A Normal Boy I was born at The Royal London Hospital, the youngest of four brothers in 1981. A normal boy, no happier boy - I was soon identified the brightest son. My father was a doctor and a lover of Bach, but unaware of my brother’s school conquests. Happy at the seaside or playing in the park – I did not think about north, south, east or west. I will lose my life and I will blind your brother, and I will leave my wife, and you will lose your lover. And I shall succeed, Insha'Allah, so you shall all breathe in the name of Allah. When I was seventeen my mother became ill. I went to university to study biochemistry. My father couldn’t cope, and I smoked a lot of dope, got out my head on coke and whisky. When I was nineteen I went camping in The Lakes with my brothers and their friends to learn those skills for me to be a better man, to lead a better life, through prayer, through strength, through faith and drills. I will lose my life and I will blind your brother, and I will leave my wife, and you will lose your lover. And I shall succeed, Insha'Allah, so you shall all breathe in the name of Allah. I want to do what’s right. I want to carry the fight. Because I've seen the light. I will lose my life and I will blind your brother, and I will leave my wife, and you will lose your lover. And I shall succeed, Insha'Allah, so you shall all breathe in the name of Allah.
Chalk Giants
Chalk Giants
I’ll take the only road, the only road I know,
I’ll send you a letter from wherever I will go.
By the summer equinox strawberry moon
I’ll ride the Severn Bore, hum your favourite tune.
And I’ll walk on giants carved in chalk into the hills
and wait for winter’s passing ‘til I see the daffodils.
I’ll occupy Martello towers and watch the seagulls dive,
and midnight phosphorescence will make me feel alive.
I’ll take the only road I know,
I’ll take the only road, I’ll take the only road,
I’ll take the only road I know.
I see you in my shadow, I see you in the clouds,
I see you like a miracle in a holy fucking shroud.
I look the other way (I look and look in vain),
I see you in a storm of driving horizontal rain.
And I’ll walk on giants carved in chalk into the hills
and wait for winter’s passing ‘til I see the daffodils.
I’ll occupy Martello towers and watch the seagulls dive,
and midnight phosphorescence will make me feel alive.
I’ll take the only road I know,
I’ll take the only road, I’ll take the only road,
I’ll take the only road I know.
I’ll take the only road, I’ll take the only road,
I’ll take the only road I know.
Collect all the Empties
Collect all the Empties Collect all the empties, we’re all done here. The brush of your lips the last souvenir. Last orders called, we’re into the night. A momentary touch. The impulse for flight. We have the memories. We guard them with the words – the pilots of centuries of secrets they’ve heard. The cliff tops are heavy with thistles and gorse, the call of the ocean, love and remorse, the pull of the tide, the spray and foam. The motorway’s closed, but we’re going home. We have the memories. We guard them with the words – the pilots of centuries of secrets they’ve heard. Last out into the night on my shoulder.
Down Not Out
Down Not Out I wrapped a cloak round my bones and my wings, Tied it fast and close. I crept in the crocodile infested shallows, I swam and I swam and I swam. I held the crowd in the palm of my hand (they came from far and wide) I fell from the stage when the power went down And I laughed and I laughed. Send out the smoke signals, Block out the sun, Set fire to the open door, I’m down not out. I’m down not out. I sank to me knees in the breath of the storm, Bees flew in their hive, Temples of saving wither and crumble And I was and I was and I was Send out the smoke signals, Block out the sun, Set fire to the open door, I’m down not out. I’m down not out. I’m down not out. Send out the smoke signals, Block out the sun, Set fire to the open door, I’m down not out. I’m down not out. I’m down not out.
Game Show
Game Show
You can find me every hour of every night and day.
You can see me in the darkness and hear what I say.
You know my habits, my whole routine (no information you can’t glean),
I can only dream of privacy
playing on a game show, playing on a game show,
playing on a game show, playing on a game show.
You see my family, you see my sickness and where I get my pills.
You see me lurking in virtual shadows to get my thrills.
