Love & Hope : John D. Lewis.

You Lose audio player
You Lose!
An old song, written back in 1996 and mothballed because I could never quite recapture the "live" feel of the original ... until now. The old hound-dog had to be re-gendered from Dawn's original lyric.
Jimmy's Song audio player
Jimmy's Song
Jimmy did exist and that December meeting really happened: and it was life changing. This is my small way of saying thank you to the people in "the rooms" in a south coast town.
Home audio player
Home (This Is Our River)
Dawn and I were asked to write a song about Teesdale for the children of the Dale to sing and this is it.
Kieran's incredible picture is of the view from our back porch ... HOME.
Fifth Avenue audio player
Fifth Avenue
I had a partial lyric and a tune. Dawn worked her magic on it and it grew into a song. We debated long and hard about whether to use it on the album, but it kind of stuck in my head, so it got a place.
Broken audio player
Broken
A really good friend going through a really hard time. It's times like those when "pull yourself together" becomes one of life's most meaningless phrases.
Like The River audio player
Like The River
Written in 1998, "Like The River" has been recorded again and again and never quite worked. A group of Peruvian musicians busking on Newcastle's Northumberland Street was the key to bringing Dawn's amazing lyric to life.
One Step audio player
One Step
Much the same as "You Lose" in being an old song and hard to recreate.
The one step was the first of 12.
Love & Hope audio player
Love & Hope
My Geordie roots run deeper than I knew and I was deeply moved by one image showing the "ruins" of a County Durham mining village.
The world is now ruled - it seems - by politicians and money men who stay untouched by the devastating effects of their decisions.
God Abiding Man audio player
God Abiding Man
The "God Abiding Man" is our friend, Homer Joy ... the man who wrote the huge Country music hit, "Streets of Bakersfield". He puts his ability to see incredible misfortune as a huge blessing down to his unerring Faith in God.
When Morning Comes audio player
When Morning Comes
Time distorts my blurred memories of being four or five years old. But he left. He's passed on now, but I still miss him. And I'll never forget.
Sir Bobby's Song audio player
Sir Bobby's Song
A tribute to Sir Bobby Robson.
"Brilliant Song!" "Brings a tear to the eye."
All proceeds go to The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.
Talking To The Moon audio player
Talking To The Moon
Front seat of a bus two hours after I should have told her I loved her.
I did get round to telling her and she is still the best friend I ever had.
and Hope