Special Story Behind The Song: Heart Of A Friend
Posted on April 27, 2010 with 1 comment
The songs I’ve posted thus far in the SBTS series have been songs I’ve had around at least a little while anyway. This song however is only a week old as of this writing and I usually post the SBTS on the first Saturday but I wanted to bring it out as a special post for reasons you will see in the sentences to come.
When I first started writing it I was thinking about the friends I have in life. The acquaintance, the friend that is a level above acquaintance, the garden variety friend and then of course the up close and personal friend, which to my good fortune have been blessed with a few in life.
I remembered a while back I received one of those cutsie “if you agree send this on to ten of your friends” kind of emails that spoke of the different types of friends. So I looked it up in my hook book of writing ideas where I save such things and began to read. It spoke of how a friend wouldn’t know your parents first names but a real friend would have their phone number in their address book. A friend would have seen you cry but a real friend’s shoulder would be soggy with your tears. A friend brings a bottle of wine to the party while a real friend comes early and stays late to help prepare and tear down.
When I began to look at friends in my life that were “real” friends, the luster of this email began to take on a dull grainy finish very quickly. Oh sure it’s cute and make’s logical sense, but as I read I found problems of life application of it.
For instance a number of years ago I lost my brother to a drowning accident and some real friends of mine stood there with one hand on the hip and the other extended in a cup fashion towards me. They wanted the keys to my house and business and told me to go be with family, don’t worry about it and they’d handle things. When I returned a week or so later they in fact handled things and there was a lasagna in the oven when we turned the key in the door. They didn’t know my parents names and I didn’t really know there’s and we certainly didn’t have each other’s parents numbers in our address book, but they indeed were real friends.
I’ve never cried in front of two very dear friends of mine today much less have my tears on either of their shoulders and yet I know I could entrust them with just about anything I had to say, share or confess… they’re always concerned for my well being with one ending most phone conversations with “Anything else?” as if saying “Anything else I can do for you?” and the other with “Love ya heaps bro”. And indeed they both are real friends.
As far as coming early or staying late to parties or events… well that’s just what my wife and I often do at most parties… friends or no… how else do you make them? I mean not everyone does this particular show of friendship, they may do other types of things, but its just being friendly; respectful; and helpful, and something we find ourselves doing often.
So that was the premise in which I started to write this song. The message in the lyric is simple just basically saying if you think you can trust me, you can, and the only way you’ll know that is when I’m there for you when you need me. As your friend, I can’t be bought or caught in some way; I have to give you my friendship. As a friend when you fall? I’ll dust you off and clean you up best I can. As your friend what I’ll ask is how much help do you need? Where do you need it? When do you need it? And I won’t be asking you or myself “How much can he want from a friend anyway?” And in return I’ll trust you to be there in my need. Very simple, not complicated or flowery or full of images.
I was in my little writing studio and as I do with many of the songs I write, I’ll run them over and over and over and over… working through word meter, rhythms, general flow, test whether or not I get sick of hearing the song myself, and also to feel the song as I work out new idea directions. This past weekend I was doing exactly that, playing this song over and over quite a lot actually when I realized my little brown Spaniel bud was snoozing in the doorway for the long session as she normally does. I got to thinking as I played and sung it “She must be sick and tired of the old man playing that silly tune again and again”. I smiled to myself and went on with my minstrel torrent. Little did I know that within two days the doorway ,and even my house, would be void of my little buddy and the song I was working on would not only be the last of the many she’s heard me sing, but would carry a significance of what she means to me.
Sparing the various health details, Monday we had made the grueling decision and subsequent trip to the vet clinic to give her a final rest from her ailments. Though I knew soon this horrible day would come. I really hadn’t woke in the morning with intentions of sparing my pup of her pain, and my life of her’s. However yet another episode of uncontrollable body functions, shaming her self-esteem on top of her other health issues made us realize, for her sake and not our own, we must face our drudgery and it was indeed time.
As I continue to morn the loss of my very faithful buddy Buster, I began to realize the significance of the song with respect to her unconditional love and friendship she had towards me and my family. And yes I did say “her” and not “him”.
She indeed would cover me in affection at times of loss and turbulent times of life the thirteen and a half years she’s been with us. She proved her loyalty; she couldn’t be bought or caught… discounting of course the ever sure yet temporary distraction of food luring her immediate attention to the one holding it. But indeed she’d dust you off with a tongue lashing of the loving kind if you were down, and always be there as if to say “How much, where and when can I help?” Never would she allude to the notion of “How much do you want from me dude?”