You follow my travels, every pound I blow (you hear my melancholic piano),
you prophesy tomorrow every day
playing on a game show, playing on a game show,
playing on a game show, playing on a game show,
playing on a game show, playing on a game show,
playing on a game show, playing on a game show.
You don’t know why I silently cry
the sweet lullaby of the blue butterfly.
Some things my eyes just carry inside
playing on a game show, playing on a game show,
playing on a game show, playing on a game show,
playing on a game show, playing on a game show,
playing on a game show, playing on a game show.
Good Night
Good Night He is a good man, I know he is a good man, a man of honour and peace. His honour haunts me from dawn ‘til dusk, but I have mouths to feed. Today he was told that he will die tomorrow, but he will grow old. His eyes, smothered by a dirty cloth – they still see my fear. Good night, my friend, good night. Sleep well, my friend, sleep well. Sweet dreams, my friend, sweet dreams. Good night. Good night. Today he will wear an ammunition belt, and you will see him pleading for his men to accede to our demands, but I’ll be the one that’s bleeding. Good night, my friend, good night. Sleep well, my friend, sleep well. Sweet dreams, my friend, sweet dreams. Good night. Good night. One day, some day, I shall be rewarded. Good night. Good night. One day, some day, I shall be rewarded. Good night. Good night. He is a good man, I know he is a good man, a better man than I. His eyes smothered by a dirty cloth, but I have eyes to dry. Good night, my friend, good night. Sleep well, my friend, sleep well. Sweet dreams, my friend, sweet dreams. Good night. Good night. Good night. Good night.
Istanbul
Istanbul I’ll bring you chocolate, I’ll bring you peaches. We’ll drink tequila on exotic beaches. I’ll take you to see the Great Pyramids of Egypt and we’ll lie, lie, lie without a care in the world. Open the window, let oxygen in, and I will sing you folksongs on this broken mandolin. I will dress up in the suit of a painted harlequin and we’ll lie, lie, lie without a care in the world in Istanbul, in Istanbul. We’ll lie, lie, lie in Istanbul, in Istanbul. I’ve got Circe’s eyes on me, she’s luring me in with her wine and honey. I’ll watch the sun colour in your scars and burn away the evidence of nights among the stars. I’ll make a holy pilgrimage to Saturday bazaars and I’ll lie, lie, lie without a care in the world. And I’ll give you questions when you want answers, and I’ll pretend I’m different to the wastrels and the chancers, but we will last a lifetime through the lights and dances and we’ll lie, lie, lie without a care in the world in Istanbul, in Istanbul. We’ll lie, lie, lie in Istanbul, in Istanbul. I’ve got Circe’s eyes on me, she’s luring me in with her wine and honey. We’ll lie, lie, lie in Istanbul. The wood’s in the fire, it’s dry as a bone, and I’ll fry your steak rare on a sizzling stone. We’ll listen to the blaze, and we’ll listen alone, and we’ll lie, lie, lie without a care in the world in Istanbul, in Istanbul. We’ll lie, lie, lie in Istanbul. I’ve got Circe’s eyes on me, she’s luring me in with her wine and honey. We’ll lie, lie, lie in Istanbul.
Korean Girl in a Waiting Room
Korean Girl in a Waiting Room This morning I woke up on terrain unfamiliar to me. I woke up to faces looking at me. I said, “What is happening? Why the looks of concern?” They said to me, “Lady, you’ve had quite a turn.” I looked in the mirror – the garments I wore were strange to recall. “We need a translator, there’s words she doesn’t understand”, and I prayed to be back in my sweet motherland. If dreams could be stoked like fires by coal, the hearth of my heart was in old father Seoul. I’ll sing the songs of all my ancestors, and I’ll walk the cliffs of pioneers and explorers. I’ll swim by the light of the rising sun. I’ll go back home. I said to my friend who was there with tears in his eyes that I had no more spirits to be exorcised. He picked up my hand, said “Baby, just rest. There’ll be time to talk, now sleeping is best”. I’ll sing the songs of all my ancestors, and I’ll walk the cliffs of pioneers and explorers. I’ll swim by the light of the rising sun. I’ll go back home. I’ll go back home. I’ll go back home. This morning I woke up.
