Tales of the Orient by Simon Ostheimer

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Introducing Tony's Songbook

simonostheimer.substack.com

Introducing Tony's Songbook

I'm starting a new Substack, where - once a week - I'll post songs by my late father

Simon Ostheimer
Aug 27, 2022
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Introducing Tony's Songbook

simonostheimer.substack.com

As many readers will know, two years ago my father passed away, and this summer I was finally able to go to the UK and say goodbye at the cemetery, having been unable to travel internationally due to the Covid restrictions. Afterwards I spent some time going through his things, and - after clearing it up - went through his music room, a space he had carved out at the back of the garage, where he used to listen to his old records, read up on the blues (he was a lifelong fan), and jam with my uncle (also a blues player) when he was visiting. After picking out a few albums to bring home, I came across a couple of his old notebooks, which I discovered contained 50 or so songs he wrote over decades, from growing up in London to living in Hong Kong.

Tony's Songbook

Songs by my father
By Simon Ostheimer

Almost straightaway I knew what I wanted to do with them: share them with you. That’s why I’ve started a new Substack called Tony’s Songbook (you can subscribe above). It’s a simple idea: once a week I’ll be posting the lyrics from one of his songs. Given that there are 52 weeks in a year, that means it’ll be a new song once a week.

Mostly it’s lyrics, some have noted annotations (I’ll be including photos of his written pages). I make no promises about the quality - though I think you’ll enjoy them - but they’ll likely reflect my dad’s journey over many years, and perhaps give you (and me) a little more insight into his life. If you’re of a musical bent, I’d love for you to put his words to music, and if you send a video or audio file to me I’ll add them to the post. If the lyrics strike a particular chord with you, please do consider leaving a comment.

Tony's Songbook
1. Freedom
Freedom is a word that you often hear, It comes and goes… Like the seasons. Freedom (Freedom) Freedom (Freedom) People see me here People see me there People see me… Ev…ery…where… Freedom (Freedom) Freedom (Freedom) It’s a long hard road It’s been said before…
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7 months ago · Simon Ostheimer

The first song is online now. A tune he wrote in November 1971 called Freedom. If you’d like to see it, click on the link here or above. And if you’d like to receive a new song once a week, you can subscribe here. So I hope you enjoy Tony’s Songbook. It’s going to be an interesting musical journey, and one I hope you decide to join me on.

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Introducing Tony's Songbook

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11 Comments
Ben Zabulis
Sep 2, 2022Liked by Simon Ostheimer

What a fabulous thing to do and such a meaningful tribute too !

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1 reply by Simon Ostheimer
Michael R
Aug 29, 2022Liked by Simon Ostheimer

What a great find. It's nice to have something so meaningful left behind.

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