Pawpaw's Diary Messages to my Grandsons - 122

Pawpaw's Diary Messages to my Grandsons - 122

"The Dash" by indie artist, author, and poet Steven Skelley is a poignant, acoustic storytelling track that explores mortality, legacy, and the true meaning of life. Formatted like a spoken-word poem set to music, the song features a distinct 3/4 waltz-like rhythm designed to mimic the emotional ebb and flow of human nostalgia. [1, 2]

The Core Theme and Lyrics

The song centers entirely on the metaphor of a tombstone. Skelley notes that while everyone receives a birth date and a death date ("date dash date"), the dates themselves are out of our control. Instead, the song emphasizes that the tiny horizontal line separating those years—the dash—is the only part of life we actually get to create. [1, 2, 3]

Key lines from the track reflect this philosophy:

"They say that life is date dash date
Your tombstone records your birth and fate...
I find myself between the dates
The dash represents my current state
The place I'm challenged to create
The best dash in my date dash date." [1]

Musical and Structural Style

• Audio Journal Entry: The track operates with the intimacy of a private diary reflection, serving as a deeply personal yet comforting anthem for the audience. [1]
• Signature Artistry: Released on his album Pawpaw's Diary 1, the song incorporates Skelley's signature artistic focus on finding "joy in the journey" and processing grief through everyday moments of beauty. [1, 2]
• Impact: It stands as a minimalist, heartfelt piece of independent songwriting meant to prompt listeners to reassess how they treat others and how they spend their own time on Earth. [1, 3, 4]

I did compose this song but my voice wasn't up to recording the vocals due to asthma. I hope you enjoy it anyway.

The Dash By Steven Skelley They say that life is date dash date Your tombstone records your birth and fate It matters not how grand or great We all receive our date dash date We do not choose the date we are born And death does not choose to forewarn Some see one hundred years while others still-born Life mimics the mystery of the rose and thorn I find myself between the dates The dash represents my current state The place I'm challenged to create The best dash in my date dash date Copyright 2021 Steven Skelley

Hi Kiddos! Pawpaw loves you.

This is a music video of one of the songs I've composed and recorded. I leave it for you to see and hear because I want you to know your Pawpaw. My songs and my poems are my life stories, my beliefs, my hopes and they tell fully who I am.

Pawpaw loves you forever. I may not be here for the rest of your life but I will love you for the rest of mine and beyond.