Lament for the Lamentable Elected
Lament for the Lamentable Elected
Your heart is on the rack,
it’s stretching by the day.
Your veins are turning black,
you’re going to run away.
You’re flying from the flak –
all that people say,
I just heard the crack
of your breaking heart today.
No healing in you.
No feeling in you.
Just sealing us in dreams only.
In dreams only.
Now you’re looking in
from a window over there
confessing of your sins
to a priest who doesn’t care.
You know that it begins
with the secrets that you wear.
It’s wearing pretty thin now
your heart is going to tear.
No healing in you.
No feeling in you.
Just sealing us in dreams only.
In dreams only.
There’s diamonds in your eyes,
diamonds in your dreams,
diamonds make you cry
and diamonds make you scream.
Let Me Be Your Lover
Let Me Be Your Lover Let me be your lover. Let me be your friend. Let me beside you whenever it’s the end. Let me paint your portrait when your looks have long passed by. Let me be the one to shut your eyelids when you die. Let me sing this song when you’re lowered in the ground, then let me die of heartbreak with no one to mess around. Let me be your lover. Let me be your friend. Let me beside you whenever it’s the end. By the light of dawn, from the flames reborn. Reborn. Let us share a tombstone in a graveyard by the sea. Then let us hear the crashing waves in immortality. Let me be your lover. Let me be your friend. Let me beside you whenever it’s the end.
Looking out to Sea
Looking Out to Sea Looking out to sea I wonder if you’re there at all, Every day the memories are more hazy to recall. You are all I have to guide me through the mazy squall, Now I’m calling out to you, do you hear my call? Now I’m calling out to you, do you hear my call? Every time I tell the time I know that it is true That when you come to me at night I know it can’t be you. When I reach to hold you and my fingers go straight through… Oh guide me through the night and I will follow you. Oh guide me through the night and I will follow you.
Man of Anatomy
Offering roses as an omen of love – they grow in the craters of meteors from above. White spirit pouring from the lips of the case, losing his virtue with the smile across his face. Soap bubbles float around me, bone violins play their melody. I am a man of anatomy. Singing the shanties of the slogans of pain, seeking salvation from the stillness of his vein. Wandering over in a state of undress, teasing his father to absolve him and be blessed. Soap bubbles float around me, bone violins play their melody. I am a man of anatomy. Shackled with lies. Sedated by lies.
Man on the High Road
Man on the High Road
There’s a man who hangs out on the steps of the church
that’s on the main road close to home.
He’s there every day with a can on his perch
if it’s thirty degrees or it’s snowed.
He sees us come, he sees us go –
no TV, no web and no radio,
but he tunes into all of our best episodes,
there’s no storyline that he doesn’t know.
He sees it all, the man on the high road.
He knows it all, the man on the high road.
He sees the peddlers of Greek cigarettes
and Roma with babes in their arms,
bookmakers taking their back alley bets,
and street preachers bellowing psalms.
He sees us come, he sees us go –
no TV, no web and no radio,
but he tunes into all of our best episodes,
there’s no storyline that he doesn’t know.
He sees it all, the man on the high road.
He knows it all, the man on the high road.
He sees us walking by hand in hand,
and picking up chocolate at the newspaper stand.
He can tell from your tan we’ve had sun, sea and sand,
but the look in your eye says we haven’t found the promised land.
The promised land.
He sees us come, he sees us go –
no TV, no web and no radio,
but he tunes into all of our best episodes,
there’s no storyline that he doesn’t know.
He sees it all, the man on the high road.
He knows it all, the man on the high road.
Mannequin Heart
Mannequin Heart Marigolds spring in the meadows. They freeze in the frost and the snow. I hear the swallows soaring over. They waltz in clouds like omens. I gave my heart, my body and my soul. I lay in the web of my hope. Vanity says to stay. Reality says get away. I hear the swallows soaring over. They waltz in clouds like omens. I gave my heart, my body and my soul. I lay in the web of my hope. Eagles pick at my bones. My mannequin heart unknown. I hear the swallows soaring over. They waltz in clouds like omens. I gave my heart, my body and my soul. I lay in the web of my hope. My mannequin heart.
