time for some changes
Cuz in my time, we keep fencing in the ranges
Leaves me feeling strange...

First it was a forest, then it was a field
Then it was a suburb and now all the signs say yield
To the freely-flowing freeways of our future
Constant clash and clamour that's our nature
Forget about the old man in the pasture
Don't be such a sentimental boy
You always were a sentimental boy...

This is a strange one. It was written for the uke, but it's not a silly little ditty like Strawberry Season or others I've written. It's got a ton of changes in it, if you'll pardon the pun, and an odd melody. The lyrics are sensitive and hesitant and the recording I have of me debuting it on stage reveals a very shy, intimate side of myself that I felt was important to dig around in.

The song was first inspired by driving north to Barrie from Toronto, where all the land is being overtaken with new developments. But fort the first verse I reached all the way back to my very earliest moments, when, as an infant I used to sleep through the sounds of the bulldozers while the septic bed was being put in outside our family home in Parry Sound.

This recording was made the first time I played the song on stage, at the Mariposa Sentimental Songs revue at Toronto's Tranzac Club. I was more nervous than I've been in years, for reasons I don't understand. I had just driven in from Montreal, and I ran into trumpet man Caleb Hamilton at the club. We ran through the changes once out on the sidewalk and then we performed it. Dave Lang captured it, and here it is.

Sentimental_Boy

There But For Nothing

2007-05-12T06:39:00.000-07:00

He was standing alone by a moose crossing sign
On a northern Ontario roadside
Wearing big winter boots in the summer sunshine
He had a face like a weather-worn goat's hide
I looked in that face and saw my fellow man
Out of luck and beat down to the ground
I opened my door and I held out my hand
And said buddy, now where are you bound?

Victoria bound without money or hope,
And that's a hell of a hard road to travel
Just one more man at the end of his rope
Watchin it slowly unravel
But he told me his story in well-chosen words
As the lakes and the forests slipped by
Something forgotten inside of me stirred
And said "There but for Nothing go I".

When we hit Manitoba I made him a deal
As we stopped to put gas in the car
I said I'd be happy to buy you a meal
If you'd just play on my old guitar
And he felt so ashamed cuz his clothes were in rags
But his belly just couldn't say no
He said the last time I ate was from green garbage bags
Back in Ottawa four days ago

And he played me the songs that a panhandler plays
When he stands by the liquor store door
Songs about memories and happier days
Words that we've all heard before
And he sang in a voice that was broken and hard
And he ended at last with a sigh
I knew this was a man who had played his last card
And there but for nothing go I

Saskatchewan wheatfields were black in the night
I was alone, he was sleeping
I stared at the darkness beyond the headlights
I knew I had nothing worth keeping
But when I crossed the line he awoke before me
He said "Hey, I'm not ready to die!"
I thought of those things that I had yet to see
I realized neither was I

I left him alone by a speed limit sign
On the side of an Edmonton highway
Told him I hoped it would all work out fine
He wished me good luck on my way
And though that was the last time that I saw his face
I never did quite say goodbye
He was out of the running, but still in the race
There but for nothing go I
There but for nothing go I
There but for nothing go I ...

I didn't really have to write this song. On that marathon drive in the summer of 1994, everything that happened just rhymed.

When It Comes To Love

2007-05-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

Wild are the winds that sweep over the snow
Deep are the shadows in moonlight's cold glow
Bark tossed and stranded, cruel ice all around
Hark, hear the anthem: a fool has been crowned

Here stands your commander, John Franklin by name
All glory abandonned, no prize left to claim
The spoils of the quest for prestige and for pride
But an old empty chest with no treasure inside

I am a fool when it comes to love
No gold have I gained here on Earth or above
Striving in vain for what fools dream of...
And I am a fool when it comes to love

Courageous companions, how grim is our fate
How helpless our landing, how hopeless our wait
Exiled explorers, our banners unfurled
Alone in our Terror at the end of the world...

Dearly beloved, sweet suffering wife
Too far have I roamed to return to this life
No rest shall I know, no home shall we share
I pray for eternity, I will love you there...

(instrumental)

Nightfall has fallen like the moon from the sky
Daybreak has broken like the sound of goodbye
No breath on these lips, no grasp in this glove
I am a fool when it comes to love
I am a fool when it comes to love
No gold have I gained here on Earth or above
Striving in vain for what fools dream of...
I am a fool when it comes to love
I am a fool when it comes to love
I am a fool when it comes to love

Listen to this song here