Write Away Magazine - August Edition

Issue No:8 

The Lyric Writers Magazine 

The Queen Of Rock 

Freddie Mercury 

REGULAR FEATURES 

Introducing - Bill Halloran 

Lyrical Do Not - Daryn Wright 

Song Lyrics - Trevor Dimoff 

Lyricslinger - Simon Wright 

The Lyrics Doctor 

Vocal Coach - Paul Sykes 

www.writeawaymagazine.co.uk

In This Issue... 

Paul 

deMarco 

Pages 20 - 23 

Featuring 

16 Dennis A Westgate 

18 Paul deMarco 

20 Freddie Mercury 

22 Freddie Mercury 

24 Shawn Adam Williams 

26 Kerri Layton 

28 Kevin Gullickson 

30 The Village 

32 Colin B Leonard 

34 Nick Cody 

36 Dina Andrews 

Regulars 

04 The Lyrics Doctor 

06 Daryn Wright 

08 Trevor Dimoff 

10 Paul Sykes 

12 Bill O’Halloran 

14 Simon Wright 

18 

02 


T jÉÜw YÜÉÅ g{x Xw|àÉÜAAA 

Another month has flown past, and here I am again with a new 

group of talented songwriters showcasing their skills to the world. 

It always gives me great pleasure to work on every single article, 

and I try to remain sensitive to the theme as I fit the articles to the 

pages. 

This month I’ve touched upon Freddie Mercury’s career, who was 

perhaps the greatest frontman ever to perform upon the musical 

stage. He enjoyed huge success in his short musical career, and 

more posthumously. He’ll live forever in my own mind as one of the 

worlds greatest ever performers. A pure genius, who knew exactly 

how to work an audience. 

Please may I request you take a look at the links on each article to 

find out more about the artists who contribute, and please follow the 

link to listen to the featured song when lyrics are displayed. 

If you’d like to appear in a future issue why not send me an email 

and I’ll do my level best to fit you into a future issue. 

jane@writeawaymagazine.co.uk 

Likewise, I’m always open to offers for regular writers to 

contribute articles on lyric/songwriting. Every idea will be seriously 

considered for inclusion. I’d dearly love to find a 

regular writer on Home Recording. If this is you, please get in 

touch. So many avenues to take this magazine... 

Please forward to me any lyric related questions that you may have 

via e-mail and I’ll pass them on to our Lyrics Doctor to answer in a 

future issue. Don’t be shy, this magazine is here to help lyricists of 

all levels to improve their skills and find inspiration for future lyrics. 

If you have a skill, service or craft related to songwriting and would 

like an affordable advertising platform please drop me an email to 

discuss. 

Jane xxx 

www.writeawaymagazine.co.uk 

03

The Lyri 

Jane Shields from 

Worcester, England, asks 

how a lyricist with limited 

musical knowledge might 

estimate the number of 

verses and choruses needed 

for a three-minute pop 

song. Similarly, Peter 

Dalton from Canberra, 

Australia, asks how a lyricist 

can know how long a 

song will be. The classic 

pop formula is two or three 

verse/chorus pairs and perhaps 

a bridge. You’ll usually 

have four or six or eight 

lines for each verse, a chorus 

that’s either half as 

long or the same length as 

the verse, and a bridge of 

about the same length as 

the verse. Of course, this 

can vary dramatically 

depending on the tempo 

and myriad other factors, 

but most of my songs that 

follow that recipe come in 

between two and four minutes. 

One way to check is 

to find another artist’s tune 

that has roughly the same 

beat you envision for your 

composition. Try singing or 

chanting your lyrics over 

the structure. If it fits into, 

say, Honky Tonk Woman or 

Respect or Proud Mary, it’ll 

probably come in at about 

three minutes. 

Sharon Messa from 

Glasgow asks whether it’s 

OK to change the words in 

a pre-chorus. The flippant 

answer would be, “Of 

course. You can do what 

you want. It’s your song!” 

But more seriously, there’s 

a reason song structures 

have developed the way 

they have, and repetition of 

the chorus (and I tend to 

consider the pre-chorus to 

be part of the chorus) 

helps make a song catchy 

and memorable. That said, 

songwriters do sometimes 

change parts of the chorus. 

In Alternative Facts, I tweak 

both the pre-chorus and the 

chorus. The first pre-chorus 

begins with the lines, 

“Here’s alternative fact 

Number One/What we had 

is really done.” Then the 

second and third pre-choruses 

(logically enough) 

become alternative fact 

Number Two and Number 

Three, with corresponding 

rhymes. The chorus itself 

also shifts, with the first 

instance starting “An alternate 

truth you know it ain’t 

right/Light is black and 

dark is white/We ain’t broken 

only cracked/To say 

we’re through is alternative 

fact.” In the next instance, 

the third line becomes 

“We’re unglued but still 

intact,” and the final time 

it’s “We should add but you 

subtract.” Of course, part 

of the conceit of the song 

is the litany of alternative 

facts one, two, and three, 

so the pre-chorus had to 

change (and in that respect 

it might be considered part 

of the verse). For the chorus 

itself, I could have used 

just one of the variations I 

chose, but I think there’s 

enough memorable repetition 

to allow for replacing 

the third line, which to my 

ear makes the song more 

interesting. 

Since I received your question, 

I’ve been looking 

around for hit songs that 

change out part of the chorus, 

and it’s not easy to find 

them. (I’d welcome any 

other examples readers 

manage to unearth.) The 

Beatles make small tweaks 

to Day Tripper, In My Life, I 

Feel Fine, and several others. 

The Rolling Stones do 

it in Wild Horses and Dead 

Flowers, as does 

Springsteen in Brilliant 

Disguise. In Life During 

Wartime, Talking Heads 

switch out the third line of 

every instance of the chorus. 

Each one begins, “This 

04 www.writeawaymagazine.co.uk

cs Doctor 

ain't no party, this ain't no 

disco/This ain't no fooling 

around” and ends “I ain’t got 

time for that now.” But the third 

line shifts from “No time for 

dancing, or lovey dovey,” to the 

deliciously evocative (for those 

who knew New York in the ‘80s) 

“This ain't no Mudd Club, or 

C.B.G.B.,” and then to “I'd like to 

hold you, I'd love to kiss you.” 

Before the final instance, there 

are four lines that follow the 

chords and melody of the chorus 

but have entirely different 

lyrics—therefore serving almost 

as a bridge, which the song otherwise 

lacks. In other words, it’s 

always good to be aware of the 

rules and it’s generally best to 

follow them. But when it makes 

sense to you, go ahead and 

change the pre-chorus or the 

chorus--because you can do 

what you want. It’s your song! 

Happy SongwR x iting 

The Lyrics Doctor 

www.thegincident.com 

Note from the editor... 

If you have a lyrics-related 

question you’d like answered 

please e-mail it to me and I’ll 

forward it on to 

The Lyrics Doctor. 

jane@writeawaymagazine.co.uk 


05

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06 


Daryn Wright 

Do Not Series 

Hitting The Snooze Button 

at we often overn 

we are trying to 

lever lyric. It is postion 

our thoughts 

too much. This 

aight into writers 

avoid it? We can 

hoosing a better 

. 

best time to write? 

or everyone. You 

w what is your best 

, so we will talk 

our minds are the 

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are dreaming. 

greatest stories 

e from dreams. 

re possible to capreams 

and turn 

ics. 

best chance at 

, we must first 

a little bit about 

we can encourage 

wonder freely, or to 

pecific path you 

efore you sleep. 

happen in the REM 

ovement) portion of 

your sleep, which is a deep 

sleep state consisting on the 

average of about 20% of your 

sleep time. Although it is difficult 

to remember an entire 

dream, it is not uncommon to 

remember the last 10 minutes of 

your dream. You may be one of 

the unlucky few who have difficulties 

remembering any portion 

of the dream. There may be an 

underlying reason why you can’t 

remember. 