Monsters in the Deep
Monsters in the Deep Send out for the men in white coats, then for the clowns. Listen to the fantasies of beautiful mysteries of monsters in the deep. I am a monster. You know that. I’m no more than just a copycat. You’re feeding the barbarians and beasts. An eye for an eye where the lovers go. A tooth for a tooth where the nettles grow. I’m an overgrown man in the desert. I’m dying of thirst at sea. I’m naked in the winter rain. I’m a monster in the deep. Thrown about by stormy seas, hooked in the cheek. See the wrecks and mutinies, the beautiful mysteries of monsters in the deep. We run, we run with Stormalong. But I... For I am overrun. I’m an overgrown man in the desert. I’m dying of thirst at sea. I’m naked in the winter rain. I’m a monster in the deep. We are monsters in the deep.
No Human is an Island
No Human is an Island No human is an island A sun without a ray The night without the dawn of day No human is an island A spider with no web A tide without the ebb and the flow I’m not alive without love I’m not alive without love I don’t survive without love I don’t survive No human is an island No human is an island No human is an island A forest with no trees A hive without its honeybees No human is an island A clock without a chime Life with no time to grow old I’m not alive without love I’m not alive without love I don’t survive without love I don’t survive No human is an island No human is an island I can survive without much But I’m not alive without touch I’m not alive without love I’m not alive No human is an island No human is an island
Out of the Warzone
Out of the Warzone I scratched the sleep from my eyelashes and through the haze saw lightning flashes. Dreams of war and angel choirs, oil cans and desert fires. I hear commotions and things you shouldn’t hear. Desperate emotions – you shouldn’t be here. I feel your hands round my throat, as I black out up I float, the band strikes up for the final note – my soul is floating away, is floating away. I reached for you and found a note, the sheets were cold from what you wrote. The battle raged across the sky – “I love you” the battle cry. I hear commotions and things you shouldn’t hear. Desperate emotions – you shouldn’t be here. I feel your hands round my throat, as I black out up I float, the band strikes up for the final note – my soul is floating away, is floating away out of the warzone. I hear commotions and things you shouldn’t hear. Desperate emotions – you shouldn’t be here. I feel your hands round my throat, as I black out up I float, the band strikes up for the final note – my soul is floating away, is floating away, is floating away, is floating away out of the warzone.
Perseus and Lampedusa
Perseus and Lampedusa There’s a fire alight on the headland and it’s burning bright, a beacon of light. There’s a sound, a chorus of voices singing “Do not sail in, into this harbour. Sail away, sail away, to a place far away, to a place far away from this light”. For many ships have been dashed on these rocks. The churchyard is full with anchors and rope. And tributes are spoken over rum from Havana of great men who sailed into this harbour. “Sail away, sail away, to a place far away, to a place far away from this light”. Summer is coming, the tide is spring, pulling me into the light of the fire. The echoing voices that call me within say throw yourself into the light, say throw yourself into the light, say throw yourself into the light. “Sail away, sail away, to a place far away, to a place far away from this light”.
Roy and Eve
Roy and Eve
Paintbrush in my hand,
canvas on its stand,
my guide to the promised land is my Eve,
my Marianne.
I send my scribbled cards,
send my best regards.
There’s only two parts
in this play of our lonely hearts.
Every time you write to me
I see your beauty in my fantasies.
She’s my Kiss,
my Mona Lisa,
my Madame X,
my own Olympia,
my sweet Enigma.
I’m locked away dreaming of a Goddess not a human being,
my Athena.
I feast on every line,
the words of the divine.
I look for any sign
that I can live outside my mind.
Every time you write to me
I see your beauty with such clarity.
She’s my Kiss,
my Mona Lisa,
my Madame X,
my own Olympia,
my sweet Enigma.
