One of life’s bigger events is the birth of a child and the dichotomy that comes for parents. On one hand there’s the joy of seeing a little bundle of joy while on the other there is the fear and stress of how to look after and care for that same little bundle of joy. For John Dawson, his latest single “Things That I Meant To Say” serves as a credo to tell his child of the wholehearted love and support they’ll have regardless of what unexpected twists, turns or hurdles life has in store.
“The song essentially serves as a list of things I wanted to make sure my child knew no matter what challenges life presented to our relationship,” Dawson says. “It is also the picture of the ideal parent I hope to be as I moved into this new adventure: an example of unconditional and unwavering love ‘until my days are done.’ Above all, I believe it’s a song that serves as a reminder to me during those inevitably challenging times of that one thing which truly matters above all else: love.”
“Things That I Meant To Say” is lyrically economical as Dawson says so much in so few words, getting to the heart of the matter with an approach that recalls the late JJ Cale, Mark Knopfler or the underappreciated singer-songwriter Tim Easton. Dawson’s guitar work is accompanied by Anthony D’Angela on drums and percussion while bassist Manny DeGrandis rounds out the pristine piece of words melded with music. And the thoughtful middle instrumental section is just the icing on this enjoyable sonic cake.
Rest assured, for all it gives you,
The world can take as much.
But rest assured that it can’t take from you
What’s given you in love.
Though my love for you is yours, and yours alone
Remember: love freely shown is freely grown.
The single easily falls alongside such parent-child narratives such as Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s In The Cradle” and John Lennon’s “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy),” intent on making each moment count, not waiting for the right or perfect time for a parent to express their love to their child.
“Things That I Meant To Say” is the latest single from Dawson’s new studio album Outlier. The nine-track effort, produced by Adam Brunner, features Dawson with D’Angela and DeGrandis on songs including the reflective, folksy “Life Just Came To Me” that brings to mind Ron Sexsmith at his finest. Meanwhile “Mend In My Ways” shows a simplicity few singer-songwriters can lay claim while the jazzy, roots instrumental “Merry and Pippin” shows another side of Dawson’s musical depth.
Dawson, who besides his music also co-hosts a weekly professional wrestling radio program called Ringside Heat, cites inspirations such as Eric Clapton, the late George Harrison, Paul Simon and Knopfler for crafting and shaping his musical career. He’s also a graduate of the Humber College Music program and graduated from York University with degrees in both Education and Music.
Now with his tender, straightforward new single “Things That I Meant To Say” and a studio album it’s clear John Dawson’s music is an outlier in the best way possible.