Long Cold Winter
When I was fourteen.. my best friend was killed in a dirt-bike accident..
I can’t begin to tell you what it did to me…
“Crushing” is the only word I have right now..
and even that feels too small..
We were closer than brothers..
After the funeral.. I fell into my bedroom.
That room became my world —
my home inside my home..
Everyone was worried about me..
I shut down..
Closed myself off to everyone..
No access allowed..
It felt like I was on a camping trip in the wilderness
alone..
And I stayed there for a whole year..
I needed something…
but I didn’t know what..
I started borrowing CDs and cassette tapes from my uncle..
I found an old tape in a box in the attic —
Bob Dylan’s — Another Side of Bob Dylan..
And I sank into it…
rock…
country…
folk…
old…
new…
Hank Williams Jr…
And the only Christian song I even knew back then..
Amazing Grace..
I didn’t just listen —
I drank it..
And the more I drank..
the thirstier I got..
So I went swimming in it..
Something I still do..
Meanwhile.. God was walking the edges of me…
One night I awoke from a dream..
and there in the corner of my bedroom
was a silhouette.. shaped like a guitar..
my mother was so worried about me
she didn’t know what else to do..
So she bought me an acoustic guitar..
And one night.. while I was sleeping…
she placed it in the corner of my room..
right where I would see it.. the moment I opened my eyes..
I played it…
and I played it…
and I played it… (until my fingers bled)
until it started playing me..
I learned it —
taught myself —
until it learned me back..
Song after song..
Day after day.. night after night…
Month after month..
From the fall of 1988
into the winter of 1989..
I played it….. until it became my heartbeat..
And finally…
after a year in the wilderness…
I emerged from my room..
ready to face my giants of the 90’s…
Psalm 34:18 (NKJV) 💥
“”The Lord is near to the brokenhearted..
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.””
Lyrics from the song “Better Way” by Sister Hazel 👇
“” Now.. here I sit.. in a cage all my own
It’s a new life.. it’s a brand new home..
and it’s made out of steel.. it’s built out of fear.. It’s closed up to you.. and it’s part of the deal…””
Lyrics from “Always Loving You” Hank Williams Jr 👇
“”And I still hear that old whippoorwill
I’ve seen the ghost of a midnight train
And I still love to go alone 🎶🎶🎶
Down by the old Union station in the rain””
( the artists and songs below are just some of my early influences..(not all tho) it’s much wider today.. I added so much to it.. like punk.. alternative.. rap… gospel and hymns… Christian rock.. etc.. you name it.. i am it… haha… so much variety…)
© Bryan H. 2025 — All Rights Reserved
Of the thousands of songs that are a part of me.. this one hits deeper than them all.. 👇
👇💯🦋🎶😎⚘️
First song i ever learned on guitar 👇
When I first realized music could be poetry 👇
When I first realized music could be stories like reading a book 👇
And this one just played a lot that year.. it’s also one of my favorites to play on piano👇 used to be anyways…
And this one… needs no explanation. 👇
And this one.. you must watch til the end 👇🤟😁😎`
Oh and this one… 👇
Oh and this one… 👇
👇 👑
👇🤟 this one is special.. it’s the title of this post… Long Cold Winter..
👇🤟
🤟👇
This one is special to me 💯👇
💯💯💯💯👇
Listened to this one alot back then 👇
🔥👇🎶💯
🌧 🌦 🌂 ⛈️ 💯💥
💯💯💯💯💯
💯⚘️
⚘️💯💥🏳
🥳💯😁💥
🚉💥🍊🔥
💯💯💯💯💯
💥🥳👇💯
💥💯👇🏃♀️
🥳💥💯👇💣
💯🎶💥🏳⚘️🤟👇💣🔥🪜💙
🐎 👇💯
⚘️💥💯🎶
👇 ⛰️ ✨️
💯💯💯💥👇🔥
💯💯💯👇💥🔥💣 🏹 ➡️
💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💥👇🤟
🎶💯🎶💯🎶💯🎶💯
⚘️⚘️⚘️⚘️👇
👧 👇💯🥳🏃♀️
🎶👇⚘️💯❣️💥🪜
🎶💥🎶💥💯⚘️
💯❣️💯❣️💯❣️💯❣️💯
I’m against cats 🐈 in the house!👇😁
👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇💯❣️💥
Wow I forgot this one👇❣️
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤👇
👇💥☝️
👇………..
