Michael,
I,ve been debating sending you this (after your "When it's my time..." video about a month ago) as a "Reacts" request because I believe I saw somewhere that you only review live videos. I don't expect a review of it but didn't know how else to get it to you. It's just something I think you would appreciate given the recent loss of your friend. I'll try to keep the back story as short as possible. I wrote the song about a year and a half ago after being in a band for about a year that was primarily interested in doing original music both live and in the studio. I was inspired by my band-mates who were also contributing their own songs and were a great group of guys to be creative with. The band consisted of: bass player, 52, "leader" of the band; lead guitarist, younger brother of the bass player; lead singer, son of the bass player; drummer; and myself, background "utility outfielder" on keys, lap steel, mandolin, harp, and whatever... I wrote the song just as the story of a beginning relationship evolving through the years and dissolving as too many do. We recorded it about a year ago, put it on our second album and performed it when we played out. It's fairly sparse as far as instrumentation goes but does have all of us playing on it (I'm pretending to know how to play the harp). I reluctantly left the band this last summer due to higher priority time commitments on my part. We were scheduled to play at the "Mile of Music" 4-day festival (original music only) here in Appleton, WI but it was agreed that I would not do that gig. The band performed on the first day of the festival and the bass player who also had a sound engineering business mixed sound all 4 days for all the groups that performed at that venue. The festival concluded on that Sunday and the following Friday our bass player took his own life for reasons no one knows. He had apparently suffered from depression occasionally in the past, but not to any great degree, and was a caring, compassionate human being. Needless to say, a tragic shock to us all. I tell you all this because of the ironic twist this song I wrote over a year ago has taken on in light of this tragedy. He and his wife had a great relationship so that likely had nothing to do with his suicide but the last chorus of the song is very difficult to do without putting oneself in his position. Add to the fact that his son is singing the song and I can't imagine him ever doing the song again nor do I know if I will want to do so. Knowing (and appreciating) your passion for music and sensitivity for this topic, I thought you might find the whole scenario interesting. Needless to say, the band is no more and surely will never be again.
On another note, I saw you comment a while ago that you had yet to write an original song; I have no doubt that at some time you will and it will be a great story; this song was my first serious attempt at it and I was 71 when I wrote it.
Sincerely,
Peter Carlson
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