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Songs & Words
'I decided to write a book being as many of the accounts of The Wildhearts turbulent career have since turned into the stuff of traumatic myth and titanic legend, this way I can put the story straight using descriptions of the songs themselves and the life and times behind them.
The story, however, goes much deeper than merely The Wildhearts, and descends into a solo career that marks the darkest times of my life and the truly tragic depths of my tale.
Ending on a career high as my 555% Pledge campaign shot my stagnant life as a struggling songwriter air bound to unprecedented levels of success, this is a tale of redemption, self discovery and, ultimately, battling the odds and winning on my own terms.'
The story, however, goes much deeper than merely The Wildhearts, and descends into a solo career that marks the darkest times of my life and the truly tragic depths of my tale.
Ending on a career high as my 555% Pledge campaign shot my stagnant life as a struggling songwriter air bound to unprecedented levels of success, this is a tale of redemption, self discovery and, ultimately, battling the odds and winning on my own terms.'
288 pages, Unknown Binding
First published May 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 13, 2016
Here is a clever bit of fanservice that manages to break out of its own mold and do something unique with itself. Songs & Words is a rock n roll confessional akin to The Dirt, disguised as what is essentially linear notes for every song Ginger wrote in his career in the music industry. Each song presents a small story piece that on the whole forms a mosaic of an unconventional, turbulent, and interesting musician. He postures while debunking the typical rock star posturing. There is excess so excessive it breaks the concept of excess, and then he details his adamant refusal of tour groupies to be faithful to his girlfriend. He lands a professional relationship with a musical idol of his by just asking politely. He receives inspiration from ghosts, he gets catfished on myspace, he moves a cell of international prison inmates to tears, he gets women’s orgasms recorded on one album and gets his daughter’s laughter on the next. It’s unbelievable in every sense of the word and that somehow makes it believable. The wildly unfocused and tangential nature of the writing and structure somehow works completely in its favor, alternating between grand stories and small details that slowly get filled in as the book progresses. The style manifests the turbulence it’s meant to describe. And as fanservice-y as the concept is, he won’t hesitate to tell the fans that funded his book that a couple of their favorites are ones he doesn’t even like, or lamenting how they ignore some of his favorite compositions. That gives me faith in Ginger using crowdfunding as his main dig these days, because the last thing I’d want any artist to do is to turn to pandering so that their fans will keep funding them. If this book is any indication, pandering isn’t in his blood. And you can trust me, as a shameless fan who puts Ginger on a hallowed songwriting pedestal and financially contributed to the making of this and is probably compromised on reviewing it objectively despite insisting that I backed it with only a slight cynical hope it would turn out well, I still think this would be interesting to someone who doesn’t know what a wildheart is. I’d recommend it.
June 6, 2016
What an amazing, beautifully put together, and brutally honest book! Ginger Wildheart has been my favorite songwriter for at least sixteen years but I had no idea how difficult his struggles with addiction (not to mention idiotic record companies) have been. I would've finished this much sooner but I didn't want it to end. When I turned the last page I was seriously bummed.
May 20, 2016
"I was the guy who'd have a line of cocaine before laying my head down for the night just to see if it would spice up the dreams a little. I was the guy who smoked cocaine mixed with ammonia because crack wasn't strong enough. I was the guy who booked the most haunted castle in Britain to record in, and to sleep in the most haunted room of it for inspiration... I'd be told I couldn't do something and I wouldn't even waste time in asking why before trying it out."
It's fair to say that the man known as Ginger Wildheart has lived an eventful life so far. Unceremoniously dumped from The Quireboys in his twenties (by none other than Sharon Osbourne), a brief drunken flirtation with suicide led to the start of a new life and a band which would become loved by a hardcore group of fans:
"Unsteady and stumbling in my cowboy boots, I tumbled over and over down the station stairs, clutching onto what was left of my whiskey. As I rolled, the bottle felt like my last possession in the world. I promised myself that when I finally reached the bottom that if the bottle smashed I'd take the broken bottle neck and slice my wrists. If not, I'd immediately go about forming my fantasy Metallica/Cheap Trick band.
