Great songwriter story. Dont give up the dream!

stevenstewart · ltm crew Joined: 12 Dec 2003 Posts: 556 Location: Finland

On Wednesday March 2nd 2005, Allen Shamblin (famous songwriter) flew in from Nashville to give the eulogy at Bruce Rouse's funeral service in Austin Texas. (a great supporter of songwriters, hosting concerts, etc). Allen wrote and read this eulogy.

"I could be biased, but in my opinion there are few professions that depend more on faith than songwriting. Often before a songwriter sits down to write a song he or she must first confront and slay the dragons of doubt, fear, loneliness, and depression to name a few. And all of this while battling the voices which taunt and whisper "go get a real job," "no body cares," "hey buddy, you're wasting your time."

It is for this reason I believe Providence looks down with merciful eyes and honors the songwriters' faith by placing believers and encouragers in our lives. Bruce Rouse was a believer and encourager. He opened up his home and his heart to countless songwriters, providing a loving environment where stories could be told, songs could be sung and lives could be touched, inspired and ultimately changed. His contribution to the songwriting community, his family, his friends and the world will not be forgotten."

Ande Rasmussen wrote the following on another site.

When Allen Shamblin performs he often tells this wonderful story "Fixin to
Give Up on a Dream-Muh".

I tell this story just about everytime I play just in case there's somebody out there who is maybe where I was. I moved to Nashville in 1987 to pursue my dream as a songwriter. I quickly ran out of money and started parking cars and loading boxes. I eventually started working for a publishing company who paid me enough to quit parking cars. After about six months of working real hard, they called me into the office, it felt like going to the principals office.

In a nice way they said and I'm paraphrasing but this is what I heard "Allen we're not too happy with what you've been writing. Why don't you go back down to Texas, spend a week and reconnect with you your roots." And I said "OK" Then they said, "Come back to Nashville and write by yourself."

I'd been cowriting for a good while, which means sitting in a room with somebody else, writing songs and I hadn't written a song by myself in almost two years and didn't know at that point if I actually could anymore. I went back to Austin, spent a week, I was feeling pretty low and dejected thinking that this wasn't going to work out.

I came back to Nashville on a Sunday. I got up Monday morning. At the time I lived in a little efficiency apartment. I walked over to the TV and turned it on. Then I wheeled around to the kitchen. Now this was not planned, I just hit the button. There was an early morning televangelist and he said "There's somebody out there fixin to give up on a dream-muh." (he really stretched out the word dream and made it "dream-muh") I turned around and he was pointing right at me. I said "yeah". He said "Don't give up! The race always gets toughest just before you cross the finish line" I said "all right".

Literally 45 minutes later I'm driving into Nashville sitting in my car at the intersection of Harding Road and Trausdale, when these lines started coming to me and I didn't have a clue as to what I was writing about. When I got into my little office the words "I thought he walked on water" Just kind of fell out. I got chills from the back of my heels to the top of my head and I remembered my great grandfather. My mother used to go to pick him up and bring him over to spend some time with me.

Anyway the song poured out. I went and played it for my publisher and she said "Yeah that's what we've been looking for" I did a little work tape, sang it into a little thing, just me and my guitar. She ran it across the street and Randy Travis recorded it. About 5 months later it was a number one song. It changed my life."

A few of Allen's songs are "He Walked on Water" by Randy Travis "Life's
is a Dance" with Steve Seskin recorded by John Michael Montgomery "I Can't Make You Love Me" with Mike Reid recorded by Bonnie Raitt "Don't Laugh at Me" with Steve Seskin recorded by Mark Wills, and the list goes on.
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applewormy · Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2005 7:04 am Post subject:

great article....thanks
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cjm2 · Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2005 7:32 am Post subject:

for sure,reading your writing is a great encouragement....
cris Very Happy

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reach1 · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 6:38 pm Post subject:

Thanks for such a great article Steven! That really touched me!

Tammy
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Carol Douglas · newbie Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 38 Location: UK

I enjoyed the touching read Steven.
Bruce Rouse must have been a great guy to know.
Cheers,
Carol. Wink

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ande · Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 3:02 am Post subject: hi steven

Hi steven

glad you enjoyed those articles I wrote

here's where you can hear a new song that
Allen cowrote with Chuck Cannon
it's called god shaped hole
http://www.myspace.com/chuckcannonsongs

i think it's an excellent song

Ande
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Cruiserman · Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 6:55 pm Post subject:

'I can't make you love me' has got to be one of the best heart wrenching ballads of all time - fills me up everytime I hear it!

Interesting thread Steven.

M
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sonya · newbie Joined: 04 Dec 2009 Posts: 5

It's a great article....thanks for emotions and inspiration....