"Now Knowing This..."

Despite having been written late 2009, "Now Knowing This..." wasn't included on my contribution to Hope And Monet until the summer 2010 recording sessions upon rediscovering the lyrics. At the time of authorship I consulted Robert Heart who advised it would make the words more accessible if the word "I" was changed to "Keith Chegwin". I have published the original text here to avoid any legal issues.

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NOW KNOWING THIS (F*CK OFF YOU UNGRATEFUL SH*T)

Does it show through confidence,

The lie behind this smile?

Find your morals questionable, no lie.

Wonder how you’re functioning, I resign.

From motion, reduction, inertia on my side

From madness, regression, confusion by my side

Forever, forever, I hide

This game will cease without those caught in the web, the problem is you know it only too well

A spider weaves on and on shaping things to come blindly deals out consequence

A cry for help affecting those around so selfless in conceit

I can’t believe the cheek – It hurts them all, it hurts them

… they’ll never say

Find your words disheartening, no lie.

Do you hear my confidence? I try.

It’s time.

From motion, reduction, inertia on your side

From madness, repression, the start of a new life

It’s alright, you’re okay, we’ll see things through somehow

Keep saying, keep hoping, we’ll see things through

From motion, emotion

Forever, forever

Electrostatic current, by my side

A flickering flame will keep me warm, tonight

Cut out the photograph, the memories it hides

Sedation closing in, no bad dreams tonight

Does it show through confidence,

The knowing I was right

Please don’t take things personally

You know that I was…

Through motion, direction, you know I’m on your side

Through madness, past caring, this cannot ever reprise

It’s alright, we’re okay, seeing things through at last

Keep saying, keep hoping, keep knowing, forever…

"You Inevitably Lose Out"

To aid cohesion, the "Hope And Monet" theme occurs at beginning, middle and end of the album. There exist several versions of the theme - most famous being Steve's the album-closer version (known as "Part 3"). Part 1 (cutting dead into Heart's first track "As We Mean To Go On") and 2 (included in my otherwise instrumental song "You Inevitably Lose Out") share a low-key acoustic arrangement. The lyrics for all versions except this were co-written by myself and Steve.

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Hope And Monet (Part 2)

They say the journey never ends

Going round in circles

Say you’ve heard this one before?

This time I’m not certain

"Quentin Blake"

Written in August 2009 during the year's second Hope And Monet sessions. Intended for inclusion on my contribution "And" however the following year, on deciding to release a brand new single each in the buildup to the album, this was my choice. As so many of my greatest ideas, the concept for this tune came to me in the bathroom.

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QUENTIN BLAKE

Take a look at my face – that’s right, I don’t have one!

You can stare all you like, it’s not as if I can see you

They call me Quentin Blake, the man with no face

An interesting specimen but I’d prefer the term gentleman

What happened to manners?

I may be lacking eyes but ears no sir-ree!

I could hear from here to there if ever the need may be

It’s how I got a job at the department named “Em-I-Five”

I investigate and interpretate listening in on tapped lines

It’s great fun!

My mother was ashamed I’m sad to have to admit

A son who can’t see, taste or smell is all but useless to an invalid

You see back in my day you couldn’t transplant a face

The only solution was to tattoo one on or be treated as an alien race.

Man it really sucked!

Come on Quentin (we’ve gotta lead for you)

Come on Quentin (you gotta pull us through)

Listening down the wire get a shiver down my spine

The crooks are talking cryptically, I jot down every line

Partly talking Arabic and sometimes speaking French

Puts my multi-linguistic skills right to the test

Hear them mention dates and times, location: an address

Write it down – I’m quite peckish – no time to digress

Seems they’re smuggling body parts but which? I cannot hear…

We nail them I’ll get sorted out with eyes, a nose and ears!!

The possibilities overwhelm me and I’ve got all I need

Shout the DA – we’re ready to make a bust…

Come on let’s go!

Haul in some crims’

Come on (Quentin)

Let’s go (I know)

It’s time to blag you a face!

Quentin Blake, the man who now has a face!

"The Chronicles of Shreve"

Maybe my most famous track, "...Shreve" was written in about 20 minutes using my 'automatic writing' method of improvisation. It took not much longer to write the music and the recording was done primarily through 2009, finished off Summer 2010. Distressed at Hope And Monet's late-running I rush-released the track on From the Wonderous Mind.

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THE CHRONICLES OF SHREVE

            Part 1: “Memories Of Shreve”

“And what is there to do in that fateful land of Shreve

We dance and sing and covort with the banshees

For the wizards know that deep down within

An evil wind doth blow and in that air comes disease

Dance (mother mother) sing (brother brother)

In perfect harmony we wail

I jump through the trees into a new land

This isn't a wardrobe...”

            Part 2: “Seaman’s Mantra”

Forty days and forty nights

We sail these seas of fishy delights

And munch-munch-munch on a mackerel or two

For we are the pirates of the deep blue

            Part 3: “Upon The Heath” 

“It was a clouded day when they met upon the heath. The pirates in their salt-sprayed leggins, the creatures of the wood - dressed in purple and olive, the colours of the King. The clocks looked on as time stood still. A battle eminent, of this I was sure - but all of a sudden, something stirred to the West...”

            Part 4: “Cows Of War”

We are the bovines and we bring mutilation

Stamping on the face of every man

We are the bovines we want vengeance

Thoust are fine but we are thine -

and thou dost keep a' callin'

            Part 5: The Battle of Shreve

(9:55) “The battle was almighty. Oh yes it was! A slaughterhouse for all involved. It's impossible to tell who won or lost, it's not important though for this is the land of Shreve - the one place in space where no-one wins and no-one loses.”