I’m locked away dreaming of a Goddess not a human being,
my Athena.
Stagger Lee
Stagger Lee
It was after Christmas in St. Louis in 1895.
Stagger Lee went drinking with Billy the Lion –
only one survived.
Billy the Lion was the dealer, Stagger Lee was the blind,
Stagger Lee had three bullets,
Billy the Lion had four of a kind.
Stagger Lee killed Billy over a Stetson hat,
yes Stagger Lee killed Billy over that.
Billy said “you’re nothing but a fancy man –
we’ll settle this debt with the hat on your head,
no payment plan”
Stagger said “I’ll show you what kind of fancy man I am”.
He emptied his lead right into his head
and ordered up turkey and ham.
Stagger Lee killed Billy over a Stetson hat,
yes Stagger Lee killed Billy over that.
While Billy the Lion lay dead in the saloon
they carried on drinking til the next afternoon.
Stagger was so mighty, so strong
the sheriff would not arrest him.
Even the priest would not condemn his wrong.
Stagger Lee killed Billy over a Stetson hat,
yes Stagger Lee killed Billy over that.
Stagger ran for office in the fall.
He blackmailed the money,
he extorted it all.
He was Congressman, then Governor,
then President Elect.
He tore up the constitution,
he said, “I will protect you better”.
Stagger Lee killed Billy over a Stetson hat,
yes Stagger Lee killed Billy over that.
Stagger Lee was poisoned in Henderson, Nevada,
became a symbol of democracy –
a pinup, a martyr.
He Charleston’d into Hell
joining Billy the Lion.
He froze the Devil’s flames
and said, “The Kingdom:
it’s now all mine”.
Stagger Lee killed Billy over a Stetson hat,
yes Stagger Lee killed Billy over that.
The Angel of the North
The Angel of the North I see a bluebird, a songbird, a hummingbird. You see a blackbird, a ratbird, a mockingbird. See how the eagle flies, how the albatross glides. See the angel of the north, king of birds. I see a lovebird, a firebird, a ladybird. You see a jailbird, a byword for ashes interred. See how the eagle flies, how the albatross glides. See the angel of the north, king of birds. Remember all your words, remember the king of birds, remember all your words to the angel of the north. See the angel. See the angel. See the angel.
The Ballad of Thomas Hurndall
The Ballad of Thomas Hurndall I won’t be joining the military, My heart is mine alone. I wont be needing diplomacy, Where my heart is I will go. I won’t shed tears in the cemetery, The flowers I love still grow. I don’t believe in conspiracy For I see all that I know. My footsteps will not tread the autumn leaves, My arms will not hold up in the breeze, But my love is still all that it seems… Oh how is it that this has come to be? Oh how is it that this has come to be? I won’t be seeking the sanctuary Of life that’s close to home. I won’t need familiarity Of all that I know. I’ll fight unlawful supremacy Across the lands I roam, But I will love you eternally For my heart is yours alone. My footsteps will not tread the autumn leaves, My arms will not hold up in the breeze, But my love is still all that it seems… Oh how is it that this has come to be? Oh how is it that this has come to be? Oh how is it that this has come to be? Oh how is it that this has come to be?
The Clairvoyant
The Clairvoyant
She said “Hello, show me your palms.
I want to tell you everything.
This is your last call to arms,
I’m going to let all the light back in.
So, my darling, who shall we call?
I think I know who you want me to…
And I’ll tell you it all –
I’m gonna throw open the doors for you.
If you want to feel a million dollars,
if you want to fly to the moon,
if you want your dreams to be filled with light
then I’m the one for you.
I’m the one for you.
I’m the one for you.
Light these candles, drink this wine,
recite these prayers every hour.
Because I’m going to summon your Spirit Number 9,
and we’ll sense the extraordinary cosmic power.
Now I need a thousand dollars
to bring him clearly into view,
and then I’ll tell him that you’ve got faith in him
because I’m the one for you.
I’m the one for you.
I’m the one for you.
So just another hundred dollars
to prove to him it’s really true
that I hold you in my presence here,
because I’m the one for you.”
