I Ain't Dead Yet

Paul Murphy

At the end of your life, all you've got to look forward to is your own past

In the last week of July 2025, the Irish singer/songwriter Paul Murphy began a new song immediately after completing the finishing touches to his final lyric anthology, UNSUNG, a work that would turn out to be FADED STARDUST, the epic 1,100-verse, 100,000-word song/book tale of one woman's experiences in the film, music and pageant sides of the entertainment industry.

During that time, and despite living alone, leg-paralysed from a muscle-wasting neurological condition, whilst simultaneously working on that novel, he also wrote a further series of songs, and those are presented here, under his defiant title, I AIN'T DEAD YET.

The material runs all colour ranges of this master wordsmith's palette, including 'Save This Land' [taken up and known by many as 'The Patriot's Anthem']; the delicate ballads 'Charmaine' and 'Kisses In The Park'; 'Four Masks' and 'Final Sins', both reflections on betrayed love; the political/religion commentaries 'Designed To Deceive' and 'What's One More'; and, humour ever-present, the risqué 'Romeo & Juliette'.

Given the circumstances in which they were created, many works deal with the shortness of life, and how much of it is needlessly wasted, in songs such as 'Steps On The Track'; and as always, the railer against injustice was strident to the end in works such as 'Who'll Laugh Last', 'Grimmer Fables', and 'To Save The Child'. The volume culminates with his final-ever song, 'The Lights Are Almost Out'.

An enthralling, emotive, thought-provoking and moving collection of final works, crafted by a unique talent in the narrative storytelling genre.

Also included is a song-by-song essay by Paul, From Defiant To Ironic, and as bonus material there are photographs of the hand-written lyrics to those songs that had them - due to disabled fingers, most of the latter works were composed live-to-camera and transcribed later; alternate covers; and online cue-cards from the final live internet performance Paul ever gave.

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What's One More

'I've been to the top of the world

I've died so many times before
Tell me, what's one more

I've been inside the lion's den
And it offered me its paw
I turned my back for a mere instant
And it pounced and stripped my hide raw

I've died so many times before
Tell me, what's one more

I stood by the eternal flame
And listened to the dream
Then I looked across the Sea of Galilee
And I heard the children scream

I've died so many times before
Tell me, what's one more

Tell me, what's one more'
Paul Murphy