The Music of Bruce W. Stevenson

Originally written for a musical, this song shows the influence of Paul McCartney (a throwback to his throwback songs on Beatles albums). We could call this some1920’s-style music for the theater. The rather inept protagonist here finally says what he should have said to begin with. We can all identify with him a little.

During Covid I joined Southern Songwriters. We met online each week and each week we were given a suggested prompt. This song was written simply based on the prompt “100” and I wrote this song in less than two hours. A few months later, I sent it to Dave Johnson to add bluegrass instruments – which he did superbly – and suddenly I was a bluegrass songwriter. Don’t let the light-hearted sound fool you – getting old can be seriously sad and lonely! There is a good mix of humor and seriousness in this one, though. I really do wish for a time when there will be no more war and no more poverty! Heaven, perhaps?

Written ca 1990, this is my first and only attempt at a country song. The story is real enough, but I will not reveal the subject’s name.

An unusual instrumentation, but I think the vibraphone along with Larry’s interpretation gives it a bluesy feel. Scott’s blues lead at the end adds to that feeling – great contributions to my original idea.

Ro and I have been together since we were seventeen. She is my rock. We don’t have that gushy, showy PDA kind of love, but we feel deeply grateful for each other – loving me is not easy, so I’m the truly lucky one!

While the story is about losing a lover, the real story is about losing a life-long friend this way. It’s a different kind of love, but every bit as painful. Tracy was singing background on one of the other songs and I thought I needed to write something specifically for her beautiful voice. Because this idea was already rolling around in my head, I thought it might be perfect for her – and I was right! I’m so thankful that she was willing to do this vocal as a last-minute addition to the album.

Danny heard me do this one solo (with me singing all the parts) and suggested that we try to include our younger brother Hal and make it a “Three Brothers” song. The song is light-hearted and fun, and the idea of us singing together for the first time ever was fun, too. It is a fitting legacy work – and those who have done recording know how TRUE the lyrics are!

An evolution of the heart from thinking that there is only room for her, to realizing that there is room for loving children and grandchildren – and maybe even more.

Virtually no family has escaped the scourge of dementia. When it first makes its appearance, in little barely perceptible ways, it can be terrifying. Those of us who have lived through it with a loved one are afraid whenever memory lapses start to appear. The light-hearted sound of this song belies the serious subject.

A replica power-ballad a la 1980’s rock. Even though the subject matter is an affair, the song evokes empathy for those caught in the struggle between hopeless love and the knowledge that it is, at its core, wrong.

This song was an attempt to capture the sound and spirit of a 1940’s jazz club, and a love song from that era. First written in 1976, this is the oldest of my songs on the album, inspired by the few gigs I was lucky enough to play with The Mellow Men led by Buddy Fields during the mid-1970’s.

After binging the entire series of Dawson’s Creek, I found myself captivated by the character of Jen Linley (played by Michelle Williams) – this is a tribute to all those who “fall in love” with characters on screens, large and small. Of course, it’s silly – some songs are just about having some fun or making fun of ourselves!