Song Stillness and article about songwriting by Silvia Hartmann

Songs & Songwriting

In 1986, I bought my first guitar from a second hand shop. I messed around with it and tried to play "The House Of The Rising Sun" without much success.

A little later, whilst on holiday in Germany, I learned that an aunt of mine had passed away and her husband gave me her old guitar as a memento because he felt she would have wanted me to have it.

I took it back with me and when I got to my hotel, I took it out and tried to remember the chords to The House Of The Rising Sun but I couldn't.

But instead, a song just came to me - chords, melody, words and all, just like that.

I was completely astonished.

I just couldn't believe it - I had really "written" a real song!

I had no idea that I can do that.

Since then, I really haven't stopped writing what might be called folk songs, or just songs, really.

I lay absolutely no claim to great musical talent; in fact, I like it that these songs are simple, they have a few chords each and a melody that is unique to each one, and words, and a story. You don't need an arsenal of amps, synths and string sections to perform these. I like the thought that after a nuclear holocaust, such a song may be sung around a fire because you still can - you really just need a human voice.

Be all this as it may, in this section I am going to collect some of my favourite songs and it is fitting to start with that very first one that just flew in through the open window just as night was falling.

Stillness

Feel the stillness
creeping into every sound
and softly ebbing airborne waves as night reveals the universe.

Far away, a dog may try
to fill the stillness with his voice
and lonely travellers like a passing wave on gentle shores
hush by.

This is the time
of stillness and of dreams
of thoughts and plans
that spin their web across
your estuary of time.

In all your living don't forget
to keep a little back so that
when stillness comes with stealth
you're ready and you're wide aware
to share the moment.

Feel the stillness
creeping into every sound
and softly ebbing airborne waves

as night reveals the universe.

Far away, a dog may try
to fill the stillness with his voice
and lonely travellers like a passing wave on gentle shores
hush by.

SFX 1987

https://youtu.be/Y-uoBFYGDzE