After the release of two albums, (For The Good Times, 2001 & Starlight Shuffle, 2005) Courtney Wing found himself discouraged by the music industry and the deep roots it had in his surrounding. In the midst of his low, the CBC contacted Wing and invited him to perform for the program Canada Live during the summer of 2008. Thrilled by the offer, Courtney dedicated himself to the project, recruiting a new cast of musicians, including Sage Reynolds on double bass (Amon Tobin), Bruce Cawdron on percussion (Godspeed! You Black Emperor), Stef Schneider on drums (Bell Orchestre), and a 15-piece opera collective called Liederwolfe. Amazed by the recorded result of Wing’s performance, the producers of Canada Live chose to feature his performance on CBC’s homepage and broadcast the entire recording across the country on numerous occasions. High appraise and national buzz followed immediately. In response, Wing decided to compromise his initial plan to record a solo record and instead embraced his newly acquired team and tackled a much larger production. The end result is a ‘symphonic folk’ masterpiece that embodies the creative forces of over 30 musicians.
Courtney Wing doesn’t read music, he never studied it, the man belongs in the other category, the one where people eat, drink and sleep music 24/7. Being an “unprofessional” musician never stopped Courtney from composing, performing, and recording many of the instruments on the album.
Bouquet of Might and Fury invites the listener into an extraordinary indie-folk universe where a mighty barrage of choral Opera singers lilt amidst a larger-than-life, yet perfectly sculpted, orchestral background that is at times gentle, and other times fierce and grand. The title of the album and most of the lyrics refer to the concept of contrast. It visits the notions of social disillusionment, the perils of insincere kindness, calm over devastation, and most true to the album’s premise is the notion of love, and the rise and fall of it - a theme that played itself out during Wing’s song crafting process. Courtney tells us: When something negative happens, inevitably something positive emerges. We are not always aware of it, but balance tends to plays itself out.
Crew
Stef Scheinder : Drums
Josh Zubot : Violin
Bruce Cawdron : Percussion
Sage Reynolds : Double bass
Jeff Louch : Keys, synths
Liderwolfe : 10 Pretty Voices
CW : Guits, uke, c-harp
For The Good Times
Courtney Wing Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was gonna keep you free and clean.
Now you wear your skin like iron,
Your breath as hard as kerosene.
You weren't your mama's only boy,
But her favorite one it seems.
She began to cry when you said goodbye,
And sank into your dreams.
Pancho was a bandit boy,
His horse was fast as polished steel.
He wore his gun outside his pants
For all the honest world to feel.
Pancho met his match you know
On the deserts down in Mexico,
Nobody heard his dying words,
Ah but that's the way it goes.
All the Federales say
They could have had him any day
They only let him slip away
Out of kindness, I suppose.
Lefty, he can't sing the blues
All night long like he used to.
The dust that Pancho bit down south
Ended up in Lefty's mouth.
The day they laid poor Pancho low,
Lefty split for Ohio.
Where he got the bread to go,
There ain't nobody knows.
All the Federales say
We could have had him any day.
We only let him slip away
Out of kindness, I suppose.
The poets tell how Pancho fell,
And Lefty's living in cheap hotels
The desert's quiet, Cleveland's cold,
And so the story ends we're told.
Pancho needs your prayers it's true,
But save a few for Lefty too.
He only did what he had to do,
And now he's growing old.
All the Federales say
We could have had him any day.
We only let him go so long
Out of kindness, I suppose.
A few gray Federales say
We could have had him any day
We only let him go so long
Out of kindness, I suppose.
The opening lines of "For the Good Times" by Courtney Wing paints a picture of a man who has been "living on the road" for an extended period. Initially, it seemed like his chosen lifestyle would keep him "free and clean," but instead, it has left him hardened, with skin "like iron" and breath as hard as "kerosene." The man may have not been the only child in his family, but his mother regarded him as her favorite, and when he said his goodbyes, she became tearful and disappeared into her dreams.
The song then transitions into a story about Pancho, a bandit boy, with a fast horse that was likened to polished steel. Pancho wore his gun on his pants, a symbol of his confidence in himself and his ability. Even though the authorities believed they could easily capture Pancho any time, they always let him slip out of their sight as they were moved by kindness. However, on the desert plains of Mexico, Pancho met his match and died, and no one heard his dying words. The person who is speaking in the song tells of how Lefty, who used to sing blues, ended up with the dust that Pancho bit. Lefty left for Ohio after, and no one knows where he got the bread to go.
The song concludes with the poets telling the tale of how Pancho fell with Lefty in cheap hotels, and the desert becoming quieter, while Cleveland becomes colder. The story ends, but it is noted that while Pancho needs prayers, Lefty needs a few as well, for he only did what he had to do and is now growing old. The song ends with the repeating line that the Federales say they could have had them any day, but they only let them slip away out of kindness.
