Coming Home

Artist:  Les Lepage

Description: I have written 10 original songs for “Coming Home”. There are 3 very personal songs on this new release which include “Coming Home” where I pay tribute to folks like Denis St. Michael, Ron McMunn, Ralph Carlson and the like for giving a young singer/songwriter the time of day. “Fly Away Angel” which I wrote after reading my niece Miranda’s (Randi) obituary, she was only 12 years old. “On Over The Hill” is a song I wrote about my Dad (Rudy) just after he passed away. I hope you like them.

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  1. Coming Home
  2. Till The Angels Pass Me By
  3. Rangy Old Duster
  4. Cute Little Red Head
  5. I Thought I Heard You Say
  6. I Can Never Hide
  7. Fly Away Angel
  8. On Over The Hill
  9. Rita-Mae
  10. Rock N Roll Radio Station

The theme to this record is all about roots, family and friends who come along for the ride with you. The people and things that move you and get you through. I hope you enjoy it.

I have written 10 original songs for “Coming Home”. There are 3 very personal songs on this new release which include “Coming Home” where I pay tribute to folks like Denis St. Michael, Ron McMunn, Ralph Carlson and the like for giving a young singer/songwriter the time of day when they really didn’t have to. “Fly Away Angel” which I wrote after reading my niece Miranda’s (Randi) obituary, she was only 12 years old. “On Over The Hill” is a song I wrote about my Dad (Rudy) just after he passed away. I hope you like them.

I’d like to thank the musicians who came out to get this new release completed. John Dillabough on Electric/acoustic lead guitar and pickin’, Rod Delcourt on bass guitar and vocal harmonies, Al Bragg on pedal steel and leslie organ, Lauren Hall for her vocal harmomies on “Fly Away Angel” and Wade Foster on fiddle for the title track. It is always a pleasure working with these great and talented folks. Eric Craig has also been a great help over the past couple of years, playing engineer when recording my parts.

I’d also like to thank the Ottawa Valley radio stations who’ve supported my releases over the years such as Valley Heritage Radio 98.7 FM, CKCU 93.1 FM, CHIP 101.7 FM, CHLK Lake 88.1 FM and I know I’ve missed a couple but you know who you are, as well as the college/university stations across Canada.

“Coming Home” is available at iTunes & Apple Music,
as well as Valley Heritage Radio 98.7 FM, in Renfrew, Ontario.

If you’d like to listen and or purchase a copy for download, go to the itunes store and search for Les Lepage, (you need to have iTunes installed on your computer, tablet, SmartPhone, etc. to do this).

I wrote this song while thinking about growing up in Carleton Place, Ontario (a teenager trying to find his way). I was fortunate to have friends like Ron McMunn who always had time for me and would allow me to play a couple of tunes with him and his band from time to time. I also met Denis St. Micheal in 1977 and he taught me my first three chords on the guitar. I was dating one of the Neil girls at the time and the Neil’s would have these jam session get togethers, on Fri and Sat nights. There were some 10 musicians there playing fiddles, mandolins, acoustic guitars, spoons etc.. It was a great learning experience for me and I felt right at home.

Coming Home
I’ve been away for awhile, Look at all the change in styles
There’s the Miss, standing tall, Ron McMunn would rock that hall
From “Reserve Me A Table”, To “My Old Truck”
He’d sing Hank songs and he’d even play some Chuck

I’m Coming Home, I’m Coming Home
I’ve been away for too long
It’s time to come right back around
I’m Coming Home

Denis St. Michael taught me my first three chords
I played and I played, “The Streets of Baltimore”
We hung out at the jams, over at the Neils
There were so many players, All playing what they feel

I’m Coming Home, I’m Coming Home
I’ve been away for too long
It’s time to come right back around
I’m Coming Home

Time it won’t let me, Go back again
Some have now left us, Let’s hear it for them

It’s funny when you look back, Down that long winding road
How your up and your down, Yet you still continue on
It’s a passion deep inside, You gotta hang on to that ride
It’ll get you where your going, It’ll tear you up inside

I’m Coming Home, I’m Coming Home
I’ve been away for too long
It’s time to come right back around
I’m Coming Home

Written by: Les Lepage
Published by: Restless Writer Music

I wrote this song in June 2014 while staying with my brother who was having some medical issues and I was afraid he may not be with us for much longer. The first verse is from my perspective and the second verse is from his perspective. The song started out to be a Waylon Jennings type song but immediately became a Merle Haggard type song, so I went with it and was quite taken as to where the song took me. Another treat on this track was having Al Bragg playing Pedal Steel and Keys. When I contacted Al to lay some tracks down, I was hoping to get some organ with a Leslie cabinet on 3 of my songs. Al owns the same Leslie cabinet that has travelled all over the world and in the studio with Ted Gerow of The Staccatos and The Five Man Electrical Band. I’m a bit of a music history buff and thought I’d give mention to this beautiful old Leslie cabinet and it’s travels over the last 40 some years.

