Kid

For the past seven days, we’ve been checking out Dark Little Ones (2023), the new album by my son, Kieran West. Today we’re on to the second-last track, “Kid.”

Kieran says this about the song: “This is a song that I wrote about a student of mine a few years back. Reflecting upon it, the song speaks to me as well. In a way I think I was trying to write something to heal my inner child. I know this is a song that many people have connected with over the years and I have always appreciated that kind of feedback. I think of this recording as a gentle reminder that there is hope for those of us who feel that we have been cursed.

“Adolescence can seem like a weird trap for some of us. I know it did for me. But it’s true when they say that life outside of high school is so much bigger. It can just be very hard to see that when you’re in it.”

I can relate to what Kieran is saying here, both from my perspective as a parent and as one who was parented. As adults, we often raise children in the ways modelled for us, which aren’t always healthy. At the same time, there is an acknowledgment by some experts that most parents do the best they can given their own circumstances and wounds. That may sound like a cop-out to some, and maybe it is. But I think back to the past when whole generations carried the burdens and effects of two world wars, a deadly worldwide pandemic and economic depression, all occurring in the space of forty years… surely those traumas must have been passed down in some ways. Watching Kieran as a father to his son is a marvellous thing, with the strong self-awareness he has developed, learning from his own challenges to care for himself, and give that care to his family, friends and students, who all adore him. I am optimistic about the future when I see this breaking of the cycle.

“It’s painful
Walking in your shoes
Everyone who loves you
Makes you feel used
You want to hurt them
But you just hurt yourself
You don’t need to be ashamed
If you need some help

It’s not your fault
You’re just a kid
And you don’t need to live the life
That your parents did
And it’s not fair
You’ll have to wait
But if you can be strong now
One day you’ll escape

They push you
And you just run away
Sometimes you just can’t control
The angry words you say
They’re yelling
And you’re just yelling back
They don’t understand you now
The way you feel and act

All those years you can’t get back
Walking down the rusty track
All the other kids seem so confused
One day you will grow up tall
One day you will see it all
One day you won’t have something to prove”

Words and music © 2023 by Kieran West.

Personnel:
Kieran West: acoustic guitar, piano, vocal

I also resonate with what Kieran says about adolescence and high school. Growing up can be confusing, and the place we spend much of our time — school — can make it so much worse when it is not a safe, supportive environment. I don’t remember being bullied quite to the extent he was in school, but aside from a couple of teachers who I believe saw me as a person of value (the way Kieran views his students), I couldn’t wait to get out of that place.

In my opinion, the combination of the themes is what has made this song so appealing to his audiences and gained the positive feedback Kieran refers to.

“Kid” is another song I have heard many times, performed with solo guitar and voice. The addition of the piano adds much to the poignancy of the piece.

Now you know a little about why this is my Song of the Day for Today. Thanks for joining me here, and please enjoy the audio from the Kieran West YouTube topic channel (and click the thumb’s-up in YouTube to show it some love!):

A local video producer, Drop Pictures, filmed Kieran playing a few of his songs in 2019. One of those videos is a live performance of “Kid.” I’m sharing it so you can see the artist at work and note how Kieran has developed his singing voice over the four years between the video and the studio recording.

Tomorrow will be the big finish in our look at Dark Little Ones, and you won’t want to miss it — see you back here tomorrow!

With my best wishes,

Steve