STEPHEN GERRARDFOLKSINGER, SONGWRITER & GUITARIST

From time to time we can all feel like escaping from our own lives and sailing away. Two years before retiring Stephen found himself sitting in the office dreaming of what he would most like to do. He pictured himself looking like old Huckleberry Finn sailing down one of the big American rivers on a shanty boat. On completing this album Stephen was invited to join another musician on his shanty boat as he sailed from Liverpool to London on the canal. Not quite the great Mississippi river, but close enough for Stephen to fulfil his dream of drifting away care-free.

A song that tells the familiar story of many tourist villages - where communities have been destroyed because the young people can no longer afford to buy the homes there. Each town reports their own unique losses and changes to character, but in this song Stephen uses the metaphor of the harvest time Maypole dances which traditionally drew young and old together.

This is a term given to those people born between the Alt and Douglas Rivers along the Sefton coast. The lyrics are based on Stephen’s own interpretation of what it means to be a true Sandgrounder – that is, not merely by right of birth, but by ones attachment to and love of this beautiful area.

One morning when Stephen was walking over the sand dunes in Formby he noticed that the sea had washed up thousands of shells on to the beach. Most of the shells were broken and Stephen was reminded of how most lives are broken in some way during a lifetime.

Whether we are a stranger in a foreign land or a native Aborigine in his homeland, we can all feel a little lost at times in our lives. At these times Stephen turns his attention to the inner stillness within himself – the one true sanctuary and home.

A song written for Stephen’s wife Christine. It reflects the difficult times that most people face from time to time in relationships and how it is the warmth of love that carries one through.

A song written for Stephen’s son, Sam. It expresses the pride that many fathers feel toward their sons as they see them mature in to adults.

Having worked with young people and parents for more than 30 years, Stephen became acutely aware of the difficulties and suffering that could be experienced within families where a child had ADHD. The impulsivity, hyperactivity and lack of concentration that is depicted in this song as a butterfly, can often lead children in to trouble and their family relationships can be strained as the symptoms of ADHD can often appear as though the child is selfish, hurtful and uncaring. Stephen found it especially sad to see how this condition was often misunderstood and was not treated with the compassion and support it deserved.

Whilst Stephen was on holiday in Spain he noticed how hard the African women worked on the beaches trying to sell goods to tourists. They would walk mile after mile in the intense heat, sometimes with a baby on their back, calling out and trying to get people’s attention. Most of the time they were simply ignored.

Uncle Joe represents the life of a middle manager Stephen knew who suffered badly under the pressures put upon him by un-benevolent senior management who appeared to value targets, appraisals and accountability above all else.

A song about Stephen’s great uncle Bill who was a "gentleman of the road", or otherwise known as a tramp. Bill was forced to leave his family in Wigan after the war when he could not find work and therefore did not wish to burden his family who were already struggling to make ends meet.

The song is an allegorical portrayal of the collapse of the banks and the need for wholesale cutbacks in the public sector – as was the case in Stephen’s last job at Sefton Council.

A depiction of Stephen’s non-materialist approach to life where he aims to enjoy life through the simple pleasures that are available to all.