Paul Andrew Sneddon

Mr Waits Said Hold On

Sometimes,
when I'm feeling low,
I find a quiet place
and get my headphones.

Tom Waits —
"Hold On."

It's that first chord —
a warm D chord —
just opens up the world.
It's like an old friend.

And the words —
the lyrics —
make you smile,
make you laugh,
make you feel,
make you think.

A warm embrace.

I can see her —
the old motel, paint worn and peeling,
breath visible,
wrapping herself in her arms
in the freezing cold,
by the old shop.

"Hold on..."

I Am Alive

Death is seductive.
Life is reductive.
To the earth,
to the soil,
we will return.

But

I’m too old to die young.
Too far gone
for the black tie,
the graveyard moan.
Too plain
to deny it’s after me.
It’s going to get me.

But smart enough
to know

Live right now.
Crack a smile.
And yell

I am alive.

Music has always been there.
In my loneliness.
In my best moments.

From just a wee guy,
with my personal stereo:
Europe.
Fresh Prince.
Technotronic.

Top 40.
Taped off the radio.
Hits of the year.

Mum singing in the kitchen.
Dad’s record collection:
Bob Dylan.
Guns N’ Roses.
Then Aerosmith.
First light.
First gigs.
CDs from Woolworths.

John Lee Hooker.
The Black Crowes.
“Smokestack Lightning.”
And Gun.

Through bass guitars.
Copying riffs from my brothers.
Talent show.
Jam bands.
Aunt J’s funeral.
“Whisky in the Jar.”

Onto

An acoustic guitar.
Steve Earle.
Bruce Springsteen.
Life savers.

Living on my own,
wheezy harmonica,
chords,
four-track recorders,
soul brothers and sisters.

Writing songs.
Learning songs.
Lyrics scrawled everywhere,
on the walls,
on me,
in books and books.

Open mics.
Gigs.
Connection.

To the world.
To the earth.
Found myself
at 5am,
before the sun came up,
before the day began.

The Clash.
Rancid.
A thousand others,
etched on my heart.

The River Song

I love the rivers song

As it flows over stones and earth 
From the small streams through the countryside and dean park 
Till they flow to the sea
And out into the wild blue

I was thinking the other day about friends who have been and gone.
Family too
Taken from our life's too soon
Their laugh
Their banter
Chats we had about life
Wind ups 
And laughter 

I remember a song I wrote 

I've been listening to the river song
Thinking about those that are traveling on
I'll never forget where I come from
I've been listening to the river song

I'm going to stand
Im going to sing
I'm going to give it my everything 

I've been listening to the river song 

***
You can hear my song that inspired this here: https://paulandrewsneddon.bandcamp.com/track/the-river-song

The Lucky Ones

Ayr High Street

Smiths

Sometimes in the 1990s

Upstairs where they sold CDs

Looking for something new

Past Madonna
Past Take That
Past Pearl Jam
Past The Offspring 

Down on the bottom 

I see it

What the fuck is that.

Rancid

A punk

Head in hands

….And out come the Wolves

I get home

Put it in the player

Maxwell Murder bursts out the speakers

Then the bass solo hits

I play bass. I've heard amazing players but no-one that plays bass like that

A few months later we’re cutting out of school early, getting the train through Glasgow. Standing in the queue at the Barras

We get in

The band ready

They start playing Maxwell Murder and the place lights up.

We are blessed

We are changed

We are alive.

We’re the lucky ones