He was given a guitar when ten
With a book called 'Play in a Day'
He learned rock and blues and skiffle
Some neighbours moved away.

He maintained a daily practice
And developed an accomplished skill
Got missed by local street gangs
And then his mum fell ill.

There was just him and a distant aunt
At the cemetery near the shop
One bunch of flowers on the coffin
And a guitar tied on the top.

He now was young and rudderless
And cried inside without sound
His two most valued things in life
Were both now in the ground.

He fled the council hostel
And took to the roads and hills
Hid from societies officials
And poured Vodka on his ills.

A publican in the country
Trusted him enough
To let him work collecting glasses
And give up sleeping rough.

Now fifteen, the lonely boy
Made the bottle shed his home
Slept on an ex-army camp bed
No need any more to roam.

The whole village knew he was there
But told no-one outside
They let him come and go at will
And quietly felt their pride.

One day the village held a sale
Selling stuff some folk could spare
The vicar saw his longing look
At a red guitar hanging there.

So proffering money this worthy man
Paid the asking price
The boy stammered his thanks and ran
Lest he showed the tears in his eyes.

Alone in the bottle shed it all came back
And his fingers found the frets
His mum was at his shoulder then
And away fell his sadness and regrets.

Every moment he wasn't working 
He played and played yet more
Slowly his expertise was great
His bleeding fingers sore.

He started playing with visiting bands
And was held in high esteem
People came from miles around
And he slowly dared to dream.

He saw himself on a rock stage
With London as the Hub
He would travel widely but his 
Home would always be the pub.

He signed with a management team
And travelled near and far
He bought the pub and rebuilt it
And bought a shinny yellow car.

The saloon bar was crowded
One foggy Friday night
When down the lane came a car
With a flashing bright blue light.

The village people filled the church
The coffin borne from the car
And on top mounted amongst the flowers
Was a gleaming red guitar.