This Ain’t My First Rodeo

A song about some of the slime balls that have crossed my path when I started playing in bars.

I started playing gigs when I was fifteen, which, looking back, was probably far too young to be spending so much time in bars and clubs.

Most people were brilliant. They encouraged me, bought me a Coke instead of a beer, and treated me like a kid chasing a dream. But every now and then there’d be someone who’d make a comment, stand a little too close, or mistake a teenager with a guitar for someone they could intimidate. It taught me to trust my instincts a lot earlier than I probably should have had to.

This Ain’t My First Rodeo came from all of those moments rolled into one. It isn’t about one person or one night. It’s about learning, at a young age, how to stand your ground and make it clear where the line is.

The title says everything. By the time I wrote this song I’d already had enough awkward conversations, unwanted attention and eye-rolling encounters to know exactly how they usually ended. I wasn’t shocked anymore. I was ready.

I wanted the song to have a sense of humour because confidence can be funny. Sometimes the best way to deal with someone who’s trying to make you uncomfortable is to let them know they’ve completely underestimated you. That’s a much more satisfying ending than letting them ruin your night.

I still think it’s one of the most important songs I’ve written because it’s really about self-respect. Every young person deserves to feel safe doing what they love, whether that’s playing music, going out with friends or simply existing without someone crossing boundaries.

If this song reminds even one person that they don’t have to put up with behaviour that makes them uncomfortable, then it’s done exactly what I hoped it would.