"In a crumpled heap on the cold floor - through tears of hopeless frustration - inspection of the bottle revealed it to be fully intact. I guess it was at this point that The Wildhearts were born. As a creative outlet? As a bid for survival?"
The search for the answer to these two questions underpins much of this book, which is structured around the songs he wrote during the period from forming The Wildhearts, up to the end of the ground-breaking PledgeMusic crowdfunded album(s) 555%.
During the process he takes us through a dizzying stream of musical inspiration fuelled by drugs, alcohol, hate and love (not to mention a not-so-healthy dose of depression), all taking place against a backdrop of a band and a musician with at least one hand on the self-destruct button all the way through. In short: the classic rock and roll story. Kind of.
What emerges from all this is an artist who is fiercely individual but never shirks a fight -- indeed often seeks out battles just for the sheer hell of it. But what sets this apart from other books in its genre -- indeed many autobiographies -- is its pigheaded commitment to brutal, painful honesty, with comedy and tragedy in equal measures.
Ever since I was gifted the CD single of Caffeine Bomb as a typically rebellious hormonal teenager (thanks James!), I became obsessed with The Wildhearts and all things Ginger. Their music spoke to me in the way that no other bands could -- urgent, loud enough to not be approved of by my folks and yet also powerfully melodic, with every song and album completely different from the one before. We devoured everything they released, with trips to our local record store as soon as they came out. The Top Of The Pops shows were taped for posterity and we took every opportunity to see them live (which in the wilds of North Wales was not as much as we'd have liked).
The first time The Wildhearts split up, I was heartbroken. But then after the second and third breakups it was more a case of (to paraphrase Gag Halfrunt): “Vell, Ginger’s just zis guy, you know?” And we buckled in and enjoyed the ride because it always resulted in great tunes: from The Wildhearts to Clam Abuse, Silver Ginger 5, to the singles club, back to The Wildhearts again, then the solo albums, a diversion to Howlin' Willie, back to The Wildhearts, more solo stuff, then the ground-breaking PledgeMusic campaign…
This book covers all this period and more, taking us through each song in the process and not only the inspiration behind them but also what was going on in his life at the time. It's a slightly unconventional approach for an autobiography but it works, taking us from the prophetically semi-self-destructive genesis of The Wildhearts through the slow car crash which was precipitated by the refusal of their record label to sanction a double album as a follow-up to their debut, a decision which clearly still rankles:
"When the record company scrapped the idea of a double album, I wasn't hurt or confused, I was f**king livid and refused to even speak to them again. Messages would be sent via third parties while I'd regularly get the audience to chant 'F**k East/West' at any gig broadcast on live radio. In fact, I still think that 'Earth Vs', 'PHUQ' (including the tracks from 'Fishing For Luckies') and 'Endless Nameless' could have been a one-two-three attack that would have successfully branded our name on the map and sealed our place in the history books."
Whether you'd agree that that's the case or not, it's clear that this was just one contributing factor to the band's demise, with their punishing workload and over-dependence on substances to get them through the constant cycle of gig-studio-gig clearly taking its toll. When the end came, it was more out of love than anything else: "I saw an obvious outcome to this worsening scenario: the death of a friend. So I refused to carry on. I acted on the paranoia and called a halt on the whole sordid mess...I still maintain that all members of The Wildhearts are still alive as a result of this decision."
A lot of which won't be too much of a surprise to seasoned Wildhearts watchers, but there are also some great insights into the great man's life and times as from that point onwards he jumps on and off the wagon more times than an epileptic cowboy. The journey takes him to LA ("a veritable wasteland when it came to finding musicians"), Japan ("The flight home would be a morbid portal transporting sullen musicians back into black and white") and a rather surreal episode in a Thai prison, with the song "Inside Out" getting its debut a capella in "a room of terrorists, murderers, gays, travellers, sick and mentally ill inmates". We witness his decline from a false start with a girlfriend and kids, watching the painfully slow breakdown of that relationship and his estrangement from his kids and reality, causing him to plumb new depths.
