 
# The Song Lyrics of Nemo James

Singer, Songwriter

www.nemojames.com

Edition 3

12th November 2018

1000 Acres 28

A Bachelor's Lament 61

A Chair By The Window 20

A Good Man 86

A Happy Man 67

A Kind of Love Song 105

A Rat Race 125

A Simple Love Song 5

A Song of Sixpence 12

A Warm Night In May 19

A Woman Unknown 23

Africa 91

Bobby Two Beers 48

Broken Wing 106

But For Now 52

Bye Cycle 107

Can You See Light 118

Cat Attack 92

Come a Little Closer 133

Cool Water 24

Did Anybody See Her 89

Different Paths 119

Dreamer On The Run 11

Fame Without Talent 132

Field of Dreams 108

Fighting on the Wall 80

Fire in the Desert 60

Flora's Holiday 93

Forbidden Fruit 25

Forest of Fire 128

Four Seasons 100

Four Winds 94

Free Rum 136

Germinal 124

Give Me a Smile 90

Going to the Factory 65

Have Pity On The Writer 122

He Planted Trees 110

I Am Here For You 109

I am love 26

I Could Have Been 66

I Hated What I Found 29

I Met Her on the M25 69

I Thought I Heard You Crying 30

I Wish I Was A Has Been 47

If Daddy Was Wrong 111

In the Garden 27

It Ain't Right 112

It Really Doesn't Matter 32

It Takes a Real Man to Cry 113

It's A Crazy World 8

Jenny At The Front Door 51

Like Crystal 79

Listening Ears 34

Little Tin Box 35

Living on the Street 36

Looking For You 37

Love In Your Heart 38

Marie (Where Are You Now 81

Married But Living Alone 77

McDonald's Farm 74

Moj Prijatelj 42

Nonsense 95

One Day You're in Paradise 130

Over You 41

Peruvian Girl 120

Playing to the Crowd 114

Pride 75

Remember this day 85

Rosemary and Time 39

Running 68

Second Thoughts 96

She Said Hello 121

She's A Mother Now 123

Silly Old Man 78

Sing For Your Child 13

Ski With Me Tonight 73

Somebody Stole My Hole 97

Special days 6

Strange Happenings 62

Suzie Likes Caviar 63

Thank You James 99

The Analyst 43

The Dancer 45

The days I will remember 9

The Eagle and the Dove 64

The Fields of France 131

The Flower 126

The Gate 15

The Minstrel 10

The Moonbeam 83

The Poet 55

The Search 117

The Simple Rules of Life 115

The Song You'll Never Play 76

The Tree 56

The Wheels Go Round 58

The Workhouse Child 17

The World is Full of Heroes 49

These Walls 50

They Love Him 129

They Won't Come Round Again 46

This Town 101

Those Damn Pipes 116

Too Much Stuff 102

Two Eyes Are Not Enough 59

Used To Be 31

Vanity Fair 53

Walk On 54

Weave a Life of Love 103

What am I To Do 104

What's So Good About Your Town 72

Who is She 87

**A Simple Love Song** **  
**From the AlbumThe Minstrel

I wanted to write a song for you

to tell you just how I feel

cause now for the first time

it's not just a dream

this love that I have is real

I wanted to put these thoughts of you

into the words of a special song

the feeling is there and the music flows

but the words just keep coming out wrong

Chorus

it's not easy writing love songs

without words that you've used before

it's not easy writing love songs

when you finally know for sure

I've been sitting here for hours

trying to think of something new

but three simple words keep coming back

I love you

I know there's no need to say a word

as I'm sure that by now you know

it's just that I have this need to say

the words that my feelings show

for thousands of years now

poets have tried

to soar on the wings of a bird

but from all of the beauty

that flows from their pens

we come back to the same three words

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**Special days**  
From the Album Special Days

I met my love at the old race track  
We didn't look forward didn't look back  
Our lives were instantly entwined  
On that special day

I asked her what brought her to this place  
Where the world once came to race  
Now left behind by changing winds  
No sign of horse nor hay

