Iʼd like to thank everyone for everything my habits, both good and bad
May every drug I ever took come back and get you high
May every shot of Jameson or glass of Red Wine come back and give you that courage that we all need from time to time
May everyone have a father who plays Elvis and Mahalia Jackson records at home
and a Mother who never missed her son play to the bar staff on a Monday night at the El Macambo, Leeʼs Palace or Opera house
I want to thank you for every unbearably long tour across the Trans Canada and US interstates
You gave me time to think
I worked a lot of things out in my window seat
To Peter Gabriel, Mike Patton,The Clash, Bjork, Bowie and Leonard Cohen
Thank you seems inadequate, especially to Leonard May music somehow finds its way back to that type of genius
To the poets, John Giorno, Allen Ginsberg, Anis Mojgani, Jared Paul
Thank you, Thank you Thank you, Your words carry me
Especially John for signing my book the way you did “To Raine, Everyone gets Lighter”
How could you have known your little quote would become the basis for an entire album
May every artist have the opportunity to record on a 1960ʼs Neve Recording console like the one I treasure
You make me sound conspicuously like a competent engineer
I promise to never cheat on you
To Kevin, Bryden, Danny, Drew, Chantal and Randy
Thank you for your talents and helping We All Get Lighter sound better than I could have hoped
To my wife Chantal, thank you for everything
I now understand living as opposed to searching for the meaning of life
Thank you for our three incredible boys
To our three boys, thank you for making me care more about everything
If music is the evidence of life you are the evidence of something even greater
Every word on “We All Get Lighter” is influenced by how responsible and needed our family makes me feel
Through you I am able to celebrate the small victories in life
To every fan that cheered when I was awful, Thank You
To the ones that still cheer
To Francesco Galle, Grazie mille amico mio
You are art at its purest and the only person I know to paint with espresso
To everyone that understands and accepts that I am a contradiction
Especially the guy that didnʼt appreciate my "Busking for Change" initiative while playing a $2000.00 Gibson Guitar
To UCLA for inviting me to share the stage at your Mighty Mic Human Rights Awareness Concert with Jello Biafra and Saul Williams
That evening was not lost on me
Hell, I framed the poster
May every Nissan Leaf, recyclable grocery bag, local farmers market, low flow showerhead and Brita pitcher forever keep my global citizeness in check
And to those responsible citizens who do infinitely more Thank you for making me feel inadequate
To the awards and platinum records that sit quietly in a box at my momʼs house, Thank you in advance
Iʼve never thought of myself as particularly clever, charming or deserving but one day your phallic plasticness will make me smile
Most likely when one of my sons picks one up and says “ you won record of the year? ”
Warchild, Mental Health Awareness, PBI, Artists for Justice & Peace , Apathy is Boring
I owe you, big time! Without you I wouldnʼt know Iraq or Darfur or injustice or virtue
And finally to commonsense , for helping me realize and accept that being a musician in this world is a debt that not only comes at a premium but gets paid even after the debt is settled
Thank You everyone