It's here that things get painfully vivid and raw: there's a story about his young son which I found myself gasping at, not only because of what's described but also his courage in putting it down in black and white. To call this a warts 'n' all book is to do it a disservice. It’s more than that: warts are on the surface, there for all to see. This is a book which cuts no corners and spares no prisoners in getting down to the soul of the man: a very brave book.
And here's the interesting thing: the writing throughout is very conversational, almost like hearing a friend telling you his life story down the pub over a few beers. In places that makes it a bit too vague, with some details sketchy (like when he and Dave Grohl mediated to mend a row between Lemmy from Motörhead and Justin Hawkins from The Darkness - told in just two paragraphs), but then he throws in curveballs which hit you right in the guts with their raw emotion, the commentary style of writing drawing you in and then throwing you down to the floor in shock. No mean feat.
That Ginger's a great wordsmith is no surprise: you don't write as many diverse, emotional, appealing songs as he has without learning a thing or two about how to string words together to have an impact or make a point. But I was pleasantly surprised by the content. I was initially worried that this book would be a puff project, a collection of photos and blah-blah anecdotes. Or a soapbox for an over-inflated ego to bang on about his views on anything and everything. (I still pledged within minutes of it going live though because...well...Ginger's just zis guy, you know?)
Instead, he's really put his heart and soul into this book: it's equal parts fascinating, horrifying and hilarious. He pulls no punches: especially when it comes to himself. Some of the most amusingly hard-hitting sections are where he's brutally honest about himself. Example (a non-drink-and-drugs example): it would have been so easy for him to save face by excluding the story of how he was hoodwinked by an internet "beauty", but he didn't. It's there in all its glory and contributes to the overall narrative in a way which wouldn't be out of place in a Hollywood rom-com (sorry Ginger - I'm wincing as I write that, but it's true...!).
For Ginger and/or The Wildhearts completists, there's no doubt that this book is a must-read. If you have even a passing interest in their music, you'll find yourself humming away to song titles as you read through, and be burning to put on a soundtrack to your reading. And it really does give some special insights into some very well-loved songs.
But it's more than that, and here's where I'm talking to the non-fans: it's a glimpse into the soul of a tortured genius who's provided joy to so many people. (Don't believe me? Just go to a gig and witness the sheer heartfelt pleasure of the fans. Or look to the fact that his Pledge campaign was ground-breaking in so many ways - the fact that he wondered whether we'd contribute to an unrecorded album at a time before such things were really considered the thing to do speaks volumes about him, but the outcome also says all you'll ever need to know about a dedicated fanbase which puts the "fan" well and truly into the word!) It's a story of a man who has fought through all the obstacles (I suspect he'll be the first to admit many of them were mostly erected by himself) and come through stronger and more determined. And that's a tale worth telling and hearing.
Of course, the story continues and I for one am buckled in and looking forward to the ride -- not to mention the follow-up book, once I've enjoyed living through the songs and gigs. I know I'm not alone...
It's fair to say that the man known as Ginger Wildheart has lived an eventful life so far. Unceremoniously dumped from The Quireboys in his twenties (by none other than Sharon Osbourne), a brief drunken flirtation with suicide led to the start of a new life and a band which would become loved by a hardcore group of fans:
"Unsteady and stumbling in my cowboy boots, I tumbled over and over down the station stairs, clutching onto what was left of my whiskey. As I rolled, the bottle felt like my last possession in the world. I promised myself that when I finally reached the bottom that if the bottle smashed I'd take the broken bottle neck and slice my wrists. If not, I'd immediately go about forming my fantasy Metallica/Cheap Trick band.
"In a crumpled heap on the cold floor - through tears of hopeless frustration - inspection of the bottle revealed it to be fully intact. I guess it was at this point that The Wildhearts were born. As a creative outlet? As a bid for survival?"
The search for the answer to these two questions underpins much of this book, which is structured around the songs he wrote during the period from forming The Wildhearts, up to the end of the ground-breaking PledgeMusic crowdfunded album(s) 555%.
During the process he takes us through a dizzying stream of musical inspiration fuelled by drugs, alcohol, hate and love (not to mention a not-so-healthy dose of depression), all taking place against a backdrop of a band and a musician with at least one hand on the self-destruct button all the way through. In short: the classic rock and roll story. Kind of.