Special days, those special days  
In wind or rain or sun  
They change our lives for ever  
And all those yet to come

_I was looking through some photographs_  
_When one brought me along this path_  
_My father's father standing here_  
_In this special place_

_A bookmaker was he by trade_  
_A much loved man who always paid_  
_Laid to rest long before I grew_  
_But there's something in his face_

My father's father also came  
Throughout this land he well knew fame  
He rode his horses like the wind  
His 1st place always sure

He often talked about this track  
And when he talked his tears came back  
He spoke of a friend he held so dear  
Lost in that great war

And as we looked in disbelief  
At the photo how our thoughts did weave  
Our fathers' fathers standing there  
In this special place

**They seemed to come alive and say**  
**Welcome to this your special day  
your roots are distantly entwined**  
**And now's your time to race**

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#  **It's A Crazy World** **  
**From the Album Special Days

There's a monkey on the line, there a goat up the tree

There's a dog in my way and he won't look at me

Is this my life or is it just a dream

There's a woman in the water and no one in the boat

a man in the junk yard trying to find his vote

It's the damnest thing, I ever did see

It's a crazy world, crazy world

It's a crazy world, crazy world

There's a bull in the corner trying to start a fight

There's an ostrich in the bar trying to argue black is white

Is this my life or is it a dream

There's a gravy powered train, that no one can get off

an army of rejections queueing at the trough

It's the damnest thing, I ever did see

There's a lamb in the park, mourning for his wife

There's an eagle in the court room demanding all his rights

Is this my life or is it a dream

There's a fox in the casino with his fingers crossed

Keeping all his winnings and giving us what he's lost

It's the damnest thing, I ever did see

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# **The days I will remember**

