Leaving Song – Song and a Chat

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Episode #140: Leaving Song (Song starts at 3:36)

“I’m amazed it’s 2022”! That’s what I said – and how I felt – for a moment, when I’d been chatting about this week’s featured song on this episode. I was lost in the song. It took me back to 1992, when I wrote ‘Leaving Song’ (Song #242).
Bizarre. Those 30 years have passed by so quickly. Actually, I’m not sure whether quickly is the right word… they’ve snuck by, somehow.

By writing songs continually all these years, I’m finding that I’ve documented (emotional) episodes in my life. Singing & playing the song brings back vivid memories from the time I wrote it.

When I look closely at a song like ‘Leaving Song’, I find part of me lives in it. That part of me is still somehow at the age I was when I wrote it, as I read it.

I find it interesting that I can do clearly see a younger me in the song. Is that why we love old classic songs? They remind of a younger version of ourselves, perhaps.

A romantic interest was the inspiration for this song. Looking back, she seemed just out of reach somehow, and now, I’d found out she was heading overseas.

So what did I do? I picked up a pen and wrote some words that came to mind.

I talk about commitment a bit on this episode. Commitment to the arts. Back in 1992, there was something wrong if I didn’t manage to write 5 lots of lyrics each week. I did it because I was passionate about it (I still am today, by the way).

I still have so many songs coming through. At the moment I have 12 or 15 waiting in a file, which I look at each week – and ‘nibble’ at, waiting for a free day to do some more editing and ‘finish’ them..

Back in the day, I could sit down and write all day. These days I’m a busy man. I’m still committed to beginning a song if the feeling hits me. But as I have a lot on, sometimes I don’t finish them as quickly as I might once have.

‘Leaving Song’ is like an old travelling song, the music came to me quickly. It’s a simple song. It really wrote itself, to be honest. And yes, I can remember writing it – in fact, it seems like yesterday.

There’s a line in the song that says ‘life is strange and full of strange twists’. Ain’t that the truth.

I start each day with as much positivity as I can muster. As I go through my day I hang onto that outlook as best I can. Ups and downs are going to happen, so you may as well enjoy the ride as much as possible.

Vehicle troubles struck this week. My printer gave me printer troubles. Usual stuff – ahh, ‘life’.

That’s what came through in the lyrics of leaving song: ‘Hey, that’s life – sure I’ll miss you – but get out there and kick up your heels. Maybe I’ll catch up with you again sometime’.

That’s the gist of the song. So there’s a sense of freedom about the lyric.

Writing songs like this is a way for me to get to my myself on a deeper level. Words can be a revelation when they roll off your pen.

Songwriting is a joy. It’s always a journey into the great unknown.

Speaking of which, each of my podcast episodes are exactly like that. It’s a creative process, I talk completely ‘off the cuff’ – there’s no plan.

I’m enjoying it so much because this is a great way to share my songwriting ideas. It’s also a great way to share perhaps more general creative concepts… it’s so much fun.

Ok here we go. Let’s get into ‘Leaving Song’, enjoy.