Songs
are like snippets of narrative fiction--the story of a moment paired
with the mind's snapshot imagery.
Avard
grew up in rural Nova Scotia, but his travels have taken him around
the world and he draws on these experiences in his songwriting. His
songs are inspired by odd visual images, quirky people, grey hair,
untrustworthy politicians and almost forgotten memories. He records
them in the basement of his house, wedged between the furnace and the
washer. Often he records the vocals in an empty concrete water cistern.
Haligonia--the song
People living in Halifax, Nova Scotia are called Haligonians (not
Halifax-ites or Halifaxians) so I have always thought that Haligonia
would be a good name for the city.
I have lived relatively near
Halifax for years but never spent much time there, or got to know it
well. But this year I have been driving my wife there for chemotherapy
treatments and have developed a familiarity with, and fondness for the
place. Halifax has a rich history and a lot of charm. The people are
friendly, too.
In the song "Haligonia" I wanted the vocals and
harmonies to reflect my fondn …
Songs
are like snippets of narrative fiction--the story of a moment paired
with the mind's snapshot imagery.
Avard
grew up in rural Nova Scotia, but his travels have taken him around
the world and he draws on these experiences in his songwriting. His
songs are inspired by odd visual images, quirky people, grey hair,
untrustworthy politicians and almost forgotten memories. He records
them in the basement of his house, wedged between the furnace and the
washer. Often he records the vocals in an empty concrete water cistern.
Haligonia--the song
People living in Halifax, Nova Scotia are called Haligonians (not
Halifax-ites or Halifaxians) so I have always thought that Haligonia
would be a good name for the city.
I have lived relatively near
Halifax for years but never spent much time there, or got to know it
well. But this year I have been driving my wife there for chemotherapy
treatments and have developed a familiarity with, and fondness for the
place. Halifax has a rich history and a lot of charm. The people are
friendly, too.
In the song "Haligonia" I wanted the vocals and
harmonies to reflect my fondness for the city and also wanted to name
some areas in and around the metro area in a lighthearted way. It's a
fun song--meant to make you smile, and perhaps remember some good times
you have had in the grand old town.
Here are the lyrics:
There's a place we love the most
Nestled on that old east coast
It's got such charm and pandemonia
They should have named it Haligonia
I filled the sack in Sackville
Played darts in Dartmouth
Raised hell in Halifax
Went to bed in Bedford
I went all around the circle, did the
loop
Saw some friends, spread some cheer,
had a hoot
Haligonia
Pandemonia
Euphoria
Oh yeah, Oh yeah
Haligonia
I'll telephone ya
I can never own ya
Oh yeah, Oh yeah
Oh, Halifax
I felt spry in Spryfield
Played fair in Fairview
Got burned in Burnside
Felt like hell and back
I went all around the circle, did the
loop
Saw some friends, spread some cheer,
had a hoot
I filled the sack in Sackville
Played darts in Dartmouth
Raised hell in Halifax
Feels like hell and back
Oh, Halifax
Haligonia
Pandemonia
Euphoria
Oh yeah, Oh yeah
Haligonia
I'll telephone ya
I can never own ya
Oh yeah, Oh yeah
Oh, Halifax
Hali-go-nia
Hali-go-nia
Blackhawks Stanley Cup Victory Song 2010
Please check out the video on youtube.
It has been 49 years! I wrote this song to celebrate the Blackhawks
Stanley Cup victory. I finished it when they were up 2 games to 0 on the
Flyers--with such a strong team, I was confident they would prevail.
I've had those hockey cards (that are shown in the video) since I was a kid and finally got a chance
to use them.
Here
are the lyrics:
Chicago
proud
Sing it loud
They wrote the story
Of hockey glory
They
won the cup
So hoist it up
It hasn't been done
Since '61
Chicago
Blackhawks are number 1
Chicago Blackhawks are number 1
Why Do You Lie, Sarah?
This song is on Neil Young's "Living With War Today" chart.
From
Andrew Sullivan's blog “The Daily Dish”--here are twelve
documented lies that Sarah Palin has told on the public record. There
are many more which have emerged. Is she simply a compulsive liar?
She certainly cannot be trusted in any position of authority.
- She has lied about the Bridge to
Nowhere. She ran for office favoring it, wore a sweatshirt defending
it, and only gave it up when the federal congress, Senator McCain in
particular, went ballistic. She kept the money anyway and favors
funding Don Young's Way, at twice the cost of the original bridge.
