Ron Hynes 30 For 60 a Hail Mary bet

Canada’s Man of a Thousand Songs hits a genuine note

By Stephen Pate – “30 for 60” is a great gem for Newfoundlanders and people who wish they were Newfoundlanders – which pretty much takes in most of mankind from the CD Stealing Genius by Ron Hynes.

The phrase “30 for 60” means an all-out bid in the Irish game of Forty-Five’s (45’s). When you’re down in the game, it’s a Hail Mary bid to beat your opponent with a 60-point upside or downside.

I heard Ron perform this song in Hunter River in December 2010 when he was touring in support of the new CD. Today, “30 for 60” just hit me in the solar plexus.

Maybe it’s the Newfoundland dialect I hear in the words of my mother from Pushthrough, Newfoundland. Maybe it’s the game of 45s she taught us to play long into the night.

They play that game in PEI too. Martha Graham, my mother-in-law, played 45s like a Las Vegas card shark. Martha’s game was too hot for me. She won the Campbell’s soup can prize at the Catholic community hall. On card play night, Martha served supper and then left in a whirl with a “turn out the lights on your way out” as she went through the door.

Ron Hynes already knows what we are just figuring out. The promise of a great middle-class life is not in the cards of life for most of us. Going for broke is something we get used to when the cards are all bad.

I don’t have the five in my hand
Not a leg to stand on
But what the hell…30 for 60

And I don’t have the Jack or Queen
But I got on my good poker face
And life’s about chances
And the Kings in the kitty…30 for 60

I’m sixty-five now and I’m still in the hole
Life’s just a game…It’s a grand piece of fun
I’ve little else to go on…
But I recall my old man used to say
What the hell I’m going 30 for 60.

“30 for 60” – Copyright Ron Hynes and Al Pittman

Ron Hynes

Ron Hynes

The writer of “Sonny’s Dream” has seen his share of highs and lows.

“Sonny’s Dream” has been covered by many artists including Emmylou Harris, Great Big Sea, John McDermott, Valdy, and the Irish Descendants. “Sonny’s Dream” is a Celtic favorite throughout Canada, New England and wherever Celtic music is sung.

Recovering from a serious drinking problem, Ron Hynes has been back on the road for a few years. The wisdom of looking at life from the bottom, sometimes of a glass, permeates his CD “Stealing Genius”. Ron chose poems from his favorite Newfoundland artists and set them to song.

I heard him perform these songs when the album was freshly released along with the feature documentary “The Man of a Thousand Songs.” In an interview, Ron laid bare the ups and downs of his life. I wrote it up in This is not Sonny’s Dream but maybe his nightmare.

Ron Hynes is a Newfoundlander, a man of the world, and a man of a thousand songs. He is not maudlin. It’s that amusing way Newfs look at the world such as the romp “Here Come The Yanks” and “Sawchuck” which is up there with Stompin’ Tom’s “The Hockey Game” as a real Canadian hockey song.

Stealing Genius

Stealing Genius CD

Stealing Genius by Ron Hynes is a CD that sneaks up on you. If you like Ron Hynes, Newfoundland or Celtic music give it an audition.

At first listen, “Stealing Genius” didn’t grab my attention. I covered the movie and Ron’s interview, and then there were other stories to cover. But little by little it has crept into my consciousness.

The words from different poets give each song a different perspective, unified with Ron’s singing and guitar.

Beyond the pathos, there are moments of the brilliant Newfoundland humor in the hymn-like “All For The USA” joined at the hip with the hilarious “Home From the USA / Yanks.” “Yanks” is too funny for words and reflects the Island experience as well.

Paul Mill’s production is first-rate with top accompaniment for Ron including Al Cross (drums), Alex Fraser (bass), John Sheard (organ), Burke Carrol (steel guitar), and Tom Leighton on accordion. How could you do a CD about Newfoundland without an accordion?

Update from Lynn Horne, Ron’s manager – “The only other clarification (other than the spelling of “Pittman”) I would like to offer is that he didn’t simply sing and play to the words from different poets or authors, the fact is that most of the lyric on Stealing Genius is Ron’s own work, but inspired by works from his favorite NL authors and poets. He generously gave co-writers credit in most cases strictly on the basis of inspiration derived from their novels or poetry. The exceptions would be “I Love You More Than God” and “30 for 60”, where the lyric is mostly taken from the poets’ original works.”

I don’t think the movie “Man of a Thousand Songs” has been released on DVD but I’m checking with Ron’s publicist.

Thanks to Lynn Horne, Ron’s manager, for the review CD and to my friend Paul Ness for suggesting this song again. This is my first story written totally in Windows 8 – my main computer is undergoing an upgrade and down for 2 days.