About the songs

Joseph's Song is my one and only 'hit'. That's a relative term in that it was actually played on BBC Radio Wales at Christmas 2010 - twice. (Thanks Aunty Beeb). Its set on the night of Jesus' birth. The midwife's gone, mother and baby are sleeping. Only Joseph is still awake, trying to make sense of it all. A lot of people seem to like this one.

Wash The Dirt Away was written for the Foot Washing ceremony on Maundy Thursday which commemorates Jesus washing his disciples' feet to teach them humility. In my church, one of the priests would wash a foot each of twelve people. Meanwhile, I'd sing this song and anything else I could think of until the priest finished. It was easier for me to keep busking rather than have the choir sing something because I could stop as soon as the last toe was dry.

Retribution Day is a bit of a production number. You don't think the rolling thunder & rain at the start is too much, I hope? Anyway, it's the crucifixion from the point of view of the Penitent Thief. I think it also says something about the way crowds can do terrible things they wouldn't dream of doing as individuals.

Jenny Farmer is a true story. Only the facts have been changed to protect the innocent. And no hamsters were harmed during the making of this song.

Salome is just a bit of rock and roll. I've had the drum track lurking on various pooters for years. Then one week I thought why not? I don't think I've ever performed this one in public. There never seems an appropriate time.

I Want To. This song came from noodling about on my bouzouki when it was new way back in 1995 and I was still playing regularly with Valleys Praise Band. It doesn't have proper chords. The E & B strings are left open and I alternate between holding down E on the 4th string with B on the 3rd string and F sharp on 4th & A on 3. For the technically minded the instruments are baz, banjo and a low strung 12-string guitar.

Hold On. I'm not at my best in winter. Silly little things can bother me deeply but I've learned now not to make important decisions between November and February inclusive. Still, sometimes it's worth a bit of the blues to get a nice, hopeful bit of rock & roll like this one. Thanks Lord, I appreciate it.

One True Love. I actually woke up one morning with the "Had to be her one true love" bit rolling around my head. It took me a couple of weeks to work out what it's about. Turns out it's Mary Magdalene's life story in 4:39

The Pilot. A song about the sea or about setting out on a journey. It was inspired by the time back in school when two friends of mine were trying to argue me into the Kingdom of God. I remember thinking if I'm right then I'm ok and they're ok. If they're right, they're ok and I'm in trouble. Thanks Dave & Hedley.

On a musical note, this song is the first time I've used an e-bow. I think it makes a pretty good electric cello.

The Fool. This is a bit reggae-ish, though I wouldn't swear to it. I don't know much about reggae but Mac says the drums are 'Rock Steady' which is a kind of reggae (I think). I actually wrote this on my banjo while noodling about in the G Minor key just to see what would happen. When I tried recording it the whole thing turned out a bit Jamaican.

The Ringers. The story of a village told through the lives of their bell ringers. Sing along.

Leaving. A bit of blues based on the Prodigal Son parable. How low do you have to sink before you think "Stuff this. I'm going home."

Got To Leave Her Someday is a big departure for me. Its a bit jazz and nothing to do with my faith. Its all fiction too! I just seemed to be hearing a lot lately about men having affairs & wondered why they do it. (I like being married & I want to keep it that way) So I wrote a little short story in verse trying to get inside the situation. Of course he gets found out in the end. I'm a preacher. Its my job.

Walk That Road Again. My wife bought me a blues box guitar. Just 3 strings, made out of bits and bobs, played with a slide. I've never been any good on slide although I love hearing it. I'm still not much cop on slide, which is why there's no slide on the track - BUT - I wrote this song while noodling around on the blues box. Its inspired by Woodie Guthrie and a local(ish) band called Railroad Bill, who play skiffle. I hope you like it. I had a lot of fun making it.

Cross Purposes. I'm not totally sure where this one came from. I've had the first couple of lines for years. Then one day I sat down and noodled a bit on a guitar and it sort of turned up out of the blue. I thought was going to be a down home Country 'cheatin' song but it became the story of two people who have to go to somewhere they're not known so they can be themselves. Maybe they're cheatin'. Maybe they just wanna dress up in Star Trek uniforms. You decide.

Dust & Ashes. I wrote this for Lent in 1997 and I've performed it many times over the years (probably more than most of the others) but for some reason I've never got round to recording it. Until now (2021) when we're in lockdown. It was snowing. Why not.