Anxiety, stress, medication, 

health issues, and other similar 

factors can hinder your ability to 

recall a dream. In some cases, 

it is the opposite. Determining 

which one helps you or hinders 

you may be worth investigating. 

It is true some people naturally 

remember their dreams in vivid 

details from beginning to end. 

Those who have the most creativity 

seem to remember more 

than those who are not as creative. 

Daily creative exercises 

can help over time. 

When is the best time to remember 

what your dream was 

about? The best time to remember 

your dream is within the first 

90 seconds after waking up. 

Making a habit of writing down 

your thoughts and dreams within 

the first 10 minutes of waking 

can give you ample opportunity 

to capture your minds masterpiece 

dreams. When you are 

writing during this time, it is 

important to get it all down. 

Don’t worry about rhymes, 

rhythm, patterns, or any other 

detail that may get between you 

and the paper. 

We can induce our dreams by 

thinking about a specific story, 

scenario, lyric, or whatever it is 

you are working on, and keeping 

it in your thoughts while you 

drift off to sleep. 

You may miss out on this creative 

atmosphere by drifting 

back to sleep. Do not cheat 

yourself by hitting the snooze 

button. 

Written by Daryn Wright 

www.darynwright.com 

www.reverbnation.com/darynwri 

ght 


07

HOW YOUR LYRICS BECO 

The Steps To Take A Song Lyric To 

Recorded Song 

You’ve finished the lyrics to your song. If you 

don’t know how to write the music, your next 

step is to find a co-writer who can write the 

music for your song. 

Finding A Co-writing Partner 

As with any relationship, it can take time and 

effort to find a co-writing partner who is a 

good fit. You’re looking for someone with skills 

and experience that complements your skill 

set. Also consider their dependability, their 

communication skills and compatible musical 

goals. 

For example, if you want to write lyrics for 

songs that could be commercially released 

and your co-writer is able to write the music 

but can’t record it to a high standard you will 

find yourself frustrated unless you can also 

find someone to record and perform it. 

Clear communication will lead to a better relationship 

and stronger songs. 

So you better understand what to look for in a 

co-writing partner, here are the steps that your 

co-writer needs to complete to take your lyrics 

and create a recording of your finished song… 

Finalize the Lyrics 

Approve/edit the lyrics, changes to improve the 

lyrics might be suggested. Be open to suggestions 

from your co-writer, their goal is the 

same as yours, to create the best song possible. 

You both need to agree on the final version 

of the lyrics and the final song structure 

before moving on to recording the song (for 

more about writing a complete song lyric read: 

How To Write A Finished Song Lyric,?) 

Write Away, p8, June 2019 

Write the Music: 

Melody, choosing the notes a vocalist sings for 

the lyrics in each song section. 

Chord Progression, the chords for each song 

section (chorus, verse, pre-chorus, bridge). 

Arrangement, the way an instrumentalist plays 

during each song section. 

This might be a: 

Basic Arrangement - voice and one instrument 

Band Arrangement - voice, guitar, piano, bass, 

drums 

Electronic Arrangement - voice, loops and 

beats, synthesizers and drum machines 

Recording The Song 

(From simple to more complex) 

Work Tape - rough audio recording. 

Often a work tape is used to communicate 

between co-writers while the song is being 

written (sent to you for feedback while the 

song is in progress) or to create a rough 

recording of a finished song. This can be as 

simple as an audio performance recorded on a 

smartphone. 

Video Performance of the Song, 

Co-writer singing and playing the song on 

video, suitable to release on social media or as 

a demo recording. Some video and audio editing 

is often required. 

Home Studio Recording 

Typically several instruments played one at a 

time, then mixed together. Sometimes a professional 

mixer or mastering engineer is hired 

to improve the quality of the final version. 


ME A RECORDED SONG 

Trevor Dimoff 

Professional Studio Recording 

The advantage to a professional studio is the 

quality of the final recording. It’s difficult to 

create a commercial quality recording without 

a professional studio recording or professional 

mixing and mastering. 

The disadvantage is price... costs include: studio 

time, a recording engineer (who records 

the song), a mixing engineer (who mixes all 

tracks together) and mastering engineer (who 

puts finishing touches on the final mix to make 

it ready for radio). In addition, it’s common to 

hire professional studio musicians who play 

and sing the parts on the recording. 

Your Next Step 

Think about your songwriting goals and your 

lyric writing skills. What can you offer to a 

potential co-writer? 

What skills do you need in a co-writing partner? 

What are your goals for your songs? 

Now it’s time to start actively looking for cowriters 

to work with…. 

If you are learning how to write the music for 

your songs, you can find out more about the 

necessary skills and ways to learn them here: 

https://epicsongwriting.com/start-writingsongs/ 

Trevor Dimoff is a songwriter and songwriting 

teacher at: 

https://epicsongwriting.com/ 

www.writeawaymagazine.co.uk 09


In a world where everything 

appears to becoming cheaper 

yet more disposable, I often 

wonder if the great pop artists of 

the 70's ever fully realised the 

longevity of their recordings. I 

wonder what Freddie mercury 

was thinking when he was in 

front of a studio mic laying down 

vocal takes that to this day, nearly 

50 years later are still played 

on high rotation around the 

world. I wonder if the raw emotion 

he exuded when he performed 

with Queen was a product 

of that understanding or 

whether he was just Freddie 

being Freddie. I personally think 

the latter. A true, genuine vocal 

artist capable of writing songs 

and creating performances that 

transcended normality into 

something truly breathtaking. 

So what makes Freddies performances 

so breathtaking? 

Today we break down three 

important attributes that I 

believe sets Freddie apart from 

all but the most elite of vocal 

stars. 

Firstly risk. With creativity comes 

risk. The more creative away 

from the known, the more risky. 

Freddies songs were very risky. 

The 70's were an interesting 

decade. Bouncing off the shoulders 

of the early studios from 

the 50's and the 60's, studios 

were now coming of age with 

large format consoles and 2" 24 

track tape machines. The record 

labels had unfathomable income 

because the only way to consume 

music is to buy it either on 

tape or record or listen on radio 

for which they still received royalties. 

Just like the movie industry, 

if a label saw massive potential, 

they could risk massive 

financial investment into them. 

Enter the supergroups.. Names 

like Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, 

the Eagles and of course Queen 

emerged where they could 

spend a million dollars on 8 

songs. 

This combination of huge budgets 

and unbridled high quality 

studio tech allowed for both the 

labels and the artists to be very 

very creative. With this creativity 

comes an enormous risk. But 

with this risk comes a roll of the 

dice to virtual immortal greatness. 

Freddie mercury was hugely 

risky. It's easy to look back 

and assume that Bohemian 

Rhapsody always existed but 

remember, at some point, it 

began as a blank piece of paper 

on which Freddie wrote "scaramouche 

scaramouche... Thunder 

bolts of lightening". I can only 

imagine what a few suits at the 

label thought the first time they 

heard THAT idea. 

This leads me onto Freddies second 

unique trait... 

He appeared completely fearless. 

It takes a VERY confident 

person to write the songs he did 

and pitch them as the next greatest 

thing. Freddie is the ultimate 

expression of not giving one fk 

about what other people think 

about him. He was already openly 

gay in a decade when talking 

about "poofter bashing" was 

almost still acceptible. Maybe his 

resilience in his personal life 

made him resilient in his professional 

one to the point that he 

could swing way out where the 

average person on the street 

would be completely consumed 

with the opinions of others. 