- She has lied about her firing of the town librarian and police
chief of Wasilla, Alaska.
- She has lied about pressure on Alaska's public safety
commissioner to fire her ex-brother-in-law.
- She has lied about her previous statements on climate change.
- She has lied about Alaska's contribution to America's oil and
gas production.
- She has lied about when she asked her daughters for their
permission for her to run for vice-president.
- She has lied about the actual progress in constructing a natural
gas pipeline from Alaska.
- She has lied about Obama's position on habeas corpus.
- She has lied about her alleged tolerance of homosexuality.
- She has lied about the use or non-use of a TelePrompter at the
St Paul convention.
- She has lied about her alleged pay-cut as mayor of Wasilla.
- She has lied about what Alaska's state scientists concluded
about the health of the polar bear population in Alaska.
You cannot trust a word she says. On anything.
Here are the lyrics:
You once were a
hopeful in a beauty show
If ignorance is
bliss, you're the happiest one I know
Those east coast
intellectuals
You just think
that they're so ineffectual
[chorus:]
Why do you lie,
Sarah?
Why do you pretend
to be what you're not?
You just lie,
Sarah
And make it hip to
be ignorant
You talk about
real America
You're so out of
touch, you think that it's put there for ya
Your textbooks are
still in a box
Your creationist
views are endorsed by your friends at FOX
[chorus]
[bridge:]
At the end of the
day
You've got nothing
to say
Keep the truth at
bay
And land a sucker
punch
Just swallow your
pride
And don't be so
snide
You've got lots to
hide
I wish you would
go away
Why do you lie,
Sarah?
A Solitary Bee
When people think
of bees they imagine the social variety. But in fact, the majority of
bees are solitary, living out their lives as single bees, making
single nest cells rather than working together with other bees to
raise offspring in shared nests. They produce neither honey nor
beeswax, but do a lot of pollinating. They live solitary lifestyles,
so they don't join up with other bees to try and sting you. They're
pacifists—hardly bothering to defend their own nests.
The solitary bee
creates a lonely image, yet there something admirable about their
solitude.
The song “A
Solitary Bee” is about more than just bees—it's about the
passage of time, and our inevitable death and what we leave behind as
our legacy. We must emulate the solitary bee, and each do our part
for the environment during our short lifetime.
Check out the video on youtube.
Here are the lyrics:
A solitary bee
Just a solitary bee
Striking a vein of glittering ideals
More precious than the gleam of wonder
More potent than the foolish plunder
Falling from the rail
Hands upon the grail
Steeped in greed and stirred with anger
A poison cup of pride
For the winning team it was only a
dream
[chorus:]
Time is the master
Horizons coming faster
A single golden C
On a polyester tree
Reminds us of where our hearts are
hidden
Youthful looks will render
The champion's ego tender
A solitary bee
In semantic mystery
Shrouded by a lonely veil
No suitors come to call
All is empty and lost until the fall
[chorus]
All We Are
The world seems to be in an increasing
state of flux. Things are changing so quickly; it's hard to know
where we fit in. This song is about the changing times and a desire
to make a great escape to the simpler life of the seventies. Where is
Steve McQueen when we need him?
Fly
With the song “Fly” I was aiming
for simplicity both in the lyrics and music. I wanted to express a
sense of child-like joy and freedom of expression, where you don't
have to think so much and the words and music flow together
naturally. It's also easy to add new verses and sing along.
When I showed the lyrics to my wife,
who is a writer and editor, she said they were a cop-out and that I
wasn't trying hard enough to write good lyrics. “A five year old
could have written them” she said. That is the point, I said. After
all, there are lots of great songs out there with simple words. Nick
Drake's “Pink Moon” comes to mind as does “Because” by the
Beatles.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
I wish I could write like, like Jack White.
Where Is the Sun?
Lack of sunlight in the the winter months has a profound influence on my mood. This song is about feelings of alienation.
No Gain
This is my most sincere, most heartfelt song. It’s on Neil
Young’s “Living with War Today” chart. I finally have some satisfaction now that the Bush regime is out of action. Play
loud!
Dr. Spin
This is also on Neil Young’s protest site, “Living with War
Today.” (This chart has been called “American
Idol for hippies”!)
Into The Light
Growing up in Hants
County, Nova Scotia,
in the 1970s, these were the things I was thinking about—and reaching for.
