Lyr Req: Scraps of Paper (Eric Bogle)

Subject: RE: Req:Eric Bogle's 'Pieces Of Paper'/Scraps of P
From: Wolfgang
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 11:08 AM

Thanks Greg for sharing that story.

My dad's still alive, but I know I'll play Scraps of paper the day he dies.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Req:Eric Bogle's 'Pieces Of Paper'/Scraps of P
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Apr 07 - 03:55 PM

Scraps Of Paper was the very song that signposted the great divide that was me and my father. I'd heard it at age 17, my da was a commando in WWII, went in at age 17...came out at 19, and brought his war home with him. They don't give heroes counselling so he put mum through years of domestic terrorism, me her favourite...and the youngest of ten kids. Fotunately Dad got it together in the last seven years of his life with the help of AA, so the monster I once knew was no more...and it was this very song that helped in our attempt at reconciliation. The hairs still raise on the back of my neck the day he told me he loved me.
Thankyou Eric in sharing with us the tradgedy that was the loss of your father and the discovery of his poetry when you were clearing his estate, I am forever gratefully endebted to your wordsong, that by your tradgedy an attempt was made to avoid that happening in my life. As an aside...I cannot help but turn into a balling wreck whenever I hear Glasgow Lullaby..you've touched on my mother's terror and her quiet fortitude...thankyou again.
Sincerely Greg Davison

Subject: RE: Req:Eric Bogle's 'Pieces Of Paper'/Scraps of Paper
From: boglion
Date: 14 Dec 03 - 05:29 AM

I eventually got to see Eric Bogle at Hatfield (after a 20 year gap) in September having missed him at Watford and again in Listowel.

The reason I missed him in Listowel was that my mother was very ill and I had to return to London. She died soon after.

I spoke to Eric a couple of times and was going to ask him to sing Scraps of Paper for me but I didn't in the end as I didn't think I was ready for it.....

A great song.

Terry

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: SCRAPS OF PAPER (Eric Bogle)
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 13 Dec 03 - 06:56 AM

G'day again Frank,

Well ... I did have a scan (I did remember gouging the words out of a very messy scan of the "sheet music"). I tried a bit of fancy interpolation myself ... the chords - let's see if it worked!

Scraps of Paper
Words & music: Eric Bogle

(G) These days my life seems (Am) somehow like a (D) tired old cliché -
(G) A bad (Am) movie scene that (D) just goes on and on; (G)
(G) With dialogue like (Am) "It's so sad how (D) fast time slips away" (G)
(G) Or "How you (Am) never really (D) miss them 'til they're (G) gone".
(Am) Funny how these (D) old clichés come (G) true -
(Am) Never thought I'd (Am7) miss him - but I (D) do.
Chorus:
          (G) My Father (Bm) died in (Am) sum (D) - mer -(G) and all he (Bm) left behind (D)
          (G) Were little (Bm) scraps of (Am) pa(D) - per - little (Bm) scraps of rhyme. (Am)
          I (Am) read them - and felt (D) something inside me break (G)
          And (Bm) angrily cried out "Too late - too (Am) late!"
          (G) Surely there (Bm) must be something (Am) better ... (Dm)
          (G) Surely there (Bm) must be something (Am) better ... (Dm)
          (G)      (Bm)       (Am)       (D)      (G)    (inst)

He and I were always strangers searchin' for someone.
I was looking for a hero - and he a friend;
So while I searched for my father, he was lookin' for his son
And strangers we remained until the end -
But the man who wrote his heart into those rhymes ...
I know he could have been a good friend of mine.
Chorus:        My Father died in summer …

So I sit here, where he lived and died, as the ghosts around me weave,
As the evening shadows lengthen on the wall
And in this bare and empty room, it's easy to believe
That he never lived at all
but the little scraps of paper in my hand
Prove he lived to me; the father and the man.
Chorus:        My Father died in summer …

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eric Bogle's 'Pieces Of Paper'
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 13 Dec 03 - 06:17 AM

G'day Frank,

This one is in the (second .. ?) The Eric Bogle Songbook, Music Sales, M1009 ... not his first one, published by Larrikin Music (Australia ... but sort of ripped off ... sorry: republished, in Canada and Ireland) or the 1988 Music Sales, M1953.

I can't just scan it in as the first verse and chorus are interpolated into the sheet music. If nobody else has the lyrics handy, I may have to flex the typing fingers (and their non-typing associates!).

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eric Bogle's 'Pieces Of Paper'
From: gnomad
Date: 12 Dec 03 - 07:32 PM

You're welcome,Frank.

A seriously good song which comes a bit too close to home for me to hear it with equanimity, but then that is EB all over.

Paul

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eric Bogle's 'Pieces Of Paper'
From: Francy
Date: 12 Dec 03 - 04:31 PM

Thanks so very much Gnomad and also Chris....I can work the chords out in time........such a beautifully written song......as always from Eric..... Frank of Toledo

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eric Bogle's 'Pieces Of Paper'
From: GUEST,Chris from Liverpool
Date: 12 Dec 03 - 01:20 PM

Wow, Gnomad beat me to a reply by three minutes!!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eric Bogle's 'Pieces Of Paper'
From: GUEST,Chris from Liverpool
Date: 12 Dec 03 - 01:18 PM

Frank, the correct name for this song is "Scraps of Paper" and is the title track from an old vinyl album which I have (somewhere). Time, and a date with Santa to go Christmas shopping prevents me from digging it out at the moment, but if you have no other replies I will make sure that I dig it out over the weekend and take the lyrics off for you.

Merry Christmas,
Chris

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eric Bogle's 'Pieces Of Paper'
From: gnomad
Date: 12 Dec 03 - 01:15 PM

this one?

Subject: Lyr Req: Eric Bogle's 'Pieces Of Paper'
From: Francy
Date: 12 Dec 03 - 11:37 AM

Would sure appreciate the lyrics to this song.....Frank Of Toledo