The Dubbing Artist
The Dubbing Artist I’ll summon up the courage and put my armour on, and buy popcorn. And I’ll get ready to get lost in the screen. But then I hear your voice, every character the same, the hero and the villain. Then I don’t see anything but you in every frame. I see you in the westerns, I see you up in space, I see you with the zombies in a helicopter chase, I see you with a day to try and save the human race, I see you everywhere I go. I see you everywhere I go. When you go to kiss, I cover up my ears, but you’re inside, the sound of our lives. The film just disappears. Sometimes you die but your voice is never gone. Your voice lives on. Even when the lights are on it’s there still. I see you in the westerns, I see you up in space, I see you with the zombies in a helicopter chase, I see you with a day to try and save the human race, I see you everywhere I go. I see you everywhere I go. I see you everywhere. I come to hear you say other people’s words to me every day.
The Failed Assassination of Fidel Castro
The Failed Assassination of Fidel Castro
I fell in love the moment that I saw you in the street,
you didn’t know that one day I would kiss you in your sleep.
You said I was the only senorita in your sheets
but I could smell the Coco Chanel on your cheeks.
They said it was so easy, that I’d know the right time, they said I’d be a hero,
but I became your valentine.
You hypnotised me, fixed my eyes
and you paralysed my mind.
Mainlined in my bloodstream,
mainlined in my bloodstream,
mainlined in my bloodstream.
You were mainlined in my bloodstream,
mainlined in my bloodstream,
mainlined in my bloodstream.
We were smoking Monte Cristos while walking on the beach,
your bodyguards were watching, pretending to ignore our screams.
We sucked the claws of lobsters after fucking in the sea,
I said you were my king, you said I was your queen.
The CIA said “Ok, if you topple the regime,
We’ll take you into New York, give you a life beyond your wildest dreams”.
You didn’t know that Fidel Castro was mainlined in my bloodstream.
Mainlined in my bloodstream,
mainlined in my bloodstream,
mainlined in my bloodstream.
You were mainlined in my bloodstream,
mainlined in my bloodstream,
mainlined in my bloodstream.
Oh I can’t do it anyhow,
I can’t do it anyhow,
I can’t do it anyhow.
Oh I can’t do it anyhow,
I can’t do it anyhow,
I can’t do it anyhow.
Oh I can’t take your life away.
Mainlined in my bloodstream,
mainlined in my bloodstream,
mainlined in my bloodstream.
You were mainlined in my bloodstream,
mainlined in my bloodstream,
mainlined in my bloodstream.
The Fanfare
The Fanfare It was on the 4th of January, no cloud in the sky. A city breathing heavily, just ticking on by. Men fighting bare chested (they look, I don't know why). We move through the avenues, don't look each other in the eye. Don't know why. A prophet in the desert holds a bud between his fingers, and with his hands exalted he summons his musicians. The drummer beats with bullets so no one is indifferent. They move to the gospel and sing their nursery rhyme, each time. The empire's crumbling, blown by the storm, history's covered in sand. A fallen angel fires the salute - a hero in the land. The warrior's anointed with statues and flowers, and symphonies commissioned by mysterious powers, and catacombs of riches under shimmering bright towers. He waits for his wings to carry him up in the air – the fanfare. The empire's crumbling, blown by the storm, history's covered in sand. A fallen angel fires the salute - a hero in the land.
The Golden Apple of Discord
The Golden Apple Of Discord The Golden Apple of Discord was a gift I gave to you when our eyes forged the bond that would never be cut in two. But torn apart we were, unable to absorb the push and the pull from the gravity of that orb. With every wave that crashed upon the Trojan shore, I wept for my mistakes and all that went before, and still the bond entwines us through anger, sorrow and fear, but even with you resting here, your heart is nowhere near. The colour of the sunset tonight was crimson red, and when we rise tomorrow we will count the dead. And I will have a vision in terrors of the night until the end of my days that what you said was right. With every wave that crashed upon the Trojan shore, I wept for my mistakes and all that went before, and still the bond entwines us through anger, sorrow and fear, but even with you resting here, your heart is nowhere near. Let’s head to the hills, smell the new grass, and remedy our ills – the trouble will pass. And if songs lead to madness and words lead to war, we’ll conquer the sadness forevermore. The real apple of joy, I know, I can give to you, because we have been blessed, my love, and that’s the truth. With every wave that crashed upon the Trojan shore, I wept for my mistakes and all that went before, and still the bond entwines us through anger, sorrow and fear, but resting either far or near, your heart is always here.
