Shell Shocked 

I wrote "Shell Shocked" a few years back while I was at the Folk Music Ontario Conference in Toronto.  I was in my hotel room getting ready to do my homework which Ian Tamblyn had assigned - he handed out picture books and we were to write a song based on a picture in the book.  I had missed the last class and so the book I received contained pictures depicting war.  Not my first choice for sure.  One picture caught my eye, however - it was of a man sitting at his desk at home who could not erase the images of the war that remained in his mind.  I found out later that one of my high school classmates who I knew since grade 2 had suffered from PTSD. He took his own life about two years ago, leaving his family behind.  I had played "Shell Shocked" live several times and prepared to recorded it at Little Bullhorn.  When it came time to record the final vocal I couldn't stop thinking of this classmate and what he must have gone through, along with his wife and children.  I felt these super strong emotions right at the microphone. The song was so hard to sing that day, but I did it and I sang it for my classmate.   You served our country my friend.  Thank-you.  May you rest in peace.

Here is "Shell Shocked".

 

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