SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Life can take a lot.
(SOUNDBITE OF LIAM ST. JOHN SONG, "MAN OF THE NORTH")
SIMON: Even with support, it takes inner strength to change, to try to turn things around. And now, musician Liam St. John says he'd like to give back. That's what he sings about in his new song, "Man Of The North."
(SOUNDBITE OF LIAM ST. JOHN SONG, "MAN OF THE NORTH")
SIMON: Growing up had its challenges for Liam St. John. He and his brothers were raised by a single mother, and he struggled with mental health.
LIAM ST JOHN: For a long time, I was trying to find strength outside of myself. And then, it just kind of snowballed into, like, leaning on other things like alcohol and drug abuse, and it all just builds on each other and creates more darkness.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MAN OF THE NORTH")
ST JOHN: (Singing) I'm cold and I'm haggard. I'm weathered and worn. I'm rough on the outside, and inside I'm torn.
It almost broke me, but I think that's what the whole song's about, is I started connecting and reaching back to where I was from, my roots.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MAN OF THE NORTH")
ST JOHN: (Singing) My roots run wide as an evergreen pine.
It got me thinking about the town I'm from, Spokane, Washington. The weather we get is, like, frigid cold winters, blazing hot summers with fires everywhere. But the trees - I kept thinking about the trees and how they've just been there my whole life and how they've seen so much. To be honest, that just really helped me get through those dark moments and feel like I owe a lot to my roots, especially, you know, my mother and the town I'm from. 'Cause I feel like both are pretty resilient.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MAN OF THE NORTH")
ST JOHN: (Singing) You can bend, but you will never break a man of the north.
I think everybody has to do is, like, trim the tree when you finally find your voice. And then it makes people around you uncomfortable 'cause maybe they haven't discovered theirs yet. And so it's painful to prune and kind of tighten your circle up.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MAN OF THE NORTH")
ST JOHN: (Singing) The rotten ones always hate seeing you grow. But to those who are loyal and honest and true, I give up myself so we all can bear fruit. So use me for shade from the blistering sun.
It's funny because I wrote the song thinking of my mom (laughter), you know? It's just somebody who weathered the storms of life, and they've made it out the other side. And they might have some scars to show, but they're there, and they're better for it. And maybe it's somebody who's in the midst of it and who needs to hear that they have that strength.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MAN OF THE NORTH")
ST JOHN: (Singing) You can bend, but you will never break.
Life (laughter) - that sharpens you up sometimes. Like, I kind of lost my smile a little bit. And that was what made people uncomfortable. But, you know, I gained my truth, and I gained my voice. And so what I am bringing to the table can be harsh and direct, cold, hard truth. It's always to breathe life into the people around me.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MAN OF THE NORTH")
ST JOHN: (Singing) So use me for shade from the blistering sun, and shelter and warmth when the blizzards do come. I'm steady and sure through the heaviest of storms. You can bend, but you will never break a man of the north.
I wanted to write something as an ode to my roots, and this is what came out. And it was one of those songs that you just sit down, and you black out. And then before you know it, the song's finished. So it just felt like the cornerstone of this past four years. And it just felt like, you know, a conclusion of what I've been trying to say.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MAN OF THE NORTH")
ST JOHN: (Singing) A man of the north.
SIMON: Liam St. John. His song, a new album, "Man Of The North," out now. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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