"A Wicked Love Song"

Recorded on the spot with Steve Wicked (he would later in the year record his debut album in a similar fashion) during the finalising of the Valentine's Day Single, I scrawled down some lyrics inspired by Steve's life.

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A Wicked Love Song
I see you in the morning
Can't believe no-one knows your name
I made love to your sister
Last summer on an aeroplane

But your love is the only one for me
And if i'm honest, why shouldn't it be
But your love is the only one for me
But nothing compares, to love of three

Call your sister in the morning
Tell her I'm sorry I didn't call back
It's been a year since our encounter
And it's time I got her back in the sack
In fact, fuck it, bring over the family
But don't go telling your dad
It's not that he's not a lovely lovely man
But I don't really want him like that

But your love is the only one for me
And if we're honest, why shouldn't it be
Only your love is the only one for me
Yours, your sisters plus the extended family (if needs be)
But your love is the one for me
And if we're honest, why shouldn't it be
Only your love is the one for me
Yours, your sisters plus the extended family

"When You're Me & I'm Free"

A co-composition with Steve Wicked - he writing music, me lyrics - "When You're Me & I'm Free" became the final single released prior to its inclusion on Kissing Sally In The Smoking Room. One of the last tracks written and recorded in a productive few weeks spanning late-December '11, early-January '12 - the results of which included finishing touches to a third "Unplugged" EP, four singles and a brand new album alongside two music videos for good measure.

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When You're Me & I'm Free

Standing at the crossroads of nowhere

My feet so glad to touch the ground

Been crossing this desert alone and

Someone like you couldn’t touch me now

Even though my back is breaking

My head is numb to the pain

Hitch-hiking my last stand sober

The World moves on and away

Make it easy on yourself

Treading water one steps up

Higher ground waits above

Nothing really matters

My head was up in the clouds

Been trying so hard for so long and

No-one like you will ever touch me now

Even through these harder moments

We keep routine and try

Hitch-hiking our last stand sober

The World moves up and away

Make it easy on yourself

Treading water one steps up

Higher ground is waiting above

Nothing really matters

When you are free

"Amongst the Sleeping"

Lyrics I wrote for Steve's track "Amongst the Sleeping" from Kissing Sally In The Smoking Room. He added lines for a chorus which, to avoid legal issues, I have omitted here.

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Amongst the Sleeping

By day,

The land moves around us – we’re driving

Some say,

You only know where you’re going – when you get there

I’m sure,

The engine will hold out – I’m arrogant like that

We know,

Nothing last’s forever – that at least is mutual

By night,

The land moves much quicker – we’re racing

Some wait,

And fall off the rails – consuming

You take,

As if I’ll keep on giving – I won’t, I’m sorry to say

We know,

Nothing happens suddenly – as all this aching proves

I wait,

To avoid the crossfire – if only it worked like that

  

Surround sound makes waves interpreted by something beyond us

Can science ever contemplate the feelings that we all take for granted?

In surround sound, I’ve found, dreams, are not for the living

So come regress and find it’s best to live, amongst the sleeping

"No Motherland Without You"

Alternate lyrics for a track recorded in the Kissing Sally sessions but unreleased in its original form. It instead received two arrangements on the Valentines Day Single: Rob Heart providing the "Let's Save Our Love (Until Marriage)" lyrics, my variation using a lines from a recent touching tribute to Kim Jung-Il I had been working on at the time.

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No Motherland Without You (Part 2)

Like lost lover’s trapped in time

We graced this Earth apart

Your name belittled by the mouth of the fool

But you’ll always reign my heart

Twas the coda of your life

Became the prelude to mine

The final night of ophiuchus

You set your sights to the sky

The deity you don’t doubt is real

His name is Kim Jung-Il

Like lost lover’s trapped in time

We graced this Earth apart

Your name belittled by the mouth of the fool

But you’ll always reign my heart

They called you father

To me you were just Kim

The Dear Leader formally

Proud the spirit within

I sense your presence in the lap of the Gods

Can’t disprove your heavenly-real

Forever: Kim Jung-Il

Like lost lover’s trapped in time

We graced this Earth apart

Your name belittled by the mouth of the fool

You’ll always reign my heart

Like lost lover’s trapped in time

We graced this Earth apart

Your name belittled by the mouth of the fool

But you’ll always reign my heart

What the fuck it’s the twenty-first century

And you’re no longer here to feel

But this hymn will be heard through the lands

Remember Kim Jung-Il!

Like lost lover’s trapped in time

We graced this Earth apart

The Motherland may cease to exist

But Kim’s erotic beauty will forever – reign my

Like lost lover’s trapped in time

We graced this Earth apart

Your name belittled by the mouth of the fool

You’ll always reign my heart

Like lost lover’s trapped in time

We graced this Earth apart

Your name belittled by the mouth of the fool

But you’ll always reign my…

"Modernity & Maternity"

Words from an as-yet unreleased song from the Kissing Sally sessions. A stripped back arrangement of the track was released on the Valentine's Day Single twice - "No Motherland Without You" and "Let's Save Our Love (Until Marriage)". A working title for these lyrics was something to do with being in love with the Mona Lisa.