Oh the memories tonight 👇💥💯
Oh wow 👇❣️
🦋💯💥🎶
💯💥🖤🥳👇🌩
👇❤️🖤💥💯💢
👇☝️
……👇🎶💯
💯💥🎶👇🤟
🏳🪜💯💥🎶
Oh Lord oh Lord 👇☝️❣️💥💯🎶🪜
❤️🩷💙💥💯💢
🎶💥💯❣️👇☝️
🚆 🚉 🎶👇
On point 👉 👇☝️💯
🖤💯☝️👉👇🤟💥
🥳🥳🥳🥳💯👇
👇💥
👇👇👇💥❣️🎶💯🤟
😁💯🥳🤟👇
💯😎👇
☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️👇
🤟👇💯
💯💯💯💯🎶🎶❣️💥👇
🦌 👩 👰♂ 💯👇❣️💥🎶🦋❤️
🇺🇸 🥳💯👇💥
Awesome 🖤👇💯🎶😎
👇💥❣️🎶💯🦋
One of my favorites 👇💥💯
👇💯
Love this one👇❤️☝️
👇💯🦋
👇💯❤️
Tragically beautiful 👇🎶😎❤️💯
😎🎶💯👇💥☝️
🥳💯👇woohoo
💯👇🥳
💯💯💯💯💯
😎🎶💯👇
💯👇❣️
Beautiful 💯🎶❣️👇
👇💥🎶
💯👇🥳❣️🎶😎💥
💥👇💯🎶
👇💯
😎😎😎💥👇👇👇💯💯💯🎶🎶🎶
🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
💯💯💯💯
💯👇💥😎🎶❣️
😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁🎶👇💯💥
💯😎😎😎😎😎😎😎👇
👇💯
💯👇💥🎶😎❣️⚘️🦋
😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁💯💯💯💯💥👇🎶
🥳😁👇💯
👇💯👇💯
…..💯👇😎🎶❣️
💯👇
😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎👇
………….👇
🌩🦋🎶💥👇💯
Lovin it 💯💯💯😎👇💥🎶
💯👇💥❣️word!
🥳🥳🥳🤟👇😎😎😎💯💯💯💥💥😁😁
💯💯👇
Love it… 👇💯❤️💥
🎣 💯👇🎶💥
😁💯👇😎
Amen… 💯👇
Oh the memories 💯👇😎🎶
Hahaha 👇💥💯😁🥳🎶
👇👇👇
💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯👇
……….💯👇👇💥
😁😁😁🥳🎶💯👇
……….👇💯
Beautiful 💯❤️⚘️👇
……👇💯
🕊 👇💯❣️💥🦋
⚘️⚘️⚘️⚘️⚘️⚘️⚘️⚘️⚘️⚘️⚘️🌩
💯🥳💯🥳🎶👇
…❣️👇💯
🥳💯🤟🎶👇
…!…!…!…👇
……😎💯👇
Oh Lord 👇
💣🖤💯🎶⚘️💥👇🤟🪜🏳
👇💥⚘️💯💣🔥🏳🤟 The End… maybe
My album influences from that year included… every single album from Hank Williams Jr 😁😎… Cinderella’s Long Cold Winter… and Bob Dylan’s Another Side Of Bob Dylan.. also HSAS… Through The Fire.. aka Hagar.. Schon.. Aaronson.. Shrieve.. some of you may remember these guys.. they were incredible.. their cover of “Whiter Shade Of Pale” is still my favorite today.. and their song “Missing You” also I listened to a lot of radio that year… and Amazing Grace.. O’ How sweet the sound.. I’m sure that I’m forgetting some… I will remember later and probably edit haha… majority of my christian music influences came a little later in life…
…….→→/‾\→|__|~≈≈’
…….~↓•↓~→🌫→†→🌅~→👁️↑→⛓⇂→†↑→🕊~→†→✝→†→∞<3~’
Heart of Loia `'.,°~ 