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Stanley Thompson

y song, “Wishin On Whiskey”, was written to the music of the day started to influence my ideas of
Maddress the futility of finding love in a bar. what to do with my words and feelings. Then a song
Most people wish on falling stars to make a dream by Neil Diamond, “I Am...I Said”, sparked my
come true, but this song is about a guy, lost in a imagination of becoming a songwriter. I bought
crowd, hoping some gal is going to make a connec- a guitar! I learned about five chords but realized I
tion with him while he gradually gets drunk on Jack needed more knowledge of music to make my songs
Daniels or Jim Beam whiskey. I was a bartender for more creative so in the late 70’s I talked my way into
35 years and I’ve seen “this guy” a thousand times... Berklee College of Music, in Boston, Massachusetts,
he never wins and he never learns. By the end of USA.
the night he’s given up on finding love or even a one
night stand, and now is praying he can find his way After three years I started writing better music and
home. Usually someone will realize the foolishness better lyrics which led to my first copyrights in 1983.
of a night like this by the next day, but the next night The rest is history! During those years more influ-
they’re back the bar trying again. One of these nights ences emerged, such as Cohen, Kristofferson, Dylan,
he won’t make it back home! The stars he should be Cash, Crowell, Fogerty, Seger, etc. and I gravitated
“wishin’ on”, ain’t in a bottle and they ain’t in a bar! to songs that told stories. Stories of life, love, dreams
and traveling. These days I’m still writing, playing
A Little Insight into Stan Thompson/Sydney Westan/ and singing in live shows around Santa Fe, New Mex-
Songwriter ico, USA.

For me the writing started back in the 60’s, on a dark Now, sometimes I still say to myself, “I Am...I Said”.
and stormy night...or was it a bright sunny day?.....
Anyway, I began by writing poetry and lyrics until

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