Sammy Walker, the critically acclaimed singer-songwriter, is thrilled to announce that his song “The Days I Left Behind” has been featured in the Oscar-winning short film “An Irish Goodbye.”
The film is about a young man with Down Syndrome and his estranged brother discovering their mother’s unfulfilled bucket list following her death.
Walker’s hauntingly beautiful song, which he wrote in 1976, perfectly captures the emotional depth and complexity of the film’s themes. The song’s lyrics, which are imbued with a sense of longing and nostalgia, evoke the bittersweet feelings of saying goodbye to the past and embracing the present.
In response to the news, Walker said, “When I was contacted nearly two years ago by two young film makers in the UK about using a song I had written and recorded almost a half century ago, I was happy to hear from them of course. In that half century, very few if almost no one has asked about covering one of my songs or using them in any way. I am 71 years old and the song “Days I left Behind” was written before my twentieth birthday. Tom Berkeley and Ross White were the film makers and the film was set in Northern Ireland. If someone had told me that nearly two years later the film would win the Oscar and the BAFTA awards for best short film, and my song would be featured in the film I would have thought, I can only dream about such things that never come true for me. My friend Dolphus Ramseur, of Ramseur Records had released the song from an all acoustic solo recording session of demos I had made in the mid 1970s. The album was released in 2016 and titled “Brown Eyed Georgia Darlin'”. This is the recording used in this wonderful film, and I could not be more proud and honored for my old song to be included. By the way “Days I Left Behind” was the first song I had written which sounded good to me and came from a special inspiration that only happens to songwriters once in a great while. My dearest thanks to Tom and Ross and all involved with this film.” Sammy Walker March 13, 2023
“An Irish Goodbye” has been praised for its masterful storytelling, breathtaking cinematography, and outstanding performances. The film has won numerous awards at film festivals worldwide, including the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.
For more information about Sammy Walker, please visit www.ramseur.com