Colleen Dillon's favorite tracks

by Colleen Dillon

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3:18

In Your Hands

Uploaded July 12, 2020 6:22pm.

194

(Remastered 22/10/2021)

OK, let’s delve once more into the magical shoebox of unused songs…

I’ve already recorded several that were written in 1994 (Sleeping with the Ghost, Elizabeth’s Room, With Mum Again, If You Knew, A Hundred and Twenty Pound) and I still have several more to come from this extremely productive year - some of them will be quite difficult to do any justice, hence why I’ve hesitated over the years.

Originally, this weekend, I was going to work on the easiest of the bunch, a song of excess and regret called Suite 109.

But then when Ennio Morricone died last week I remembered that one of these 1994 songs was written with a guitar part that I was SO proud of… only to discover later why it seemed so good … I was quoting one of my favourite guitar parts from my youth: the theme from a Fistful of Dollars!

So I decided that this was a sign… it was finally time to attempt to record this one. And to resurrect the part I originally played when I wrote it.

In Your Hands is one of a pair of songs that I wrote on 31st January 1994, and the two kind of go together. Each is kind of a response to the other. So I shall prepare the other one, Little Thing, and hopefully have it ready for posting next week.

I’m rather fond of In Your Hands, even though I’ve had trouble singing it over the years, especially the last verse.

Anyway, here we go, just me and an acoustic … (and a capo)(and new mics for recording acoustics, already used on Edith, actually, but bought for jobs like this) … live in the broom-cupboard yesterday morning.

There was a LOT of swearing and it required many takes…

I nearly gave up in a fit of “I’m crap”, but I finally got through it in one piece…

EDIT: Some background, because several folks have asked. The “You” in this song are twin boys who were 2 at the time. In the next one, Little Thing, the “You” is me. The personal background for me, and why this song changed in meaning, was that, out of the blue, Mummy left Daddy and took these guys with her ten months later. 1994 was a really good year for songs, not so good for some other things!

In Your Hands - A A J Russe

What have you got there to play with today
I know by tomorrow we’ll throw it away
Just out the wrapper
Already broke
Trampled and thrown aside
Nothing will last forever in your hands
Nothing will last forever in your hands

The stains on the carpet the marks on the walls
The crack in the mirror that stands in the hall
You’ve scratched all the records
And eaten the sleeves
Why can’t you quietly play

And all that you do is a mess
You’ve damaged the things that I thought you’d love best
And all that you touch is broken some way
In your hands

With teddy-bear kisses and dinner-time smiles
Desperate cuddles when life’s been a trial
Mr Train’s broken
’Copter is too
Daddy must fix them like new

All that you do is a mess
You’ve damaged the things that I thought you’d love best
And all that you touch is broken some way
In your hands

Now Mummy and Daddy are here to lean on
But Mummy and Daddy will one day be gone
Your hands are quite gentle when you touch me with care
But one day I won’t be there
Nothing will last forever in your hands
Nothing will last forever in your hands

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James Michael Taylor said April 30, 2022 9:43am

"Teddy bead kisses..." So sad.

sammymann123 said August 13, 2020 9:36pm

My credo belongs to this and many of your songs. The only old songs are the ones that have been on the top of charts. Everything else is brand new, mostly unheard and on it's way to the charts. You have great music. I hit the strip like the super ego driven organ grinder monkey I am. Nothing can truly put words to the experiences of 76 to 96 and so on

Gary Fox said August 3, 2020 2:45pm

Exhales...man. I'll just say this is really, really powerful. And tough to listen to since I think I know where this is from. On a production note, whatever mics you are alluding to where a good acquisition. I love how your acoustic has been sounding on these cuts this morning.

slkrell said July 16, 2020 2:06pm

Great stuff the lyrics moved me and I take pride In being a stoic The picking style is driving in an old timey way This is really fine good work , Andrew

Greg Connor said July 15, 2020 9:51am

Another keeper. I love the guitar playing. It’s one positive thing that has come out of this mess that everyone is in. Some great music is surfacing.

Rickey Tate said July 14, 2020 11:29pm

Deep thoughts about being responsible. Great fguitar finger picking.

Colleen Dillon said July 14, 2020 4:00am

Wow..... just wow. Between the shoebox and the broom closet there is a magic Songwriting genius machine. This one choked me up. So so sad and so well done.

James Michael Taylor said July 13, 2020 8:18am

You is the most important word in songs. I learned that from a poet named Shannon Elizabeth on Facebook. Thank you for telling me more. Once we've captured a story in a song some of the confusion from the time is illuminated. We don't ave to cling to is, so as not to lose the memories.

James Michael Taylor said July 13, 2020 7:31am

What a fine vocal. The intensity! And that very folky guitar snags me deep. So many stabs at the heart in your lyric. Trying to figure out who You" is.

Shed Sounds said July 13, 2020 7:15am

It was definitely worth perservering with - love the melancholic vibe

Ken said July 13, 2020 1:37am

Great songwriting here. Reminds me of Verve Pipe, very good.

oldfolks2 said July 12, 2020 10:16pm

Good one mate, I know where you're coming from, glad I'm not alone on the swearing and Take 550 ...... ' get it right you useless ******* ' or words to that effect I always use ....

thetworegs said July 12, 2020 7:57pm

Well you’ve proved to yourself your not “crap” reminds me of something my father would say to me time and time again “ don’t touch that you’ll break it “ and I normally did. Pleased you saved this one from the shoe box an excellent lyric love it pie pod bound along with all your others 😁

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