Song List
Small Town Prairie Gigs — mp3
I spent many a winter touring in western Canada with Tamarack in the 80's and 90's. It's where I learned my trade. My two main travelling companions from those days, Jeff Bird and Alex Sinclair, were kind enough to join me in the recording of this song, which is dedicated to them.
Randal Dooley
Sometimes I feel like it's part of my job to try to give a voice to those that never had the chance to let us hear their own. The details in this song were made public during the trial of little Randal's parents in Toronto in 2001.
Weapons of Mass Instruction — lyrics
I ALSO feel that it's my job to goad you folks into using your voices more. We're awfully quiet these days.
The Queen of the Bingo Palace
A true story from my home town of Guelph, Ontario.
Carlyle Lake
Carlyle Lake, in Ontario's beautiful Killarney Park, has become a soul-restoring annual respite for me.
The Bonny Earl of Murray
It's been many years since I last recorded a traditional folk song. This one has been haunting me for 25 years. The "Huntley" in the tale, the bad guy, was the head of the Gordon clan. It's also famous for being the source of the expression "a mondegreen" which describes a mis-heard lyric. 'Laid him on the green' was often interptreted as 'Lady Mondegreen'!
Just Like Davey Jones
In honour of the year of the Monkey, a true tale about me and showbiz.
The Seeking
I've always been fascinated by the old Scottish song "Mari's Wedding", which I've sung since I was wee. Endomusia, the "silent recall of a melody", happened with this song a lot when I last toured the U.K., and this song of friendship came out of it.
To The Walls
My home town has been a haven for the "alternative progressive" community for a number of years. An oasis in what has become a desert of strip malls and big box stores. The results of our recent municipal election threaten to change all that.
Mesopotamia — lyrics
The imperialist invasion of Iraq made many of us question the current state of our civilization, and it seems ironic that this action took place in the very birthplace of that civilization.
Saugeen Gypsies
As some of you know, Gypsies often appear in my songs. I was surprised to learn that their traditional caravans were seen around Southern Ontario as late as the 1920's.
World Gone Mad
I can clearly remember the first conversation I had with my oldest son. As usual, I did most of the talking. He was just an hour old, and I think I may have misrepresented the planet that he ended up growing up on.
Traverse City
A little audio painting from a town in Michiganthat's always been good to me.
Friendly Fire
This song has already appeared on a compilation CD put out by my friend Lewis Melville on DROG records. He asked artists to submit songs that were just 60 seconds long, an interesting challenge. I wrote this after Canadian troops were attacked by U.S. bombers in Afghanistan. Have a listen if you've got a minute.
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