Everything In The Delicatessen
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Alexandra Staying
Alexandra’s staying
They’re not going to leave
I saw them this morning
When I took round the keys
We talked of the weather
The warmth in the breeze
A thin veil of satin
Which sings in the trees
Alexandra’s staying
There’s nowhere to go
They went down to the river
The river said no
I don’t last forever
My water is low
Best not abandon
The home that you know
Alexandra’s staying
Despite saying goodbye
We can visit them later
With our voices and wine
I left the door open
For those wanting to pry
Hello Alexandra
Is that you waiting inside
Alexandra is staying
They’re not going to leave
I heard her calling
So I went round to see
I sat in the garden
Then walked to the trees
That’s where I found
His voice in the breeze
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Boys
boys
playing with balls
flying with crows
spitting at cars and coming to blows
they like their tricks
and shoot their sticks
then take things apart to find out how they tick
boys
exploring the world
hang about streets
and chatting up girls, they’re finding their feet
in a world of make believe by their mothers and fathers
or maybe it’s the genes that turn their head
maybe it’s the butter and not the bread
it’s what they do not what’s been said
it’s all in the balls and not the head
men
playing with balls
going to work
and building walls to protect them from other men
with bigger walls than them
or maybe it’s the genes that turn their head
maybe it’s the butter and not the bread
it’s what they do not what’s been said
it’s all in the balls and not the head
boys
playing with balls
flying with crows
spitting at cars and coming to blows
they like their tricks
and shoot their sticks
then take things apart to find out how they tick
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Heavy Felt
Heavy Felt, hanging waiting
With small tears where we pin it back
Winter moths have had their wanting
Six months between the cracks
Warm now, lost in the flame
Safe now, forever the same
Forever the same
Forever
The darkness big as any haunting
our small hopes where we pin it back
The silence loud as any screaming
Cries lost between the cracks
Wait now, whenever the night
Watch now, whatever in sight
whatever the night
Forever
The wood is damp, the curtain closing
Over rusty nails where we pin it back
The first fire is always smoking
Soot and ash between the cracks
Warm now, lost in the flame
Safe now, forever the same
Forever the same
Forever
Off to bed, time still ticking
One more tale as we hold it back
Candle light, moving, dancing flicking
Through heavy felt, between the cracks
dream now, footsteps on the path
Sleep now They’re coming back
They’re coming back
forever
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Beach at the Edge of Time
A freeze frame sheep in shock
Not knowing what to follow
Or how to lead
Four black cows have taken over the road
Crashed through the gate
They are walking to the beach
Holding a bright red balloon
It’s our turn to party
As the girl in the bikini is looking for a signal
She is crouched on a rock typing out her message
Hoping the connection is strong enough
To send a picture
Five motor homes have stopped for the night
Waiting for the sun to set
Watching
The same dark wave crash onto the sand
Rolling like thunder
As the girl in the bikini is looking for a signal
She is crouched on a rock typing out her message
Hoping the connection is strong enough
To send a picture
And the ancient rock has seen it all before
Although it can’t remember quite when
Sand martins dance and dart through the dunes
Too quick for the lens, but a WONDER on the
I’m chasing time looking for the tribe
That walk barefoot on the beach
The water’s too cold to go for a swim
At least that’s what I keep on telling my feet
Then the girl in the bikini, who looks like Annais Mitchel
Grabs hold of the bright red balloon
The sheep move on the mountain and the mountain remembers
And it isn’t a moment too soon
Cause all around us the waves crash like thunder
I’m sending you a picture of the scene
As the sun sets on the beach
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Devils We Are #33
You wear my diamond ring
I wear your frown
You take my voice to sing
I grind you down to the depths of your soul
You say that we can’t survive
But we take it once more down to the wire
And in the heat of the flames
realise
There’s silence in fire
silence in fire
silence in fire
You turn your shoulder round
I drive the car
You take the temperature down
I take it one step too far
And as we drive through the night
You say ‘let’s dim the lights’
And we look at each other
And realise
There’s laughter in ice
laughter in ice
laughter in ice
We book a room for the night
In twin beds
You say ‘it’s too late to fight’
But the scars still ring in our heads
And as we lie in the dark
Open the curtains and let in the stars
And the frost on the window
And the devils we are
the devils we are
the devils we are
Silence in fire
Laughter in ice
And the devils we are
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Hide and Seek
I
I Am
I Am Lost
And it’s not my fault
So come and find me
Lay down your clubs
Stop the game
I’ve had enough
There’s a waltz in the air
There’s a foxtrot on the green
Distant steps we’ve left behind
Between the Shadow and the Dream
Peeling
Peeling it back
All the flags on the land
The work that we’ve done
The roads that we’ve come
The glue and the gun
So show me the poison purse
In your hand
Nervous
Too nervous to dance
I am the machine
A malevolent dream, in a binary trance
There’s one last chance
To show me that poison purse
In your hand
There’s a waltz in the air
