The world lost an enormous musical soul yesterday – Scotland Barr passed after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer on the morning of September 1st, 2009. He was an amazing lyricist and songwriter that I knew briefly but respected endlessly… he will be missed.
Scotland Barr
Known for his gruff vocals and clever lyrics, Scotland was front-man for his Portland based rootsy Americana band Scotland Barr and the Slow Drags – he was also the creator and brainchild behind the cult classic Secret Aardvark Hot Sauce.
I met Scotland in early 2006 at a Tuesday night open mic at the Green Room and we shared a beer in the late hours. After trading niceties, we exchanged albums and I became the proud owner of his 2005 LP “Legionnaires’ Disease.” The disc is filled with songs that inspire and crush me all in one breath – it’s intelligent, sincere and real.
Considering my respect for his writing, I was beyond honored when I received an email from Scotland a week later telling me that he thought I was the “best songwriter in Portland” – nobody had told me that before and it felt electric coming from someone that I thought to be the same. From one Edgar Allan Poe fan to another, thank you Scotland… I’ll be listening to “5 Years in Nashville” as I cross the state line.
Scotland Barr
As a tribute to Scotland and another fallen Portland musician Kipp Crawford, I wrote this song called Daffodils … I hate to admit it, but I got the first line wrong … it should be “Who was September…” It will be included on my upcoming EP with the corrected lyrics. Enjoy.
DAFFODILS
[audio:http://www.tylerstenson.com/audio/wheel/daffodils.mp3|titles=tylerstenson.com,Daffodils]
MY FAVORITE SCOTLAND BARR LYRICS:
Time is a butcher for dreamers and cattle – both get sold off by the pound.
Wonder where I am. I’ve been living in Amsterdam above a smoke Cafe, smoke hash and dream all day – went their to write my masterpiece.
Quaking aspen stand outside like anorexic girls – their fingers sprawled as their dresses fall to warm their winter world.
Don’t tell me to get over it, it was a five photobook relationship and God-damn she’s still holding the soundtrack to my heart.
Let the angels steer, these are our sun years.
We pulled in here to suffer for the arts and we’ll live fine on love and wine.
Indigo and Calico; cocktails on the stairs that look like crows that want to go where Edgar never dared. I cannot be one of them – I’ve got nowhere to grieve and the ghosts that they admire most are out to murder me.
If I never had a bad time or no sad time, hell, I’d never have a song.
A drink won’t hurt a bit and if I could afford it, I’d probably spend my lifetime drowning sorrow – watching my life pass from the bottom of a glass so I don’t have to think about tomorrow.
It’s one of the reasons I so loved you – you’re a little bit insane. But I say that with compassion ’cause we’re a lot the same. But it’s not the fun kind of crazy; it’s something violent, cold and gray – there are a thousand roads to summer, I hope you find your way.
Maybe I’ll go to Hawaii – the place where Charles Lindbergh lies or maybe I will find salvation underneath another sky.
The heart is filled with secrets – some secrets it’s best nobody knows. But they come out in the darkness when the good times and the boxed wine start to flow.
Every man’s got his pride but I’ve got none left inside, if you could feel my heart you’d know it’s hollow.
Learn more about Scotland Barr and the Slow Drags at: http://www.scotlandbarr.com/
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