This is a song I wrote for my old friend and writing partner back in the day, Wade Marsten, who passed away in December of 2021.
I last saw Wade in 2017 and I wished I'd kept in better contact with him. He was an amazing person, as anyone who knew Wade can testify to. I was honored to know Wade. He changed my life for the better in so many ways.
Both Wade and I attended the Dick Grove School of Music together. While we weren't exactly friends during that time we shared some common interests. We became friends and writing partners after school, and released one CD called "Two Voices".
We never made it big, but that didn't stop us from dreaming big.
Writing a "tribute" song is not something I ever want to do. But in this case I just had to at least get this song in some sort of form. It was a bit therapeutic and, time will tell, possibly helping me to find closure since Wade had no memorial (that I was involved with) and I'm far away from his family and friends.
After writing the first version of the song, I put it aside for a while. Then one day (recently as of this writing) I started playing it on my ukulele and changing up some of the chords to my liking, making it a bit more intimate and direct.
Wade was an awesome guitar player, singer, lyricist, composer/arranger. We wrote one film score together and that literally helped me pay my rent! We wrote campy songs, progressive rock, folk, and indie rock tunes. There was nothing we couldn't do or write. The sky was no limit. But life, obligations, time, etc., have a way of coming between some dreams.
Looking back (probably not a good idea) I wish I would have remained steadfast and took a few steps back and made more of an effort to continue our collaborations. We were really only getting started but there was no way to know that after a few years of hard and intense work/life changes. There's not much today that I write where I don't feel the presence of Wade's taste and influence. I embrace those as they make me feel connected to his energy and spirt.
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Where Did Those Yesterdays Go?
Music and lyrics by Rob Birdwell
Copyright © 2023 Rob Birdwell BirdwellMusic.com
Recorded and produced by Rob Birdwell
Photos from archives
Rob Birdwell: vocals, synths, ukulele, flugelhorn, percussion