Music and Me

 A friend asked me whether I'd ever told my friends about a song I wrote about a friend who got killed in a car accident. (See The Ballad of Jo Moore.) My reply:

Great questions about my Jo Moore song and whether I have told my friends about it. No, I haven’t and now realise that is quite strange. I haven’t thought about this much over the years but this is why.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fabulaires

In my late teens/early 20’s many people I knew played musical instruments. Many of them went on to play music for a living and became quite well known. The people who were in the band with Jo are in that category. I was playing music and writing songs quietly on the side while pursuing my studies, travelling a lot, and eventually working as a teacher in schools. Most of the people I knew who were friends of Jo were all in the music business and they were much more accomplished musicians than I was so I always felt shy about promoting my own music. I developed my ‘musical world’ with an entirely group of people that I felt more comfortable with. With a group of people who wouldn’t compare me with my well known friends who were in bands.

It's interesting to reconsider all this now. Looking back now I actually think I was pretty good – even back then in 1980 when I wrote that song for Jo. Some time much later in life I started to think that I was probably good enough to ‘make it’ in music and carve out a successful living. But I didn’t believe it; I didn’t have the confidence or as someone once said I didn’t have the drive or self-belief to make it as a musician. I realise now that it was also a protective behaviour. If I didn’t try and make it with music I wouldn’t be let down or disappointed so I was happy to tell myself I wasn’t good enough! As I got older, got married and had children I started to think differently. I started to believe I was good enough, but by then it was too late to really try so there was no chance of disappointment!

So you see my relationship with music has always been a strange one. Deep down I’ve always wanted to be a musician, but never really believed It was possible, so I never poured my energy into it. I don’t regret the choices I made. I’m happy now to be still playing music in various forms and that people who hear me play seem to like it.

So the short answer to your question is back them I didn’t think the song was good enough and I was too embarrassed to play it to people I knew. 

Song #22 Ballad of Jo Moore

Back in the late 70s/early 80s there was an Adelaide rock band called The Fabulaires. They had developed quite a following and things were beginning to take off for them. Their singer was a beautiful young woman called Jo Moore. She had a wonderful voice and a great stage presence. One night on the way back from playing a gig in the country she and her partner and band guitarist Michael were hit by a truck. Jo was asleep on the back seat and died instantly. Michael and Jo were good friends. I think you’d like the song Jo. I still sing it sometimes but I have to pick the right moment. I must record it one day. (Done - 28/7/21!)

BALLAD OF JO MOORE

(listen here)

 

Is it strange to be sitting around

Late at night when the sun’s gone down

Thinkin’ of someone who lives no more?

And that was her name – Jo Moore

I hope you don’t mind Jo if I sing this song

About the way you left us

 

You were a singer of the best kind

You sang it with feeling, you sang it with melody

Every time

Her name was Jo Moore and even her name

Begs a song to tell her story

 

Travellin’ home from a gig up the country

Asleep when the truck hit

Asleep on the back seat

You didn’t even wake up

To know a thing about it

 

CHORUS

You were a singer of the best kind

You sang it with feeling, you sang it with melody

Every time

The guys in the front row they couldn’t take their eyes off you

And the ladies in the back row the same

‘Cos you were a singer of the best kind

You sang it with feeling, you sang it with melody

 Every time

 

Is it strange to be sitting around

Late at night when the sun’s gone down

Thinkin’ of someone who lives no more?

And that was her name - Jo Moore

I know there aren’t many Jo

Of all those who met you

Who’d ever wanna forget you

‘Cos ….

 

CHORUS

 

(Copyright Michael Coghlan 1981)