Lyrics of a Troubadour: A Biography in Song

Lyrics of a Troubadour is a lyrical and literary journey on Lester Hirsh’s road of life. It’s the quintessential 40 year journey, of the songwriter, poet, musician, through trials and tribulations, love and loss. It is steeped in a journey not unlike others who work on the road, in pubs and concert venues, but it has its own nuance and voice. The early songs reveal the young man writing poignant protest songs, songs with biblical and literary references from Aesop and Elijah, to Shakespeare and Kipling. Hirsh has his own way of articulating the intrigues of love. “I once knew a girl like you. I met her in the morning dew. Sunlight slipped her thoughts on through to me.” Later, as the songwriter matures, the rough angles change and the songs grow more universal and mature. The subtitle of the book is a Biography in Song. That is the element that separates this book of song lyrics from other typical books that stay in a more limited range of focus. In the preface, Hirsh delineates the geography of his life, like a family scrapbook- some of the key players that shared his journey. There is a gallery of pictures and reproduced posters along with recognitions that add an element not unlike museum artifacts. Hirsh pays a touching tribute to his parents, both in song and picture images. Lyrics of a Troubadour-A Biography in Song, is the mirror image of the man, the artist from youth to midlife and beyond in reflective glances.