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about
My relationship with my dad was fiercely loving but frequently fiery. Hardest Hand explores why, time and time again, he made such difficult life choices. The country-feel nods to his penchant for Johnny Cash and fond childhood memories of lying in bed listening to him play along on his harmonica.
lyrics
Kiss denied a small boy cries,
Always dealt the hardest hand
Family broken, no words spoken, always dealt...
Troubled head dry land fled, always dealt...
Rationed rum, exotic sun, always dealt...
Always dealt the hardest hand...
Took so long for me to understand
Left the sea for new ways to be, always dealt...
Lover, wife, two brand-new lives, always dealt...
Moved around then settled down, always dealt...
Ever searching, ever hurting, always dealt...
Always dealt the hardest hand...
Took so long to understand
Father, worker, never shirker, always dealt...
Pushed on through you paid your due, always dealt...
In years golden, memories stolen, always dealt...
Died alone, an old folks home, always dealt...
Always dealt the hardest hand...
I'm glad I came to understand
Kiss denied a small boy cries, always dealt...
credits
released November 17, 2023
Written by Shirley Barr
Shirley Barr - Vocals, Tenor Guitar
Boo Hewerdine - Guitar, Harmonica
Jamie MacRae - Banjo
Backing Choir - Anna Howells, Jamie MacRae, David McNeish, Tim Moss, Beth Porter, Karina Smillie
Engineered and mixed by Jamie Savage at Chem 19 Studios.
Composed as part of STAGES, on residency at Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre in summer 2023. Originally released as part of STAGES compilation on 17th November 2023.
Songwriting and being by the sea are the two things which make Shirley most happy.
In 2021 she
discovered a passion for writing and performing her own songs. Since then she has taught herself to play tenor guitar and shruti box, incorporating these and looped samples to create multi-layered soundtracks for her lyrics....more
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