I dedicate my song today to Ann Laffan of Portlaw, County Waterford, Ireland.
Today’s song is ‘Everything I own’. This song was written by David Gates. It was originally recorded by Gates's rock band ‘Bread’ for their 1972 album ‘Baby I Want You’. The original reached Number 5 on the American ‘Billboard Hot 100’. Billboard ranked it as the Number 52 song for 1972. ‘Everything I Own’ also reached Number 5 in Canada.
Jamaican artist Ken Boothes reggae version of the song was Number 1 in the ‘UK Singles’ chart in 1974. A version by Boy George reached No. 1 in the charts in the UK, Canada, Ireland and Norway in 1987.
Although initial listeners may have interpreted it as a song about a broken relationship, Gates revealed that it was written in memory of his father who died in 1963 before he achieved his success with ‘Bread’.
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This song was first released when I was aged 30, and I was starting my career as a Probation Officer serving in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. It was almost a decade later when David Gates and the group ‘Bread’ registered on my musical radar. I fell in love with this beautiful song the first time I heard it. I had just separated from my wife and was at that period in life when personal loneliness and specific songs seem to gel in a comforting and emotionally supportive way.
When I think about it, ‘relationships’; their beginnings and endings, are grist to the mill of songwriters seeking ideal songs for the romantic listener. The world-famous Adele has made £millions out of writing and singing songs about the start and end of her relationships, the heartaches and the breakups, the ecstasy and the happiness in between.
My own life witnessed the years between the 1950s to the 1980s being almost solely devoted to ‘love songs’. When I was living in Canada in the early 1960s, my love of country and western songs took flame. Almost every country-and-western song is a story about love. I always admired Americans. Often, when they get their decree nisi papers through, instead of showing a measure of sorrow and disappointment as a British person might do, instead, the Americans dress up to the nines and go out to celebrate. One can also wager that by the end of the night they are singing the song ‘D.I.V.O.R.C.E as they rumba their way back home in an inebriated state of merriment.
Essentially the central message of today’s song speaks to something most of us would willingly subscribe to. Regarding people in our lives that we truly love, like our parents, children, siblings, partners and lovers, there is simply nothing we wouldn’t do for them. We would willingly give them our all!
I dedicate my song today to Ann Laffan from the village where I was born; Portlaw, County Waterford in Ireland. While I do not know Ann, her Facebook page entry of September 11th, 2019 reveals her to be a most hospitable person, and definitely, a person who would give ‘everything they own’ to someone they truly love. Ann wrote, “My house is a safe zone. Kettle can be on in minutes, I will always do my best to be available ... you are always welcome! Nobody is alone, there’s always someone willing to listen, go for a walk with you, take you shopping, watch a movie with you, relate to what your feeling 💚 "
Sheila and I will be having three weeks touring Ireland next Spring, Ann, so get that kettle on as we shall certainly be popping in for a cuppa. Thank you for being my Facebook friend. Bill x
Love and peace Bill x
Today’s song is ‘Everything I own’. This song was written by David Gates. It was originally recorded by Gates's rock band ‘Bread’ for their 1972 album ‘Baby I Want You’. The original reached Number 5 on the American ‘Billboard Hot 100’. Billboard ranked it as the Number 52 song for 1972. ‘Everything I Own’ also reached Number 5 in Canada.
Jamaican artist Ken Boothes reggae version of the song was Number 1 in the ‘UK Singles’ chart in 1974. A version by Boy George reached No. 1 in the charts in the UK, Canada, Ireland and Norway in 1987.
Although initial listeners may have interpreted it as a song about a broken relationship, Gates revealed that it was written in memory of his father who died in 1963 before he achieved his success with ‘Bread’.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This song was first released when I was aged 30, and I was starting my career as a Probation Officer serving in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. It was almost a decade later when David Gates and the group ‘Bread’ registered on my musical radar. I fell in love with this beautiful song the first time I heard it. I had just separated from my wife and was at that period in life when personal loneliness and specific songs seem to gel in a comforting and emotionally supportive way.
When I think about it, ‘relationships’; their beginnings and endings, are grist to the mill of songwriters seeking ideal songs for the romantic listener. The world-famous Adele has made £millions out of writing and singing songs about the start and end of her relationships, the heartaches and the breakups, the ecstasy and the happiness in between.
My own life witnessed the years between the 1950s to the 1980s being almost solely devoted to ‘love songs’. When I was living in Canada in the early 1960s, my love of country and western songs took flame. Almost every country-and-western song is a story about love. I always admired Americans. Often, when they get their decree nisi papers through, instead of showing a measure of sorrow and disappointment as a British person might do, instead, the Americans dress up to the nines and go out to celebrate. One can also wager that by the end of the night they are singing the song ‘D.I.V.O.R.C.E as they rumba their way back home in an inebriated state of merriment.
Essentially the central message of today’s song speaks to something most of us would willingly subscribe to. Regarding people in our lives that we truly love, like our parents, children, siblings, partners and lovers, there is simply nothing we wouldn’t do for them. We would willingly give them our all!
I dedicate my song today to Ann Laffan from the village where I was born; Portlaw, County Waterford in Ireland. While I do not know Ann, her Facebook page entry of September 11th, 2019 reveals her to be a most hospitable person, and definitely, a person who would give ‘everything they own’ to someone they truly love. Ann wrote, “My house is a safe zone. Kettle can be on in minutes, I will always do my best to be available ... you are always welcome! Nobody is alone, there’s always someone willing to listen, go for a walk with you, take you shopping, watch a movie with you, relate to what your feeling 💚 "
Sheila and I will be having three weeks touring Ireland next Spring, Ann, so get that kettle on as we shall certainly be popping in for a cuppa. Thank you for being my Facebook friend. Bill x
Love and peace Bill x