And this leads me onto his third 

trait... Dynamics. 

His combination of being hyper 

creative and completely fearless 

allows him to go where very few 

singers can.... Into the world of 

absolute vulnerability. Freddie 

didn't just sing. He expressed 

emotion in a way few can. When 

you listen to his recordings, 

you'll hear up to three or four different 

emotions on each and 

every line. He has an intuition to 

move from whisper to full belt. 

His soft notes are gloriously soft 

then instantly he opens up into 

bright, hard twang then into 

what appears to be Opera then 

back to belting. And this degree 

of expression within all of his 

vocal lines are one huge component 

to his unique brilliance. 

Go to YouTube and search for 

Freddie mercury isolated vocal. 

Then listen. You'll hear it. 

This month, consider upping 

your risk by being super creative, 

completely fearless and 

expressive in your performances 

like never before and who 

knows, these may be the very 

attributes that launch you from 

your current plataeu into a whole 

new vocal realm. 

instagram.com/vocalpro.com.au 

http://vocalprocourses.com/ 

http//www.facebook.com/vocalpro.com.au 

Paul Sykes, Vocal Coach 


Paul Sykes 

Freddie Mercury performs in 1980. 

Steve Jennings/Wire Image 


11

Songs Are Perform 

If the bard of Avon 

himself (William 

Shakespeare to you) 

was not above tailoring 

his works to play to the 

strengths of his best 

available actors, should 

we as songwriters be 

doing the same? After 

all, songs are intended to 

be performed, right? 

Are we giving our performer 

(perhaps ourselves?) 

something they 

can work with? Is it too 

far outside their comfort 

zone? Or worse yet, too 

far inside that well-worn 

path? Fundamental truth 

number one: songwriting…..in 

fact, all art, 

needs to evoke in its 

audience both a feeling 

of surprise, and one of 

familiarity. Their reaction 

should be “Wow, I 

never thought about it 

that way!” rather than 

“What the hell are you 

talking about?” (Having 

said that, it seems like 

the best art often starts 

them feeling the latter… 

..and gently leads them 

to the former, almost as 

if they have come to the 

logical conclusion on 

their own). 

12 


Bill Halloran 

ances...... Right? 

One could argue then 

that the bard is all wet. 

If we are inspired, in a 

flash of insight, to innermost 

thoughts and feelings 

that are at once 

unique and yet so brilliantly 

logical that we 

can’t wait to share them 

with our fellow humans… 

.is it REALLY going to 

matter much whether our 

singer finds them as 

comfortable as an old 

shoe? Shouldn’t our 

goal be for this lightning 

strike of clarity to stand 

on its own, regardless of 

who is singing it? Why 

would we tinker with 

transparency? It almost 

seems like cheapening it, 

like we’ve dragged in a 

new, irrelevant character 

just so her name will 

rhyme (“little sister Nell” 

in “Color Him Father” by 

the Winstons...a songwriting 

mess so bad that 

even having someone die 

in the song to drum up 

sympathy can’t save it… 

but I digress). 

The truth is somewhere 

in between. As it often 

is. First of all, let’s calm 

down, and consider 

whether we’ve just written 

“War and Peace”.... 

or “Wooly Bully”. Then, 

while striving for this 

perfect clarity, let’s also 

strive for simplicity 

(something this author 

may occasionally forget!) 

What words, sections, 

notes can we trim? What 

lines are least essential 

to our message. If we’re 

not sure our singer can 

deliver this line with conviction 

(warning bells 

should go off, if you find 

yourself wondering 

“Would ANY singer feel 

good with this?”) go back 

and decide if that line 

can come out. 

Bottom line: If we can 

lead them to whatever 

beauty, truth and fun 

without them seeing us 

pulling the strings… 

thinking they’ve gotten 

there on their own… then 

we’ve created the magic 

potion! Good luck!! 

Cat 

www.wildcatohalloran.co 

m 


Mercury 

(Intro) 

Have you ever felt like you're going 

to fall? 

I felt like I should fly 

(Verse 1) 

I put on my spacesuit 

Said goodbye to my loved ones 

I guess I'll be on the news 

But it won't matter anyway 

(Chorus) 

Got a little close to the sun today 

Mercury's rising 

Mercury's rising, 




(Verse 2) 

I climbed in my spaceship 

And battened the hatches 

I took this bird for a spin 

But it won't matter anyway 

(Corus) 







(Bridge) 

I can see the light 

Or is it the fire? 

I guess I'll find out soon enough, 

Climbing higher and higher 

The air getting lighter 

As blackness begins to engulf 

(Verse 3) 

I went for a spacewalk 

And I was not tethered 

Didn't intend to return 

Cos it won't matter anyway 

(Chorus) 







(Outro) 

Crash landed 

Smashed in a wall 

Tried to fly 

I was destined to fall 

Written by Simon Wright 

(June 2019) 

14 


Simon Wright 

’s Rising 

Mercury’s Rising – A Simon 

Wright Lyric 

This lyric has got nothing to do with 

Freddie Mercury. The theme of the lyric 

would possibly be very different, given 

the title, if it was! Mercury’s Rising was 

influenced in a way though by another 

legendary rock vocalist, the late great 

Chris Cornell. I’d been listening to 

Cornell’s catalogue of songs on Spotify 

and, stylistically, it’s influenced this lyric. 

It’s his voice that I heard in my head as I 

was penning it. 

About the lyric 

At the moment this is just a lyric. I’d love 

to get it turned into a song. If any musicians 

out there would like to collaborate 

then please get in touch with me. 

About Simon Wright 

Simon is an Irish lyric writer who lives in 

Scotland. He collaborates with musicians 

across the world to turn his lyrics into 

songs. Check out his website: 

www.LyricSlinger.co.uk 

and follow 

@TheLyricSlinger on Twitter 

As I was listening to Chris Cornell’s 

songs I experienced a mix of emotions; 

the pleasure of hearing his beautiful 

voice and music, and the melancholy of 

knowing that he chose to take his own 

life. Despite all that talent he had a 

moment where the weight of the world, 

the gravity, became too much to take. 

I was also influenced by remembering 

someone from many years ago who 

crashed his car into a wall as a consequence 

of the depression that a marriage 

breakup caused. Thankfully he survived 

and has begun to rebuild his life, bit by 

bit. 

So. quite a heavy topic for a lyric. but I 

can see the chorus being quite memorable 

accompanied by a rock riff. And I 

like the story that I’ve built in the verses 

and bridge, with the astronaut metaphor. 

I’m looking for musicians to turn this into 

a song. 


What’s In 

WHAT’S IN A LYRIC! 

You may as well ask “How long is a piece of 

string?” or “How do you describe ‘colour’ to 

a blindperson?” Because in my own estimation, 

there is no definitive answer, except to say 

“Write it the way you feel it!” I suppose that’s how 

it begins for most poets and lyricists. 

So what makes a good lyric? Like a chef preparing 

a gourmet meal, it all depends on the constituents 

(in my case the words) and how they’re 

assembled. Just like the art of cuisine, practice 

makes perfect and once you learn the basics, you 

can diversify and experiment to your heart’s content. 

Over the years, I’ve developed my own technique 

for writing song lyrics as well as composing 

the music, which for me is a blessing in disguise 

because I can meld both words and 

music into acomplete experience. 

