Hi,
This is more of a poem at the moment
for a close friend of mine.
Last week he passed away from cancer and we held
a Memorial at the bar where he dispensed drinks and
advice for the last 15 years.
In the 30+ years I had the good fortune to call Bill
my friend I never knew him to be anything but a
Hero just by his being true to himself and treating
others with respect and good humor.
For Bill
The kindest man to walk this earth
Deserved a longer time to live
Just 57 years of life
Was all the Lord would give
Yet in that time he touched the souls
Of every one he met
And left behind no enemies
Just a warmth we won't forget
Always trust you heart in times
Of choosing right from wrong
Always greet your friends with smiles
And leave them with a song
Always have the kindest words
For those in time of need
Always give of what you have
This life's too short for greed
He would not preach or lecture
But the lessons that he taught
The measure of the man was in
His every deed and thought
So drink with me a final toast
And when our journeys take us far
Remember all the times we had
With Bill behind the bar
Always trust you heart in times
Of choosing right from wrong
Always greet your friends with smiles
And leave them with a song
Always have the kindest words
For those in time of need
Always give of what you have
This life's too short for greed
John
Sorry to hear about your friend Bill , 57 is way way too young to go .....
thoughts are with you John ......
This is a very moving and sensitive piece ... I'm thinking wrods almost spoken rather then sung with guitar picking in the back ground ... just a thought ....
So drink with me a final toast
And when our journeys take us far
Remember all the times we had
With Bill behind the bar
That paints a picture of your friend so nicely ...
cheers
L.K
Aghhhh
Not only am I a senior citizen
I'm now a bloody senior member
Are you people trying to tell me I'm old or what ?
over 700 posts ( I really do need to get out more )
Wow Celt. Thats moving. It reminded me of "Piano Man" for some reason. A very nice tribute to your friend. I hope people remember me that way.
Geoo
“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)
Hi John,
sorry to hear about your friend. This is a nice tribute, and by the sounds of him I think that he would approve of your song. As you know I think that writing a song is a good way to come to terms with your thoughts and emotions, and for my part although Winn never heard my song I did place a copy of it on her cask before she was cremated. If you can bring yourself to do it, it might be nice to sing this song to his other friends at the bar.
Well done :D ,
pbee
Thanks Guys,
LK, I like your Idea about it being spoken. I haven't
thought much about music but I had a thought about
The Byrds song Chestnut Mare. In that the verses are
spoken over quiet guitar and the chorus in sung.
I may have to explore this option.
Geoo, Ok I can see the Piano Man thing now that I reread it.
It does have a similar feel. Especially the last verse.
Pbee, It may take me a while to but this to music, but
I might print a copy and have them post it at the bar.
And yes, writing is a good why to to process things.
I must admit I had to stop and cry while writing this.
But now that the tears are over(hey that might make
a good song) I can remember the good times even
though I will miss him always.
John
WOW!
I have to tell you, John, your writing was always pretty good, but it seems to me, the last few months you've got even better...there's nothing here to find fault with, there's nothing specific to praise...it's all excellent!
I like the suggestion about spoken vocals....first thing I thought was, hell, I'd love to hear Johnny Cash do this...seems to me it would have fitted his voice perfectly!!!
Standards are rising on this here forum, and you're helping to raise the bar....
Be proud...be VERY proud of this one!!!
:D :D :D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
That's terrific, John, and yeah, like Pbee says, I think you should definitely share this with Bill's friends. Even just as a poem if you don't get around to putting music to it. Excellent work.
Joe
that is a very touching tribute to a true friend.
with or without music.
thank you for sharing it with us.
#4491....