What emerges from all this is an artist who is fiercely individual but never shirks a fight -- indeed often seeks out battles just for the sheer hell of it. But what sets this apart from other books in its genre -- indeed many autobiographies -- is its pigheaded commitment to brutal, painful honesty, with comedy and tragedy in equal measures.
Ever since I was gifted the CD single of Caffeine Bomb as a typically rebellious hormonal teenager (thanks James!), I became obsessed with The Wildhearts and all things Ginger. Their music spoke to me in the way that no other bands could -- urgent, loud enough to not be approved of by my folks and yet also powerfully melodic, with every song and album completely different from the one before. We devoured everything they released, with trips to our local record store as soon as they came out. The Top Of The Pops shows were taped for posterity and we took every opportunity to see them live (which in the wilds of North Wales was not as much as we'd have liked).
The first time The Wildhearts split up, I was heartbroken. But then after the second and third breakups it was more a case of (to paraphrase Gag Halfrunt): “Vell, Ginger’s just zis guy, you know?” And we buckled in and enjoyed the ride because it always resulted in great tunes: from The Wildhearts to Clam Abuse, Silver Ginger 5, to the singles club, back to The Wildhearts again, then the solo albums, a diversion to Howlin' Willie, back to The Wildhearts, more solo stuff, then the ground-breaking PledgeMusic campaign…
This book covers all this period and more, taking us through each song in the process and not only the inspiration behind them but also what was going on in his life at the time. It's a slightly unconventional approach for an autobiography but it works, taking us from the prophetically semi-self-destructive genesis of The Wildhearts through the slow car crash which was precipitated by the refusal of their record label to sanction a double album as a follow-up to their debut, a decision which clearly still rankles:
"When the record company scrapped the idea of a double album, I wasn't hurt or confused, I was f**king livid and refused to even speak to them again. Messages would be sent via third parties while I'd regularly get the audience to chant 'F**k East/West' at any gig broadcast on live radio. In fact, I still think that 'Earth Vs', 'PHUQ' (including the tracks from 'Fishing For Luckies') and 'Endless Nameless' could have been a one-two-three attack that would have successfully branded our name on the map and sealed our place in the history books."
Whether you'd agree that that's the case or not, it's clear that this was just one contributing factor to the band's demise, with their punishing workload and over-dependence on substances to get them through the constant cycle of gig-studio-gig clearly taking its toll. When the end came, it was more out of love than anything else: "I saw an obvious outcome to this worsening scenario: the death of a friend. So I refused to carry on. I acted on the paranoia and called a halt on the whole sordid mess...I still maintain that all members of The Wildhearts are still alive as a result of this decision."
A lot of which won't be too much of a surprise to seasoned Wildhearts watchers, but there are also some great insights into the great man's life and times as from that point onwards he jumps on and off the wagon more times than an epileptic cowboy. The journey takes him to LA ("a veritable wasteland when it came to finding musicians"), Japan ("The flight home would be a morbid portal transporting sullen musicians back into black and white") and a rather surreal episode in a Thai prison, with the song "Inside Out" getting its debut a capella in "a room of terrorists, murderers, gays, travellers, sick and mentally ill inmates". We witness his decline from a false start with a girlfriend and kids, watching the painfully slow breakdown of that relationship and his estrangement from his kids and reality, causing him to plumb new depths.
It's here that things get painfully vivid and raw: there's a story about his young son which I found myself gasping at, not only because of what's described but also his courage in putting it down in black and white. To call this a warts 'n' all book is to do it a disservice. It’s more than that: warts are on the surface, there for all to see. This is a book which cuts no corners and spares no prisoners in getting down to the soul of the man: a very brave book.
And here's the interesting thing: the writing throughout is very conversational, almost like hearing a friend telling you his life story down the pub over a few beers. In places that makes it a bit too vague, with some details sketchy (like when he and Dave Grohl mediated to mend a row between Lemmy from Motörhead and Justin Hawkins from The Darkness - told in just two paragraphs), but then he throws in curveballs which hit you right in the guts with their raw emotion, the commentary style of writing drawing you in and then throwing you down to the floor in shock. No mean feat.