Although lyric writing can be free and fluent, in 

which the song is built from an idea; a particular 

experience or sometimes a political expression, 

when it comes to writing for musical theatre, there 

is also another discipline which must be learned, 

‘characterisation.’ Many of the most successful 

musicals are based on plays, novels or motion pictures 

i.e. Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet became 

‘West SideStory’, Shaw’s Pygmalion turned into 

‘My Fair Lady’, Molnar’s Lilliom becam ‘Carousel’, 

Gaston Leroux’s famous novel was scored into 

‘Phantom of the Opera’, and Victor Hugo’s ‘Les 

Miserables’ etc. In the majority of cases the leading 

roles are played by great singers, supported in 

turn by a large chorus, which in turn calls for 

great musical numbers. The songs in these musicals 

are generally performed by many (or few) 

characters, as solo/duet presentations, or a group 

and in a variety of disciplines; to portray grief, 

love, happiness, fun, sarcasm or any other way 

that communicates emotion. 

If you are serious in pursuing a songwriting 

career may I suggest you get hold of a book entitled 

‘ 

Song by Song, published 1984 by Ross Anderson, 

also buy a copy of Roget’s Thesaurus (my bible) 

when you’re looking for alternative words to 

express a particular feeling or emotion. 

As for lyric writing, ‘Stage Musicals’ are the path I 

have followed for the many hundreds of songs 

I’ve composed over the years and in way of explanation, 

here is a brief synopsis of how I developed 

the song lyric for the Lewis Caroll’s character 

‘Alice’ in new version of ‘Alice in Wonderland’. 

NOTES: 

1) As the story tells, Alice is sat under a tree reading 

a book, when suddenly a white rabbit hurries 

by. The story develops from this moment. 

2) When she arrives in Wonderland her first 

thoughts are “Who in the world am I? 

3) The song needs to pursue this idea i.e Is this all 

in her mind or is she daydreaming? Are all of 

these characters just a figment of her imagination. 

4) Could it be that there are two Alices and if so, 

which is the real one? “Am I just plain little Alice, 

or am I Alice in Wonderland?” Use this as the 

closing line in each verse. 

5) The opening line could be “Is this all in my 

imagination?” 

2nd line “xxxxxxxx” 

3rd line “Could this be some wild hallucination? 

4th line “xxxxxxxxxxxxx” 

5th line “Is all this world created in my head?” 

6th line “Am I only dreaming and soundly sleeping 

in my bed? 

(etc to the closing phrase) 

Lines 7&8 “Am I just Alice, plain little Alice, or am 

I Alice in Wonderland?” 

This is the basic format for this song. The completed 

work took me a few more days (& nights) 

(Sung by Alice) 

ALICE IN WONDERLAND 

Is it all in my imagination 

Am I playing part of someone else 

Could this be some wild hallucination 

Of how I want to see myself 

Is all this world created in my head 

Am I awake, or soundly sleeping in my bed 

Will I ever really understand 

Am I just Alice, plain little Alice 

Or am I Alice in Wonderland 


Dennis A Westgate 

A Lyric? 

* Could there be a simple explanation 

For these pictures playing with my mind 

Maybe they are all my own creation 

From childhood days I’ve left behind 

Would it be wrong to live inside my dream 

A private place where every cat would have it’s 

cream 

Where I’d never care, or understand 

If I were Alice, plain littleAlice 

Or I were Alice in Wonderland 

* Sometimes when I’m feeling sentimental 

I’ll imagine there’s another me 

And my mind can be experimental 

On who I’d really like to be 

If I could choose from other times gone by 

Perhaps I’d find there was no one as good as I 

Maybe then I’d come to understand 

Although I’m Alice, plain little Alice 

I’m really Alice in Wonderland 

© ALICE IN WONDERLAND 

(ONE OF 9 ORIGINAL SONGS IN THIS PRODUC- 

TION) 

Links to Tyne Music productions: 

https://tynemusic.com/original-sheet-music-andmusic-albums 

https://www.facebook.com/tynesider 

https://www.facebook.com/dennis.a.westgate 

DENNIS A. WESTGATE 

Note: The original song only consisted of one 

verse. After the 2014 production I decided to add 

another two verses to make it more commercial 

for solo presentation 

Links to Tyne Music productions: 

(This is the completed version as performed by 

the ‘We Are Theatre’ company in the Joseph 

Rowntree Theatre - York n 2013, the Spa Theatre - 

Bridlington 2014 and returned by popular request 

to the Rowntree Theatre - York in 2018) 

. 

http://www.wearetheatre.co.uk/alice-in-wonderland.html 

https://tynemusic.com/original-sheet-music-andmusic-albums 

https://www.facebook.com/tynesider 

https://www.facebook.com/dennis.a.westgate 

LINK TO DENNIS’S MUSIC: 

https://sellfy.com/tyneonlinemusic 


17

Put Your Heart 

Do you write from an idea? 

Do you write from a title? 

Or do you just write what you 

feel? 

You can do all three... You can 

write what you feel about an 

idea from a title... And so 

many hit songs have been 

written like that... But ask 

yourself... The ones that hit 

you in the heart, how where 

they written? 

Usually it was someone who 

sat down with pen and paper 

and maybe a guitar or piano 

and the ‘Words’ came to 

them... Sure maybe they 

tweaked it afterwards... Or 

maybe a co-writer looking 

from another angle saw a way 

to make it "better"... But the 

essence of the song that hits 

someone's heart is what 

makes it powerful .. and what 

is that? It's what YOUR heart 

wrote... 

Most writers will tell you their 

best songs came together in 

the shortest time... Yes most if 

not all songs need crafting to 

reach their potential... But if 

you can just let go and let the 

song write itself and just get 

out the way of the song then 

your heart can shine 

through... 

Freddie was right, he was 

always honest and true and 

because of that anyone could 

feel what he wrote and find 

something of themselves in 

there too... And like he says, 

"if you see it , it's there" why? 

Because it's the heart you are 

seeing, regardless of the 

meaning it's the feeling that 

you are translating... 

So... Make sure that while you 

agonise over the words you 

choose and the melodies you 

write in your song craft, prioritise 

the heart and the emotion... 

Remember, you rarely remember 

everything someone 

does... and often forget what 

they say... But... You always 

remember how they make you 

feel. 

Keep writing, stay creative 

and always give your heart... 

It's the only one in the world 

quite like it 

Paul deMarco is a UK based 

Singer, Songwriter and 

Producer 

You can find out more from 

www.pauldemarcomusic.com 

and get a free download of his 

latest single "Chasing Your 

Ghost" 

Find him on Facebook at 

www.facebook.com/pauldema 

rcomusic 

And join the group 

Songwriting, Recording and 

Production with Paul deMarco 

https://www.facebook.com/gr 

oups/310566039471280/ 

18 


Paul deMarco 

nto Your Songs 


19

F M 

R E 

E R 

D C 

D U 

I R 

E Y 

Barcelona 

I had this perfect dream 

Un sueno me envolvio 

This dream was me and you 

Tal vez esta aqui 

I want all the world to see 

Un instinto me guiaba 

A miracle sensation 

My guide and inspiration 

Now my dream is slowly coming true 

The wind is a gentle breeze 

EI me hablo de ti 

The bells are ringing out 

EI canto vuela 

They're calling us together 

Guiding us forever 

Wish my dream would never go away 

Barcelona 

It was the first time that we met 

Barcelona 

How can I forget 

The moment that you stepped into the room 

You took my breath away 

Barcelona 

La musica vibro 

Barcelona 

Yella nos unio 

And if God is willing 

We will meet again 

Someday 

Let the songs begin 

Dejalo nacer 

Let the music play 

Ah 

Make the voices sing 

Nace un gran amor 

Start the celebration 

Ven a mi 

And cry 

Grita 

Come… 

Freddie Mercury. Montserrat Caballe 



Born September 5th 1946 in Stone 

Town, Zanzibar and named Farrokh 

Bulsara, his parents had emigrated 

from India to Zanzibar where his father 

worked as a clerk for the British government. 

