Pete Rogers wrote his song "A Good Man" while he was traveling around Australia with his family. He says the words started coming to him when he finally had a bit of time to breathe away from the usual chaos of being a dad. “My kids are 8 and 9 now, but I was thinking back over the last nine years, and these thoughts just really started to flow,” he says. The song is really just about being a dad and a husband and a bloke trying to do the right thing for his family.
It isn't too sappy or heavy. It's more like those quiet realisations you get when the kids are finally asleep, the dishes are done, and you're just alone with your thoughts. Pete remembers a time from when his kids very young. “I had this time when both kids were still babies. I was working heaps in our business, pushing hard to get ahead, but I just didn’t see how much I was missing at home. It all kind of caught up with me later.”
The song hits on those little sacrifices and regrets that you don't really notice at the time but you think about years later. It’s not trying to preach to anyone or give them a manual on how to be a perfect parent. Pete just wanted it to be honest so other people could see themselves in it. He says the reaction has been great. “It’s been really touching, actually,” he says. “When I play it live, I’ve seen people with tears in their eyes. There’s been so much positive feedback, especially from men who are in similar stages of life. They really relate to it.”
Living in Rockhampton has a lot to do with how Pete makes music. It's the kind of place where things are a bit slower and there's a lot of country influence. “Our region is still very country,” Pete says. His sound is a bit of country-blues and rock, but he purposely kept things stripped back so the lyrics wouldn't get lost. “I just felt like keeping it simple would help people connect more. I didn’t want too much going on that might smother it.”
The track doesn't feel overproduced like a lot of stuff you hear these days. It feels more like a conversation you'd have with a mate than a big performance. Pete even left the end of the song unpolished on purpose. It’s a bit like life, it’s never really finished or perfect, it’s always just moving along.
We asked him what he thinks actually makes a good man, and he didn't pretend he had all the answers. “I reckon it’s someone with good intentions who tries their best with what they know,” he says. “We all make mistakes, right? But it’s what you do about it that makes the difference. That’s what I think.”
It’s a straightforward song and that’s why it sticks. It’s just a reminder to check in on yourself and maybe call a mate you haven't spoken to for a bit. “I think it’s important that we keep doing that, actually. Just checking in.” He’s right. You’ll probably want to grab your phone after you hear it.
Listen to Pete Rogers "A Good Man" on Local Sounds:
https://localsounds.com.au/song/pete-rogers/a-good-man