Greg and I worked for the same corporation for over 25 years and we were colleagues long before we became friends.  It was only in the last few years before Greg retired that we grew a lot closer.  We both shared a strong interest in music, Greg was a talented musician, and I am a song writer and, at the time, was the manager of a fairly large performing arts venue.  In the last few years, before he retired, Greg and I worked together to put on a number of special events for our community and from that Greg, and another friend, grew a concert presenting company.  They created the company because they loved being part of that exciting and creative vibe and because it was a great way to help the artistic community as well as to provide high quality entertainment within their own local community.  
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Every time he could, Greg used his talent as a musician and skill as an organizer, to help those in need.  From feeding the hungry locally to throwing fundraising concerts for the people of Haiti and Japan, when crisis hit those countries, Greg could be found front and centre, bringing together all the resources needed to put on highly entertaining and productive fundraising events.  
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Greg was always so busy giving of himself and promoting the talents and dreams of other people that we never noticed just how much the world was weighing upon him, until one day he just had to walk away from the concert presenting business for his own health.  His presenting partner and I did, what we thought was enough at the time, to try to stay in touch with Greg and to let him know how important he was to us and how much we missed him.  Eventually he stopped returning our calls and so we tried to keep in touch with the members of the band he played in to keep up with news on Greg and his battle with depression, but, even then, we never realized how deep the roots of his problem were, then one day, out of the blue, Greg contacted us and wanted to go for lunch with me and his presenting partner.  We had a great afternoon, talked about past successes, and who we would like to start bringing to town when Greg was ready again, and things seemed like they were right back to normal.  When the lunch was over and we were leaving, Greg gave us both a big hug and and said he just had some things to finish up before he wanted to start making any definite plans, and we all said goodbye. 
 
That was the last time we ever saw Greg, life and work took over our attention and we decided to put our ideas of promoting concerts on hold until we heard from Greg.  Less than a month later I got a call from the lead singer of Greg's band.  It was a little after ten pm when the phone rang and I was told of Greg's suicide.  It was the start of many sleepless nights; wondering how I could have not realized how much trouble Greg had been in, why I had not tried harder to get him to talk to me, or why I didn't just make myself more available to listen to him if he wanted to talk.  It was also the night that I wrote the words to "I Never Thought You Would", as that is how I process my emotions.  
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For more information about The Canadian Centre for Suicide Prevention's "Buddy Up Program" visit www.buddyup.ca

I Never Thought You Would Radio Mix

Starlight has been called the "New Wedding Song" because of it's beautiful and heartfelt sentiment of commitment.  It is the kind of song that sounds remarkably familiar even on its first listen, as it is filled with universal feelings and age-old ideas and cliche's about love and relationships.

Starlight 16 Bit

The World is Gonna End Tonight
Verse 1
Oh Child of Today, what have we done to you?
We’ve filled your world with fear,
And shadowed it in gloom.
From the day that you were born,
Your spirit’s been entombed,
Wrapped up inside a shroud,
O’ worry, woe and doom,
 (Pre-chorus)
You already know what’s in store,
So, you don’t have to worry anymore, 
‘cause…
Chorus:
The world’s gonna end tonight,
The world’s gonna end tonight,
The world is gonna end tonight,
The world is gonna end tonight,
No more wars for us to fight,
Let’s celebrate,
Let’s do it right tonight,
Cause the world is gonna end tonight.
The world’s gonna end tonight!
V-2
Oh Child of Today, you have grown up way too soon,
With a view of the world,
That’s fallen into ruin.
It’s no wonder you’ve become,
An apathetic youth,
From everything you’ve learned,
There’s nothing you can do.
 (Pre-chorus)
Chorus:
Bridge
When you wake up in the morning,
And everything is still the same, 
And this old world, well it’s still turning,
In a self destructive way,
You’d better listen to your heart,
And what it has to say,
Cause If you’re gonna make a difference
You have to be the change
Cause If you’re gonna make a difference
You have to be the change
Chorus:

