“Where words fail, music speaks.” Hans Christian Andersen
I have always loved the song, “If I Were A Carpenter”, written by Tim Hardin. Hardin was a gifted singer, songwriter, who penned many great tunes. You hear his songs, but you probably don’t know he wrote them. Rod Stewart had a huge hit with, “Reason To Believe”, another great song off of Hardin’s debut album, Tim Hardin 1. A Google search of his songs covered by some well known musicians is impressive.
Sadly, Tim is no longer with us, he died of a heroin overdose at the age of 39, in December of 1980. There were talks back then of this being a suicide, I don’t know. What I do know, another tragic loss of a human being who was incredibly creative. Bob Dylan once remarked that Tim Hardin, was the country’s, “greatest living songwriter.” – it don’t get much better than that.
As a teenager, I loved hearing all of the different versions of, “If I Were A Carpenter”, years later, when I took up the guitar, it was one of the first songs I learned to play and sing in the midst of depression.
For me, the song speaks of acceptance, will you take me for who I am and love me, with no conditions. When the troubles of 1993 came to call and the demons of post traumatic stress and depression made my life a living hell, this song came to signify my inner pleadings to my friends and family, please take me as I am and do not discard me because of my struggles.
I was still the man, the friend, the father, the husband they knew, a good human being, who was hurting. I was not, one to be feared and shunned. I am, not the ‘it‘, I had become in their eyes.
This song became such a part of my psyche and my angst, that I decided to record my version for my first album release, “TRAIN of TEARS”. I had the good fortune to have my musical mates accompany me – Roy D’innocenzo on classical guitar and acoustic 12 string, Dan Lord, bass guitar, Barbara Burke, keyboards, Nancy Maguire, vocals and me on guitar and vocals.
So for your listening pleasure – a two minute sample clip, please scroll down to Track # 8
To purchase the CD or individual tracks, MP3’s – CD Baby or I-Tunes
Thank you, Michael Skinner
Your thoughts or a song that has touched your soul; contact me
Tim Hardin – If I Were A Carpenter – YouTube
Tim Hardin – Reason to Believe – YouTube
Tim Hardin – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tim Hardin – Songwriter Dylan Once Called ‘the Greatest’ – Rolling Stone
Biography – Tim Hardin
“Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife.” Kahlil Gibran
“Music is the moonlight in the gloomy night of life.” Friedrich Richter