The Lisbon Maru
The Lisbon Maru Barman, I know you well, you are a kind of crew. You’ve hauled in halves of ordinary and legion chasers too. So listen to me barman, listen to this drunk. I was on that ship and it really did get sunk. You see I was a seaman, a seaman on a warship, and I know you don’t believe me because you never saw it. But I’m fifty years your senior, I’ve fought waist deep in mud, and I’ve swum with severed heads in a crimson tide of blood. I told you it was true, I told you it was true, I told you it was true: The Lisbon Maru. I was a prisoner of war, caught on The China Sea, but never marked as such, bombed by my own country. I was left to swim amongst the corpses and the sharks, but somehow I am here with your beer and cheap remarks. I told you it was true, I told you it was true, I told you it was true: The Lisbon Maru. It’s in the news today, so I’d like to hear your views today. Barman, I know you well, you are a kind of crew. You’ve hauled in halves of ordinary and legion chasers too. So listen to me barman, listen to this drunk. I was on that ship and it really did get sunk. I told you it was true, I told you it was true, I told you it was true: The Lisbon Maru.
The Port Quin Fishing Disaster
The Port Quin Fishing Disaster
They left the candles burning
in their windows through the night.
They cursed the scarlet dawn
for the hours were turning by.
There were beds half empty
and empty chairs,
and fish were plenty
but there were no men to catch them.
There were no more fishermen in Port Quin
There were no more fishermen in Port Quin
They left the candles burning
And they left to survive
because at home there was no life.
They were taken in by the people of Port Isaac
and given all they needed,
they left the candles burning.
There were beds half empty
and empty chairs,
and fish were plenty
but there were no men to catch them.
There were no more fishermen in Port Quin
There were no more fishermen in Port Quin
They left the candles burning
The Plough
The Plough I saw the plough in the night sky. I saw the moon rise. I saw the size of the firmament in my life. The great bear rose with the harp song. The old king called the hounds. Perseus tore the fox apart with his hands. Don’t say that the tide rolls in from the sea and that it happens just so easily. Don’t say it begun pulled in by the sun and that it’s just gravity. The herdsman whistled his stallion. The clock struck 03:00 am. Red wine trickled from the crack in the jug. I saw the plough in the night sky. I saw the sun rise. I saw the size of the firmament in my life. Don’t say that the tide rolls in from the sea and that it happens just so easily. Don’t say it begun just pulled by the sun and that it’s just gravity. I could be swimming in rivers of blood, washed away by the tide. I look the same man to you. Washed away, washed away. Washed away.
The Pretty Pride of Russia
The Pretty Pride Of Russia I look out from my window at the cotton fields below, and wonder what it’s like in England. One thing’s for sure – I’ll get in there in the end, once I’ve saved enough to pay my friend’s kind friend – a man most eager to help (he’s said he’ll find me a job and a luxury flat with other girls like me). And I’ll have a salary – more than in my dreams – to buy jewellery and fur and clothes. There’s more to life than this – the world must be explored – and London is the perfect place for me to be adored. Yes there’s more to life than this – the world must be explored – And London is the perfect place for me to be adored. London town is where I’ll go and London town is where I’ll grow – I’ll learn to act and to sing and make my father proud. When I’m home once I’ve grown, they’ll all stare and want to go – to be like me, the pretty pride of Russia. There’s more to life than this – the world must be explored – and London is the perfect place for me to be adored. Yes there’s more to life than this – the world must be explored – And London is the perfect place for me to be adored.
