"LETTER FROM STAN" - "TEXAS PETE" SHOVLIN

People often wonder where artists, writers and musicians draw their inspiration. In one particular case, the inspiration was drawn directly from a letter written by Stan Laurel and found here at "The Stan Laurel Correspondence Archive Project."

"I just wanted to drop a note to say how great I think your site is," wrote musician Pete Shovlin. "I hail from Sunderland in the North East of England and I was doing some net research on Stan's connections with the area. I came across your site via Google and was both amazed and moved by many of the letters, most specifically the ones to fans from my part of the world. I was even more surprised by Stan's awareness of social issues in the area. As such I was inspired to write a song about it, 'Letter From Stan.'"

You can listen to Pete's moving song here:

"Letter From Stan"
By Pete Shovlin

Dear Mary, many thanks for your letter
How are you and how’s the old town?
Did you see the folks there, down at Old Dockwray Square?
Don’t tell me they’re pulling it down

And I know I wasn’t born there
But Shields is where I belong
And the new Wooden Dolly is kidding herself
She’s got nothing on the old one

It’s too bad about the shipyards
Did they close the Empire too?
Did the newspaper men pick their pens up again
Hope the boys find work pretty soon

Dear Mary, thank you for asking
Mr Hardy isn’t doing too well
I’d give him your best, but he’s been told to rest
And I guess only time will tell

And you say your husband looks like me
How lucky can any guy get?
Did I tell you the joke about the bow legged bloke?
Can you still buy those mint black bullets?

It’s too bad about the shipyards
Did they close the Empire too?
Did the newspaper men pick their pens up again
Hope the boys find work pretty soon

Dear Mary, the letters get harder
I’m ok, but slow on my feet
I imagine you cried, when you heard that Babe died
But he’s free from his pain now at least

And the skies get grey around me now
I’ve lost half of all that I am
And as I sit here tonight, I’m starting to type
Your very last letter from Stan

It’s too bad about the shipyards
Did they close the Empire too?
Did the newspaper men pick their pens up again
Hope the boys find work pretty soon

More information on Pete Shovlin can be found at
myspace.com/texaspeteshovlin