This is my tenth song for Sean. To listen to it, please click here: One Way
One way
One way
You always went one way
Some day
Maybe I’ll catch up on you
If you want me to
Straight on
You always went straight on
Impatient to move along
And see what you might see
Maybe you will wait for me
And all the days we had right here
And all those nights the way was clear
But suddenly you walked ahead alone
I looked around and you had really gone
And I have only memories
And now the ache will never end
There will be such mysteries
Until I see you again
Wait up
You always said wait up
Not running to catch up
If you had something to do
And I’d stop and wait for you
When my time in this old world is done
And I move on through the exit gate
Perhaps I’ll walk behind you somewhere in the sun
I’ll call your name, and you will turn and wait
And then you will greet me with a smile
And take my hand and tell me that it all has been worth while
One way
We’ll be going one way
On that day
When my hopes and dreams come true
I will walk with you
The road to God knows where ... Brendan O'Brien 
Hello Brandano, great words for a song,your longing for your son is very mournful and i belive and hope you will walk with your beloved son again too. Be patiend dear friend.
Hello Metin … thank you very much for your kind words.
I can’t listen Bob but the words are stunning
Hello ap … thanks a lot. I hope you’ll like it whenever you do listen … quite a catchy tune, we think (Pauline made me change one part of it because it reminded her of the Muppets. :-).)
She helped me with the singing.
I will listen to it then so. I’ve also been desperate to write a comment on your entry about Tango but every time I try – I just can’t get manage to get the words to express what I mean properly. You know – Tango also means so much to L and O – especially O which made your blog entry so much more meaningful.
Brendan
Quite simply, beautiful. On all levels, quite beautiful. Heartbreakingly so.
I have no knowledge of music but I feel this has the potential of being a very popular piece. Perhaps you should consult Papaguinea.
Hi Shermeen … thanks very much – I’m glad you like it. I do think this one has some potential, and will try to develop it with some singers and musicians at some point.
It is less specifically about Sean than the others and more about loss in general, I suppose.
I disagree. It is most specifically about Sean, as I have come to know him through your blogs. One of the most moving parts of the song is personal to Sean, when you quote him saying: ‘wait up’.
But yes, it touches the painful realities of losing a child very, very well.
Thanks, Shermeen. Yes, the ‘wait up’ was typically Sean … he was not inclined to hurry to keep up!
Brendano I am glad you are continuing to express yourself in song, as I think you have the potential to ‘cut’ a voice on many of life’s adventures and riches. (I mean you are finding song lines that are distinctly personal yet appealing to many listeners/readers.)
I often find your music quite a surprise to the more soulful verses, sometimes giving the words an upbeat counterpoint. Here in this song I find the words achingly tender – I haven’t dared yet listen to the tune. (My son is sleeping now so I daren’t wake him!)
Already I have warned you that I am notorious for tweaking other peoples tunes, well certainly hymn tunes and re-harmonising old standards. This Sunday I am accompanying a blind singer in prison. She is to sing “You’ll never walk alone” and yes sir,I have tweaked the harmony a fraction. This lady is sure to get the inmates to go for the Kleenex box – she is a rough version of Susan Boyle but a sweeter, more rounded personality. I will comment again here but would like to say what a wonderful piece of writing you did on “Love and Affection”. PS I have already tweaked the ending of “All we Had” but all will be revealed in due course!
Hi PapaG … thanks very much; interesting stuff from you as usual. I hope you’ll listen to the song when young Kojo wakes up. 🙂
I am insanely busy with work at present, having taken too much on, but yesterday I couldn’t help myself … I just had to spend a bit of time on finishing this song, which I had started the night before. Pauline, not for the first time, learned and helped record it at the drop of a hat. 🙂
I hope tomorrow morning at the prison will be a great success … it sounds like it’s bound to be.
Brendan – I meant “Love and Acceptance”.
Yes, I knew that … no problem!
PS I love the picture – taken in Spain?
That was in Portugal, near Albufeira, August 2007. Sean had just turned 16 and, as usual, we hardly saw him as he was off making new friends and socializing. It was the last holiday the four of us had together.
Yes, it’s a good photo … strange how the main in the background seems to have lost part of a leg!
Hello Brendan …
This is an extremely beautiful song .. tender with longing but hope-filled too .. very lovely.
Marya x
Hello Marya. Thank you very much … it’s very kind of you to say so.
These songs seem to be a good way for me to express what I feel, especially as Sean was so fond of music. Earlier I found a CD he’d compiled and listened to some fairly obscure Bob Marley songs that he used to play, which really brought him back.
Yes, it’s rather wonderful that the love for music which you as a family make and share unites you, still.
Marya x
Okey-dokey …. I have enjoyed this song AND TUNE the most. I just love your accompaniment on guitar – it really suits – and the voicing is well rounded, really enjoyable. (This tune translates into C for me and I love the chord change from D major into D minor on what I call the bridge sections!) You know Brendano this reminds me of the Beatles – yeah man – so you gotta have something going there! The only thing I would do is to pull the ending a bit, either instrumentally or with a repeat line or two from the song. I agree with Shermeen when she says this had the potential of being a very popular piece! Once again you have surprised me with the tune but I think it is a great match and makes the song so more appealing to listeners. I can guess you and your wife really enjoyed singing this; there is a joyous spirit abounding! 10/10.
Great! I’m delighted with this, and Pauline will be too (she and Susanna are currently ‘up north’, getting a fish pedicure!). Thanks very much.
Yes, I play ‘G’ chords with the capo on the fifth fret, so that’s C. On the bridge I go Dsus4 (I think), D7, Dm7, which does seem to work well. I then tried out various other ‘7th’ chords that seemed to do the trick.
My guitar playing is extremely limited … I don’t usually pick out a tune, but this one was simple enough for me to do.
I could certainly add a bit more to the end … maybe just one more round of the instrumental bit?
We enjoyed singing it once I changed the tune (not the chords) of the line ‘There will be such mysteries’, which had reminded Pauline of the Muppets and caused her to laugh uncontrollably. 🙂
This is one that I will earmark to record with some musicians (and probably a female lead vocal) and put on YouTube, all going well.
It’s a really beautiful song, one of my favourites but they all seem to be turning into that!
Thank you! It’s one of our favourites here. 🙂
I’ve been singing this all day today – it’s really stuck in there!
Excellent! I’ve nearly forgotten it already because I have the tune of a new one in my head … just need to write the words. 🙂
Me too – I was humming this Sunday morning on the way to Church! Its very catchy.
Good! Glad to hear it. Thanks, PG. 🙂