From the Album A Chair By The Window

Hey little girl who you gonna run to

when you've cut your knee and you cry and say

daddy make this pain go away

I'll say to you some magic words

and take you in my arms

and you'll go running back to play

hey little girl who you gonna sing with

when it's Christmas time and we're round the tree

and there's such sweet harmony

you play that game we made for you

your laughter fills the room

you are everything to me

CHORUS

These are the days I will remember all my life

these pure and happy days of childhood

the funny things you say the crazy thing you do

I'll always remember these precious times with you

I'd give the world and so much more to you, my little girl

Hey little girl who you gonna cry to

when you spend the night sitting on your own

waiting by the telephone

but he doesn't call, I share your pain

my shoulder's wet with tears

then gone for ever those childhood years

Hey little girl, who you going to walk with

On that special day when you turn and smile

As we walk slowly down the aisle

You'll take his hand, eyes filled with love

A woman I can't deny

But you'll always be my little girl

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# **The Minstrel**

From the Album The Minstrel

A minstrel steps into the hall

to see his king and queen

Sire there is something I must say

the words no longer find their place

nor music fill my ears

looks like my age has finally won the day

respectfully I bid your leave

although my heart is sad

but before I walk the last lonely mile

I need to know that with my songs

your spirits I have moved

for if they have my life has been worthwhile

Chorus

do you like the songs I've sung to you

do you like the times that we've been through

do you like my music, do you like to sing along

yes we like the songs that you have sung

and we like the friends that we've become

we like your music and the words of your songs

thank you for those words so kind

but I still feel some concern

for what has been the purpose of my songs

the cruelties of this world remain

and though my words may warm the soul

they've not put right a single wrong

and a tired king makes softly his reply

you've sung to us of love and pain

of sorrow and of joy

and we're touched that with us your soul you've shared

it's true your songs won't change the world

if only that they could

but they make our pain much easier to bear

Chorus

A minstrel and a king unite in a tearful farewell

And for the rest of time the world unites

Under the minstrel spell

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# **Dreamer On The Run**

From the Album The Minstrel

Once he dreamt he was an eagle

with wings of steel and heart of gold

once he dreamt he was a dove

with velvet touch that heals the troubled soul

once he dreamt he spoke to Jesus

who promised him he'd show the way

once he dreamt he heard a beggar

and stopped to listen to what he had to say

Chorus

so pick up the bottle, pour him a glass

he'll tell you his stories of what might have passed

he'll sit and tell you how it should be done

then look at his children and look at his wife

and look at the way he's destroying their lives

he's just another dreamer on the run

just another dreamer on the run

once he dreamt he fought for justice

with special powers he'd been blessed

but then he woke one day to find

that he was just a man like all the rest

now within a cloud he sits

dreams sinking fast in a whisky haze

his family given up the battle

he's left alone to end his drinking days

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# **A Song of Sixpence**

From the Album Terasa

My mobile phone just won't connect, my laptop won't turn on

My house was made in china, my pension in Saigon

I'll sing a song of sixpence, from a time so long ago

With undercover listening to pirate radio

I'll sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of memories

My bank told me they cared so much so I gave them a call

They put me through to India or maybe it was Nepal

I'll sing a song of sixpence, that magic silver coin

When life was oh so simple and the smallest things gave joy

I'll sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of memories

I've got so many records that half are left unplayed

Heaven knows who made them or if they will be paid

I'll sing a song of sixpence, that came with every tooth

They said it was a fairy, who cared if it was true

I'll sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of memories

I've had to park my car and take a bus to where I am

And I can't find what's important, cause its lost amongst the spam

I'll sing a song of sixpence, when letters came from friends

Not nasty looking red ones, from debt that never ends

I'll sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of memories

I have to look on Facebook, to see where my kids have been

They insist on Gucci but say money is obscene

I'll sing a song of sixpence, when money was still real

And cards were used for playing, we laughed with every deal

I'll sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of memories

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# **Sing For Your Child**

From the Album The Minstrel

Chorus

Sing for your child, show that you care

there may be no tomorrow

stay for a while, there's always time to show you care

so sing for your child, sing for your child, tonight

a little child with wondrous eyes looks up at her father

daddy won't you sing to me a while

sing me songs of magic

and strange enchanted forests

and magicians that cast spells with wicked smiles

my child I'd dearly love to, but I just don't have the time

there's still so many mountains I must climb

Chorus

a little child with eyes closed tight

lies there like an angel

watched on by her father's misty eyes

please let her live the father cries

I can't exist without her

this is not the time to say goodbye

he feels so helpless, and he her king

but then recalls how she loved to hear him sing

Chorus

for seven days and seven nights

he sits down close beside her

singing songs of magic in her ear

the mountains he once climbed

now seemed so much smaller

as the crisis of her illness drew near

then her eyes slowly open

she's come through the night

don't worry daddy I'm going to be alright

Chorus

now every time he says goodbye

a thought goes through his mind

there may be no tomorrow

so today he must be kind.

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# **The Gate**

From the Album The Gate

The road was long the day was cold

a story that's so often told

a lonely road with no end in sight

no shelter from the night

when there before a gate I stood

that lead to nothing but tangled woods

I was wondering what it once had been

when something seemed to call me in

then I walked through the garden

of waste and despair

was stung by the nettles

was chilled by the cold air

I was just about to turn around

when there in the waste ground

was a house as sad as it was old

but still a shelter from the cold

this stately home that had once stood proud

now stood within its stately shroud

a dark sky laying where the roof had been

such sadness I'd never seen

and as I walked from room to room

searching for a way from gloom

I walked into a room so bright

that I was blinded by the light

and there in the corner

over by the far end

a guitar gently weeping

welcome back old friend

we sang and we made rhymes

and talked about old times

sweet music filled the air

such joy was everywhere

as we danced through the garden

of waste and despair

the sun started shining

and pushed aside the cold air

I closed the gate behind me

and continued on my journey

the road reached far into the night

but in the distance there shone a light

Back to Index

# **The Workhouse Child** **  
**From the video The Workhouse Child

Behind the cold and tear stained door  
sitting on the cold stone floor  
a workhouse child lives alone  
where he comes from no one's sure  
he commits the crime of being poor  
and dreams of parents he's never known

he's just a child, six years old  
just a child, scared and cold  
punished for the sins of others  
forgotten by a distant mother  
who turns away the workhouse child

here's fifty pounds of bones to crush  
it seems that there's a sudden rush  
when work is done you will be fed  
you shall not talk you shall not laugh  
you shall not rest a minute's half  
your spirit's ours till you are dead

you're just a child, of little use  
just a child, that's no excuse  
and should you disobey the rules  
created by the minds of fools  
you'll suffer more, you workhouse child