Line by Line Meaning
Living on the road my friend,
The act of being on constant travel was something you once cherished because it kept you unencumbered and unsullied.
Was gonna keep you free and clean.
Traveling was a way to maintain your independence and avoid life’s entanglements.
Now you wear your skin like iron,
Years of experience have toughened you, even making your skin somewhat calloused.
Your breath as hard as kerosene.
The experiences that you have had and the people you encountered have left an indelible impact on you, making even your breathing raspy with hardness.
You weren't your mama's only boy,
You were not your mom’s only son.
But her favorite one it seems.
However, you were undoubtedly her favorite child.
She began to cry when you said goodbye,
Your mom couldn’t handle the thought of you leaving home and setout on your own journey.
And sank into your dreams.
You left with those memories of your mother aloft in your head and heart.
Pancho was a bandit boy,
Pancho was an outlaw.
His horse was fast as polished steel.
His horse was swift, corresponding with his outlaw status.
He wore his gun outside his pants
He carried his weapon prominently.
For all the honest world to feel.
Actually, his personality was as such that everyone could feel his presence.
Pancho met his match you know
Pancho finally came across someone who could match his badass reputation head-on.
On the deserts down in Mexico,
This challenge must have taken place in the arid lands in the southern part of the country.
Nobody heard his dying words,
Pancho must have fallen in combat, for nobody heard his last words.
Ah but that's the way it goes.
It’s often the case when it comes to our unpredictable lives.
All the Federales say
There are murmurs among the police force that…
They could have had him any day
They could have arrested Pancho anytime.
They only let him slip away
However, they deliberately let him get away.
Out of kindness, I suppose.
They may have been motivated by pity or another kind of benevolence.
Lefty, he can't sing the blues
Lefty, who had hitherto been singing blues all night long, can no longer do that.
All night long like he used to.
That ability seems to have deserted him.
The dust that Pancho bit down south
Pancho’s path of destruction must have encompassed the southern part of the country.
Ended up in Lefty's mouth.
Lefty, for some reason, has ended up acquiring the perils of Pancho’s escapades.
The day they laid poor Pancho low,
On the day that they put Pancho to rest…
Lefty split for Ohio.
Lefty left for Ohio, but nobody knows how he got there or the reason he left.
Where he got the bread to go,
It’s unclear where he got the money to travel, or even basic sustenance.
There ain't nobody knows.
Nobody knows for certain.
The poets tell how Pancho fell,
It’s what they call poetic justice, the way Pancho finally came crashing down.
And Lefty's living in cheap hotels
On the other hand, Lefty is still alive but living in cheap motels.
The desert's quiet, Cleveland's cold,
While the desert is silent, Cleveland is quite cold.
And so the story ends we're told.
And that’s the way this story ends.
Pancho needs your prayers it's true,
Perhaps, Pancho deserves a bit of prayer—though not quite sure for what.
But save a few for Lefty too.
However, Lefty also deserves a prayer, no matter what his situation might be.
He only did what he had to do,
Whatever Lefty did, he did it in self-preservation, without intending to harm anyone.
And now he's growing old.
Now, he’s getting up there in years.
All the Federales say
Again, there are murmurs among the police force that…
We could have had him any day.
They could have nabbed him anytime.
We only let him go so long
They’ve let him go on for so long now.
Out of kindness, I suppose.
Probably because of their kindness.
A few gray Federales say
Perhaps a few old-timers from that federales would argue that…
We could have had him any day
They could have caught him whenever they wanted.
We only let him go so long
However, they chose to let him be for an extended period.
Out of kindness, I suppose.
Possibly because of some form of compassion.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KRISTOFFER KRISTOFFERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Talent Recap
Which one is your favorite?
Hey, if you liked this video YOU WILL LOVE the 10 Shy Singers who shocked… HERE
https://youtu.be/AYks0L-jO8c
HeladoGames
Courtney 💪🏻❤️
Netti
Courtney.
Crystal Coan
Love them all
Hafsa Afsheen (Anchorgreenps)
I love Courtney Hadwin ! She is such a lion and everyone is so proud of her!
Piper b
COUTNEY HADWIN
Theresa Porter
She not only has the vocal talent she has enormous stage presence and ability which is phenomenal at her age!!! Bravo a hundred times over!
Luke Skywalker
Not to mention the insane stamina! It's hard work dancing around a stage and singing at the top of your lungs
Amira Djiar
She not only has the vocal talent she has enormous stage presence and ability which is phenomenal at her age!!! Bravo a
Lavern Marshall
She is just phenomenal.