Just like Nick Moss, this weekend I explored other music by John Wort Hannam again with great success. Earlier this week I discovered the music of John Wort Hannam and listened to his album Dynamite and ‘Dozers. This weekend I went back in time and listened to John’s first release pocket full of holes and I think I like this album as much if not a little bit more than Dynamite and ‘Dozers. The songs on this album are still about common folks. His website says the following about the album:
The CD has been described as an east coast meets west sound. There are songs such as “ Fisherman’s Son ”, “ Late November ” and “ Seafaring Man ” reflecting on John’s maritime birthplace in Jersey in the Channel Islands UK and the “ Pier 21 ” highlighting the immigration of many Europeans to Canada, something John’s own family did in 1976. Alongside are songs such as “ Scotsman’s Bluff ”, “ Wheatland ”, “ Sons of the Soil ” depicting John’s new prairie home. To round it all off, there is the lost love song, “ That Boy ”, struggling town songs such as, “ Dammed Rivers ” and “ We’re Getting By ”, and a good old drinking song in “ Buy Another Round ”
As usual I like all the songs on the album but my favorites are “Buy Another Round” and We’re Getting By” but I do really like the lyric in “Wheatland”
And while she was pulling up stakes, I was putting roots
Popa said you ain’t nothin’ of a man if you ain’t got any land
And that’s what I aim to have
Some of us are wheat and some of us are chaff
And then there’s the imagery of a son leaving home in the song “Pier 21” and the loss of a life as a fisherman in the song “Fisherman’s Son”
Sir can I ask you what will I do now the cod is gone
The Grande Banks are empty where shall I go
I been working for the fisheries since I was just a boyI’m a fisherman’s son sir, fishin’s all I know
Oh all ten songs are great just go and listen!! You can read all the lyrics here
Here’s John performing “Pier 21” from pocket full of holes