Brian of Bushboy’s World blog suggested that maybe I could post more of the OH’s songs on my blog so here’s another one I like. Maybe a Musical Monday theme once a month.
“Distrokid tells me that it’s four years since the Upcountry album was released, so here’s a track from it. Though it was actually recorded several years before, and it’s not how I play it now: still, it has quite a nice country-ish feel, though a little less slide might have improved the last verse. I may revisit that, if I can find the premix tracks.”
lyrics
A trace of your scent still lingers on my pillow
And raises echoes in my memory
And I believe you’re missing me almost as much as I miss you
But I wish to God that you were here with me
The sun will surely rise on another soft blue morning
And lying in your arms is where I’ll be
With sweet dreams still in my eyes, I’ll wake and kiss your hair
But it’s a long cold night while you’re not here with me
This guitar once played for keeps, but since you changed my life
This guitar just plays for you, if that’s OK?
This guitar rang bells for losers, but there’ll be no more songs of losing
Though this guitar just plays the blues while you’re away
Credits
from Upcountry, released September 25, 2021
Words & music by David A. Harley. Vocal and guitars by David A. Harley. The slide part is a Gretsch Bobtail resonator guitar, by the way.
© all rights reserved
Feature image
Photo by Nothing Ahead on Pexels.com
David A. Harley 1949 – 2025
TRAVEL WORDS 
Thank you Jude. Glad I gave you a little push to let us hear Davids great songs. Thanks for the guitar info as well, and the shout out 😀
Thank you! I haven’t actually listened to a lot of his work from the albums. I just used to hear him playing in his studio. It’s been wonderful to work through them, his voice was much better back in the 80s. Such a shame he had chronic stage fright.
That is a shame. I am glad he was content to be a songwriter.
By the way, has the bench challenge finished?
He was a professional musician for a time back in his youth, and played open mic gigs and with folk groups and even ceilidh bands. In fact he only stopped playing live a couple of years ago as his health issues prevented him from being comfortable away from home.
That’s good to know his talent wasn’t wasted in the loungeroom only
Oh, and yes the bench challenge has finished. Maybe another anniversary in 10 years time, if we’re all still going 🤭
Oh well, I have a lot of benches in my folder I guess I’ll pop them into the Pull up a Seat folder.
Thanks for the benches, it was fun and yes also became an obsession to find them 😂
What an old romantic! And a fine guitar collection. You’ll miss them when they’re gone, Jude xx
I oought to have taken photos of his instruments before packing them away. I’m having to use stock photos. Though I do have some I might be able to edit. I’ll not miss them. They took up a lot of space. And yes, a lot of his songs were of the lost love, dysfunctional couples.
How lovely to hear more of his music. And no wonder you’ve chosen this one …
I do like his more blues work, not so much the folkier stuff. But there’s a lot to go through and some of his older recordings are really good. Pity no one buys them.
I guess publicity is all-important, and if you don’t get a lucky break, that’s the way it goes. But if he had a small and faithful audience, that too has its pleasures.
He was a professional musician back in the day, but suffered dreadfully from stage fright. I’ll post some of his 1980s recordings which I think are really beautiful. His voice was much better then. But he played live locally until his poor health stopped him going out so much.
It’s a shame about the stage fright, but understandable. Yes, please post some of your favourites. Lots of us would enjoy that, I’m sure.
Wow! That’s an amazing guitar collection. Thanks for sharing another of David’s songs. It’s beautiful.
That’s not his collection. It’s a stock photo. He had lots of different guitars and other instruments, but I didn’t photograph them before packing them. Glad you enjoyed the song.
I have never seen blue guitars like that.
Not his! Though you can find guitars and ukeles in different colours. We bought our granddaughter a pink one when she was young.
I really enjoyed the slide guitar. I have always liked that on old Blues songs. David’s songs often sound like laments, was he part of the Folk scene in the 1970s? I am reminded of John Martyn.
Best wishes, Pete. x
He started off in the 60s as a teenager in Shrewsbury folk club.
This is what he says on his blog “However, I heard a lot of good music at that time, including classic folk-y stuff like Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Davy Graham, Martin Carthy, Tom Paxton, Dylan, Phil Ochs and so on.”
Your mention of Phil Ochs started “Changes” playing in my head.
Very poignant lyrics and personally I like the slide guitar. This takes me back to my days of visiting the folk club while I was at uni in Aberystwyth 🙂
The song is light on rhyme, yet I don’t come away feeling that anything is lacking.
Another lovely song.
It’s very special to have these recordings.
It is.