As a child he attended a boarding 

school in Panchgani, Maharashtra State, 

India. He was artistically inclined from a 

very young age, and formed a band in which 

he played piano. When Zanzibar became 

part of the independant country of Tanzania 

in 1964 he moved with his family to Feltham, 

England. He studied graphic art and design 

at Ealing Technical College and School of 

Art (now part of the Universty of West 

London) from where he graduated in 1969. 

Heavily influenced by hard edged bluesbased 

rock acts such as Cream and Jimi 

Hendrix he began singing with bands in 

London. He became friends with guitarist 

Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor from 

the band Smile, and in 1970 when the bands 

lead singer quit Bulsara replaced him. He 

then changed the bands name to Queen and 

his own name to Freddie Mercury. Bassist 

John Deacon joined them in 1971. Queen 

incorporated elements from both heavy 

metal and glam rock, they debuted on 

record in 1973 with Queen, followed in 1974 

by Queen II. Despite their blend of vocal 

harmonies and layered virtuosic guitar 

work, Queen failed to attract much notice 

beyond the UK. However in 1974 the album 

Sheer Heart Attack shot up the International 

charts, and in 1975 A Night At The Opera 

sold even better. . The band’s ambitious 

approach to both songwriting and studio 

production was epitomized by the latter 

album’s mock-operatic single Bohemian 

Rhapsody, one of a number of Queen compositions 

written primarily by Freddie 

Mercury. The song spent nine weeks at the 

top of the British singles chart, and its 

accompanying promotional film helped the 

music industry recognise its future in video. 

Spectacular success followed in 1977 with 

We Are The Champions and We Will Rock 

You, both of which became ubiquitous 

anthems at sporting events in Britain and 

the United States. 

By the early 1980’s Queen had become an 

International phonomenon, drawing attention 

from their elabourately staged performances 

in enormous venues, strutting 

around the stage in outrageous costumes, 

and Freddie effortlessly commanding audiences 

of tens of thousands of fans. 

Although Queen’s commercial fortunes had 

begun to wane by mid decade, the band 

arguably reached its pinnacle as a live act 

with a stellar performance at the charity 

concert Live Aid in 1985. That same year 

Freddie released his solo Mr Bad Guy taking 

inspiration from disco music. 

Freddie later appeared on the sound track of 

Dave Clark’s science-fiction musical Time in 

1986 and teamed with Spanish soprano 

Montserrat Caballe for the semi-operatic 

album Barcelona in 1988. 

In 1991 Mercury, who had engaged in relationships 

with both men and women, 

announced that he had been diagnosed with 

AIDS. He died a day later from complications 

related to the disease. Until shortly before 

his death, Mercury had continued to record 

with Queen, and he was posthumously featured 

on the band’s final album, Made in 

Heaven (1995). 

Link to Barcelona 


21

Freddie 

Singles Dis 

05/09/46 - 

1973 I Can Hear Music/Going Back 

1985 Living On My Own, Love Me Like 

There’s No Tomorrow 

1988 The Golden Boy 

1992 Re-release, Guide Me Home/How Ca 

I Go On, In My Defence, Re-relese, 

Barcelona 

2006 Re-mix Sunshine People, Love Kills 



ercury 

cography 

1984 Love Kills, I Was Born To Love 

You, Made In Heaven 

1986 Time, The Great Pretender 

1987 Barcelona 

1989 Guide Me Home/How Can I Go On 

n 1993 Re-release, The Great Pretender 

Living On My Own 

2000 Guide Me Home 

2019 Time Waits For No One 

24/11/91 


23

Miss High Roller 

Verse: 

There was a showgirl from Vegas 

Her casino smile is so vivacious 

She knows how to strut her stuff 

That sweet lady can't get enough 

Her red velvet dress and high heeled shoes 

And yes, she really sings the blues 

Here she comes 

It's Miss High Roller 

Verse: 

She got a 1958 Oldsmobile 

She was a winner and she's ready to deal 

All she really wants is a fine looking man 

That's the one she really understand 



Bridge: 

She's fallin’ in love with the man she love 

They fit together like a hand in glove 

Lord knows she's ready to rock this world 

Miss High Roller is a red hot girl 

Verse: 

Her body rollin' like a roulette wheel 

Her sexy style are looks to kill 

And when the party's over, she's ready to ride 

Fellas, you better run, but you cannot hide 



© 2018 - Shawn Adam Williams 

Click link to listen to song... 

Shawn Adam Williams was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia on January 23, 1987. 

After the loss of his mother, Patricia Williams-Perdue who died of bladder cancer, he decided to 

move on. He suffered from anger issues, and types of depression which led him to listen to a lot 

of music when he was young. 

His passion for music includes rockabilly, roots, blues, gospel, and soul. His rockabilly influences 

are: Carl Perkins, Jack Scott, Eddie Cochran, and Jerry Lee Lewis, his blues influences 

are: BB King, Buddy Guy, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Solomon Burke, Gary Moore, and Stevie Ray 

Vaughan. 

He became a singer, lyricist, and composer to fulfil his spirits and dreams of becoming a true 

vocalist, and that's why he speaks the truth through his songs. 

His lyrics represent his musical culture, when he focused to become the best lyricist and singer 

he could. Also, he has been nominated for four Josie Music Awards, two IMEA Awards, a Gran 

Royale Music Award Nomination, an LDM Radio Award Nomination and also, 5 KICMA Award 

Nominations. He scored numerous songs on the independent charts. And the rest is history! 

Please follow Shawn on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Support his music on ReverbNation. 

http://www.reverbnation.com/shawnwilliams7 

http://www.facebook.com/croonerofthesouth 

http://www.twitter.com/southerncroon 

http://www.instagram.com/croonerofthesouth 


Shawn Adam Williams 


21

Lady Of The Dead 

In time we were born, she takes it all with her 

and the nights rooster, was a crow, 

The day's whiled away, while we took our 

chances and played 

at Le Dia de los Muertos parade 

In time you will see, through the ashes of the 

storm, 

though at the time, it makes no sense at all 

though everyone must go, like the wilted roses 

who know 

and I make my peace with the sky 


and I make my peace with sky 


Come on baby, come on make you shine 

Gonna bring you to me just for one more time 

Its the dia de los muertos parade, 

say your game, put your hands together come 

and party with me 

you know, In time we were born, 

she takes it all with her 


but the day's whiled away, whilst we took our 


at Le Dia de los Muertos parade 

you know, In time we were born, 

she takes it all with her 


but the day's whiled away, whilst we took our 


at Le Dia de los Muertos parade X 3 oo oo oo 

In time you will see, through the ashes of the 

storm, 

though at the time, it makes no sense at all 

though everyone must go, like the wilted roses 

who know 


Credits 

released July 23, 2019 

Music, lyrics and vocals - Kerri Layton 

Drums - Matt Dean 

Bass - Jordan Brown 

Keys - Benjamin Croft 

Baritone Sax - Lottie B 

Mastering - Graham Waller 

Photography - Gigi Gianella 

license 

(C) all rights reserved 

To listen follow link... 


Kerri Layton 

Kerri Layton is a singer songwriter and performing 

artist who lives in East London. The 'Vocal Priestess 

and Hoodoo Woman' has earned herself a great 

reputation on the live jazz and blues circuit as an 

enigmatic live vocalist and entertainer, performing 

for a wide range of events and festivals and at some 

of London's most prestigious venues such as The 

BBC, Alexandra Palace, Hackney Empire, taking 

slots on BBC Radio, performing at Glastonbury 

Festival and is an in demand singer on the international 

private event circuit with her creations at 

Dixiebird Records. 

Lady of the Dead is Kerri’s brand new single, 

recorded in London and features her line up of talented 

jazz musicians. 

