Soon

Album: Wildness (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Snow Patrol singer Gary Lightbody's father, Jack, was diagnosed with dementia in 2015. The Snow Patrol singer has had to watch his dad struggle with his condition and he wrote "Soon" as a supportive message to him.

    Soon you'll not remember anything
    But then someday neither will I
    Tomorrow though is nothing to fear
    Because father it's always today


    Lightbody told The Big Issue: "I love my dad... I have a lot of respect for him so I wanted to honor him, but at the same time I also have a lot of guilt for being away for most of my adult life. I don't just mean LA, I mean Glasgow, London, or on tour constantly. And there is probably a place in my head where I go when I'm feeling homesick and that is both a place of calm and nostalgia and also a place of guilt and some shame."
  • The heartbreaking song was inspired by the hurt Lightbody feels about his father's condition.

    Life won't flash before your eyes
    Instead will fall away then melt like snow
    The secret storms of your wild youth
    Now just gentle breezes, warm and faint


    "It's been tough," Lightbody told The Sun, "but also beautiful in ways because my dad reminisces a lot. Your long-term memory is the last to go, so he's now talking about his childhood a lot and we have conversations about him being a boy and I hear stories I've not heard before. It's been illuminating and touching to have a renewed connection at a time when it feels some of it is slipping away."
  • The song's music video was directed by frequent Snow Patrol collaborator Brett Simon, who has helmed music clips for every track on the Wildness album. It shows Lightbody and his father sitting together watching old home movies. Lightbody said:

    "Filming it with him was one of the best days I ever spent with my dad and I'm so grateful he got to share in the day and spend some time in my world. It meant everything to me."
  • Asked by Billboard how his parents reacted to the song, Lightbody revealed that his mother originally responded more negatively to it than his father. He explained:

    "My mom's been through a lot, and I don't really know how to write a song about my mom because she raised us. I don't really know how to put that into words. She kind of broke down and cried when she heard it. I think she didn't feel seen, which was a tough day. But she has a different relationship to the song now."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Ralph Casale  - Session Pro

Ralph Casale - Session ProSongwriter Interviews

A top New York studio musician, Ralph played guitar on many '60s hits, including "Lightnin' Strikes," "A Lover's Concerto" and "I Am A Rock."

Adam Young of Owl City

Adam Young of Owl CitySongwriter Interviews

Is Owl City on a quest for another hit like "Fireflies?" Adam answers that question and explains the influences behind many others.

John Parr

John ParrSongwriter Interviews

John tells the "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" story and explains why he disappeared for so long.

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired Men

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired MenSong Writing

Bowie's "activist" days of 1964 led to Ziggy Stardust.

Dennis DeYoung

Dennis DeYoungSongwriter Interviews

Dennis DeYoung explains why "Mr. Roboto" is the defining Styx song, and what the "gathering of angels" represents in "Come Sail Away."

Meshell Ndegeocello

Meshell NdegeocelloSongwriter Interviews

Meshell Ndegeocello talks about recording "Wild Night" with John Mellencamp, and explains why she shied away from the spotlight.