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My Father's Trees

from Black Tin Barns (1995) by Shaun Belcher

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There is a stretch of road below Wittenham Clumps in what now Oxfordshire (originally Berkshire and I consider myself a Berkshire Kid) where my father planted a row of poplars and other trees for a farmer in the early 1960s. As we'd drive past them going to builder's jobs years later he always mentioned them. Stuck in a cold Edinburgh this is a fond remembrance of those trees. As far as I know the disused road (cut off by a bypass) and the trees still there....

I wrote this in 1996 aged 37 bemoaning being nearly 40....now as I approach 60 I don't know what I was worried about.

The caravans comment is a connection to family history. My great grandmother was born into the Lee gypsy family and indeed it present on both sides of the family.....a rovin I will go :-)

influences? Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer.

lyrics

MY FATHER'S TREES


WELL NOW I'M PUSHIN FORTY
AND ALL MY LUCK'S BEEN SPENT
I WISH THAT I COULD GO BACK
TO THE PLACES THAT I LEFT

I WISH THAT I COULD BE
I WISH THAT I COULD BE

SITTIN' UNDER MY FATHER'S TREES

PLANTED THEM IN '63
NOW THEY'RE SO BIG AND TALL
BUT THE ROAD HE PLANTED THEM BY
IT AIN'T A ROAD ANY MORE

NOW THERE'S A LINE OF CARAVANS
PARKED IN THE WAY
AND THERE'S A LITTLE KID SITTIN' IN THE SHADE
WISH I COULD BE JUST LIKE HIM...

JUST WATCHIN THE CLOUDS GO BY...

credits

from Black Tin Barns (1995), released January 1, 1995

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Shaun Belcher Nottingham, UK

If you’ve ever dreamt of Daniel Johnston doing an impression of Conor Oberst singing Jeff Tweedy songs,
then you must listen to this.

Bill Kerry III

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