Spadina -Heart of this Town John (Johnny Pearl) Burshaw

the summer was passing... the leaves on the ground

closing it's gates... and moving uptown

I looked for tomorrow... when I came here today

but I'm in no hurry... to find my way.

...

Spadina... heart of this town...

did you leave someone waiting... no place to lie down?

...

I am a poor boy... college I've none...

but I've worked in your factories... and I've lived on the 'bum'...

this town is so cold... when you're out on the run...

shall we stand in the doorway... and wait for the sun?

....

Spadina... heart of this town...

did you leave someone waiting... no place to lie down?

 

,.. this song always reminded me of my brother Peter, who spent most of his life just a step away from 'the street' in Toronto...rooming houses in Parkdale,  catching an extra meal at The Good Shepherd; attending a friend's funeral in 'potter's field'... in and out of 999 Queen Street for ongoing mental health issues... we finally became close in his later years, and I was at his bedside when he 'crossed over' (see 'Jesus, My Brother'... and the comments to that)... time spent with my brother always reminded me of just how fortunate I was in my own life. He was very supportive of my musical interests, and I would play old country songs for him when I'd go to visit, he could always tell me the month and year that they were released. Not too very long before he passed, he tasked me to write him a song; and only gave me the title: "Just Another Rainy Sunshiny Day'... I didn't get around to that before he died, and in the intervening  years have only come up with this much:

             it's just another rainy sunshiny day

             clouds of my own making, keeping blue skies at bay...

             I suppose, I surmise; that these tears in my eyes

             come with just another rainy sunshiny day

 

...perhaps it will show up in a more complete form further down the page(s)... as this project catches up with itself, and I've managed to transcribe all of the complete lyric to the songs posted from the three recordings included for free download on this page. I'm trying to do a little every day, but I have to admit that playing with computers most certainly takes a backseat to playing guitar; and it's high time I did a little of that. later, d. 

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