Matt Dean - Drums, Jordan Brown - Fretless bass 

and Guitar, Lottie B - Sax, Ben Croft - Keyboards 

I wrote this song for a live show at Alexandra Palace 

back in 2016, it was a Day of the Dead Parade 

which we had the pleasure of creatively directing as 

well as performing in. The whole project carried a 

weight of personal semblance to it as 2016 was one 

of those tragic years where a lot of people very 

close to me died, my aunt was diagnosed and later 

died of cancer, my best friend suddenly died on a 

night out and an old family friend, as well as other 

personal tragedies, it was the year from hell. We 

also lost a lot of influential artists that year, David 

Bowie, Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher, George 

Michael, the list went on. 

This song really gave me chance to use the Mexican 

tradition as a way to explore the grief I was experiencing 

with different eyes. The Dia Del Las Muertos 

(Day of the Dead) is an ancient tradition which honors 

the ancestors and the dead by gathering in 

peaceful reflection, making offerings of sweet 

bread, cakes, and flowers on shrines. The Bond 

movie made it seem like some huge annual celebration 

in Mexico City, which of course it wasn't, but is 

now and Alexandra Palace wanted to recreate it. I 

got the call to work on the project and somehow it 

all tied in very personally to what I had been experiencing. 

In fact in the last 4 years prior to 2016 I had 

lost nearly 20 friends and close family members to 

various tragedies. The song really meant a lot to me 

and I held all of them very close to me in my heart 

as I was writing it, it really gave me chance to sit 

with the sadness and turn it into something completely 

new. 

I wanted the song not to be about loss and sadness, 

I wanted it to be about life itself, which is ironic, 

given the title of the track, 'Lady of the Dead'. 

The opening lyric for the song (the one you see 

here) is my favourite one. The start of this composition 

had to honor the essence of the veil between 

the spirit world and ours 'In time we were born' It literally 

means, you had to wait a very long time for 

your turn, and it's your turn to live now! 

'She takes it all with her' this literally means when 

we leave, to depart Earth and go home from wherever 

we came, the power that is mother earth, nature, 

re absorbing the energy of of physical bodies, It literally 

means, you leave your body but your spirit 

departs. 

'And the night's rooster was a crow' The symbolism 

of the birds is a nod to the shamans and the aztec 

culture of using totem animals to gain a deeper perspective 

into an aspect of life we may need help 

with. 

The crow is mysterious, the shape shifter, in alchemy 

the crow is used to describe the freeing of the 

Phoenix Spirit from the bounds of the physical, in 

direct contrast to the rooster who is by nature 

strong and is associated with rising and shining! 

I used it in this instance to create a contrast 

between what we perceive to be physical life and 

the transcending into another energetic form, 

whether that be a memory, love, or the actual spirit 

world itself. 

Basically, in a nutshell, these lyrics mean us coming 

from some other place, a place we have been waiting 

a long time to come here from, some may call it 

heaven or the other side, and our experience here is 

not what we think it is, and that somehow made me 

feel at peace having lost so many loved ones, the 

thought that this wasn't their only existence, the 

thought that that they were here living life and now 

they are off flying into another dimension, and it 

wasn't just the end, it was only the beginning. 

https://www.facebook.com/kerrilaytonmusic 

www.kerrilayton.com and 

www.dixiebirdrecords.com 

Photo Day of the Dead shot Gigi Giannella 2016) 

Photo band shot Daniella Fleckenstein 2018) 


27

Time To Rise 

By Kevin Gullickson - Radio Drive 

TIME TO RISE 

Break the mold you thought was you 

Fit the pieces into something new 

Something new 

Take the fragments of your life 

Broken shattered, cut you like a knife 

Like a knife 

Let it sharpen, let it bleed 

Let it bring out everything you need 

What you need 

It’s time to rise 


Way up to the sky 



Spread your wings and fly 

Life is flowing, life is change 

Nothing constant ever stays the same 

Stays the same 

Never think your life is trash 

Look and see the beauty from the ash 

From the ash 

CHORUS 

Wake up, get out 

It's time to go 

Ready or not, it's time to show all you've got 

All you've got 

CHORUS 

All words & music by Kevin Gullickson (BMI) 

c2018 

Links To Radio Drive 

http://www.radiodrive.net 

http://www.facebook.com/radiodrive 

http://www.twitter.com/radiodrivemusic 

http://www.youtube.com/RadioDriveMusic 

http://www.instagram.com/radio_drive- 

How it came together: 

Back in 2014-2015 I was riding the wave of 

success with my song "A Taste of Heaven". I 

was getting massive radio play, topping indie 

charts, winning awards and nominations and 

getting international attention. I had a band 

playing local clubs. I was working with a 

management/booking agency helping to 

advance my career. They were setting up a 

3-4 month European tour for the summer of 

2015. I was working with a music attorney in 

New York City, shopping my music to labels. 

Things were going great. Then everything 

came to an end in May/June 2015. The tour 

never happened. The band members went 

their own ways, some getting new jobs and 

commitments and had to step down. Then 

worst of all, my brother died of cancer in 

June 2015. Everything crashed. My life 

crashed. I had to step back and reassess my 

life and see how I could put it back together. 

I didn't sing or play guitar for about a year. I 

didn't write any songs. I didn't know if I could 

even write another song, let along release 

another album. I was in a major rut and didn't 

know how to get out. Then my wife started to 

encourage me to keep writing, to keep going, 

to keep following my dream. So I did. Slowly 

in 2017, I began singing, playing guitar and 

writing songs. In April 2018 I released my 

album "She Colors My World". 

The song "Time To Rise" along with others on 

my album "She Colors My World" came out of 

this time of rebuilding my life. In the song I 

wrote: "Break the mold you thought was you, 

fit the pieces into something new". This mold 

I refer to was my expectations, which had all 

crashed and were broken. Nothing I thought 

would happen, actually happened. That shat- 


Radio Drive 

tered my life. I had to take the shattered 

pieces of my life and put them back 

together. It was painful. The shattered 

pieces were sharp and I bled. But I persisted 

and kept moving forward. I'm a firm 

believer that all things work together for 

good. There will be tears, but there will be 

joy soon enough. Life is constantly changing 

and I needed to go where the peace 

was flowing, or directing me on the road to 

healing. I knew I had to keep pressing on. 

And I did. This song "Time To Rise" captures 

that belief and the process I went 

through. 

Radio Drive is an Alternative Pop Rock 

band featuring Kevin Gullickson. As the 

engine behind Radio Drive, Kevin has won 

international awards and nominations for 

his songs and music videos. The music of 

Radio Drive is being aired on radio around 

the world alongside major artists and is 

receiving rave reviews by music critics. 

He has been featured on web zines and 

radio shows in Europe, Canada and the 

USA. 

Kevin’s music has landed on charts on 

indie stations around the world, including 

Canada, Germany, the UK and the South 

Pacific. His music has been used on shows 

airing on Animal Planet, National 

Geographic, Comedy Central, Fox 

Channels, History Channel, Spike TV and 

Discovery Channel in the USA and TV programs 

in England, Mexico, New Zealand 

and Australia. 

Kevin’s 2014 release of “A Taste of 

Heaven” was raved about by critics and 

received massive radio play on indie stations 

around the world, winning awards 

and nominations. 

In mid August 2015 Kevin finished a project 

with internationally recognized producer, 

Stuart Epps. Stuart has worked 

with some of the most influential artists in 

music, including George Harrison, Bill 

Wyman, Jimmy Page, Elton John, Oasis 

and more. Kevin now has the honor of 

being listed among the artists Stuart has 

worked with. The result is a magnificent 

song entitled “Humanity”. 