Opus 2

The World Is Going To End Tonight

Bridge:  When  divided  by  the  infinite,  we  all  disappear,    We’d  just  be  swallowed  by  the  measure  of,  all  the  endless  years.  If  eternity  is  something  real,  then  we  can’t  be  here,  But  who  is  always  staring  back  at  me,  when  I  look  in  the  mirror?  When  I  look  in  the  mirrorChorus:Prelude  to  Who  Am  I?  Who  am  I,  Why  do  I  breathe?  These  are  the  questions  that  are  haunting  me.  Day  by  day  I’m  nearer  to  the  grave,  And  the  answers  that  I’ve  found  are  daunting  me.  Who  am  I,  Why  do  I  breathe?  These  are  the  questions  that  are  haunting  me.  Day  by  day  I’m  nearer  to  the  grave,  And  the  answers  that  I’ve  found  are  daunting  me.  Are  daunting  me.Part  6  -  Who  Am  I?Chorus  Who  am  I?  Why  do  I  breathe?  These  are  the  questions  that  are  haunting  me.  Day  by  day,  I’m  nearer  to  the  grave,    And  the  answers  that  I’ve  found  are  daunting  me.  Verse  1  I  was  born  with  a  rusty  spoon,  A  refugee  from  the  bad  side  of  the  moon,  I’ve  never  felt  like  I  belonged,  And  I  lived  my  life  just  barely  hanging  on.  Chorus  Verse  2  What  if  we  are  all  just  energy,  Like  endless  waves  in  a  great  big  sea,  Or  are  we  part  of  divinity  With  binding  ties  to  eternity,  Chorus  Bridge  There’s  gotta  be  somewhere  to  go,  To  find  the  answers  to  questions  we  don’t  know,  I  need    a  reason,  a  reason  to  believe,  That  this  life  is  more  than  what  it  seems.  Chorus  Prelude  to  The  Meaning  of  Life  Is  there  a  meaning  for  why  we  are  here,  Or  are  we  just  animals  driven  by  fear?  Is  purpose  contingent  on  ultimate  truth,  Or  is  it  determined  by  what  we  learn  in  our  youth?  
Is  our  reason  to  be  something  divine?  Or  are  we,  the  lost  leading  the  blind?  Are  the  answers  we  seek,  in  a  book  on  a  shelf?  Or  something  we  need  to  decide  for  ourselves.

Album

11 Prelude to the meaning of Life

Verse  1  Late  last  night,  as  I  watched  you  in  your  sleep,  I  thought  about  the  time,  we  have  spent  together,  Laying  there,  with  heaven,  in  my  reach,  I  kissed  your  cheek,  thought  about  forever.  Your  lavender  skin,  was  sweet  perfume,  It  filled  the  room,  and  took  my  breath  away,  I’ve  never  had  a  dream  so  sweet,  Or  fantasy  that’s  so  hard  to  convey.  Or  fantasy  that’s  so  hard  to  conveyChorus:  Loving  you  is  why,  the  stars  are  in  the  sky,  Why  the  sun  comes  up  and  then  goes  down,  Loving  you  is  why,  my  soul’s  found  wings  to  fly,  Beyond  the  clouds  whose  shadows  touch  the  ground  Beyond  the  clouds  whose  shadows  touch  the  ground.  Verse  2  Loving  You  is,  a  gift  I  gave  myself,  Praying  at  the  time,  it’d  last  forever.  I  placed  my  heart  upon  a  shelf,  I’d  lost  myself,  looking  for  something  better,  But  the  look  in  your  eyes,  that  night  we  met,  It  calmed  my  fears,  and  carried  them  away.  You  gave  me  hope,  and  blessed  my  life,  With  meaning  that  still  fills  me  to  this  day,  With  meaning  that  still  fills  me  to  this  day,  Bridge:  I’d  spent  so  many  years,    Searching  for  the  truth,  Looking  for  the  reason  that  I’m  here,  The  pallet  of  my  life,  Was  filled  with  shades  of  blue,  'Til  Loving  You  made  my  purpose  clear  'Til    Loving  You  made  my  purpose  clear  Chorus:

12 Loving You

rse  One:|  When  I  find  that  I’m  overwhelmed,  I  shut  down,  and  I  try  to  escape,  A  sailing  ship,  without  a  helm,  On  a  quest  just  to  get  away,  Sometimes  the  world’s  too  big,  To  try  and  fit  it  all  inside  of  me,  That’s  when  I  tend  to  close  my  eyes,  And  set  my  spirit  free.    
Chorus  Thoughts,  light  as  ash  in  air,    Float  wordlessly  through  my  soul,  I  search  for  meaning  in  what  I’ve  found,  Then  turn  around  and  let  it  go.  Words  alone  cannot  express,  The  emotions  flooding  me,  A  cosmic  tide’s  deep  caress,  On  the  shore  of  an  endless  sea.Verse  Two:  There’s  so  much  to  understand,  It’s  hard  to  know  just  where  to  begin,  I’m  really  just  a  simple  man,  Searching  for  the  answers  within.  There’s  a  truth  that’s  right  for  me,  I  saw  it  shining  in  your  eyes,  A  quick  glimpse  of  eternity,  A  lonely  hearts  reprise.    Chorus  Bridge  For  a  fleeting  moment,  a  long  time  ago,  I  was  one  with  divinity,  I  search  for  that  feeling,  everywhere  I  go,  It  just  seems  to  be  eluding  me.  Then  like  a  vision,  you  appear,  And  swallow  me  into  your  dream,  And  suddenly  everything  is  clear,  On  the  edge  of  infinity,    Chorus

