How are they to know by Craig Hood (with harmonies)

I wrote this song in June 2011, I had the guitar part finished a few months earlier.
On 25th June the song got me 2nd prize in Falkirk folk club's song writing contest.
Before writing the lyrics I listened to the guitar with my eyes closed and tried to think what sort of feeling the song gave me.
I imagined being in an empty corridor in a place that I definitely didn't want to be, but didn't have a choice.

I've written a few songs in the same way as this one, as I was writing the lyrics I didn't know what the song was going to be about, apart from the empty corridor image.
It was as if someone else was dictating the lyrics to me and I was just writing them down.

The subject emerged of a long term patient in what used to be called a mental asylum.
The main character (who could be male or female) is a deaf mute, but this probably just symbolizes how a lot of these patients don't have any say in what happens to them, even if they possess the mental capacity to do so.

I've watched a few very disturbing documentaries about old mental asylums and more recent hospitals for "people with learning difficulties".
One documentary in particular (Silent minority) shows how patients can massively improve overall if they are placed in a situation similar to being in a "normal" family home, helping out with normal tasks, washing dishes etc.
If they are given praise and treated with respect the improvement to their health is very noticeable.
The documentary states that the same patient placed back into a mental home will very quickly resort back to sitting in a corner nodding their head.

The treatment of these patients is a very contentious issue which, in a lot of cases comes down to money, resources, advancements in science and unfortunately politics.

That's before you get on to the subject of abuse.

I hope I never have to experience it myself.


http://www.craighood.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• craig
• hood
• How
• are
• they
• to
• know
• solo
• acoustic
• guitar
• composition
• harmony
• harmonies
• taylor
• 614ce
• dpa
• 4088
• original
• singer
• song
• writer
• songwriter
• long
• term
• mental
• health
• patient
• sad
• poignant

[Neveszy]

Hi Craig,Great song and the vocals are right on the money! clear and crisp! very creative! Thanksfor sharing it, Love ~RACHEL~ <3

[frankchiafari]

Beautiful song my friend. Great guitar playing. Frank

[hubertgunpowder]

Beautiful song !!

[hippymrmel]

very nice tune Craig :) KEEP MUSIC "LIVE".

[rockingphil58]

awesome song Craig Leonard Cohen would be proud of this song thumbs up my friend .

[CrazyGirl3618]

nice song

[17drums]

VERY nice! Reminds me of early Genesis.

[DJVMFVME]

WONDERFULLY PLAYED. SMOOTH VOCALS.

PEACE~ VESSIO

[GuessWhatTheImageIs]

cool nice song and voice :) xxx ☼♥Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ♥☼

[lhemeon]

Fantastic original.Thumbs up