There’s a foxtrot on the green
Distant steps we’ve left behind
Between the Shadow and the Dream
We
We are
We are here
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Salt and Rope
The age of steam
Five fathoms away
We ride the trade winds of our fate
The gold is deep
But death lies close
Our families closer still
So Tonight we bless the salt and rope
That will lead us home
We trade in men
We trade in freedom
We give them wool And bring back silk
For god and country
For our nation
And for our children's health
So tonight we bless the salt and rope
That will bring us home
Break out the rum
roll the spices
Keep your coffee sweet
We are the lifeblood of the empire
The sailors of the fleet
The age of man
Five fathoms away
We drill the seabed for black gold
Two weeks on
And two weeks off
And for our children’s wealth
So tonight we bless the salt and rope
That will lead us
Heave away
Haul Away
No wind in our sails today
And the first mate was woken
By the silence of the sea
Break out the rum
And roll the spices
Keep your coffee sweet (x3)
Break out the rum
And roll the spices
Give your coffee hope
We are the lifeblood of the empire
The salt and the rope
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Everything in the Delicatessen
We run to the wall
And stop and the gate
I peer through the lock
Catch a glimpse of our fate
With fire in our lungs
And smoke in our hearts
We turn from the world
We’re ripping apart
And we learn to sleep standing up
We nod towards the oxygen gasp
We’ve tasted everything in the delicatessen
And we’re rolling on the road to Armageddon
There’s a babe in my arms
She’s hungry and cold
I look into her eyes
She’s six months old
She smiles at her dad
As I sing an old song
Alive alive o
We live to hold on
And we learn to sleep standing up
We nod towards the oxygen gasp
We’ve tasted everything in the delicatessen
And we’re rolling on the road to Armageddon
Some days are so dark
And the hurting so deep
I’m down through the bone
where dreams and ghosts meet
so i search for the song
and i reach for the smile
and the look in your eyes
that says take the next mile
And we learn to sleep standing up
We nod towards the oxygen gasp
We’ve tasted everything in the delicatessen
And we’re rolling on the road to Armageddon
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Wee Song
Out of the stillness a movement is born
Say hello to the dance
Say hello to the song
Give thanks to the silence
And the whispering crack
Hold onto the moment
then give it back
Do you here it calling It doesn’t last long
close your eyes
I’ll give you the song
You too can whisper
And sing in the night
Don’t look for the ending
Till one comes in sight
I can’t say it’s magic, but it does cast a spell
We get something from nothing
It’s that sort of well
You don’t need a bucket
You don’t need a rope
It starts with a ripple
And ends with this note
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Distracted
Breathing
I am breathing it in
I am free in my skin
I am
Here
Trying
I am trying to climb
I am trying to get
somewhere
Broken like a rag doll
Short on sympathy
No one loves a no one
Unless I can convince you
With my fantasy
Distracted by the smell in the room
By that strange perfume
That says you are here
Distracted by the songs on the shelf
By the stories they tell
Half vinyl half dream
Distracted by the ghosts in the air
By that sixties affair
And the final scene
Broken like a rag doll
Short on sympathy
No one loves a no one
Unless I can convince you
With my fantasy
Breathing
I am breathing it in
I am free in my skin
I am
Here
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Bones of Birth
Say hello to the bones of birth
Breathe them in and cry
May pain and pleasure teach you when
To lie low and when to fly
Find your path with a playful dance
Make those moves your own
Search out songs that set you free
And bring comfort to your home
And when doubts rise up inside
Start to take control
See the world as it really is
Don’t let fear eat your soul
You can spread wings
I will take flight
We will sing songs
Into the morning light
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Hanging on like Salt #24
Suzanne is taking you down to the water
Where you can taste salt on the shore
La la la la
You’ve been writing songs again
Phoning up your boozing friends
And staring at your electric violin
Dusting off your Old CDs
Sailing on your Autumn breeze
And shaving the grey stubble on your chin
And the embers of your fire are still glowing
There’s a frisky little itch inside your skin
And there’s something in your smile
that’s all knowing
It’s never too late to begin
You’ve got nothing all that new to say
Mixing metaphors with tired clichés
But what else do you expect from a song
Country music and rock and roll
Always was a Sunday stroll
Stringing three chords out there where they belong
And the embers of your fire are still glowing
There’s a frisky little itch inside your skin
And there’s something in smile that’s all knowing
It’s never too late to begin
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Your fans still love your voice
You’re their number one by choice
Even though you’ve been silent for years
Something made you fade away
And the more you fought it
the more it stayed
Hanging on like salt hangs in tears
And the embers of your fire are still glowing
There’s a frisky little itch inside your skin
And there’s something in smile
that’s all knowing
It’s never too late to begin
Suzanne is taking you down to the water
Where you can taste salt on the shore
La la la la
Suzanne is taking you down to the water
Where you can taste salt on the shore
La la la la
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