13 Edge Of Infinity

MiracleVerse  One  I  don't  want  to  close  my  eyes,  Now  that  my  dreams  have  finally  come  true,  If  I’d  searched  a  trillion  years,  I’d  never  find  somebody  like  you,  Chorus  There’s  a  billion,  billion  stars,  Most  of  them  like  ours,  It  could  have  been  anywhere,  anytime,  Yet  your  heart  somehow  found  mine,  It  has  to  be  divine,  It’s  a  miracle,  miracle.  Verse  2  I  know  that  I  must  seem  surprised,  As  I  stand  here,  looking  at  you.  But  When  I  look  into  your  eyes,  There's  nothing  else  I  can  do.  Chorus  Verse  3:  Stars  are  shining  brighter  now,  The  sky's  so  blue,  everything  is  new.  A  windows  opened  to  my  soul,  Revealing  things  I  did  not  know  
Bridge  For  the  first  time  in  my  life,  I  know  why  I  want  to  live,  And  for  the  first  time  in  my  life,  I  know  just  what  I  have  to  give,  You’ve  helped  me  see,  The  person  I  can  be,  And  now  I  want  to  share  it  with  the  world,  You’ve  set  me  free,  And  now  I  finally  see,  The  gifts  I  have  to  offer  to  this  world..  ChorusFinal

14 The Miracle

Verse  1  Please  God,    Can  you  hear  us  pray,  We  need  to  find,  A  better  way,  Before  we  drown  in  our  tears,  Hatred  is,    A  faithless  heart,  With  an  empty  beat,  That  tears  apart,Everything  that  it  fears.  Chorus:  Easy  come,  easy  go,  love  is  precious,  let  it  grow,  Easy  come,  easy  go,  love  is  all  we  need  to  know.  And  Love  is  all  we  need  to  know.  And  Love  is  all  we  need  to  know.  Verse  2  Please  God,    Help  us  see,    An  eye  for  an  eye,  Won't  set  us  free,  Unless  we  all  want  to  be  blind.  Vengeance  is,    A  pointless  knife,  With  no  respect,  For  the  broken  lives,  It  always  leaves  behind.Chorus:  Bridge:  Waiting  at  King's  Cross  station,  flowers  in  his  hand,  Ten  to  nine  in  the  morning,  he'd  had  so  many  plans,  A  thousand  dreams  are  shattered,  in  the  blinking  of  an  eye,  Where  do  we  go  from  here?  It's  up  to  you  and  I.  And  Love  is  all  we  need  to  know.  And  Love  is  all  we  need  to  know.  Verse  3  Teach  us,  To  love  our  foe,  And  understand,  What  we  need  to  know,  
To  really  set  our  spirits  free.  Give  us  strength,    To  rise  above,    And  fill  the  world,  We  know,  with  love,  For  all  humanity,  Chorus:

16 Love Is All We Need To Know!

Answers  sought,  to  justify  knowledge  preconceived,  Are  merely  contrived  shadows  of  false  reality,  Meaning  derived  from  truth  convoluted  Has  at  its  end,  purpose  thus  polluted.  Wisdom’s  true  value,  is  realized  once  seen,  Through  eyes  accepting  of  where  it  has  been,  Judgments  so  made,  void  of  prejudiced  notion,  With  love  and  good  will,  would  fill  up  an  ocean.

17 Epilogue

To be as one with the universe above,
Is the first step on the path of love,
Which leads into a garden of light,
Leaving behind the lonely night,
A heart touched with gentleness,
Reciprocates with tenderness,
To Love another as they love you,
Is the greatest gift shared by two,
And even greater is what grows,
When loves passion freely flows,
Through the arteries that forever bind,
The common good of humankind.

15 Prelude to Love Is Al We Need To Know

Bad Boy, performed by Andrew Huang of "Songs to Wear Pants To" fame, is a "coming of age" song about young love and lust and the feelings that a desirable woman can stir in the heart and mind of even a good boy.  



Bad boy

A song I wrote for my Nephew Kyle and his wife Aimee when they got married in Mexico

An Ordinary Life

"Art cannot change the world, but it can contribute to changing the consciousness and drives of the men and women who could change the world."  -Herbert Marcuse-
The AWNTK project began as a creative response to the growing distrust, fear, selfishness, and disconnection we saw in the world. Through being involved in this project, our own conscious awareness has grown and continues to grow. 
All We Need To Know is an interactive site.  We encourage visitors to listen to the songs, read the words, and then click on the forum link located under the title of each song. There you will find our thoughts about the song as well as comments and interpretations from other listeners.
One of the main objectives of AWNTK is to help Music, Art, Literature, and Culture change our world by transforming the destructive and divisive forces of class-consciousness into a productive and harmonized global conscious-awareness.  We hope that our words and music and the contributions of the other artists and creative thinkers on this site will help to inspire this change to occur.  "All We Need to Know" is part of a community of individuals with creations and ideas originating from a desire for change.
The music, artwork, opinion and creative content they share contribute to a continually expanding network of support and inspiration. 
AWNTK was created by writing partners, Jim Shaw and Randy Zahara, and the songs on this site are all performed by Jim Shaw, except for the additional demo of "Love Is All We Need To Know" which is performed by one of the most talented tenors touring today, Fernando Varela.

Shaw and Zahara

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