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Modernity & Maternity

If seeing is believing

My eyes remain on you

If seeing is believing

I’m trying to look elsewhere

Living in your shadow

Forever you sit, unaware

Why hope for better

When all I see is you?

Your face round every corner

This all seems too unreal

Still you sit, eyes planted, glaring at me

Your face engraved on my long-term memory

If seeing is believing

My eyes remain on you

Yet forever you’re destined to occupy

A myst’ry in the eyes of a chosen few

In love with the handiwork

Of another’s sweeping touch

The fact you’re inanimate

Fail’s to quash my lust

Still you sit, eyes planted, glaring at me

Wait – I think I see!

If seeing is believing

My eyes remain on you

If seeing is believing…

"Like Slippery Elm"

A rare experiment of mine into rhythmic-writing, or "rap" as it's also known. A demo was recorded during the Kissing Sally sessions but remains unreleased.

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Like Slippery Elm
Steve is the man - the man with the plan
Like slippery elm I'll take you to the helm
'sdeep - not cheap - reap -
don't sow - you sow!
I'll hold you down - funky-funky town
Cats of Claw Hill
You can call me Al
Goodwin - Chegwin
Keith-egg-beer-keg-got-grot-rot-notalot-just-enough

Reminding you of cranberry cheese
Robert Heart'll bring you to your knees
Or vice versa - he's old you see
Or is he? Here's Rory McB,
To reveal all he'll crawl head first
through a sewer pipe - yeah it
smells he'll deal, for-one
for sure - for-five - for-real
The Scot-Scrot-Squad
Scroteam! Scroteam! Go team!

January ditties

A selection of untitled ditties written during the Kissing Sally sessions. Some may yet be used, one has been released in shape of "Maggie's Ditty".

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I crave order, you dig chaos
You hate writers, I hate players
Live by night - ruined by day
You worship the Sun - it's overrated

Some sing Hope - some see Monet
Some just hear And imagine life's glory
They fear change - we fear fear
Something about the Moon - that's underrated!

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What the fuck - it's the twenty-first century
Got nowhere to go
Let's stop fighting cos' now's the time to
Make the World a home

What the fuck - it's the twenty-first century
And everyone's on the dole
Let's burn down banks and refuse to work
A cleansing of the soul

What the fuck - it's the twenty-first century
And Thatcher's still not dead?
Let's open our eyes and agree to spend
The rest of our lives in bed

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Cows and wizards and much the like
It's hard to think we once were young
Shreve, Shreve, Shrevy-Shreve-Shreve
Let the Battle-Cry be sung!

Angels and hotels, hearts and stars
What does it mean to be young?
Hope and Monet, news of the world
Look how far we've come

Angels, hotels, hearts and stars
The ill-fitting start out young
Hope and Monet, news of the world
Our journey's just begun

"From Hope to the Eschaton"

My fourth song in a back-and-forth writing session with Steve, overseen by Robert, which resulted in Kissing Sally In The Smoking Room. Also credited as "From Hope to the Eschata", the title is a reference to an excerpt of EWTN dialogue sampled in Hope And Monet epic "In Excess!".

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From Hope To The Eschaton
Where words fail
The meaning remains
We're taking comfort
On the open plain

The road looks long
Going strong
Take it one step at a time
When all's said and done.

When words fail
The feeling remains
I'm taking comfort
From this open plain

We save ourself
You save ourself
I save ourself

The road seems long
Still going strong
And where does it lead
When all is said and...
When all is said and...

"My Woollen Lullaby"

The songs that became Kissing Sally In The Smoking Room were predominantly written in a day. Situated in "The Hit-Factory" at Bowels of the Basement studios, myself and Steve Wicked passed a guitar back and forth, there and then writing and recording basic tracks for around 8 songs. My lyrics came at a somewhat slower pace over the proceeding few weeks. Incidentally, I had wanted to use the title "My Woollen Lullaby" several months previously planning my solo album "Catharsis" which to this day remains shelved for reasons apparently obvious to the listener (think Glenson Heart McBrute's JAZZ.)

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My Woollen Lullaby

There was a time when words just came

We closed our eyes shut out all pain

And sang a song that beckoned in

A new tomorrow

The days were long despite the rain

Their brightness shone on all the same

And bore a song that kept alive

Thoughts of yesterday

And from these tunes we reminisce

Fresh tales emerge now from that mist

Of clouded hours, lost in time

Such as this one

So what of laughs and endless fun?

The certainty of more to come

Take a breath, calm the mind

My woollen lullaby.

Recall a time when words had failed

Knew the score yet were unable

To change the cards we’d dealt ourselves

It needs perspective

Stuck in a rut, a mind possessed

Introspection obsessed

Close our eyes to all around

As if we’re special.

Don’t forget you’re not alone

All deep down searching for “home”

So drop your guard, freely roam

Take a breath, calm the mind

With woollen lullabies

There’ll be time to take a breath

There’ll be time to start afresh

There’ll be time to sing aloud

A new tomorrow

There’ll be a time when you are heard

There’ll be a time - far more absurd

There’ll be a time you realise

Your prayers were answered

So what of laughs and endless fun?

The certainty of more to come

Take a breath, calm the mind

(Take a breath and calm the mind)