i'm in calgary, alberta,
it's nearing the end of may
two thousand and eighteen
and i'm feeling kinda funky
like the feeling you get when you
meet some friends in banff who are
building a secret log cabin in the woods
and they ask, 'do you wanna see our secret log cabin in the woods?'
and you say, 'i would like to see your secret log cabin in the woods'
and they bring you to their secret log cabin in the woods
and you walk through some trees to the secret log cabin in the woods
and then you watch them chip away at the logs
with a dull hatchet and a pocket knife
and then one of them asks you, 'what kind of life do you wanna have?'
and then you mumble through some sort of answer
while simultaneously wishing you were mumbling through a better answer
and then you say, 'i have to leave your secret cabin in the woods
to go visit a friend who is living in an astro van
behind the canmore save on foods'
and then they say, 'thanks for visiting our secret log cabin in the woods'
and you say, 'thanks for showing me your secret log cabin in the woods'
and then it's forty eight hours later
and you are sitting in a coffee shop a few blocks from
the ironwood stage and grill
where you are playing a show the next day
but instead of sitting in that coffee shop few blocks from
the ironwood stage and grill
where you are playing a show the next day
you long to be sitting in a secret log cabin in the woods
making your way through a better answer to
'what kind of life do you wanna have?'
that kinda funky
going to british columbia
kelowna on a friday night
will probably play jesus on the mainline
as well as some other gospel songs
that's what i'm into right now
kamloops on a saturday night
will probably play some warren zevon
as well as some songs about killing the blues
sometime in 2018
grandpa pissed his pants again
that's what zevon said
in his song play it all night long
will play at least part of the night
during some festivals this summer
first in mission british columbia
and then in stony plain, alberta
and then in grand prairie, alberta
and remember
when the cattle all have brucellosis
we'll get through somehow
sometime in 2017
braden has been nominated for two canadian folk music awards for his latest album, 'much rather be sleeping'!
he will also be playing the awards gala in ottawa, november 18-19
see fancy nominee announcement pictures below
this is braden gates
she was always looking to make some money and every time i saw her she had a different reason to
and although her jewellery was not the best, she liked to work with a particular shade of blue
that reminded me of a woman I knew, well, i still do, but i used to, too
dale was always hanging around and although he did not make jewellery, he could make you cry
often with as little words as 'spare some change for a bottle of rye'
dale and i, we got to know each other over some time, and he started asking about my music
i'd say, 'it's not saving anybody's life, but i guess it's alright'
one night i ran into dale and i just had to ask him how he could make it so long out on the street
and despite being a bottle or so deep, without missing a beat he got right into the middle of the lord's prayer pslam 23
'although i walk in the valley of the shadow of death, i fear no evil, for the lord is my shepherd, he comforts me'
if you are anything like dale, you may find comfort in the lord's prayer, or maybe just the booze
if you are anything like bridget, you may find solace in selling craft along a busy avenue
and if you are anything like me, you may find hope in writing songs
some of the songs i've written are recorded and some of them may never be
some of the songs you may hear me play at a festival, or a house concert, or at an open mic
some of the songs are on my new album called 'much rather be sleeping'
and although that's an appropriate title to describe many moments of my life
it is not accurate when i have the chance to play music
so, with bridget in mind, and dale, and that woman i knew, well, still do, but used to, too
i move on in search of that perfect shade of blue
writing songs along the way
braden gates at alberts family restaurant