The Shoemaker
The Shoemaker
I was a shoemaker, a mover, a shaker,
a breaker of rules not a sufferer of fools.
No liberties taken nor freedoms forsaken,
my mind was awakened by you, by you.
Because I would go anywhere to call a place home
I would go anywhere to go home
I would go anywhere to call a place home
I would go anywhere to go home
I showed you resistance when you offered assistance.
Oh why did I keep such a distance from you?
Drinking round town in my invincible crown,
oh my sorrows would drown in my memories of you.
Because I would go anywhere to call a place home
I would go anywhere to go home
I would go anywhere to call a place home
I would go anywhere to go home
Turn the lights out on your way out
Because I’m like the vapour of a cigarette paper,
a faker of air, just an everyday prayer.
But as long as I’m woken by the day as it’s broken,
then I will be spoken for by you.
Because I would go anywhere to call a place home
I would go anywhere to go home
I would go anywhere to call a place home
I would go anywhere to go home
Turn the lights out on your way out
This Place is Broken Hearted
This Place is Broken Hearted
I came looking for romance, escaping love,
to find myself under epic skies on roads that run over the horizon.
Instead of going through it, I went around.
I came looking for the magic, the pioneer’s dream,
each mile hushing the noise,
arriving in Main St (everywhere and nowhere),
a place to mend my heart.
This place is broken hearted,
this place is broken hearted,
this place has only started to forget.
I came looking to forget but this place remembers.
The memories hang from the rusting bridges,
the water towers, the freight trains, the power lines,
waiting for the end.
Still waiting.
This place is broken hearted,
this place is broken hearted,
this place has only started to forget.
Now I’ve found Altered, the 51st State,
and stumbled into dreams from which I cannot wake.
This place still believes in a different fate,
it’s just waiting.
Still waiting.
This place is broken hearted,
this place is broken hearted,
this place has only started to forget.
Tree Tops
Tree Tops
Flying high up in the tree tops
Flying high up in my mind
I’ll dream of wild adventures chased by undiscovered creatures
Flying high in heady danger
Diving gold and flooded cities
Travelling back to any time
I’d slay the evil monsters of mythology and legend
Flying high with a beautiful stranger
I’m up in in the tree tops
I’m up in in the tree tops
I’m up in in the tree tops
Flying high
Dreaming of a world away
A world away from what I know
An ageless world of destiny and predetermination
Flying high up in my mind
I’m up in in the tree tops
I’m up in in the tree tops
I’m up in in the tree tops
Flying high
White Roses Red
White Roses Red Hearing the sea, you stand in immortality, impassively. Hearing the birds, you sing silently, rightfully. You will open the lilies on your bed. Blood will colour white roses red. All my love left unsaid. White roses red. Seeing us be, you drift into eternity, unknowingly, saying to me, “you know what is obviously the way to be”. You will open the lilies on your bed. Blood will colour white roses red. All my love left unsaid. White roses red. Roses will redden from white to pink and then red. Crows will be carried by zephyrs of blood that’s been shed. Hearing the sea, you see everything that will be our history. You will open the lilies on your bed. Blood will colour white roses red. All my love left unsaid. White roses red. White roses red.
Your Baby Was Asleep
Your Baby Was Asleep The lights were on and you were gone working for your wheat, and the shadow from the minute hand shifted in retreat. And I will write your elegy, “A craftsman at his peak”, if you can tell me where you were when your baby was asleep. I’ve picked up tips and learnt my tricks from professionals on the street. I have my slab and cleaving blade to butcher all my meat. And I will carve the choicest cuts and serve them as your treat, if you can tell me where you were when your baby was asleep. And gentle was the touch of you – your hands, their calming heat, did scatter every demon when your baby was asleep. And now you say to me today, through stained and gritted teeth, that you had tried your utmost to delay the laurel wreath. And thinking of your father’s disapproval makes you weep, because you were not a father when your baby was asleep. And gentle was the touch of you – your hands, their calming heat, did scatter every demon when your baby was asleep.