That Ginger's a great wordsmith is no surprise: you don't write as many diverse, emotional, appealing songs as he has without learning a thing or two about how to string words together to have an impact or make a point. But I was pleasantly surprised by the content. I was initially worried that this book would be a puff project, a collection of photos and blah-blah anecdotes. Or a soapbox for an over-inflated ego to bang on about his views on anything and everything. (I still pledged within minutes of it going live though because...well...Ginger's just zis guy, you know?)
Instead, he's really put his heart and soul into this book: it's equal parts fascinating, horrifying and hilarious. He pulls no punches: especially when it comes to himself. Some of the most amusingly hard-hitting sections are where he's brutally honest about himself. Example (a non-drink-and-drugs example): it would have been so easy for him to save face by excluding the story of how he was hoodwinked by an internet "beauty", but he didn't. It's there in all its glory and contributes to the overall narrative in a way which wouldn't be out of place in a Hollywood rom-com (sorry Ginger - I'm wincing as I write that, but it's true...!).
For Ginger and/or The Wildhearts completists, there's no doubt that this book is a must-read. If you have even a passing interest in their music, you'll find yourself humming away to song titles as you read through, and be burning to put on a soundtrack to your reading. And it really does give some special insights into some very well-loved songs.
But it's more than that, and here's where I'm talking to the non-fans: it's a glimpse into the soul of a tortured genius who's provided joy to so many people. (Don't believe me? Just go to a gig and witness the sheer heartfelt pleasure of the fans. Or look to the fact that his Pledge campaign was ground-breaking in so many ways - the fact that he wondered whether we'd contribute to an unrecorded album at a time before such things were really considered the thing to do speaks volumes about him, but the outcome also says all you'll ever need to know about a dedicated fanbase which puts the "fan" well and truly into the word!) It's a story of a man who has fought through all the obstacles (I suspect he'll be the first to admit many of them were mostly erected by himself) and come through stronger and more determined. And that's a tale worth telling and hearing.
Of course, the story continues and I for one am buckled in and looking forward to the ride -- not to mention the follow-up book, once I've enjoyed living through the songs and gigs. I know I'm not alone...
July 11, 2016
There's brutally honest, there's shockingly honest, then there's this. It's a jokey rock n' roll cliché to say "I don't know how he's still alive", but it's terrifyingly appropriate in this case. Mind you, you could never say that this book portrays a glamorous hedonistic lifestyle. It's shown in its full, graphic, seedy, awful reality, and, although the highs are there, the often devastating fall-out certainly isn't shied away from.
It's not all gritty debauchery though - the utter joy that Mr Wildheart finds in the creation of his music is palpable. I've been a huge fan of his music & lyrics ever since I heard my first Wildhearts song in 1992, and his wicked way with words shines through constantly. His entry for 'I Knew You (An Amnesis)' from his 'Market Harbour' album is just achingly, tragically beautiful.
There are also some hysterically funny tales ('the horse', 'the monkey', 'Debbie'), and a fair share of accidents and gruesome injuries that equally gross you out and make you cry laughing.
Eternally snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, I can't say that I'm not overjoyed that Ginger finally seems to have found himself a niche that suits him and allows him to fully explore all the different sides of his musical personality, thanks in part to a loyal fanbase that he has acquired (and retained) through mutual respect and an almost unequalled openness.
If you're a fan of Ginger's, you'll love this. If you're not, prepare yourself for an almost unbelievable story of a life at the rather grimmer end of the music industry. It's not pretty, but I for one am eternally thankful that this guy's still around to tell the tale.
It's not all gritty debauchery though - the utter joy that Mr Wildheart finds in the creation of his music is palpable. I've been a huge fan of his music & lyrics ever since I heard my first Wildhearts song in 1992, and his wicked way with words shines through constantly. His entry for 'I Knew You (An Amnesis)' from his 'Market Harbour' album is just achingly, tragically beautiful.
