P.T. To finish, what are your future projects that you can share with us?
D.H. I am writing a lot of new songs, some for myself and some for other artists. I have a couple of new articles coming out. I also write a lot of articles for magazines and perform a lot of concerts.
P.T. Thank you so much, Mr. Hill, for your time and attention. It was an honour to interview you!
Discography
Albums
• 1975 - Dan Hill
• 1976 - Hold On
• 1977 - Longer Fuse
• 1978 - Frozen in the Night
• 1980 - If Dreams Had Wings
• 1981 - Partial Surrender
• 1983 - Love in the Shadows
• 1987 - Dan Hill
• 1989 - Real Love
• 1991 - Dance of Love
• 1994 - Let Me Show You (Greatest Hits and More)
• 1996 - I''m Doing Fine
• 1999 - Love of My Life (The Best of Dan Hill)
• 2010 - Intimate
I Am My Father’s Son: A Memoir Of Love And Forgiveness, available on the market since February 2009 on www.amazon.com or .ca and in bookstores in North America
An excerpt from Dan Hill’s book I Am My Father’s Son (p. 368-369):
“Dad, it’s David. Stop leaving home. Stop leaving Canada and always go to America. Choose a country.”
Ouch. Like so many Hills, my eleven-year-old son had a scary way with words. “Choose your love,” David was saying. “Is it music or family?” It brought back the image of him, at four or so, looking balefully out our living room window, searching, as he did every day when I was gone, for his jet-setting father. Bev had described this wrenching scene many times to me over the phone, but until I saw him there as I pulled up our driveway from yet another songwriting journey, I hadn’t understood. There he was, his small face squished up against that big bay window, waving excitedly in my direction.
On my flight back to Toronto the day after David’s message, I couldn’t get one particular song of mine out of my head.
Memories of when I was a little boy, four years old,
Waiting for my daddy to come home
Now, I look into the eyes of my own son
Wondering what he’s thinking of
Waiting at the window when I come home
Watch his eyes fill up with joy and wonder
He reaches out his tiny hands; I feel the bond between boy and man
Memories of my mom crying, my daddy gone for weeks at a time
Not knowing how to comfort her
Face in my pillow, pretending not to hear
Now I write this letter to my little boy, I’m far away
Not knowing really what to say, except I’m sorry, oh so sorry
I don’t wanna make the same mistakes my daddy made with me
Still, his voice rolls off my tongue when I say boy, protect your mom
Memories of my wife crying on the phone
Wondering when I’m coming home
My voice sounds detached and cold
Reminds me of someone that I knew
He had a funny attitude when I needed him to be
All the things only a daddy could be to me
I don’t wanna make the same mistakes my daddy made with me
Still, his voice rolls off my tongue when I say not now; I’m busy, son
Memories of lying in bed with my wife and son
Overwhelmed by so much love, trying to explain how a man can cry
Yet still be happy
Thinking of all the dumb mistakes I’ve made
Now I understand my father’s pain
He did the best with what he knew. I love you, daddy,
I watch my son fall asleep and wonder what he’ll think of me
When years from now, he sees his son
Reaching out his tiny hands for love
Dan Hill’s Official Web site: www.danhill.com
This album is available on www.amazon.com or .ca
An excerpt from the song “I Am My Father’s Son”:
“It’s about you and me, Dad
It’s called My Father’s Son.”
I took the CD out of its casing
And started to feed it into
The stereo system
“Uh oh. So now you’re gonna
Take some pot-shots at me?
I gotta listen to another song
About what a terrible dad I
Was to you?”
“No, Dad, honestly, no pot-shots.
It’s hard to explain- Just listen!”
“The strongest man I ever knew
I never was a match for you
Always wanted your attention
Never knew just how to get it, so I rebelled
Tried to be your opposite,
I did it well; strange but true
How our lives are like a circle now
I’m very much like you
You were my unsolved mystery
Always barely out of reach.”
“Memories die hard, love dies harder still,
I forgive you; I have no choice
‘cause when all is said and done
I am my father’s son.”
