Only Love Can Bring You Peace

Book excerpt: Poetry. Music. For twenty-five years, Nebraska songwriter Simon Joyner has crafted haunting, honest songs about the unsettled dust of lovers and strangers. A pioneer of the Omaha music scene, Joyner has earned the praises of Conor Oberst, Beck, Gillian Welch, John Peel, John Darnielle, and more. As Dennis Callaci explains in his heartfelt foreword, Joyner has spent those years and earned those praises for songs about the "sorrow and southbound turns" of "the put- upon, the tortured, builders of arcs." ONLY LOVE CAN BRING YOU PEACE is the first selection of Simon Joyner's lyrics (assembled and edited by Simon and his wife Sara) to appear in book form, showcasing the images and characters of over 15 albums, EPs, and rare releases. ONLY LOVE CAN BRING YOU PEACE also features two interviews with Joyner and full illustrations for each section. Whether you're new to Joyner's work, or you've had his songs stuck in your head since 1992, this book serves as a sturdy companion to what Callaci calls the "the grass, branch and bone of a lifetime."