MOG

This isn't entirely musical, but it's an introduction to a new person in my life.

My son, Andrew James Madden was born on Sunday, November 23rd at 5.21am. It was a heck of a weekend - his mom had phoned me at 8.15 on Friday morning, asking me to come home as, well, she was ready to go to the hospital. In the interests of her dignity, I'll spare you further detail.

In thinking about him on the way to the hospital to bring him and his mum home yesterday, I was trying to work out what to say about him with a song. Marc Cohn's 'The Things We've Handed Down' was a contender, and of course so was John Lennon's 'Beautiful Boy.' But by chance, I heard this song, and despite the fact that this is (I assume) unrelated to the song's original meaning, one half-verse hit me as being exactly what I wanted to say, not about Andrew, but to him.

"When you feel embarassed,

I'll be your pride.

When you need directions,

I'll be the guide.

For all time."

Welcome to the world, little guy.