The holidays can be a difficult time for those away from home. Here’s a new single from the album that conveys the loneliness of Christmas amidst the stark beauty of a northern Canadian winter. Dedicated to all those who will be away from their families this year.
I am delighted to announce that one of my songs for the SAC 2016 songwriting challenge made the special mention list.
The challenge was coordinated through a closed Facebook group with 82 members, many of whom submitted songs for consideration each week. Moderators listened and commented on all of the submissions, while the challenger was asked to picked a few of the songs for special mention.
The goal for Week 2 was issued by Northern Pikes member Bryan Potvin who challenged us to write a song that tells a story. My song “Can’t Take it Back” was one of three chosen by Bryan, who wrote
Selkirk Range’s “Can’t Take It Back” is killer country music. Country has always been a genre that relies on ‘the story’. This tune totally delivers, complete with a gorgeous melody and heartfelt performance.
Thank you for this Bryan. It means a lot to get positive feedback on something that has consumed much time and energy (not to mention patience) to create. And a special thank you to Rosanne Baker Thornley and North Easton for the tremendous–and I mean tremendous–effort they both put into the Challenge as moderators and mentors.
The song was written too late for the upcoming release, but maybe this is the motivation I need to consider doing a follow up single for next year.
The challenge this week came from Ron Irving who asked us to write an “edgy” country pop tune with some added criteria:
Male artist, early 20s, no mention of marriage or kids, no references to partying at the lake, and no “bro country” vibe (I’m not sure what that means).
I don’t listen to much country per se, so I spent a few days getting exposed. Wow, the genre is really wide and there is plenty of room for crossover with pop/rock. What makes it country? The accent. The content. And, interestingly, almost every song I heard was written in first person POV.
So here it is. It does include mention of (a) beer ; (b) a woman; (c) a truck; And the guy loses his woman and his job. But if you stay with it, there’s a moment redemption at the bridge and third verse of the song.
Enjoy!
Good Man Down
Friday night he gets home late
grabs a beer and sits and waits-
for that woman he loves so much
what would he do without her touch
He finds a note by the kitchen sink-
she wrote it fast, in lipstick pink
she’s going south to West Palm Beach-
for sun and sand, and another man
God, he’ll never understand
Why an honest guy can’t get a break
he keeps on losing ground
when a lover leaves him in misery
we got another good man down
Monday morning he shows up at work
grabs his tools from out of his truck
he does this job to pay the rent
but by the end of the week the money’s spent
The boss is shoutin’, callin’ his name
tells him business just ain’t the same
they’re closing down the shop today
the payout’s just a couple of grand
we hope that you’ll understand
That an honest Joe can’t get a break
he’ll keep on losing ground
and when the economy leaves him in misery-
we got another good man down
Oh, he could crawl into a hole and hide
or he could curl up and die
but something stirs in him deep down inside
and he gets back up on his feet again
This stretch of highway is all his own
he puts the pedal down and leaves his home
it’s time to make a change for good
he’s gonna get what he needs
to hell with what they might believe
An honest soul can get a break
he might even gain some ground
he’s had enough of dealing in misery
you can’t keep a good man down
We got a good man down
we got a good man down
we got a good man down
we got a good man down
SELKIRK RANGE 