I tend to think of myself as one of the most optimistic people I know. I'm the archetypal "glass half full" kinda guy. So then - why does the first collection of songs here appear so negative?
I used to love that Bauhaus song, from "Burning from the Inside", it was called "Slice of Life". I think songs are just slices of life. What drives people to write songs? Well, different motivations for different people I suppose, but the things you are passionate about seem a good start. Having been a huge Van Der Graaf Generator fan for most of my natural life, I was always amazed when I saw or heard their main man, Peter Hammill interviewed. VDGG wrote some of the most heart rending, raw emotional music you will EVER hear, but when you see Peter Hammill interviewed, I always think - "that's Michael Palin"! The total king of "bear your tonsils to the world" (his quote) music, is indeed an engaging, optimistic and funny man in person who bears a frightening resemblance to the guy who sang the Lumberjack song with Monty Python.
So what I'm trying to say here is what drives us to create, is not what we area all about. A good song is a window into a person's soul, but remember "every window has a frame" (Dennis Potter quote). I think I've been trying to expel some of the nonsense that has caused me problems in my first 40 years of life. These songs have been a big part of the process.
So this is my government health warning about this music. All of these songs are deeply personal, I can't write any other sort of song, I can only be me. But this is not all of me, just a slice.
Tom, San Jose California, May 13 2007.