SOLO SESSIONS HOME PAGE > Lyrics & Stories
Lyrics & Stories
This is the stuff that usually stays in a drawer — personal photos, and the actual pages these songs were first scratched out on, before anyone else ever heard them. No polish, no do-overs, no second drafts. Just the moments and the handwriting that turned into the songs you're hearing here for the first time.
Turn it up.
Cheers,
GB
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The Songs
Guitar Dreams
"Guitar Dreams goes all the way back — an immigrant kid from Scotland, landed in St. Albert, waiting every Christmas for the Sears catalogue to show up in the mail. I'd go straight to the back pages, past the toys, to the guitars — sunburst finishes, whammy bars, the whole heaven of it. I didn't have one yet, but I already knew. Funny enough, years later I'd name an entire album Sunburst — I don't think that's a coincidence, looking back. This one's just a kid's dream that never really stopped."
Bold is the heart
"Bold is the Heart is about as close to a mission statement as I've written. 'Don't you say anything that doesn't truly ring true to your soul' — that line's the whole song, really. I've always made songs because I have to, not because I'm chasing anything; it's just how I make sense of the world around me. This one's about being a dreamer and being fine with that, following your heart even when it costs you something, because the alternative is worse. There'll be ups and downs, but staying true to yourself is the only way you end up happy. Wrote this one in 2024, and it's about as autobiographical as they come — pretty much my whole life in one chorus."
Smile
"Smile is about the difference between the face you show and the one underneath. 'Here we are in front of you, trying to share some kind of truth' — that's basically how I've always described writing a song, so this one felt like it wrote itself. It's about being forward-looking without pretending the past didn't happen — Monday's storms, the games we used to play, all of it still there under the surface. 'Truthful lies, I suppose' is the line I keep coming back to. Smile if you want to, smile because you need to. It costs nothing and it's contagious."
Pass you By
"Pass You By is about not letting fear talk you out of your own life — push the door wide open, at least say you tried, whether today repeats or not is on you. That's kind of the throughline in a lot of what I write: hope even when it's hard to find. I've said before that a lot of my songs are a search for truth, and that it's all part of learning from the past without getting stuck there. This one's just that idea stripped down to its plainest form — don't let the world pass you by, because you're worth more than that."
Outside Looking In
"Outside Looking In is for anyone who's ever felt like they were watching from the edge of the room. I've spent most of my career kind of under the radar, even with albums doing well overseas — and honestly, I've made peace with that. Being on the outside gives you a clearer view, if you let it. 'Time has taught me a thing or two, trust in yourself, be true to you' — that's the whole song. No magic pill, just more questions and the confidence to trust your own instincts anyway."
Tell The World
"Tell the World made it onto Outside Within, but it's included here as a bonus track — this is the original page it started on. 'Tell the world you're coming, tell the world you're strong' — it's a message aimed outward, but really it starts with telling yourself first. There's a line about telling your mom she's lovely and your dad he's strong that's as much about the people who shaped you as it is about you finding your own belonging. Sing it loud and clear — that's the whole instruction."