(REVISIT ALL OF THIS, written by Jack Speer, sung by Matt Dame, produced by John D. Willis):

From feedback provided at a local NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International) meeting, I was basically trying to “paint a verbal picture;” to be as descriptive as possible. I had no particular emotional connection to this song, other than my trying to recall some of the significant details of a coming-of-age period in my life, while growing up in a small town.

WHAT I KNOW NOW (written, produced and sung by Jack Speer):

I wrote this song after having the usual parental concerns over my son while he was in his teens.

FUNERALS & BIRTHDAYS (Written, produced and sung by Jack Speer):

I attended a funeral in my hometown to memorialize an old friend of our family’s. During the service and sitting in the pew in front of me was a childhood, longtime friend I hadn’t seen in ages. My friend said, “I’m embarrassed for you to see me with all my wrinkles and weight gain,” I replied that I hadn’t noticed; that she appeared “as she did when we were kids.”

CRIED LIKE RAIN (written by Jack Speer, produced by John D. Willis, sung by Joshua Rush):
Our school was very small and my clique of guy friends and I all decided to join the Marines together upon graduation (1968) from high school (during the Viet Nam War). However, I received a football scholarship to FSU and decided to take a last-minute change of direction from my Marine-bound friends after graduation. Years later, when I saw my group of friends during a funeral for one of the Marines’ mother, I couldn’t help noticing the unique bond they shared; one that made me feel like somewhat of an outsider. When my friend got up and spoke of his deceased mother, I also noticed that he never shed a tear. And, during my solitary, 90-minute drive back to Tampa from the funeral, this song began to unfold. Although this song is not autobiographical, the event did stir some emotions, which typically jump-starts my songwriting process.