Old Friend by Melissa Lauren

*** Proceeds for this track will go to Renascent Treatment Centre, who have helped individuals and their families suffering from addiction for over 50 years. ***

It's a cold night, you are lonely and restless in your solitude. An old friend comes to your door asking to come inside and keep you company, warm, distracted. The old friend is not a person, but a drug, or even, a behaviour. This could be the last time you let them in and the last time you are let out, but it is the chance you are willing to take for the warm companionship.

A songwriter at her core, Melissa has been working in addiction's counseling for the last several years, supporting individuals and families struggling with addiction. Recognizing that the complexity of addiction and mental health cannot be summed up in a four-minute melody, or the personification of a substance, or a press release….but perhaps the imagery will paint a picture of how one might slip back into a deadly dance with addiction.

Melissa met Darren Greer at Alpha House, a recovery centre for men struggling with substance use disorder. Together they facilitated art and music groups. Greer is a singer-songwriter, a visual artist and the author of 6 critically acclaimed novels. In recovery from addiction himself, he has been nominated for over a dozen national and international literary awards and has won several of them. Originally from Nova Scotia he has lived in Ottawa and San Francisco and currently works as a case manager in drug and alcohol treatment center for adult men in Toronto. Lauren has an extensive career as a touring solo artist and songwriter, with a heart-wrenching performance style and several showcases and songwriting nominations under her belt. Darren and Melissa have collaborated on several musical projects, and continue to draw from each other's unique perspectives.

"We have lost many friends, colleagues, and family members to the battle of addiction. It should always be shocking; never normalized. But the beauty and peace that comes from recovery is worth the work. The call to action is education and compassion. We will continue to help others make art out of their pain; there is magic on the other side. "

Old Friend features Melissa Lauren and Darren Greer on vocals, Darren Greer on guitar. Engineered, mixed and mastered by Patric McGroarty.

Tracklist

1.	Old Friend	4:17

Lyrics

Hello old friend, so we meet again. I thought you'd wait for my call.
Last I heard, I was sure, you'd left town for a while.
Played in Manitoba; heard you were in BC
My surprise or my demise, to find you there in the wings.

Maybe I'lll stop, maybe I'll raise my flag high.
No time to stop. We'll meet again in the sky.

Hello old friend do you see my eyes?
See the sadness through the rough.
You say you'd like to come inside
That we've been hiding long enough.

Maybe I'll stop, maybe I'll raise my flag high.
No time to stop, we'll meet again in the sky,

And we turn over and over like the shift workers waiting for relief, no go on home.
And we need more than our fill to fill us up with what is real and what is good..oh what is good?

It seems old friend that we're, near the end; we flew too close to the sun.
I took some space even ran the race, but it wasn't enough.
Maybe I'll stop, maybe I'll raise my flag high.
No time to stop, we'll meet again in the sky,

Credits

released October 4, 2024
Melissa Lauren - Songwriter
Darren Greer - co-lyricist, guitarist

License