Ghosts and Lamp Posts

Episode #59: Ghosts and Lamp Posts    (Song at 5.45) Welcome to another episode packed with information, humour and mystery!  I actually said something like that as I introduced this week's podcast episode and as I said those words, the lamp I picked up from the side of the road ( someone was throwing it out) recently went out. It's one of those ones you tap 3 times to get different levels of light. Anyhow, given the subject matter of ghosts, that was quite a moment, here in the middle of the night in Melbourne in my studio all by myself. Not spooked at all! I tapped it and away it went again. It’s never happened before… Here I am, talking all around the subject, this week's song. Sometimes by doing that you come up with a more ‘real’, fuller picture with depth. More of the story.  That's the way I roll: I see art as life and life as art. A painting I did today (of Olivers Hill in Melbourne), sitting beside the water, caught my eye as I recorded this episode. Painting outside sets my mind free.  And that is a necessary part of the equation when it comes to songwriting. Today’s song, song # 312, Ghosts and Lamp Posts, was written on the 3 /12 in 1991 The moment that inspired this song is etched in my memory. I was driving home from a gig at a resort in the middle of a rainy night when a large milk truck ( and trailer ) came around the corner, just on the wrong side of the road. It was one of those moments. He corrected his course. I veered to the left, just hanging on the road and in an instant the moment was gone & I carried on home. It was an inspired patch for me in my twenties. Nearly everything inspired me. I was writing about 5 or 6 songs a week. My diary entries each night always finished with a lyric writing effort - and I finished the lyric. It wasn't just a line or two. I wrote the whole lyric quickly, there and then. So what does it really take to be a songwriter? I would say it takes dedication. You've gotta stick with it. Just start writing. Write around the subject and if you're not sure what the song’s about, sometimes that's all the better. Ghosts and Lamp Posts sure took me somewhere again as I listened midway through recording this podcast episode. It’s got ‘a feeling’ about it. I hope it takes you somewhere and I hope you enjoy the chat about it - and around it. Plus there’s some intermittent piano playing as I talk.  Thanks for dropping by.  Enjoy!  Here's the blog post I mention in todays episode ( you can read the lyrics to this song and view the painting I painted earlier today -a seascape. It's a great creative life). www.petepascoe.wordpress.com Pete 

Om Podcasten

Be entertained with a song and an extended chat, ranging from off the cuff banter/humour to life observations and song analysis. Welcome to Song and a Chat. This is the podcast where you'll have the pleasure of listening to a new song each week - plus, you'll get to step into the shoes of a songwriter : You'll hear about the background of the song, the inspiration, how/ why the song came into being.  After the song finishes, I'll go over the lyrics and finish each episode by looking at the song from a songwriting point of view. If you just want the song and no talk, the time where the song kicks in will be in the title of each episode. Hi, my name is Pete Pascoe. I am a performer and composer - I love lyrics and I love a melody. I play piano and sing. I have a number of albums to my name.  I have written over 800 songs. Of course, not all of these songs I written will make it onto an album. As a songwriter, the first step for a new song is ( or was ) to record a demo. Often you catch something unique in this demo - something that is often not replicated in the studio cut....a certain feeling.  If you're looking to be entertained, like listening to new songs and live recordings, I hope you'll enjoy what's on offer here. I have a stack of demos from which I'm sharing one on a weekly basis. Plus I relate anecdotes about my life as a piano man, from around the time each song was written. I treat each show as a mini intimate concert - with extended chat, which ranges from off the cuff banter/humour to life observations and analysis. The idea is : the song can be listened to for pleasure in its own right, or the listener may choose to also be entertained and informed by the story around the song.  I'm really enjoying recording these podcasts. Each week I look forward to getting behind the mic, setting aside my current musical and artistic projects and casting my mind back in time by focussing on a song I've composed. It's turning out to be a satisfying - and sometimes surprising - time of reflection and discovery for me.  The lyrics and the recordings take me straight back to when the song was written. Gain an insight into songwriting and listen to a series of snapshots of life of a songwriter / performer / artist.  It's a great way for me to archive a song and it's 'back story'. Music is to be shared. What point is there In having five songbooks and piles of demos gathering dust?  I welcome feedback - whether you're tuning in to enjoy music for music's sake, you enjoy finding out about the origins of songs, you're looking for tips on songwriting or perhaps you've got tips for me. Either way, I'll be learning plenty as I go along. Thanks for a having a read. Come on and join me for a listen.