Countering the awful trip we had to make, she was afforded many camping trips, canoeing trips, walks in which she stretched the leash in pursuit of birds, geese and “bushy tailed kitty cats” known as squirrels, and hours upon hours of car rides on my lap when it was too crowded to have a place of her own. The night I spent laying with her head to head as she whined from surgery on fatty tumors that were marbled in her chest muscle, the comfort after a brief encounter with a car bumper as a pup running like an idiot around the neighborhood, and the countless hours of her snoring and listening to me make my music in this studio all are but a glimpse of the shared times I’ll not forget with her.
Indeed this song today takes on a new meaning for me which I’ll never be able to sing it without the thoughts and vision of her lying-in the doorway snoozing in bliss just hanging out with the old man as he wrote it. Though this isn’t a song I penned with her directly in mind, I dedicate it to my buddy of a thousand nicknames. Well not a thousand but she has a couple handfuls for sure of which she knew the various levels of seriousness in seeking her attention.
Thanks PalPal you know the many facets of love which you meant to us all, and we to you. I’ll see you again when I next play this song.
You can stream a dirt roads version of the current month's Story Behind The Song at: http://www.braddunsemusic.com/files/sbts.m3u
Heart of a friend
©2010 Brad Dunse
You’ve got a friend you think is true
Guaranteed to be there when you’re down
Well you will see, midst of the heat
I’ll cover you and remove all doubt… ‘cause a…
Heart of a friend is given, can’t be caught
A heart of a friend, dusts you when you fall off
A heart of a friend, asks you with all they got
How much where and when
Never how much can be bled
From the heart of a friend
I hope and pray I’ll have no need
When I’m emptied you will fill the void
I cannot lose, I trust in you
The way I’m made I simply have no choice… ‘cause a…
Heart of a friend is given, can’t be caught
A heart of a friend, dusts you when you fall off
A heart of a friend, asks you with all they got
How much where and when
Never how much can be bled
From the heart of a friend
If you can’t count on me to stand with you above the noise
Then callin’ me friend… tell me now what’s the point…
Heart of a friend is given, can’t be caught
A heart of a friend, dusts you when you fall off
A heart of a friend, asks you with all they got
How much where and when
Never how much can be bled
From the heart of a friend
Heart of a friend
Heart of a friend
When I first started writing it I was thinking about the friends I have in life. The acquaintance, the friend that is a level above acquaintance, the garden variety friend and then of course the up close and personal friend, which to my good fortune have been blessed with a few in life.
I remembered a while back I received one of those cutsie “if you agree send this on to ten of your friends” kind of emails that spoke of the different types of friends. So I looked it up in my hook book of writing ideas where I save such things and began to read. It spoke of how a friend wouldn’t know your parents first names but a real friend would have their phone number in their address book. A friend would have seen you cry but a real friend’s shoulder would be soggy with your tears. A friend brings a bottle of wine to the party while a real friend comes early and stays late to help prepare and tear down.
When I began to look at friends in my life that were “real” friends, the luster of this email began to take on a dull grainy finish very quickly. Oh sure it’s cute and make’s logical sense, but as I read I found problems of life application of it.
For instance a number of years ago I lost my brother to a drowning accident and some real friends of mine stood there with one hand on the hip and the other extended in a cup fashion towards me. They wanted the keys to my house and business and told me to go be with family, don’t worry about it and they’d handle things. When I returned a week or so later they in fact handled things and there was a lasagna in the oven when we turned the key in the door. They didn’t know my parents names and I didn’t really know there’s and we certainly didn’t have each other’s parents numbers in our address book, but they indeed were real friends.
I’ve never cried in front of two very dear friends of mine today much less have my tears on either of their shoulders and yet I know I could entrust them with just about anything I had to say, share or confess… they’re always concerned for my well being with one ending most phone conversations with “Anything else?” as if saying “Anything else I can do for you?” and the other with “Love ya heaps bro”. And indeed they both are real friends.
As far as coming early or staying late to parties or events… well that’s just what my wife and I often do at most parties… friends or no… how else do you make them? I mean not everyone does this particular show of friendship, they may do other types of things, but its just being friendly; respectful; and helpful, and something we find ourselves doing often.
