I’m a bit of a blurb nerd when it comes to CD’s and records. I get into the sleeve notes, who played what and who produced or wrote the songs. It’s a tragedy of the streaming age that we don’t get to indulge in that so much.
I bought an album by Rebecca St James and was nerding away when I noticed a familiar name on the song, ‘You Then Me’ - Bob Halligan Jr
I didn’t remember penning that one and I’m pretty sure Dad didn’t write so I did some investigation and sure enough, Bob Halligan Jr was a thing, or a person, or someone. He had a band, Ceili Rain, who I discovered were pretty good. “Funny”, I thought, “same name.”
It was after 9/11 when my dear friend, music journalist and radio presenter, Mike Rimmer was in Nashville for the GMA awards and bumped into Bob.
“I have a friend in the UK with the same name and same job as you!”
It was through Mike that Bob and I hooked up.
In 2002 I took my family to America to visit my brother Trevor and my step-mom, Jerrie. I found out Ceili Rain had a show in Reading, PA, so we rented a car and drove the 2 hours to the City Park Bandshell to see them in action.
We arrived at the open air venue a couple of hours early, the stage was set but the band was nowhere in sight. With my 2 year old daughter in my arms I wandered around the back of the stage and was about to walk through a gate marked “Authorised Personnel Only” when a security guard appeared.
“Hey, who are you?”
“Oh, I’m Rob Halligan,” I replied.
“Oh, OK.” he said and waved us through.
I marched into the back of the building looking like i knew exactly where I was heading. There was a short corridor and at the end was a door, slightly open, with the sound of animated conversation coming though. I walked in without knocking and, just like in those western movies when the guy walks into a bar, the whole place fell silent and everyone looked at me.
“Er, hi!” I said. “I’m Rob Halligan.”
A slim guy with way too much hair and a long baggy shirt, stood up. “Hey! No freaking way!”
And that’s how I met Bob Halligan Jr.
We sang a song together that night - “Junkyard”, and in the years following got to know each other, touring together in the UK and the USA.
Bob has become a dear friend, occasional mentor and brother. He’s had quite a career and in his basement has gold and platinum albums dotted around the walls with MY NAME on them!
He’s travelled with me on my own musical journey since 9/11, one of the dust covered diamonds in the wreckage of that time.
It really is a small world. 9/11 brought the news that is so often confined to our TV’s, right into our lives. We are far closer in this small world than we realise but, if we let it, that smallness can build us a brighter future.
lyrics
When I was a boy I used to think
This world was a big old place
And that road out of town
Was only there for the strong and brave
Spent my days in a world of make believe
Where I was the hero with a beautiful queen
And the bad guys would run a mile
At the sound of my name
And the news on the TV just seemed like a movie
With a cast I would never know
Driving fast through streets to the sound of a beat
Of a city I would never go
And there was fire in the sky and glint in the eye
Of the guy who would get the girl
But that was a life away in another world
For him it’s a small world, small world, small world
It’s a small world, small world, small world
Dad took a job and a wife
And he chased the American dream
Taking his life
To the other side of the world
And I took a flight and followed him right
To the sky scraped city with its music and lights
And the life of my boyhood dreams
Crashed into my world
It was a small world, small world, small world
It’s a small world, small world, small world
The news on the TV just seemed like a movie
As I searched for a face that I knew
Running fast with the crowds from the dust and the clouds
Through the streets that I’d been too
And there was fire in the sky and dust in the eye
As the whole world seemed to stall
Less than a heartbeat away when I saw it fall
That made it a small world, small world, small world
It’s a small world, small world, small world
Now my Dad had told me that I’d go far
With the songs I had and my guitar
Now I had something to say about the world I’d seen
So I took my songs of a bigger love
Found new friends and a namesake brother
And a life that we could share with the songs we sing
credits
released June 21, 2023
Rob Halligan - Lead Vocal, Guitars, Programming
Bob Halligan Jr - Backing Vocals, Piano
Chris Hunt - Lead Guitar
Award winning international artist who has worked with Graeme Duffin,Sandy Jones (Wet Wet Wet), Bob Halligan Jr (Judas
Priest, Cher), After The Fire, and Paul Evans (Delirious). He has appeared on BBC Radio 2, BBC1 TV, ITV’s Daybreak and many local radio stations....more
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