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SONGWRITING ON THE GREEN SIDE |
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Tuesday, 20 June 2006 |
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Sam Green tells me that things are going to start happening for him very soon, truth is, things have really stopped happening for Sam. If gold medals were given out as trophies to the person worthy, then Sam would have enough to start his own Olympic Team.
There probably wouldn’t be a songwriter in this country, who hasn’t heard of Sam or his music. Finding his way through the road of hard knocks. His very nature is that he does not give up easily. Some of his songs have been sent to Kings and Queens, Statesmen and Presidents, farmers and working class.
I chatted to Sam over a glass of water, as he’s on another diet. In reflection it was a great to have the opportunity to explore the mind of a songwriter such as Mr Green and his musical aspirations.
He first started writing as a child, where he was truly inspired by the “ skits “ the scouts use to sing around the campfires. He recalls the parody he wrote on “ Yellow
Submarine “ by The Bealtes.. ‘ We all lived in a dirty old hut, a dirty old hut, until we cleaned it up ‘
It was fun he remembers with fondness. Even though it was only a parody, perhaps this was the encouragement he needed in his early days.
‘ At school l was dyslexic. Things I wrote didn’t make much sense, and l was always
being told off by the teachers for using incorrect grammar,’ Sam recalls. ‘ Then one teacher corrected my spelling and took the trouble to correct the way I wrote certain letters of the alphabet. He liked what I had written and wanted to pin it up on his wall. I was 12 at the time, in the grade eight juniors, it was the first time I had ever been praised for my work.
It was a poem which began “ Flipping through the pages of our lives.....” boy was he impressed ‘
Because songwriting does not rely a great deal on grammar, more from a creative side, this craft has give Sam a new scope to his life.
‘ I first realized l could write seriously during the Vietnam War period. There were many inspirations for me to follow. Bob Dylan, America, Arlo Gutherie to name a few.. I had a girlfriend who lived on the east side of the river and l lived on the west. We would write each other love letters through the post.
It was then I realized how writing influences the heart. So l tried to carry that through into the songs, l write.
If you have ever heard one of his man’s songs, you get a better idea of where he comes from. He writes from the heart and soul, his true experiences of life.
“ I was involved in a motorbike accident in the early 80’s. I remember lying there on the hospital and the doctors wanted to amputate my leg. I said then, whatever happens, its in the hands of Lord. I was operated on, the leg was saved and in plaster for eight months.
During this time in the hospital bed, I started writing. And writing and writing. A theory entered into my head on how the mind works - you just keep writing for your existence. I had the time to think about life and the universe and I share that through my writing.” Enjoy Sam’s web site at http://www.mrmusicman.com
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