Doorways

Doorways : January 2025

An anthology of all the - and, sadly, the final - song lyrics written by Irish singer-songwriter Paul Murphy during January 2025.

Written as his 10-year battle with a neuro-degenerative condition came to its inevitable conclusion, in the space of those 31 days an amazing 39 songs were composed, as powerful, strident and emotive as any in his 40-year catalogue: societal excoriations such as 'Those Who In Hell's Name' and 'The System'; narrative playlets, such as Internet hits 'No Free Rides' and 'Cellar-Door Blues'; touching ballads for his children, 'Beautiful You' and 'My Children'; geo-political observations in 'Peace...' and the Trump election reflection 'The Torch Is Out'. Also here are 'Damn It All', a heart-rending rail against the disease which beat him, the health system that misdiagnosed and then refused to treat him, and the family and friends who disowned him, and the epic, 63-verse morality tale, 'Avenues Just Left'.

Along with the songs are two touching birthday poems that he wrote to his young children during this time, and Paul additionally composed an essay, 'Beginnings & Gates', on the songs presented here and their backstories.
Accompanying the printed lyrics are copies of many of the original handwritten lyrics, and artworks and drop-cards for some of the Internet performances of the songs.

A final collection of storytelling prose-work from a master of the genre.

From 'The Torch Is Out'

They're lining up to pull things down
Driving equality into the ground
"If you're different, there's the door"
"No safety for your kind any more"

"We'll tell you who you can love"
"Executive orders from the lord above"
"How you're born is how you'll stay"
"We're taking all your choices away"

"Don't try to hide behind the Amendment"
"You're an already-guilty defendant"
"Change your eyes and change your skin"
"Or out you go, and so do your kin"

"Churches won't bring sanctuary"
"You're too few, we're too many"
"We say which Commandments apply"
"None at all, so it's 'Goodbye'"

"Give your children one last kiss"
"Add their name to the 'Despatch' list"
"We don't care where they were born"
"We just want them gone, gone, gone"


From 'Midnight's Comin''

Fire's gettin' low
Wind's pickin' up
Better check the windows are all shut
There's a warning siren, piercing the night
Grab what you value, and clutch it tight

River's burst its banks
Water's flowin' free
Not a road unsubmerged as far as you can see
Church bell ringin' 'I Told You So'
'Don't Start Repentin' Now, The Lord Don't Want To Know'

Lamps are bein' lit
Psalms bein' said
Feels like the world is hangin' by a thread
There's smoke comin' off of the Hollywood Sign
President says "Don't worry - everything's fine"

Which wire to cut
Red, white or blue
Your fingers are tremblin', and so are you
Your children are frightened, they're startin' to cry
And momma doesn't know any lullabies

From 'My Children'


Dylan and Emily, wherever you're to
Just want you to know that I'm thinking of you
You're always in my heart
You're always in my thoughts
May the dealing hand of fate never sell you short