NEU! JOHN GOGO Larry’s Grandad
John Gogo Larry’s Grandad is available on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal
by Walter Price
Humbling and documentation of some of the hardest eras known to the working man and his family’s struggle to understand and maintain is the backbone of singer-songwriter John Gogo’s first single “Larry’s Grandad” from the forthcoming 6th LP ‘Western Balladeer’.
As if the spirit of Warren Zevon was coursing through his voice, Gogo laments, “My friend Larry’s Grandad mined for coal from the tender age of six/ Well his stepfather swore he could teach this new dog old tricks/ In the days before unions and decent labour laws/ Young boys worked the coal mines too that’s just the way it was—His Mum well she was not unkind still she had to let him work/This man she was married to he’d become a mean ol’ jerk/ Of course, Grandad dearly loved her so by the time the boy was nine/ He was a full-fledged three-year veteran of a Nova Scotia mine…”.
A veteran at nine—heady situation for the newer generations to wrap their lil TikTok-saturated minds around, I’m sure. But, for me, I fully grasp this reality. I lived it, to some extent. So the harshness of this story rings very palpable. It is heartbreaking, yet these previous generations built our communities and should not be forgotten.
You can stream John Gogo’s ineradicable testament to the nitty gritty days of yore blue-collar living, “Larry’s Grandad” at the GTC.
NEU! JOHN GOGO Larry’s Grandad
Artwork, artist photo via Facebook // Press excerpt via johngogo.com // Lyrics via YouTube
Written and performed by John Gogo
“John has just produced his 6th lp ‘Western Balladeer’ slated for a summer release with lead off single ‘Larry’s Grandad’ out April 24th. Featured with him on his 10 song new record are Duke & Goldie, daughter Jeri Gogo, Tyler Lieb, David Essig, Ed Peekeekoot, brother Paul Gogo, cousin Brent Gubbels, Alan Moberg, Tobin Stokes, Rick Scott, Daniel Lapp, Dazy Weymer & Valdy.” – Press excerpt