            Part 6: Afterwords

“We continue our story with one of the few survivors of the epic battle just witnessed. Twelve decimonths have passed and young Turk O'Flanigan roams the moors, trying to remember the events of the not-so-or-maybe-so-recent-past...”

            Part 7: Wrath o’O’Flanigan  [10:44]

But a calf in this troublesome place

My family died, without a trace

They say a battle here ensued

The land is destroyed, bear and crued

Across the horizon, I see a shape

A wizard's hat and sleeve's that drape

Could this be the man that killed my father?

I better murder him, then I'll find out!

            Part 8: Journey’s End

Just a lonely cow

Living in this wiped out land

I've got wizard's hat too disguise my face

Just a short way home

Been searching for so many months

Can't wait to return to my family -

Bake them a cake, buy them some gifts -

Show them so love - the only way a bovine can!

But who's this running over to me?

Is it my son who's found me?

Could he have been searching for me?

Why such rage in his face?

Oh crap I'm wearing a wizard's costume...

NO WAIT, SON, IT'S...

            Part 9: Illustrious Conclusions

“He killed his own father!

This young bovine is really rough!!

The irony is not worth pointing out –

The consequences (however) will be tough!”

Woke up from this nightmare

Was it all but a dream?

Don’t look out of the window

There’s a cow, staring at me…

Jesus Christ, he’s wearing a fucking Wizard’s costume, oh God, I’m back in Shreve, help me, HELP ME…

 “But where is this place?

This land of bizarre

Where the mystical meets the farmyard

And instead of the Moon, there is Mars

You may not believe in this tale

Just as the bovines do not believe in you

But always remember this warning:

I know what I like

And I like what I see

Just don’t go trawling through wardrobes

If not in search for Shreve

            Part 10: Coda

Forty days and forty nights

Lost in Shreve we lose our minds

Munch-munch-munch on a berry or two

The moral of this tale is screaming at you

“The morale of this tale

If there be one at all... don't go”

"And Here Goes Again"

Closing my portion of Hope And Monet, the follow-up to "And Here Goes". A running competition between me, Steve and Rob at the time was who could have the longest song/suite on the album. By early 2011, Heart had won with his "In Excess? - Who Knows Who Cares - In Excess!" medley.

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And Here Goes Again

We choke this world so gracefully

We fill ourselves with forbidden fruit

Time's running out as we stand still

Forget to learn, forgot the past

Will we change?

Can we heal?

I see myself, a distant glare

The past is here, I was there

The time is now it's time to act

The clocks will never turn back

Have we changed?

Is this real?

"And confusion grows achingly

We once were safe now gone all three

Remembered through these words we write?

Forgotten not without a fight."

"The Painful Tale"

Written fairly early 2009 during an online chat with my good friend and ex-Garibaldi, David Picklesworth. Despite the production of Hope And Monet overrunning by a year, David never got round to recording the vocal part I had written for him. He's forgiven.

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THE PAINFUL TALE OF RORY'S McBUTT

[Steve]

It's time for a tale of the untold love

Between two simple souls

One was a boy the other a man

Wait wait wait, hear us out!

They say that incest just ain't right

And I would tend to agree

It'll please you to hear that this ain't that

And has nothing to do with me!

[Rory]

I first met Dave when I was young

Too young some would say

We hit it off like a house on fire

Music was our game

We sang about eating snacks

Biscuits and the like

It all was fun and innocent

Dreams of taking the mic'

Give me an E, I'll exchange you a B

Sugar coated raisins' sounds just fine to me

Take out that G, put in a C

Walking on a dessert island, Lancelot and me

Finished off the album

"What next?" I ask aloud

"Bend over" was the reply

I didn't make a sound

Awkwardness came afterwards

Embarrasment and regret

I couldn't remember much of it

Something made me forget...

[David]

"Drop you an E, I'll have my fun with thee

Do the crime fuck the time, down South I shall flee

Take out the girth, my name is Picklesworth

Bump and grind all the time, little Rory and me

Bump and grind all the time - little Rory and me!!!"

[Bob]

I heard this story recently

Quiet shocked I was indeed

I won't be playing similar games

Regardless of the deed

I'm simply here to rock the show

An OAP? Hell no!

Here's the moment you've been waiting for

An extended bass solo

"And Here Goes"

My memory's foggy, however I believe the first talk of a 3-disc, 4-hour Garibaldis' album came soon after the completion of (Also Known As) Constellations in October 2008. What's clear is that by the following March, Steve had announced a title and I'd set about planning my 80 minutes of music. The Hope And Monet sessions kicked off in Spring of 2009 where the concept was solidified. Thanks to exceptional planning, my album was all-but written (and mostly recorded) by the end of the year. We knew HAM was an epic undertaking but no-one expected it to overrun its release date by a year, crazy days. 

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And Here Goes
"And confusion hits so suddenly
We once were safe now lost all three
Divided in the ways we work
United in the way we hope."

I roam this land, a lost cause
I've walked these boards, for hours on end
Time races by as I stand still
Forgot to grow, forget most things

Do we change?
Can we heal?

I crawl these floors, dirt and all
You warned me once, I ignored
I age a year in what seems a day
What have I achieved? Where too now?

Have I changed?
Can you heal me?

And confusion grows achingly
We once were safe now gone all three
Remembered through these words we write?
Forgotten not without a fight