Local songwriter pens “Kincardine Strong” in response to COVID-19

Never seen anything quite like this come to my front door
Never seen anything pack a punch just like an old world war
Going to knock this down
No fooling around
Kincardine Strong
No one could ask for more.

That's the first verse of a song, “Kincardine Strong,” written by Phil Thompkins (right) of Kincardine, in response to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.

A home inspector with his own company, Tartan Home Inspections, Thompkins hasn't been busy due to restrictions caused by the outbreak, so he set his sights on another love of his – songwriting.

“I write songs and have been for many years,” he says. “Ideas come from watching the news, hearing something of interest on the radio or during a conversation with someone. I then write the ideas down as one-liner thoughts on any available piece of paper to be revisited at a later date. 

“My wife, Angela, finds these pieces of paper all over the house which results in inquiries as to the importance of my unreadable, prescription-like, cursive writings.”

Most recently, Thompkins wrote and submitted a song that is now in the finals of an International Songwriting Competition (ISC). More than 5,500 entries were submitted and his song is one of 16 remaining with final judging to be completed around the end of April.

“The song is called 'Move On' and is about not getting hung up on the small stuff,” says Thompkins. “The ISC is looking for songs that not only tell an excellent story but are fundamentally well-structured.”

As for “Kincardine Strong,” he says it began as a complex piece, capturing the cause-and-effect that the virus has had on the community.

“I have parsed it down while retaining many of my original thoughts. The scope was narrowed so that it would be an anthem that listeners would embrace.”

You can listen to “Kincardine Strong” on-line at: soundcloud.com/user-372926824/kincardine-strong

The lyrics to the song are as follows:

Never seen anything quite like this come to my front door
Never seen anything pack a punch just like an old world war
Going to knock this down
No fooling around
Kincardine Strong
No one could ask for more

Refrain

A lone piper pipes to guide us through the storm
A beacon of hope to help us all get home
The sun comes up, the day begins anew
Another day just for me and you

Never seen anything quite like this stop the world from turning
Never seen anything scuttle towns and the wage they’re earning
Going to knock this down
No fooling around
Kincardine Strong
Keep the Lighthouse burning

Never seen anything quite like this isolate the masses
Never seen anything close our schools and empty all the classes
Going to knock this down
No fooling around
Kincardine Strong
We know that this will pass