"She Smiles And He Knows"

It's nice being able to communicate in  unspoken gestures. I often can't help talking even if I don't want to. A work colleague once told me that she knew when I was about to disagree with something because my right eyebrow would go up. So my face speaks. In fact it takes a lot of effort for me to do deadpan..

Words, as limited as they are, are our best way of being certain that we have accurately passed on a message. I doubt people would feel so relaxed on an aeroplane if they knew that the Air Traffic Controller  was passing on important flight information using body language. The body language is good for the big picture. A general idea about how people are feeling. Not for saying "Move to 25000 metres because you are currently in the flight path of a KLM 747 on route to Schipol".

I flew down to Bristol on Saturday to surprise a friend who was performing at a gig to officially release his album. I'm having a great time catching up with song writing friends. But before the flight took off I was already quite confident I was going to have a safe trip and a good time because the air hostesses were smiling when we boarded the plane.

Other information I have picked up during this trip without the use of words. Easyjet is better than Ryanair. Ukeleles are stronger than they look. And rain is wet everywhere.



The line "She smiles and he knows" comes from a co-written song called Dancing In Rio which my co-writers (Tina Pluchino and Rob Harris) are planning to get released soon, in time for the World Cup in Brazil. Or if we miss that deadline, the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

"I Want To Sail Away On The Seven Seas"

Today I'm up the road...

I feel a sense of freedom when I head  past Westport beach and see Gigha off to the left as I travel the A83 away from home. I love surprises.   There is nothing more exiting than leaving Campbeltown and visiting somewhere that I haven't been before. The more unknown that can be packed into a journey the better. And Limited Knowledge is the best invention ever.  Along with BIG maps that give tiny clues to all the Different Stuff that could be out there. Mussels and beer under a bridge over the Bhospurus in Istanbul. Being treated like a King on news years day in Isfahan, Iran.  And closer to home, but still new, collapsing cliffs near Cleethorpes. John O'Groats and isolation. The size of the sky on North Uist.

A breath of fresh air.

 Coming home is the most comforting and re-energising of experiences. Driving or being driven by The Bus Driver back down the A83 after Tarbert on the way home to Campbeltown is  one of my favourite things. The changing sky over the Atlantic out past Northern Island.  Home to times with the family. Ineke. The boys bantering among themselves and joining forces to mock the Old Man. The Aqualibrium...The library beneath the swimming pool!  Friday night take-aways from The Taj Mahal, our local Bangladeshi. Bengullion, looking down upon us. Walking up or down Longrow and Mainstreet seeing faces that have become part of my life.

Bathing in the familiar.


I'm back on Monday, or Tuesday. Hopefully still be blogging while I'm away though.


The line "I want to sail away on the seven seas" is from my unreleased song Fog.



Fee Comes Fourth

"It Often Seems The Stones And Me Are Not Quite The Right Shape"

It: a deer a female deer. I saw one on the way up AND on the way down Bengullion the other morning

Often: I spend time thinking about the future

Seems: like the rain is making up for lost time. Perhaps I should build an Ark

The: meaning of life is

Stones: are useful tools for building a world dominating species

And: now for something completely different

Me: and my lovely wife have been wonderfully incompatible for 28 years

Are: you still reading?

Not: Oh :(

Quite: what is going on in my head is a mystery

The: answer is out there somewhere

Right: Right?

Shape: my hand and we'll call it quits.




The line "It often seems the stones and me are not quite the right shape" is from my song Eight (January 4th 2013)

"For You, Me, And Everybody"

I think the name of the first boy I saw coming to school with a Mohican was Cary. And it wasn't a half- hearted effort. Bright purple and it doubled the size of his head. I was more than a little bit in awe, being someone who had done their best, not always successfully, to fade into the background. I wasn't a punk.