In 2017 Kevin was chosen by BEM Wireless 

to endorse their products. Currently Kevin 

has engaged in a European radio campaign 

and is receiving extensive radio play 

of his music and in September and 

October 2017 “Humanity” has been in the 

Top 20 on the ToP INDéCOUVERTES— 

Official European Independent Music 

Chart and in October has landed at #2. 

In April 2018 Kevin 

released his 5th full 

album titled “She 

Colors My World”, 

mastered by Robert 

L. Smith at Defy 

Recordings (credits 

include David Bowie, 

Aerosmith, Paul 

McCartney, just to 

name a few). 

Immediately songs from 

this new CD have been 

receiving international 

attention, with 

three already 

receiving 

awards from 

the 

Akademia 

Music 

Awards. 

Currently, 

in 2019 

Kevin is 

finishing a 

video for 

his single 

“Sweet 

Thing” 

from the 

album 

“She 

Colors My 

World” 

along with 

a new CD 

titled “In The 

Light”, 

scheduled for 

release late 

summer 2019. 


Winds o 

by The 

Winds of Change 

There’s a picture on your wall of a happy 

little boy 

Rosy cheeked and smiling as he holds his 

favourite toy 

Beaming at the camera unsure what’s 

going on 

All he knows in his young life is parents 

love and fun 

His bright eyes twinkle what do they see 

Do they see the future or wonder what 

will be 

Small child playing on the sand holding a 

balloon 

Gust of wind pulls it from his grasp he 

feels his life’s in ruins 

Could anything be worse than that 

What on earth could be worse than that 

Chorus 

There’s a cold wind blowing and it’s coming 

soon 

Doesn’t matter if you wrap up warm 

Not a chance that you’ll escape the storm 

Winds of change mean too much damage 

done 

Growing up you find how much your 

vision starts to change 

Watching through an adult’s eyes things 

don’t look the same 

Don’t you wish it was like when you were 

young 

Did you hope that what you saw would 

come to pass 

Looking back through twilight years only 

brings you pain Winds of Change 

The things you wish that you had done 

haunt you yet again 

Don’t blame yourself for what is not your 

fault 

Don’t take the blame for what is not your 

fault 

www.theVillage.me.uk 


The Village 

f Change 

Village 

I've chosen the title song from my current 

album Winds of Change. 

My initial inspiration for the song was an 

old picture that my mum showed me of me 

as a very young child holding a bouncy 

ball. It was a photograph that was obviously 

posed in a professional photographer's 

studio. It set me thinking that if the picture 

was not of me but of a random little 

boy how did his life turn out. 

I talk firstly about the innocence of fun and 

childhood and then say that when everyone 

grows up things change and not necessarily 

for the better. Hence the lyric 

hinting at a change by stating that "there is 

a cold wind blowing, and it's coming way 

too soon". 

The spirit of Syd Barrett, Robyn Hitchcock 

and Andy Partridge permeate the music of 

pink sock wearing trilby hatted troubadour 

Phil Matthews a.k.a. the Village. The 

Village is a magical place for outsiders and 

oddballs. 

Phil has built up a following around the 

Midlands live circuit in UK winning hearts 

and minds with his performances. 

Phil has written and performed with many 

bands over the years and the Village is his 

latest alter ego, with his music played on 

hundreds of radio stations worldwide and 

his album tracks streamed and downloaded 

thousands of times, while Always 

On Her Mind and Secret Garden from the 

album Carnival of Fools have both enjoyed 

lengthy spells at the top of the British folk 

rock chart compiled by N1M.com, and currently 

has 4 albums available. 

www.theVillage.me.uk 


31

The Riv 

The River City 

A city that rose to empire might 

Raging fire falls from the darkened night 

Strike for time, strike for gold 

Strike with steel they never grow old 

Birds on towers watch over this Scouse land 

Raise your hand if you know the band 

Raise your hand if you know the band. 

Chorus 

This River City flows through my mind 

Around each corner see what you find 

Reflected light on the flowing tide 

Waterfront, three graces, maritime pride. 


Verse 2 

History is past the future shines 

Buildings rise for educated minds 

Daylight nightlife hear the sounds 

Colours fly above opposing grounds 

A city where you are never alone 

Come walk with me my Liverpool home. 

Repeat chorus 

The historical meaning of the lyrics 

A city that rose to empire might 

( Liverpool became the second most important 

city behind London 

in the time of Queen Victoria). 

Raging fire falls from the darkened night. 

(The partial destruction of the city in WWII) 

Strike for time, 

(unions striking for a shorter working week) 

strike for gold 

(Unions striking for constant pay rises) 

Strike with steel they never grow old 

(A warning for young people of Liverpool 

against carrying a knife) 

Birds on towers watch over this Scouse 

land. 

(The Liver Birds above the Royal Liver building) 


(Beatles – obviously) 


This River City flows through my mind 

Around each corner see what you find 

Reflected light on the flowing tide 

(The River Mersey) 


(Three Graces consist of the Royal Liver 

Building, 

The Cunard Building and the Port of 

Liverpool Building). 


History is past the future shines 

(The city rising out of the dark times into 

where it is today) 

Buildings rise for educated minds 

(The buildings being but for students) 

Daylight nightlife hear the sounds 

(The thriving nightlife within the city) 

Colours fly above opposing grounds. 

(Goodinson and Anfield. Liverpool and 

Everton FC) 

A city where you are never alone. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1UIZVg 

8zSU&feature=youtu.be 

How to introduce myself? 

Well, my name is Colin B Leonard and class 

myself as a Paranormal Thriller writer and 

lyricist. I have been told my writing style is 

descriptive aligned with a methodical 

approach to historical facts in both writing 

novels and lyrics. My style, combined withwhat 

one can call an imaginative mind has 

enabled me to create a brand along with a 

unique voice. (I wrote with enjoyment until I 

was informed I had a unique voice, now I 

write with trepidation all the while hoping 

that voice remains). 

I married my wife Julie in 1984. We are still 

happily married (yes my love I have written 

it) and together we have three adult boys. I 


Colin B Leonard 

er City 

work full time in the funeral industry and for 

the Merseyside and Sefton Police Service 

carrying out duties for the coroner. My latest 

novel, ‘The Case of the Incessant Jack 

the Ripper’ is derived from actual crime 

scenes attended. The modern day murders 

within the novel have been compiled from 

many to ensure anonymity of any actual 

murder. 

My venture into the world of lyric writing 

arrived when singer/songwriter and former 

co-worker Joe Rogerson requested of me to 

write him lyrics about the city of Liverpool. 

Joe (who hails from Jersey) wanted a song 

which would pay his respects to the city 

which he now calls home. 

The lyrics were written and accepted within 

an thirty minutes one sunny workday afternoon. 

Some tweaking was required to fit 

words to music, however, the final song was 

what a song about a city should be, historical, 

harmonious and a reflection of the 

heart. Joe put music to the words which far 

outweighed the music in my head to which I 

wrote the lyrics. 

Since that day I have written over eighty 

song lyrics for Joe, although due to his work 

and family commitments most remain only 

words on paper. Therefore, should any budding 

musician wish to have lyrics to put to 

music you are more than welcome. Most 

lyrics I can relay the thought of the music 

(humming or worse my singing voice), as 

with The River City, with which I wrote the 

lyrics. 

leonardsx4@hotmail.com 


Music For The H 

A New Platform For Musician 

Iset up Music for The Head and Heart – www.musicfortheheadandheart.buzz 

as a platform, as a collective 

voice for artists and performers who have a 

love of music. The purpose of Music for The Head and 

Heart brings together lovers of music from all over the 

world to share ideas and engage in collective music 

exploration and collaboration. 