There are also some hysterically funny tales ('the horse', 'the monkey', 'Debbie'), and a fair share of accidents and gruesome injuries that equally gross you out and make you cry laughing.
Eternally snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, I can't say that I'm not overjoyed that Ginger finally seems to have found himself a niche that suits him and allows him to fully explore all the different sides of his musical personality, thanks in part to a loyal fanbase that he has acquired (and retained) through mutual respect and an almost unequalled openness.
If you're a fan of Ginger's, you'll love this. If you're not, prepare yourself for an almost unbelievable story of a life at the rather grimmer end of the music industry. It's not pretty, but I for one am eternally thankful that this guy's still around to tell the tale.
November 23, 2017
It's weird to say that I love this guy. I ordered this book and had to wait 2 years to read it, whilst I was in Mexico travelling.
I read the whole thing and I could not put it down.
I know only of Ginger and The Wildhearts. Only what I read in music magazines, online interviews and YouTube clips. This book filled in all the blanks, all of my "I wonder why this happened, or the meaning of this song etc".
I love so many bands, but none have connected with me in a way that The Wildhearts have. And already thinking that Ginger was a musical genius, now I just admire him even more, for walking that path and inviting all of us to walk with him.
I read the whole thing and I could not put it down.
I know only of Ginger and The Wildhearts. Only what I read in music magazines, online interviews and YouTube clips. This book filled in all the blanks, all of my "I wonder why this happened, or the meaning of this song etc".
I love so many bands, but none have connected with me in a way that The Wildhearts have. And already thinking that Ginger was a musical genius, now I just admire him even more, for walking that path and inviting all of us to walk with him.
December 19, 2024
It’s taken me quite a while to get through this as I didn’t want it to end so I just kept dipping into it.
This is exactly what you want, the background of every song he’s written, added with what was going on in his life at the time, this is the closest we are going to get to a Ginger Wildheart autobiography at this point! Loved it!
This is exactly what you want, the background of every song he’s written, added with what was going on in his life at the time, this is the closest we are going to get to a Ginger Wildheart autobiography at this point! Loved it!
April 15, 2024
If you’re a fan, this is one of the greatest rock autobiographies ever written. Simple as.
He’s an absolute gent, and will long be one of my heroes. Proud to have shaken this man’s hand.
He’s an absolute gent, and will long be one of my heroes. Proud to have shaken this man’s hand.
September 14, 2016
I was delighted to find that Songs & Words was listed on Goodreads. I guess if you are reading this then you won't have stumbled across it by accident. I've been a fan of all things Ginger related since I first saw The Wildhearts supporting Love/Hate at Newcastle Mayfair back in 1992 (....ahh happy days!). 20 odd years and hundred of songs later I'm still a huge fan. If there was any justice in the world Ginger would be headlining stadiums but his fan base remains fairly small yet incredibly loyal. This is down to a number of factors - Bad luck, bad management, bad decisions and copious amounts of drugs and alcohol amongst them. The book covers two decades from The Wildhearts first EP's up to amazing 555% triple album. Ginger always likes to do things his own way and this book is no exception. It is not your traditional music autobiography but the story behind all (or nearly) the songs that Ginger has written. Told with trademark honesty this is a warts and all account. This is Holy Grail for any Ginger Wildheart fan. Here's to another 20 years of musical genius.
July 29, 2016
If you love The Wildhearts, Ginger or any combination of the two then this book is a must for you. Meandering through his, anything but straight forward path in the music industry, this book gives you insight into those, "What the happened there?" and "What was all that about?" moments, of which with Ginger, there were many. Utilising the title of every song written by the man in chronological order as a spring board into anecdotes, the book details his life, his thoughts and inspirations for over twenty plus prolific years.
July 29, 2016
definitely not your typical autobiography but he lets us in quite far in places.
March 31, 2017
I love the structure that Ginger chose for this, telling his story through the songs from all the albums he's recorded. From the early days of The Wildhearts, to his various solo albums, and ending with the PledgeMusic triple album, every track has a story attached to it. Some longer than others depending on the story, it's a sometimes almost unbelievable ride, but it's all true, and almost a miracle he's still around to tell the tales at all!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews