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This e-mail from my brother just made me smile. In a time not long ago or far away:

Hi All...

I sent this to my friend Brian Donald who was in the Sea Cadet band with me and was the original drummer for Chad Allen and the Silvertones, who later became "The Guess Who".

Brian and I later played together in a band in Toronto and our guitar player, Doug Campbell, was an original member of Neil Young's band "The Squires"...Doug gave me Neil's white jean jacket which I wore on my first journey to California and also made me (he was also a guitar maker) my first guitar.


-----Original Message-----
From: Baba [mailto:babafar@vcn.bc.ca]
Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2006 11:22 PM
To: Brian Donald
Subject: Patterson's Ranch House

Hi Brother...

I thought you might enjoy my lyrics to this song I wrote about 10 years back that may bring back some memories...(to a kind of rockabilly groove)...Remember Patterson's Ranch House at Logan and Keewatin?


Patterson's Ranch House Tonight

It was Saturday night
And I was just 16
I had a couple a dollars
Stickin in my jeans
And I walked down to the corner
On a wintery night

It was howling and a blowing
And a drifting snow
and my friends were waiting for me
Cause we wanted to know
who was playing music
Down at Patterson's Ranch House
Tonight...

Well they never let us in
Because we looked too young
But we hung around the doorway
Just to have some fun
Watching all those duck-tailed dudes
with their groovy chicks

With those 57' Chevy's that were
Raked just right
And the "candy apple" flashing in
The bright street lights
They were packing up the parking lot
At Patterson's Ranch House
Tonight...

Well, everything'll be be just great
Even though I don't have a date
We'll hang around and stay up late
Listening to the rockin' band

Ya know Garry has a friend inside
Who'll maybe take us out for a ride
And slip us a beer on the side
Down at Patterson's Ranch House
Tonight...

Well I hung around the doorway
In the freezing air
And music was the reason
We were really there
We were shaking all over
to the sound
of the new Guess Who

I saw a rocking Burton Cummings
And a young Neil Young
And no one had a clue
What they would soon become,
they were just
Diggin' the music
Down at Patterson's Ranch House
Tonight...

Well everthing will be just fine
If we can make it to the dance on time
Peeking through the cracks for a sign
Of our favorite local rocking band
And I'm stealing every lick I can
i'm gonna be a guitar man
Playing in a rocking band
Down at Patteron's Ranch House
Tonight...

I'd love to hear this song, St. Theresa. Not only does it bring back memories, but in its clear and concise lyrics, it hearkens to those simpler times. So easy to imagine the scenes described. I wonder if your brother might record and send it on to you, and then voila[!], here it appears ! Your brother was privy to some great beginnings .

Thanks for sharing this .

~ Lizzy

Lizzy thanks for you comments--Ted aka Baba Farid (my brother) has written many songs --usually not as light hearted as this one but more in a spiritual tradition. http://www.angelfire.com/ca/sufi/

You can hear some of them at the above site if you choose.
Love
st t

Ah, thanks St. T ~

I'll definitely check it out !! Now, he needs to place this one there .

Love,
Lizzy

Lizzy,
An exciting codicil to this original post...my brother received a note from a New York publisher, asking if they could have permission to
publish this poem in Neil Young's new book that is due out in December I think. He credits it with my having posted it on this website...just imagine!