Guido [1995]   Protest Song

Julian's  declaration of despair at being to unable to put right all [or even any] of the world's wrongs.

It is also an acknowledgment of Bob Dylan, albeit by disagreeing with him.

The protest song is dead
Hard rain never falls (1)  
Times they never change (2)  
It all goes up in smoke
Or down the drain

I believe in nothin’
I put my faith in nothin’
 
It doesn’t matter what you do
No one’s goin’ to notice you
It doesn’t matter what you say
No one’ listenin’ anyway
It doesn’t matter who you are
You’ll need much more than your guitar
It doesn’t matter what you say
No one hears a f***ing thing
 
The protest song is dead
The answers never were
Blowin’ in the wind (3)  
We’re all goin’ to end up losin’
There’s no point tryin’ to win
 
I believe in nothin’
I put my faith in nothin’
 
It doesn’t matter what you do
No one’s goin’ to notice you
It doesn’t matter what you say
No one’ listenin’ anyway
It doesn’t matter who you are
You’ll need much more than your guitar
It doesn’t matter what you say
No one hears a f***ing thing
 
 
1   contra Dylan’s  “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall”
2   contra Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changin’
3   contra Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind”

You can hear the song in the Music Gallery section of  this Tribute.

Lynyrd Skynyrd     Simple Man

Julian sang this song, with his own guitar accompaniment, at "Remembering Magnus" in Glasgow, and again at he burial in the Wasbister graveyard on Rousay.

The words are equally appropriate for Julian.

Mama told me when I was young
"Come sit beside me, my only son
And listen closely to what I say
And if you do this it'll help you some sunny day"

"Oh, take your time, don't live too fast
Troubles will come and they will pass
You'll find a woman and you'll find love
And don't forget, son, there is someone up above"

"And be a simple kind of man
Be something you love and understand
Baby, be a simple kind of man
Oh, won't you do this for me, son, if you can"

"Forget your lust for the rich man's gold
All that you need is in your soul
And you can do this, oh baby, if you try
All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied"

"And be a simple kind of man
Oh, be something you love and understand
Baby, be a simple kind of man
Oh, won't you do this for me, son, if you can"

Oh yes, I will

"Boy, don't you worry, you'll find yourself
Follow your heart and nothing else
And you can do this, oh baby, if you try
All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied"

"And be a simple kind of man
Oh, be something you love and understand
Baby, be a simple kind of man
Oh, won't you do this for me, son, if you can?"

"Baby, be a simple, be a simple man
Oh, be something you love and understand
Baby, be a simple kind of simple man

You can hear Lynyrd Skynyrd's version of the song in the Music Gallery section of  this Tribute.