Those Times Are Through

New music preview for subscribers

It is an anxious time.

I was born in 1969. October 9, to be exact. That was John Lennon’s birthday - a fact that I have boastingly shared with others my entire life, as though it was some sort of accomplishment. Beatles fans can be insufferable.

Being born in ‘69 means I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s. I think of myself as an 80’s kid.

This means that I wore narrow, leather ties. I was there when Much Music started. I had a serious mullet. I thought pop tarts were a well-rounded breakfast. We watched Bob Barker on The Price Is Right, and the Montreal Canadiens on CBC tv. I rented VHS tapes and built a pretty sweet CD collection. We all loved Michael J. Fox.

It was, in many ways, a wonderful time to grow up.

And I think that growing up in a time and place like that can promote a certain sense of optimism. Hope. Sunny thoughts about the future. All the progress we had made, and all of the positive changes that were to come. A feeling of infinite possibility.

I won’t burden you with an analysis of the changes that have occurred in recent years. Suffice to say, many of us are having our ideas about the future challenged. The path to a better, brighter future for all has been obscured and damaged.

I had not anticipated how the loss of hope can create grief and sadness. The feelings were, frankly, overwhelming for me, and probably for many of you, too. So, I did what I usually do when I need to work out complex feelings - I wrote a song.

I did not expect to do anything with it. It seemed downbeat and depressing. What my friend Jordan Grant calls, “sad bastard music”. Writing it was like therapy.

But I liked the simplicity of the song, so I kept playing it. It was an atypical composition for me - no chorus, no bridge, just raw emotion. To my surprise, when I shared it with people it seemed to resonate. It brought forth emotions in others, and created a space for our collective grief.

I realized that I was not alone. It was a powerful comfort.

So, in spite of myself, perhaps, I am proud to present my new single - Those Times Are Through.

It is, I suppose, my statement on what’s happening in the world. But it is not the end of the story. Yes, my hope took a pretty big hit. No denying that. But I have no interest in wallowing, and I imagine you don’t, either.

I was sad, but now I’m mad.

And I continue to believe that a better world is possible. But it’s looking like we’ll have to fight for it. That’s okay, since human rights are never simply given. Generations before us found ways to fight. Now, it’s our turn.

I offer this song in all sincerity, and I truly hope it is less depressing, and more reassuring and empowering than it initially appeared to be. I still believe in us. I won’t give up.

As a thank you to subscribers of the Shawn Corey Music substack, I will be publishing an exclusive premiere of Those Times Are Through on Thursday at noon AT, here on the Shawn Corey Music substack.

It will be released to the general public on April Fool’s Day.

The track was produced by Peter Hicks (Sleepy Driver, My Black Ram), engineered and mixed by Corey Bonnevie (Doctor Mother Father) at Monopolized Records, and mastered by John McLaggan (Tomato Tomato) at Parachute Mastering.

Lyrics:

There was a time when we were happy

There was a time when we were true

There was a time when we believed in each other

But I guess those times are through

There was a time when I was certain

There was a time I thought I knew

There was a time I had it all figured out

But I guess those times are through

I guess those times are through

There was a time when we were grateful

There was a time when skies were blue

There was a time when hope was well and alive

But I guess those times are through

I guess those times are through

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Love,

Shawn