WHILE I STILL BREATHE - Track 6 Video

I've got an award-winning song this week that I'm delighted to have finally recorded. 

You may remember me giving away a demo version of this week's track, "While I Still Breathe", as part of last summer's Freebie Friday.  I decided to take this tune into "The Clarke Hall Sessions" and capture it live and in the moment and I'm so glad I did. I've always found something very haunting about this track, ever since my co-writer,  Bruce Madole, sent along the lyric and I spontaneously reacted with the music. I love Justin Abedin's haunting accompaniment. 

BEHIND THE SONG 
Bruce had been inspired while sitting in his kitchen.  He noticed the linen sail of his toy wooden sailboat move in a passing  breeze and he had a stirring thought, "What if every breeze is the sum of the dying breath of every sailor lost at sea?" As his imagination floated on that breeze, he envisioned a haunting tale of honour and gallantry and wrote the lyric. The first time I read it through I could immediately hear the ghosts singing to me and the full melody came within minutes. The song won us the Folk Music Ontario "Songs From the Heart" Contest.  I hope you enjoy the video.

CAN YOU JOIN US FOR THE CD RELEASE CONCERT? IT'S GONNA BE A RARE NIGHT
We are just over a week away from the CD release concert at Clarke Memorial Hall in Port Credit on Saturday April 23rd and we still have tickets available.  For anybody in the Great Toronto Area & even beyond, please consider coming out to the celebration. If it's anything like the recording, it's gonna be a memorable night. Tickets can be purchased online here using either paypal or credit card or in person (in cash) from Impressionable Gifts at 74 Lakeshore Road E. in Port Credit.   

Finally, I promised you a look at the CD cover and here it is.  By the miracle of "photoshop time travel", I've been transported back in time to Clarke Hall of yesteryear! 

Thanks for reading and listening.   
Meet you in the music, 

David

 




LYRIC
  
There’s a ship out in the harbour patient on that glassy green 
As the last boat rowing slowly carries her away from me 
I know her heart was heavy, heavy as these iron chains 
And her face was stained with sorrow as she turned her eyes away 
  
Hold the wind, don’t let it blow 
Gentle as a babe asleep, silent as a stone 
Hold the wind, calm the seas 
Quiet every single breath while I still breathe 
  
Soon the jailer will collect me, march me down that one-way street 
Hang me like a flag of freedom while she sails out to sea 
What I did I did for honour, not for lust and not for gold 
For to see that villain strike her made my blood turn freezing cold 
  
Hold the wind, don’t let it blow 
Gentle as a babe asleep, silent as a stone 
Hold the wind, calm the seas 
Quiet every single breath while I still breathe 
  
There’s justice now and judgement later 
Here's the price that must be paid 
Now I go to meet my maker 
Longing for one last look at her sweet, sweet face 
  
Hold the wind, don’t let it blow 
Gentle as a babe asleep, silent as a stone 
Hold the wind, calm the seas 
Quiet every single breath while I still breathe 
  
Written by David Leask & Bruce Madole

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