These were songs that I needed to write, each song is very different, but personal. But to me they form a square. Quadrilogy
I watch the flag draped coffins of our young people killed in Afganstan, as they are driven to Wootton Basset, the cars stop, weeping relatives come forward and place flowers on to the cars. I say god bless, as my eyes fill with tears, I remember my own losses.
Track 1 "Why Do Why" Why do people like to kill, Back in 1977/78 I served in the military band of the 13th/18th Royal Hussars at a place called Omagh County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. I was going to the cookhouse for breakfast, My mate Robert waved across the square as he drove his armoured car out on patrol. within a very short time, He was killed by what is now called an I.E.D. we were both 18 years old at the time. Shortly afterwards a car bomb went off in Enniskillen, the army thought that it would be a good idea to send the band to the still smoking crater, where we played soothing music to the local population whilst staring into the smouldering ruins.
I met my wife of 32 years in Omagh, That is where my 15 year old niece was killed along with her 16 year old best friend, they had been doing voluntary work for Oxfam. and when a bomb alert was given, they were directed to what was thought a place of safety. they stood beside the car bomb that took so many other lives that day. Victor was mt wifes cousin, he lived in Strabane, he was engaged to be married, they placed a bomb under his car, after the funeral, his father, tears in his eyes, revisited the site of the bomb as he remebered his son, he looked down, there was a bush, in that bush he found his sons foot, it had been missed when the site was sanitized. these are some of the daymares that I live with, it can be a strange and a cruel world at times. I used the Piano to represent the person/people, the Drums are heartbeat, White noise represents all the souls god bless them, those that cannot be seen, who's voices will never again be heard, they are just white noise in the ether. I thought about using battlefield sounds. but then decided against. Please remember, all is not doom and gloom, there are many good and kind people in the world, sadly there voices are often drowned out by hate and bigatory. good people just need to speak a little louder
Track 2 "The Unknown Soldier" does the spirit march on, do the unknown soldiers look down upon the young people that are fighting today, if they could speak, what would they say. there have been many unknown soldiers, and unless we take a good hard look at what we are doing. there will be many more. they are being born everyday. I used a swing beat, The G.I.s of World War Two at the dance, piano and drums again, the body and the heart beat. sometimes, good times are had during bad times, the music swings.... but they are still bad times. I have used references to some old wartime songs, do the old watch over the young?
Track 3 "Night Patrol"Have you ever been in a bad place, but felt some small sense of security, because your mates are there with you, then something happens, you find yourself on your own, surrounded by those who would hurt you. the only thing protecting you is the darkness of night. will they see you, will they kill you. where are your mates. can they find you and take you to safety. I used a basic trance theme in this song, because it demonstrates in part, the panic and the reflection combined. in reality, I froze, they did not see me, they moved on, I moved back. nobody got hurt. probably turned out for the best, don't you agree? but the emotions of the moment, and the memories that have lived on, inspired this song.
Track 4 "All Lives are Precious" and they are, ask a child "What is hate" they will stare blankly at you, as they get older they might answer, "I hate cabbage" Children are blank slates, innocent. yet some are destined to become ill, have accidents, or die in war. I would love to live in a world where the money we spend today on war, could be used to help children everywhere, Without getting to deep, the words spoken were, "There shall be no other god but I", think about this. a lot of people spending there lives treating prophets as gods, they create opposing side, and there religion causes wars where real people die. if we follow this basic rule, there is only one. then surely we are all on the same side? just one big family.
As I said in the begining, these are songs that had to come out. they were created in my garden shed, with very basic equipment over a period of four days. There was another song, but I could not write it.... because I would not want to offend those that have died for us. it asked questions like, why do politicians send young men who are very often from less affluent
backgrounds to war, whilst they send there own children to live in safety. often in law, government, or even industry, the people who make the guns and explosives that generally kill the poor. will sombody else write this song, when I try to write the words, it sounds angry and political, I am not either.
Thank You for taking the time to read this, time to get back to my life. please check out my lighter side, search for "The Cutlers Of Cornwall" I have 4 or 5 Cd's based loosly on Folk, Country and Cornish themes. ooh arrh!
Please leave comments if you have any, and finally....God Bless and keep you safe.
Greg Woods AKA Twurzel
www.thecutlers.org.uk
www.myspace.com/twurzel
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