Sticking your head where it can be noticed is a risk. The world is full of people who will be prepared to take a shot at you for having the audacity. Maybe it's in school where we learn the art. You can't be wrong if you never answer teacher's questions.  You don't get laughed at or bullied if nobody knows you are there.

These days I aspire to be the one prepared to make a fool of themselves. I mean for most of us, getting laughed at is the worst that can happen. No one is going to kill us.

However, I digress. Because this blog was meant to be about what we have in common.

The truth is that the real legends in life are the ones who risk that little bit more to teach us that as human beings, we have the same blood, we should work to together, we shouldn't fight. In fact they stand out in order to show us what we have in common.

Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, Martin Luther King  shot, for putting their heads above the parapet and shouting out loud that our life blood is the same,  skin colour  irrelevant.

Ghandi got himself shot for visibly demonstrating that the solution to oppression  between religions and classes should be strong, head held high, cooperative, peaceful resistance. Because violence against others is violence against ourselves. We are the same.

The lone man standing in front of the tanks at Tiananmen Square  was standing up for what he shared

with his fellow Chinese, not for what made him different. A desire to exist without oppression from his fellow human beings.

And Cary. Cary was a blooming peacock. And his hair stood proud for  the suppressed beauty in all of us school children who had too quickly learned to hide our lights.

But we can unlearn too.




The line "For You, Me, And Everybody" is from today's Fee Comes Fourth tune Life Is Difficult. You can download it for free by following the link.

"Who Wants To Sing It, The Last Song Standing"

For those who are only familiar with this fairly recent blogging, it's time to tell you about my songs. About 19 months ago I made the decision to release a new song on the fourth of every month. For ever and ever amen! And if you sign up at my website you can get those songs for free.

So far so good. I haven't missed a month, and I'm still talking to Sam Hales who takes a large bite of credit for production work on the Fee Comes Fourth tunes. The biggest struggle is choosing which ones to record, as golden oldies (at least in my head)  compete with the new ones that keep popping out before I've got their rooms ready. And before I know what colour of wallpaper to choose.

As well as the songs themselves, and this daily blog based on a random lyric, I'm also planning to do a weekly video recording to put up on Youtube or Vimeo or something similar. But not quite yet.  If there's anyone reading in the Kintyre area who would be interested in helping me with the video side of things, feel free to make yourself known.

 I hope you're getting something out of my ramblings and warblings. The internet is like a world wide speakers corner with anyone and everyone able to park their soapbox and make a noise. You can always switch me off though if it all gets too much. Because, get used to the idea, I'm planning to be in your faces till the Last Song Standing. Don't worry. I'm enjoying myself. Whether you're listening or not.

Oh, and BTW, it's the fourth of the month tomorrow. There's a new song coming out. Haven't you been paying attention.

The line "Who wants to sing it, the last song standing" is from my song Last Song Standing - July 4th 2012.

"Like A Little Child, But Nobodies Fool"

Unless you become like a little child you cannot enter the kingdom of God. These are words that Jesus, the famous one, is quoted as saying. I like the quote.

It's not just a quote for me. It's a life goal. Getting (back) that sense of fun, the unambiguous questioning...the kind of questioning that scientists try to achieve, physical un-inhibition, and faith in the impossible. The innocence. And a bubbly joy in silliness.

Shame that the vast majority of us have to spend a lifetime recovering something that was our birthright. Makes you wonder where the stealing of it happens. 

One thing is certain. The thieves are fools. I've been a fool in my time. I consider it to be a great achievement whenever I refrain from stealing someone else's child likeness. Including my own. 

The line "Like a little child, but nobodies fool" is from my song Carry On, Keri-Anne (The Dodgy Hip Sessions)

"Coming To You At The Speed Of Light"

Not. Have you ever tried typing a blog on an iPad keyboard when the computer is out of action.

And it's a Saturday night. You could be  doing something interesting, and I don't want to keep you from it.

Goodnight.


"Coming to you t the speed of light" is from my song Far on Fee Comes Fourth december 4th 2012.