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#128 SONG FOR BILLY

by Peter Kearney

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about

Though it is me singing this song, you should hear it as the voice of my wife Madge, grieving and reflecting on the recent death of her dear brother Billy in far away Ireland. Too young - he was only in his forties.

At the time Madge and I were travelling with our daughter Niamh through the outback of the Northern Territory, towing a 'patched up campervan'.

Madge was deeply affected by the experience of being in Central Australia. One night she told me that every night she had been praying for a dream about Billy. No dream had come but somehow, in the vastness the outback, she had come to an assurance that Billy was at peace

I noted down what Madge was saying that night and out of those words came this ‘Song for Billy’.

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lyrics

SONG FOR BILLY

In the deep of the night I pray for a dream
That will show me you're well - I wait for a dream
But the dream doesn't come and the tears start again
For you went so sad and in such pain.

In that poor little room where you ended your days
With your hopes all spilled and your bottles drained
And the eyes that judged from the darkened walls
A lonely man who lost it all.

But that's not the man, the brother I knew
The Billy I knew was a dancer, always joking
Now the angels laugh too.

INTERLUDE

And I've been travelling through the endless land
Of Australia's heart, this timeless land
When just being quite still is the best I can do
In this empty space I feel close to you.

In a world that is hard, you were soft like a babe
And if love was of gold, you'd have had it made
And if life was a race, you were happy to lose
You were easy to love and easy to use.

And that was the man, the brother I knew
The Billy I knew was a dancer, always joking
Now the angels laugh too.

INTERLUDE

Yes, that was the man, the brother I knew
The Billy I knew was a dancer, always joking
Now the angels laugh too.

Words and music by Peter Kearney with inspiration by Madge

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credits

released April 12, 2024
Recorded at Abergeldie Studio, Mittagong.
Recording engineer - Kenny Miller.

Voice and guitar - Peter Kearney

There is no sheet music for this song and the audio is available only through Bandcamp Song-Posts. It was originally included on the 'Live in the Land of Australia' CD, which is no longer available

COPYRIGHT © 1988 Peter Kearney.
This song is registered with One License, APRA and AMCOS.
Church and school licences through 'One License'.
E: info@onelicense.net

COVER PHOTO
Billy O'Brien, Achill Island, Ireland

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PETER'S SONG-POST COLLECTION IN BANDCAMP
See all songs posted so far:
peterkearney.bandcamp.com

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Peter Kearney Mittagong, Australia

Peter Kearney is an Australian songwriter and singer. His early folk-hymns 'Fill My House' & 'The Beatitudes' are internationally known. He has written many other songs of justice and peace, songs for children, and a musical-narrative on St. Francis of Assisi. His published recordings include 153 original songs.

LINKS BELOW are for Peter's:
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