"A Quiet Release"

Very soon the eldest of my sons will be getting married. 

But first I get away for a few days, very shortly in fact, for one of my favourite times in the year. I'm going to be writing songs, and unwinding, with a few songwriter friends down in England. 

Just recently, since the roof blew off, I haven't written a thing. I don't know where the time has gone. But I do know that I get very broody and restless if too much time goes by without writing a song. 

It's a magical thing to know that in a week's time I'll hopefully have  handful of new creations that could be making their way on to a Fee Come's Fourth slot. That's if the Songwriting God's be in a beneficent mood. 

So this has got to be short. I've a bag to pack,  a guitar to encase, and a journey to make. There are songs in the air.

Woohoo! 

The line "a quiet release" is from the song You Don't Have To Be Strong off my album A Human Being. 

"Here's A Good Place To Look At The View"

For someone who is not a great fan of DIY, and someone who is not very good at it, I think I have done more of it than anyone I know. Despite the protests. My protests. Despite the intentions to avoid.

I don't know how it happens, but it happens. And sometimes I don't even mind. Like today. I've been outside putting a roof on a large construction that used to be  home to two Snowy Owls. (The place where we stay is a part of what used to be the Scottish Owl Centre). We've already (me and Brian...a legend) put down a heap of decking. With a bit of help from The Boys at different times. And now we're putting a roof over it.

So I'm outside, on one of the better days we've had so far this year, knocking in roofing nails, which is something I can cope with. Simple and repetitive. And I can look out over Campbeltown Loch and Davaar Island and the famous Ben Gullion. And the only fly in the appointment is the slightly too loud industrial hum of Campbeltown Creamery. But that's being picky. Their cheese is fantastic.

The roof is not far off completion now. And we'll have an outside space who's first use (hopefully) will be for an outside reception at the wedding of my oldest son Daniel, to Susanna. And it is her Dad who started the Owl Centre, and she grew up there. Which is a nice little additional touch to the whole thing.

In the future I'm hoping to be staging little concerts there as well, for me, other local songwriters, and anyone else we can persuade. It'll be great. Outdoors but under cover. A good place to look at the view.  To relax. And let the music  drown out ALL the flies in EVERYBODY'S ointment.

PS. I smiled at a stranger today. But not before a stranger had smiled at me. I hope you succeeded in beating those dang strangers to it!


The line "Here's a good place to look at the view" is from my song You Don't Have To Be Strong on the album A Human Being.

"You Don't Have To Be Strong"

A friend of ours from Iran heard this lyric and her response was: it's not true, we do have to be strong.
She lives in a country which has become dominated by Islamic fundamentalism to a degree which has made life oppressive and sometimes dangerous for those that step out of line. For women even more so. It didn't use to be like this. But years before the British/American alliance was going to war in Iraq, Britain was supporting the USA's interference in Iran. And our governments played a part, possibly a major part, in bringing the current situation about. What are we like with our democratic ways?

So my friend doesn't consider herself free because she is at the mercy of religious dictates from a vastly male dominated leadership who take their views from the Koran, their Word of God, and not from democratically informed reason.

In order to be herself, to live, in that country, of course she needs to be strong. In order to stay alive, to achieve our goals, to cope with pain, to be there for the people we care about...of course we have to be strong.

But I would like to complete the line. The all important context is: You don't have to be strong...here in my arms.

Of course my arms aren't the important feature here, you might be pleased to hear.  The important matter is that we all need somewhere to feel safe. And the more unsafe our environment, the more true that becomes. The more we are surrounded by troubles, the more vital that we have a place to go to, a person to sink into.

I wrote the song out of an awareness that I need arms to hold me when I am weak. We all do.

The line "You don't have to be strong" is from my song of the same name and was chosen by Steve Byrne. It is on my album A Human Being