From the recording The Light Still Shines On The Main (WAV file)
Soon after Britt’s cancer treatment and surgeries were finally in our rear view mirror my sister Kimberley was diagnosed with multiple cancers of her own, and despite a valiant fight hers were too advanced: she passed in June 2024. I wanted to honour both my partner and my sister, the one who survived and the one who did not; this is what I came up with. At times it juxtaposes my love for both of them but the bridge section is all my sister’s. It contains a reference to one her favourite movies, The Outsiders, as a farewell tribute (I finished writing the lyrics 2 days before she died). Performance-wise, more than any other song on the album this was a BAND tune…recorded together live off the floor, with minimal overdubs, communal input and we consciously chose to counter the heaviness of the lyrics with a sunnier, 70s style folk/rock southern California vibe.
Lyrics
I remember the first time I kissed you
It kind of was a lark
You stood there waiting for lips
And they almost missed their mark
CHORUS
Sign me up
I wouldn’t want to slow you down
Just don’t leave me out
You know I’ll cry if I need to
And you don’t have to lie when you mean to
No more praying forgiveness:
God gets in the way
It feels like leading the witness
To tell me what to say
There’s no control when you fail from the inside out
When you know you’ll never get any older
But in my heart there is always a place to grow
As you go I hope you will Stay Gold…
Sail on to the great blue yonder
Where piracy awaits
You can crash that feral ship
Right through those pearly gates