Till The Angels Pass Me By
I’ve always been a wanderin’ kinda man
I get out of most towns as fast as I can
I won’t tell you somethin’
That, I don’t believe in
And every time I look into the stars
It’s you, That I’ll be seein’

You gotta Take it, Leave the world behind
You can break it, Drive you outta your mind
You can loose it, In the wink of an eye
Hold on to today or til the angels pass me by

Sometimes, there’s things we do without reason
How these things can hurt
The ones we love
I keep beating down that path
Like nothin’ matters
It’s a spirit deep inside & the fire doesn’t want to die

You gotta Take it, Leave the world behind
You can break it, Drive you outta your mind
You can loose it, In the wink of an eye
Hold on to today or til the angels pass me by
Hold on to today or til the angels pass me by
Giddy up, let’s roll

Written by: Les Lepage
Published by: Restless Writer Music

This song I wrote a few years back. I was actually writing this one for Waylon Jennings. I’ve always been a big Waylon fan and this song came to me one day and I went with it. It’s an observation song of sorts. John Dillabough just lights the song up with his Fender Stratocaster lead licks and fills. Rod Delcourt layed down some nice Bass work on this tune and it all just kinda came together.

Rangy Old Duster
I’ve been beatin’ and been busted, I’ve seen love turn to hate
I’ve been hated and mistrusted, Can’t seem to get the time of day

You know, when I wake up, I can breathe, taste and smell, like you do
No cares about tomorrow, Don’t care where I’ll be, or with who
I’m just a rangy old duster, Livin’ on the road and pitchin’ bull

Every now and then I look out, See a life wasting away
Wonder why they don’t move on, Why they seem to like to stay

You can sign on the dotted line, And work your fingers to the bone
Loose your job tomorrow morning, And wonder how you’ll ever get along
I’m just a rangy old duster, Livin’ on the road and pitchin’ bull

Met a girl back in Houston, Wanted me for her own
I kinda got the feelin’, I was just her steppin’ stone
Got a ride to Montgomery, In a beat-up Chevy van
Shared some whiskey and some stories
Then got out and thanked the man

You know in this lifetime, You’ve only got one life to live
If you wonder and you worry, You’ll wonder if you gave, all you could give
I’m just a rangy old duster, Livin’ on the road and pitchin’ bull
Just a rangy old duster, Livin’ on the road and pitchin’ bull

Written by: Les Lepage
Published by: Restless Writer Music

This song is for all you red heads out there. This tune came out of the air one day and I had to write it down and worked on it. It’s a rocker that tells a story of a very happy couple enjoying what is given to them.  Turn it up or turn it off. Rod Delcourt layed down a great Bass track and John Dillabough layed some really good guitar tracks down on this tune. Again, turn it up or turn it off.

Cute Little Red Head
Well I got me a cute little red head, Stands about five foot three
She’s got a pretty pink dress, Great blue eyes And she’s waitin’ just for me
She stands there on the corner, All the guy’s drive by and think
Boy I’d like to take her out, Maybe buy her a drink
She don’t stand for nothin’, she just loves me patiently
My cute little red headed lady, Waitin’ just for me

Well I met her on a Friday, Down at the high school hop
When she came over and asked me, Baby would you like to bop
I nearly fell over a chair, Trying to get to her
We rock n rolled around the floor, We danced the whole night through
Though she never asks for nothin’, She just loves me patiently
My cute little red headed lady, Waitin’ just for me

We hung around at parties, We played around till dawn
We hung around the quarry, We went a swimmin’ all day long
We drove around together, In my Chevrolet
And when we’d get restless, We’d go down to the lake
But she don’t ask me questions, She just loves me patiently
My cute little red headed lady, Waitin’ just for me
My cute little red headed lady, Waitin’ just for me

Just for me… Just for me… Just for me… Just for me…

Written by: Les Lepage
Published by: Restless Writer Music

This is a song I wrote based on things that were going on around me at the time. I wanted to put myself in the shoes of other’s. This is a song of love gone wrong and the loss of a relationship that meant everything to the individual. Al Bragg plays organ through his classic Leslie cabinet on this tune. John Dillabough plays lead guitar along with Rod Delcourt on Bass.

