Originally titled the shining mountains and written for famed Canadian singer and good friend, John McDermott, this piece sat around
for a few years. Flicking through my old song jottings I came across the peace in my time chorus I had discarded and suddenly it felt
more appropriate than the chorus of the shining mountains did. Perhaps if people are sufficiently interested I could put an mp3 file
of the alternative section on the web site when I update it. Lots of love songs have been written; many peace songs have been written.
Hopefully this means that these topics are on the mind of many people. Translating love songs into action, however, seems to be much
easier than propagating peace through words and music. Needs more work and diligence from everyone.
Secrets Of The Heart
"…Falling out
of love has never been so hard…" is one of the secrets that some may keep within their life and heart. I chose to make it less of
a secret in this lyric. The title of the song seamlessly became the title of the CD because I lived these words within welcoming walls
during the recording period. Slowing it down only became possible once the heart stopped crying. Very recently, indeed, and perhaps
never completely.
The Matriarch
Sitting in the little Sicilian village of Triscina in the summer of 2001 seemed to be very influential
for my songwriting. I was there with my mother for the wedding of my son and Sicilian daughter-in-law. My muse was there too and helped
me through this work in very short time, crystallising some of the family issues extent. I'm disappointed that no one seems to pick
up the device my muse and I used to start a verse with the last word of the verse before. The Gaelic feel to the accompaniment was
always in the back of my mind but was really brought to fruition by Michael Parker's wonderful Irish whistle playing and, to some
extent, by my late realisation that an open tuning for the guitar part would be empathetic. Michael Cristian's accordion work on this
song makes the whole thing float emotionally.
Peace In My Time
Your Heart Will Always Be My Home
Indeed it will, my dear mother, and mine will be yours. When Alan Rhody and I sat down in Nashville
to work on this, I don't think either of us realised how comprehensively the words show respect for an older generation. It certainly
sings well as a lyrical love song, but the extra dimension of making that dignified person who is your parent the subject of the song
really works for me. We have done well, Alan. Michael Cristian's suggestion that this be a fully acoustic track has increased its
directness to the heart that will always be my home.
Welcome To The New Sunrise
"…Don't take for granted what's not your own…" The Yallarwah
Place project, for which this song was written, started out in a noble fashion: to provide proper accommodation for indigenous people
from country areas of New South Wales visiting sick relatives in hospital in Newcastle. Sadly, some of the lyrics have turned out
to be prophetic, like the opening lines: "So much has been said before, most of it not worth the time anymore". We should all walk
a proud highway, not turn our back on those who need our help and never patronise. How noble is that? No more nor less than the original
Yallarwah concept. Respect is not a line in the sand, it IS the sand. The journey on the proud highway will lead to the new sunrise.
Let's welcome it together.
Destination: You
Action! move it! make a decision! own up, because no one can judge you like you judge yourself!
Thank you again Alan Rhody. And in all of this, where will my granddaughter Indigo, the precious little backing singer, be in twenty,
thirty years? Hope I'll be around to find out. Likewise my grandson Pascal, the bold and talented artist who contributed the inner
sleeve painting. I own two of his rare works created before he decided to tread the path of connectivity that eschews paint and paper.
Long may they both hit the ground running with my little strand of bloodline somewhere in that double helix within them. Finished!
Done!!