Willy's Holding Court

from I'm In Hiding by Paul Kolinski

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about

This song is dedicated to Willy Forsythe and his friend Sam Babiuk. It's a ghost story that takes place in Kananaskis, Alberta. Willy is a uniquely gifted musician, a tremendous mandolin player, and a wonderful human being.

lyrics

Willy's holding court at the fireside
As the sparks fly up to the moon
We're all dirty and tired but the spirit is wired
On this Kananaskis night in June

Sam is sitting close to the fire
He's keeping quiet but he's wearing a smile
And he takes it all in through the whiskey and gin
As Willy rolls another number in style

The two old friends, they go way back to when
They were kids in the woods building forts
And it's all understood that everything is good
When Willy's holding court


Sam Babiuk gave it all that it took
To make a new star shine in the night sky
He was a diamond in the rough
He could be dark and tough
He almost always had a solid alibi

From the Alabama stars to the Saskatoon bars
He could move through any wall thick or thin
But he would short out the mains
Ice water ran is his veins
And he would disappear again and again

He got stuck at the border trying to move an order
He declared nothing to import
He got off scot-free and he's relieved to be
Next to Willy when he's holding court


The dawn light is on the mountainside
And Willy's got the spirit in his head
It's almost 6 AM and just Willy and Sam
Everybody else had gone to bed

Sam is looking at the fire
The embers glow in his eyes
Then he finally speaks
Though he's been dead for 30 weeks
But only now he can drop the disguise

"Willy, I got something to tell you
I had to take this ride, I guess
Now I know that you knew, and now I'm asking you
If you could take just one more request

"There's a song I play at the end of the day
Though I only play it to myself
Could you remember it for me?
It's in your key
And you can keep it on the back of the shelf

"It's the end of spring and there's just one thing
I gotta say before I get moving on
It's that life is for the living so you all can be forgiven
If you just keep on keeping on"


Willy's sitting by the fire
The sun burns a hole in his eyes
He puts the mandolin away
It's a bright summer day
Breakfast will be called in a while

But a feeling's coming up as a warning
That life is lived on the razor's edge
It's all devil-may-care and you're never aware
Until your feet slip off the ledge

And that shock of recognition
Is going to be your last resort
But that's so far down the road
You can forget about that load
When Willy's holding court

PK © 2018

credits

from I'm In Hiding, released May 1, 2020

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Paul Kolinski Toronto, Ontario

Paul Kolinski is a Toronto-based musician. He performs with his band Heavy On The Willie.

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