I Thought I Heard You Say
I’ve Been running so long
Going out of my mind
Trying to erase the memories
Leave them all behind
I see a purple sky
So Lonesome I Could Cry

I turn the radio on
They play our favourite song
And think back to the days
When we drove on and on and on
I’ve got those Lovesick Blues
I’ve Been A Fool About You

I thought I heard you say, C’mon baby & hold me tight
I thought I heard you say, Come on over, it’ll be alright
Now I can’t stop this feeling, No, I can’t change a thing
I can only hold onto, The things you did for me
I thought I heard you say

As I lay my head
I look up and pray
Hope dear Lord said help her
Watch her night and day
With Tears In My Eyes
I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive

I thought I heard you say, C’mon baby & hold me tight
I thought I heard you say, Come on over, it’ll be alright
Now I can’t stop this feeling, No, I can’t change a thing
I can only hold onto, The things you did for me
I thought I heard you say

Written by: Les Lepage
Published by: Restless Writer Music

This is a more traditional type of cryin’ and hurtin’ song I wrote one day. Again this song came to me while I was playing around with my guitar. There were a couple of friends who were going through a separation and this couple were always really close but something happened between them and things went wrong fast. My buddy was having a hard time with the separation and divorce and would confide in me at times and that’s how this song got it’s start. It’s one of those songs that pretty much wrote itself.

I Can Never Hide
We were young, We had time
We had these dreams, Inside our minds
A big old farm house, A truck to drive
And our two kids, Playing tag outside

We took our chances, We took our time
And we got by, Ridin’ on that line
But now I wake up, And your not here
I wonder why, And shed a tear

I can run, Or I could drive
I can sit, In a field and cry
I can lay down, Or I could die
From your love, I can never hide

Pictures remind me, Of what we had
And in those pictures, Not one was sad
Now one hangs, inside of me
This picture no one, will ever see

I can run, Or I could drive
I can sit, In a field and cry
I can lay down, Or I could die
From your love, I can never hide
From your love, I can never hide
From your love, I can never hide

Written by: Les Lepage
Published by: Restless Writer Music

I wrote this the day after my niece “Miranda Nicole Lavergne” passed away, shortly before her 13th birthday from complications from Spina Bifida. It was a devastating time for the family. I was so overwhelmed by her passing that I picked up my guitar and this melody started flowing out of me. I couldn’t stop it, it had to be written. I recorded a rough demo of it and shared it with the family. While working and preparing for this project for 2016, I knew I had to record this song in honour of my wonderful niece who never had the chance to do all the things that most kids get to do in life, like living to grow old.

Fly Away Angel
Pretty little baby girl, Came to us, Into this world
Everybody gathered round
Just to hear, Your first sounds
Going out for walks in the park
Riding your bike, Before it’s dark
C’mon Dad, Let’s race
Put a smile, upon your face

Fly away angel, As we say goodbye
You know how much we love you, And how you’ve changed our lives
You made us all stronger, With your loving ways
Unconditional love, You gave us everyday

I’m sure your flying high as a dove
Spreading round unconditional love
No more pain, No more stays
You flying along your way
We know you hear us and we tell you true
It’s not the same here, Without you
We let our selfish feelings be
So you could finally soar and be free

Fly away angel, As we say goodbye
You know how much we love you, And how you’ve changed our lives
You made us all stronger, With your loving ways
Unconditional love, You gave us everyday
Unconditional love, You gave us everyday

This song is dedicated to the life of “Miranda Nicole Lavergne” (a.k.a. Randi). Apr 16, 1986 to Mar 13, 1999

Written by: Les Lepage
Published by: Restless Writer Music

Here’s a song I wrote for my Dad. I wrote this within a few days of his passing. Here was another one of these songs that came to me when I picked up my guitar to play a few Johnny Cash songs for my Dad, who was a huge Johnny Cash fan. The song wrote itself within 30 minutes or so. My Dad was a hard working man who did anything and everything for his family. He was taken from us way too early and every member of the Lepage clan misses him so much. He was definitely a big story teller who loved to laugh, be with his family and help people whenever he could.