So that was the premise in which I started to write this song. The message in the lyric is simple just basically saying if you think you can trust me, you can, and the only way you’ll know that is when I’m there for you when you need me. As your friend, I can’t be bought or caught in some way; I have to give you my friendship. As a friend when you fall? I’ll dust you off and clean you up best I can. As your friend what I’ll ask is how much help do you need? Where do you need it? When do you need it? And I won’t be asking you or myself “How much can he want from a friend anyway?” And in return I’ll trust you to be there in my need. Very simple, not complicated or flowery or full of images.
I was in my little writing studio and as I do with many of the songs I write, I’ll run them over and over and over and over… working through word meter, rhythms, general flow, test whether or not I get sick of hearing the song myself, and also to feel the song as I work out new idea directions. This past weekend I was doing exactly that, playing this song over and over quite a lot actually when I realized my little brown Spaniel bud was snoozing in the doorway for the long session as she normally does. I got to thinking as I played and sung it “She must be sick and tired of the old man playing that silly tune again and again”. I smiled to myself and went on with my minstrel torrent. Little did I know that within two days the doorway ,and even my house, would be void of my little buddy and the song I was working on would not only be the last of the many she’s heard me sing, but would carry a significance of what she means to me.
Sparing the various health details, Monday we had made the grueling decision and subsequent trip to the vet clinic to give her a final rest from her ailments. Though I knew soon this horrible day would come. I really hadn’t woke in the morning with intentions of sparing my pup of her pain, and my life of her’s. However yet another episode of uncontrollable body functions, shaming her self-esteem on top of her other health issues made us realize, for her sake and not our own, we must face our drudgery and it was indeed time.
As I continue to morn the loss of my very faithful buddy Buster, I began to realize the significance of the song with respect to her unconditional love and friendship she had towards me and my family. And yes I did say “her” and not “him”.
She indeed would cover me in affection at times of loss and turbulent times of life the thirteen and a half years she’s been with us. She proved her loyalty; she couldn’t be bought or caught… discounting of course the ever sure yet temporary distraction of food luring her immediate attention to the one holding it. But indeed she’d dust you off with a tongue lashing of the loving kind if you were down, and always be there as if to say “How much, where and when can I help?” Never would she allude to the notion of “How much do you want from me dude?”
Countering the awful trip we had to make, she was afforded many camping trips, canoeing trips, walks in which she stretched the leash in pursuit of birds, geese and “bushy tailed kitty cats” known as squirrels, and hours upon hours of car rides on my lap when it was too crowded to have a place of her own. The night I spent laying with her head to head as she whined from surgery on fatty tumors that were marbled in her chest muscle, the comfort after a brief encounter with a car bumper as a pup running like an idiot around the neighborhood, and the countless hours of her snoring and listening to me make my music in this studio all are but a glimpse of the shared times I’ll not forget with her.
Indeed this song today takes on a new meaning for me which I’ll never be able to sing it without the thoughts and vision of her lying-in the doorway snoozing in bliss just hanging out with the old man as he wrote it. Though this isn’t a song I penned with her directly in mind, I dedicate it to my buddy of a thousand nicknames. Well not a thousand but she has a couple handfuls for sure of which she knew the various levels of seriousness in seeking her attention.
Thanks PalPal you know the many facets of love which you meant to us all, and we to you. I’ll see you again when I next play this song.
You can stream a dirt roads version of the current month's Story Behind The Song at: http://www.braddunsemusic.com/files/sbts.m3u
Heart of a friend
©2010 Brad Dunse
You’ve got a friend you think is true
Guaranteed to be there when you’re down
Well you will see, midst of the heat
I’ll cover you and remove all doubt… ‘cause a…
Heart of a friend is given, can’t be caught
A heart of a friend, dusts you when you fall off
A heart of a friend, asks you with all they got
How much where and when
Never how much can be bled
From the heart of a friend
I hope and pray I’ll have no need
When I’m emptied you will fill the void
I cannot lose, I trust in you
The way I’m made I simply have no choice… ‘cause a…
Heart of a friend is given, can’t be caught
A heart of a friend, dusts you when you fall off
A heart of a friend, asks you with all they got
How much where and when
Never how much can be bled
From the heart of a friend
If you can’t count on me to stand with you above the noise
Then callin’ me friend… tell me now what’s the point…
Heart of a friend is given, can’t be caught
A heart of a friend, dusts you when you fall off
A heart of a friend, asks you with all they got
How much where and when
Never how much can be bled
From the heart of a friend
Heart of a friend
Heart of a friend