Conversation

This is the story behind the song “Conversation”

I found myself at an open mic one night where a guy at the bar bought me a beer because he liked my set. I had decided to play some Doobie Brothers that night and I guess he was a fan. In any case, I felt that I should take a few minutes to have a chat with him. The conversation started off normal enough, but then I could feel it slipping into more contentious territory. This was prior to Covid, but I think that people who believe things they read on the Internet are particularly prone to forming wild ideas that disconnect them from reality. For this individual, that was the case and think it has gotten worse for people like him since the lockdown.

I’ve found and BLOG’d about how certain politicians have made it acceptable to say things that were previously kept to ones self. As the conversation progressed, I found myself talking less and less to avoid setting off the pent up anxiety that this person was waiting to let loose. When there was a break in the conversation, I was able to excuse myself, but the experience has made me cautious about who I talk to and what I say.

A few weeks later I arrived late in Playa Del Carman and went to the resort’s restaurant for a snack. My wife was going to join me there the next day, so I was by myself. When the meal was done, I discovered that I was the only one left in the restaurant with half a dozen waiters. We chatted for a while and they asked me if there was anything else I needed. Jokingly, I said that I could really use a guitar and commented that it was too expensive for me to bring my own. The head waiter went away and came back with a junior waiter who offered me his guitar for the week. I played a few covers for them and they asked me if I would perform at the restaurant the next evening. I told them that I was flattered but that my wife was coming and that I should be a good husband and focus on her.

The next morning, I wrote the song “Conversation” while swinging in a hammock on my cabana’s front porch. When I completed the song, I gave the guitar back to the waiter and slipped a tip into the guitar bag.

During the production of the song, my cousin added a synth violin part. The part was good but the synth just didn’t do it justice. A few other friends in the Ottawa music community suggested that I speak with a young talented violinist in Toronto (Brigit O’Regan). She took the original violin part and added her own flare. The result is track number 4. I hope you enjoy it.

If you want to checkout the album you can preview tracks and get links to music providers at http://northof60.hearnow.com

..FG..

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