Emmaus Road gets me back on home territory, retelling gospel stories. What was going through the minds of the two 2nd division disciples as they walked home on the first Easter Day.

No Glory Masquerade. Not much to say really. I was just noodling around on the guitar and the phrase arrived. It's a small collection of post-resurrection appearances.

Angels In Wyoming. 17/12/10 it snowed in Wales. Those few of us who made it in to work were sent home. Not one to waste a snow day, I tidied my study, backed up my hard drive and wrote this while watching the white stuff fall outside. Why Wyoming? It seems like a nice place. Also the 'wise men' in the song were originally going to be outlaws. Where else would they be but Cowboy Country.

Call Me was written after one Christian Aid Week. I thought of it as one of those fund-raising records like Band Aid did. If anyone thinks they can do it justice, you're welcome to try. All rights reserved coz it's my song.

Rueben is based on a story in the Gospels where 4 friends make a hole in a roof to get their paralysed friend near Jesus. I've always thought it was funny (hence the silly voices) with those pompous pharisees covered in ceiling plaster.

For All These Gifts. A Harvest song. I pictured somebody sitting down having a cuppa after a long, hard but satisfying day and being thankful.

Its Over Now is about Paul's experience on the Damascus road. It's another big production (a second short of 7 minutes) which I posted so's I could say it's finished & walk away from it to do something else. I've lost count of the number of guitar tracks I've recorded and discarded on this one. Then I listened to it again & thought "Nah! Can't inflict that on the masses. Try again". So I did and here it is.

This Much, in contrast to "Its Over Now" is just me and a guitar, which is how I usually work - and a bit of reverb & double tracking for the chorus. Its about forgiveness, but then, so is life.

The Lord Is Great wasn't exactly written. Seventh of May 1978 I became a father for the first time. After counting all his arms, legs, fingers & toes I went back to the waiting room, opened my mouth and out came the first two verses. I sometimes think I should tidy it up a bit but, as Henry Standing Bear would say, it is what it is.

There Are Days. Hmm, yeah, well. Let's just say life isn't always easy. Sometimes its my fault. Somedays its someone else's. But sometimes its just a Bad Day and the only thing to do is get through it and pray things will be better in the morning.

Wildfire. This one dates from 1996. Don't time fly when yer 'avin fun. I needed something for a Pentecost service and couldn't find anything I liked so I knocked this one out. I really like the big finish.

Out of Nothing. The entire history of the universe from beginning to end in 3 verses. No pressure.

He Dances In His Heart. This is a love song telling the story of a 40-year relationship. Its a sweet song with a sad ending.

We Do What We Do. Loud Christian Rock. Would you believe I wrote this for a Harvest Festival in about 30 minutes - on a mandolin?

Long Ago The Garden. Oddly, I don't remember too much about writing this one. It was done around Easter time and ties together the Garden of Eden and the Garden of Gethsemane and - that's about it.

Candlemas Tune. A simple little lullaby suitable for a carol service or a nativity play.

Stars And Wings. A Christmas song about the bit of the story that usually gets missed, Herod's massacre of the innocents. A moody little piece but I like it. Okay, I'm biased, but give it a try.

This Ungrateful Heart. One of my all time favourites. I wrote it back in 2001 when I was going through a faith crisis. I didn't know then that I was in the early stages of cancer which is why I felt so yuck. Even so, I got a darn good song out of it. I'm fine now, thank you for asking. God Bless The NHS.

She Comes And She Goes. Careful, gentle listener. This one's a wee bit loud. It's basically about me recovering from a serious illness and feeling better some days than others. Its also an exercise in internal rhyming which cheered me up no end.

Home in a Heartbeat. Here's a song about someone who can't go home. Not sure why. These are just the words that arrived with the tune one Sunday morning when I was driving. You can make up your own backstory for this one.

The Reason Why. This song just arrived un-asked for. I was just minding my own business, drawing or something, when words started arriving. It seems to be about truth and lies. Some songs are portraits, some are landscapes. This one is a bit of a Mark Rothko.

Just One Moment in Time. I wrote this in 2005 and I think I performed to no acclaim whatsoever just the once. I'm a folk singer and this is maybe musical theatre or a calmer gospel song. Anyhow, I like it. I just wish the vocal was better. But if you or any choir you may have think they can do it justice, let me know.

There's more to come. Watch this space.