On Over The Hill
Born on a Monday, 1941,
My grandma, she had her a son
He worked in the fields, to earn his keep
Dreamed of a better life, down by the creek

Trippin’ and stumblin’, on over the hill
Watchin’ and waitin’, to see how you feel
Rollin’ and laughin’, tag your it
Playin’ or fixin’ he new how it fit
Playin’ or fixin’ he new how it fit

He remembers the day, that he fell in love
Met him a women, like he never saw
3 boy’s, two girls, now 9 grandkids
Helpin’ people is just what he did

Trippin’ and stumblin’, on over the hill
Watchin’ and waitin’, to see how you feel
Rollin’ and laughin’, tag your it
Playin’ or fixin’ he new how it fit
Playin’ or fixin’ he new how it fit

Oct 15, 1998
That was the day that he passed away
57 years from the day he was born
Oh how we miss his wonderful stories

Trippin’ and stumblin’, on over the hill
Watchin’ and waitin’, to see how you feel
Rollin’ and laughin’, tag your it
Playin’ or fixin’ he new how it fit
Playin’ or fixin’ he new how it fit

Written by: Les Lepage
Published by: Restless Writer Music

This is a nice rockabilly shuffle about a girl who drives a man crazy with her looks. This song is another one that wrote itself in no time. Thanks to John Dillabough for the great lead guitar tracks and to Rod Delcourt for the excellent Bass track and Harmony vocal tracks. Turn this one up or turn it off.

Rita-Mae
I met this girl, just the other day
Drive’s me crazy, what could I say
She walked along the road, She looked me in the eye
And I pulled over, hoping she need a ride

She’s a lovely Rita, Love lovely Rita
Lovely Rita, love lovely, Rita-Mae

I saw her again, late Fri night
Dressed to the hilt with her clothes so tight
I asked her to dance and she looked at me
She started to laugh and asked if I was crazy

She’s a lovely Rita, Love lovely Rita
Lovely Rita, love lovely, Rita-Mae

All I wanted was to have her by my side
Oh this lady, she’s drivin’ me wild

Everywhere I go, I see her pretty face
I look up in the sky and I see her long legs
She’s giving me the shake but I cannot let go
Of this feelin’ in my heart, telling me I love her so

She’s a lovely Rita, Love lovely Rita
Lovely Rita, love lovely, Rita-Mae

As I walked out, of the liquor store
There stood Rita-Mae by my car door
She had my keys, locked up in her hand
And away we drove off, to the promise land

She’s a lovely Rita, Love lovely Rita
Lovely Rita, love lovely, Rita-Mae
Shake, shake, shake it Rita-Mae
Shake, shake, shake it Rita-Mae
Shake, shake, shake it Rita-Mae
Shake, shake, shake it Rita-Mae

Written by: Les Lepage
Published by: Restless Writer Music

This is a ruckus of a song. It’s about 2 friends who get into all kinds trouble and who love to Rock N Roll. Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley along with all the other rocker’s who dared to go where no man had gone before. Here we are some 60 years later and this music is still being played and learned by new artists everyday. I believe these Rock N Roll artists of the 50’s influenced the likes of The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Bob Seger, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, CCR, Bruce Springsteen, The Ramones etc…

Rock N Roll Radio Station
Me  and a friend, got out of hand, Down at the Railway Station
Too many nights of beer drinkin’ fights, Livin’ Rock N Roll damnation
Oh we travelled here and we travelled there
Met a many men along the way
And still we ride, until we die, We’re livin’ Rock N Roll suicide

Oh I wish I was in Tennessee, I can almost hear them playin’
My favourite song, I’d sing all along, Little Sister and Maybelene
The house would rock when Elvis played
There goes Buddy flyin’ away
And Chuck he plays until this day, playin’ Rock N Roll all night

Yeah they stayed with it, all the way
Even when they weren’t playin’ their records
50 years later, you can hear them sing their songs
Yeah they stayed with it, all the way
Even when they weren’t playin’ their records
Turn your radio on and listen to a Rock N Roll radio station

Oh I wish I was in Tennessee, I can almost hear them playin’
My favourite song, I’d sing all along, Little Sister and Maybelene
The house would rock when Elvis played
There goes Buddy flyin’ away
And Chuck he plays until this day, Playin’ Rock N Roll all night

Yeah they stayed with it, all the way
Even when they weren’t playin’ their records
50 years later, you can hear them sing their songs
Yeah they stayed with it, all the way
Even when they weren’t playin’ their records
Turn your radio on and listen to a Rock N Roll radio station
Rock N Roll radio station, Rock N Roll radio station …

Written by: Les Lepage
Published by: Restless Writer Music
All rights reserved.