Leaving Song
b"Episode #140:\\xa0 Leaving Song\\xa0 \\xa0 (Song starts at 3:36)\\n\\n\\u201cI\\u2019m amazed it\\u2019s 2022\\u201d! That\\u2019s what I said - and how I felt - for a moment, when I\\u2019d been chatting about this week\\u2019s featured song on this episode. I was lost in the song. It took me back to 1992, when I wrote 'Leaving Song' (Song #242).\\nBizarre. Those 30 years have passed by so quickly. Actually, I\\u2019m not sure whether quickly is the right word\\u2026 they\\u2019ve snuck by, somehow.\\n\\nBy writing songs continually all these years, I\\u2019m finding that I\\u2019ve documented (emotional) episodes in my life. Singing & playing the song brings back vivid memories from the time I wrote it.\\n\\nWhen I look closely at a song like 'Leaving Song', I find part of me lives in it. That part of me is still somehow at the age I was when I wrote it, as I read it.\\n\\nI find it interesting that I can do clearly see a younger me in the song. Is that why we love old classic songs? They remind of a younger version of ourselves, perhaps.\\n\\nA romantic interest was the inspiration for this song. Looking back, she seemed just out of reach somehow, and now, I\\u2019d found out she was heading overseas.\\n\\nSo what did I do? I picked up a pen and wrote some words that came to mind.\\n\\nI talk about commitment a bit on this episode. Commitment to the arts. Back in 1992, there was something wrong if I didn\\u2019t manage to write 5 lots of lyrics each week. I did it because I was passionate about it (I still am today, by the way).\\n\\nI still have so many songs coming through. At the moment I have 12 or 15 waiting in a file, which I look at each week - and \\u2018nibble\\u2019 at, waiting for a free day to do some more editing and \\u2018finish\\u2019 them..\\n\\nBack in the day, I could sit down and write all day. These days I\\u2019m a busy man. I\\u2019m still committed to beginning a song if the feeling hits me. But as I have a lot on, sometimes I don\\u2019t finish them as quickly as I might once have.\\n\\n'Leaving Song' is like an old travelling song, the music came to me quickly. It\\u2019s a simple song. It really wrote itself, to be honest. And yes, I can remember writing it - in fact, it seems like yesterday.\\n\\nThere\\u2019s a line in the song that says \\u2018life is strange and full of strange twists\\u2019. Ain\\u2019t that the truth.\\n\\nI start each day with as much positivity as I can muster. As I go through my day I hang onto that outlook as best I can. Ups and downs are going to happen, so you may as well enjoy the ride as much as possible.\\n\\nVehicle troubles struck this week. My printer gave me printer troubles. Usual stuff - ahh, \\u2018life\\u2019.\\n\\nThat\\u2019s what came through in the lyrics of leaving song: \\u2018Hey, that\\u2019s life - sure I\\u2019ll miss you - but get out there and kick up your heels. Maybe I\\u2019ll catch up with you again sometime\\u2019.\\n\\nThat\\u2019s the gist of the song. So there\\u2019s a sense of freedom about the lyric.\\n\\nWriting songs like this is a way for me to get to my myself on a deeper level. Words can be a revelation when they roll off your pen.\\n\\nSongwriting is a joy. It\\u2019s always a journey into the great unknown.\\n\\nSpeaking of which, each of my podcast episodes are exactly like that. It\\u2019s a creative process, I talk completely \\u2018off the cuff\\u2019 - there\\u2019s no plan.\\n\\nI\\u2019m enjoying it so much because this is a great way to share my songwriting ideas. It\\u2019s also a great way to share perhaps more general creative concepts... it\\u2019s so much fun.\\n\\nOk here we go. Let\\u2019s get into 'Leaving Song', enjoy."