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Back with a song in my heart¡­

• Kim Lenaghan
• 27 Feb 07, 02:17 PM

So here I am, back and blogging after a spot of leave with my loved one. He¡¯s currently working abroad, ¡®my man in Milan¡¯ as I like to call him, and so when we actually do manage to get a few days together we try to make it ¡®quality¡¯ time, which is exactly what it has been. We had a short trip up the North Antrim Coast and you know, even when the weather isn¡¯t great it¡¯s still the most magical place to be. A windswept walk along the beach at the White Rocks and afterwards snuggling up to the fire with a hot toddy at the Harbour Bar ¨C it doesn¡¯t come much better.

Then when we decided we¡¯d had enough of rural life we returned to the big city to sample the delights of the Belfast Nashville Songwriter¡¯s Festival, and what a treat that was. We went along to some outstanding gigs and, as my man is also a fine musician, we even attended some of the workshops. There were songwriters, Stetsons and slow southern accents galore, and naturally I had to feature at least a few of them on air.

Paul Overstreet has written a number of huge country hits, but probably the best known is ¡®When You Say Nothing At All¡¯ which he sang just for me on Artsextra last Friday night ¨C and really, Ronan¡¯s version is rubbish by comparison. He also writes some of the funniest, cleverest lyrics I¡¯ve heard, ¡®She Only Loves Me For My Willie¡¯ being chief among them¡­.and I think you¡¯ll find the ¡®Willie¡¯ in question is ¡®Nelson¡¯, so get your mind out of that gutter!!!

Then on Sunday morning I had the very talented, not to mention cute, James Dean Hicks as my guest on This New Day. Originally from Kentucky, he became a child star in Nashville at the age of 10, and he¡¯s written for everybody from Johnny Cash to Jessica Simpson. Unbelievably, he arrived at the studio at 7o¡¯clock in the morning complete with guitar and happy to play live. I was stunned - and he was wonderful! Search it out and listen again!

Ultimately though, what all these talents have done is inspire me to put pen to paper myself, especially after James Dean Hicks told me all you have to do to write a hit country song is tell the truth and make it rhyme - oh, and heartbreak is also a very popular theme. So here goes¡­.

I¡¯ve cried countless tears
Sang all my sad songs
Drank too many bottles of wine
But none of that matters
It won¡¯t change a thing
Now I know you won¡¯t ever be mine

When I¡¯ve finished I¡¯m sending it to Dolly¡­..

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