There are different ingredients in this platform – 

Artist Video 

Artists are invited to the platform to talk about their 

love of music, experiences and creative process. This 

is done in a very relaxed manner and we film a series 

of short video clips of discussion followed by a musical 

performance. Those appearing on the platform can 

then invite another artist to appear on MHH. These 

videos are rolled out in blocks each year and showcase 

a wonderful variety of creative expression, ie 

“Music for The Head and Heart”. We already have 20 

artists recorded for the platform from all over the 

globe from all different musical styles. These include 

seasoned award-winning songwriters to up and coming 

new artists. 

Articles 

All videos on the main site are transcribed into articles, 

and the site also features articles on different 

aspects of musical creation and the “music business”. 

We also welcome articles to inspire, provoke and create 

musical discussion. The purpose of MHH is to 

share the collective love of music and how different 

music can connect us in different ways. This also 

means musical education and reflections on how 

music can be used as a powerful tool to show how 

connected we all truly are on this planet 

Live MHH Performances and the launch in Leeds Oct 

34 


Nick Cody 

ead And Heart 

s For Those Who Love Music 

26th 2019 

Throughout the year there will be MHH live performances 

from artists who have been featured on the 

site. There will be a strong theme of collaboration 

between artists which helps in making MHH a truly 

unique platform. The musical platforms allow for new 

ways of expression between artists, and showcase 

how music can bring us together and create a collective 

voice that inspires and provokes new ways of 

thinking and feeling. MHH is constantly developing 

and evolving to give voice to all those artists and listeners 

who love music 

The platform will launch on October 26th at 

The Heart Arts Centre in Leeds 

Shire Oak Hall 

Bennett Road 

Leeds, LS6 3HN 

United Kingdom 

The artists performing original material will be 

• Miranda Arieh 

• The Captain of the Lost Waves 

• Emily Mercer 

• Belha Hutchinson 

Tickets are just £6.00 for the whole evening - 

https://www.heartcentre.org.uk/event/launch-eveningfor-music-for-the-head-and-heart/ 

Regards 

Nick Cody 

Founder of Music for The Head and Heart 

www.musicfortheheadandheart.buzz 


35

Did You Find Jesus In Nashville? 

Did You Find Jesus In 

Nashville? 

verse one 

Did You Wonder down the highway, 

amongst darkness and despair? 

Thinking there was no one to light a 

lamp for you there. 

You looked in that whiskey bottle, did it 

make you so blind? 

When you reach rock bottom it's really 

hard to find. 

Chorus 

Amongst the music and the honky 

tonks 

Did you roll to the bottom of the hill? 

Or did you find the sunshine, 

And find Jesus in Nashville? 

(C)Murielle 

Nicolas 

Verse two 

Did you find some kindness and laughter 

on your way? 

Or were you spurned by others almost 

everyday? 

Did you pick up the old bible, you found 

dusty on the shelf 

Make something of what was missing 

from yourself? 

Chorus 

Did you find the church tat fed ya in the 

town 

Who made you feel good about yourself, 

pick you up when your down? 

Did you go to the church where the 

cowboys go? 

Or Baptist or Nazarine there are much 

more you know. 

Chorus x2 


Dina Andrews 

DINA ANDREWS - THE PINK COW- 

GIRL - BIOGRAPHY 

Dina Andrews, aka ‘The Pink Cowgirl’ is a country 

& folk singer/songwriter from Jersey in the 

Channel Islands, who also presents country 

music radio shows for 2 digital radio stations. 

Her early influences include Kris Kristofferson, 

Gordon Lightfoot, Randy Travis and more 

recently, modern artists - among them Brad 

Paisley & Alison Krauss, among others. Her 

own voice and style have been likened to the 

late Kirsty MacColl. Dina started playing violin at 

age 7, discovered guitar aged 10, has been 

playing ever since and began writing her own 

songs 8 years ago, after studying & gaining a 

degree in English literature (and writing & publishing 

3 novels). Her songs soon began to be 

noticed and some were recorded & released by 

‘Paramount Song’ in Nashville, either sung by 

Dina or by various other female or male vocalists. 

She has performed many times in the 

Channel Isles and has played several live sessions 

on BBC Radio Jersey..... Here’s an example; 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p04m68mv 

She is a constant supporter of several local 

charities and has organised & performed at 

many fundraising shows, as well as donating all 

proceeds from her 1st single release to ‘The 

Jersey Brain Tumour Charity’. Here are a couple 

of shows she did recently; Peas & Glove - An 

amazing charity supporting a young Jersey lad 

who had a terrible accident.https://www.facebook.com/peasandglove/photos/a.16078765194 

98097/23372176165639 80/?type=3&theater 

‘The Jersey Brain Tumour Charity’ - Dina set up 

a big charity event with some musician friends & 

raised much-needed cash for this fantastic 

charity.https://www.facebook.com/jerseybraintumour/photos/a.1411989979022155/2263205537 

2 33924/?type=3&theater All proceeds from her 

debut single ‘Tombstone Tarnia’ were donated 

to ‘J.B.T.C.’ Under the pseudonym ‘The Jersey 

Cowgirl’ Dina has a country music radio show 

going out at least 3 times weekly on ‘Irish 

Country Radio’ 

https://www.irishcountryradio.net/presenters 

https://www.irishcountryradio.net/schedule Dina 

also presents a one-hour weekly DJ slot as ‘The 

Pink Cowgirl’ on Wigan based country music 

digital radio show ‘Red Rose Country’.... available 

every Sunday on ‘Mixcloud’. 

As well as co-writing with several US country 

singers, Dina’s own songs are being picked up & 

recorded by established US country artists 

(more news soon!). Her first album 

‘Complicated’ was produced by Sam Falle and 

recorded in Nashville, Tennessee in 2017 & 

2018, partly in The Zac Brown Band’s ‘Southern 

Ground Nashville’ studio & partly in Sam’s own 

Nashville studio. While in Nashville for recording, 

Dina played live at the legendary ‘Tootsies’ 

and ‘Swinging Doors Saloon’. 

The album ‘Complicated’ released in September 

2018, is now on general release and currently 

being played by country radio DJs worldwide 

and Dina has 2 singles being released soon, 

‘Love’s Table’ and ‘My Christmas Angel’. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4BXqWYqg 

_w 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiY_NminL5 

g These songs are available for download now 

on all of the usual digital outlets. 

UK Country Radio recently dedicated a page on 

their website to ‘Dina Andrews’ : http://ukcountryradio.com/artist-detail.php?artist_id=297 

and 

featured her ‘Complicated’ album for a week on 

the radio show. She has won three Nashville 

Directors Awards for songs she entered for the 

‘Nashville Songwriters Competition’ Those 

songs Are : "Let The desert Wind Blow", 

"Always Loved the Spring" and "Sycamore Tree 

(not recorded as yet!)" and is currently finalising 

a new song ‘The Chosen Few’, inspired by 

WWI’s Armistice Day and writing for a new 

album to be recorded & released in 2019. Early 

in 2019, Dina was nominated for the 

‘International Singer-Songwriters Association’ 

‘International Female Songwriter Of The Year’ 

award. She made it to the finals and is looking 

forward to the awards ceremony, which will be 

held in Atlanta, Georgia in August. https://issasongwriters.com/international-finalists/ 

https://issasongwriters.com/2019-awards-show/ 

Dina is now the official I.S.S.A. representative 

for the Channel Islands in the UK. Contact: 

Website: https://thepinkjerseycowgirl.com/ 

Email: pinkjerseycowgirl@gmail.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepinkjerseycowgirl/ 

Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0r 

AEPwwoHXYkf4bvArti0A/videos 


37

The Lyric Writers Magazine 

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From His Lips 

He Drew An 

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