I've heard it said that one day soon  
men will fly and touch the moon  
and machines will live yet shed no tears  
but will you never understand  
all we ask is to touch the hand  
that reaches out from one who cares

he's just a child, his needs are small  
just a child, too weak to crawl  
and you who for the stars compete  
while crushing those beneath your feet  
don't forget the workhouse child

in the big house on the hill  
where riches seldom ever spill  
the workhouse mother lives alone  
she looks for lines upon her face  
the idle rich lives in disgrace  
with heart that long has turned to stone

life's such a bore, she cries aloud  
then sews some more, the tiny shroud  
this land of plenty, wild and free  
is cursed by those too blind to see  
the horrors of the workhouse child

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# **A Warm Night i** **n May**

From the Album Silly Old Man

Look at the river, it's starting to flow now

where yesterday's river was still

winding its way down from mountain to sea

the sight of it gives such a thrill

winter is passing and spring has begun

the summer play has been cast

soon there'll be flowers that dance in the sun

and lovers that bathe in the grass

how well I remember the days of my youth

at this special time of the year

the crowds and the laughter

the smile of a young girl

and the joy of holding her near

the journeys to places that I'd never seen

a life full of time left to spend

the fun and the laughter just went on and on

I was sure it never would end

now I'm alone at the end of my days

and every day passes the same

it all went so quickly, just slipped through my hands

and there is no one left I can blame

why can't they see that inside I'm a child

that longs to go play in the sand

this passion inside me is still driving me wild

but there's no who'll take this old hand

my heart is still free and my eyes still shine bright

but my body grow more tired each day

I'd give what I've left for just one more night

to be young on a warm night in May

Back to Index

# **A Chair By The Window**

From the Album A Chair By The Window

There's a place in a chair by the window

where a young girl sits

she patiently waits for her father

for her world to be lit

there's a knock on the door

it's the postman

a telegram is read

your country regrets to inform you

that your father is dead

he's missing in action

somewhere in the first world war

it's important for you to know

just what he died for

so we can be free

to live our lives

in freedom and safety

peace must survive

There's a place in a chair by the window

where a young woman sits

she patiently waits for her young man

for her world to be lit

there's a knock on the door

it's her young man

it's his love that she needs

he's the reason that she wants to live

she's the air that he breathes

They're going to get married some day

she's having his child

theirs is a once in a lifetime love

a rose growing wild

they want to be free

to live their lives

in freedom and safety

peace must survive

There's a place in a chair by the window

where a young wife sits

she patiently waits for her husband

for her world to be lit

there's a knock on the door

it's the postman

a telegram is read

your country regrets to inform you

that your husband is dead

he's missing in action somewhere

in the second world war

it's important for you to know

just what he died for

so we can be free

to live our lives

in freedom and safety

peace must survive

There's a place in a chair by the window

where an old woman sits

she patiently waits for the morning

for the streets to be lit

there's a knock on the door

it's the postman

a letter is read

if you don't pay the money you owe us

you'll wish you were dead

there's a choice of food or heating

she's cold and alone

nothing left except her memories

and an empty home

is she still free

to live her life

in freedom and safety

has peace survived

There's a place in a room by the window

where a dead woman lay

she patiently waits for her funeral

it's the end of her days

there's a knock on the door

it's a tax man

he starts to yell

if you don't pay the money you owe us

you'll go to hell

she was killed by a young man

for the change in her purse

it's too late to tell her now,

that things could be worse

so what was it all for

all the death and the pain

they built our shelters

now they stand in the rain

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**A Woman Unknown**

From the Album The Minstrel

I see her walking in the street each day

nothing to say, in a world of her own

looking twice the years that she has had

life is bad, for the woman unknown

collecting bits in bags

like diamonds in her hand

just how much they mean to her

we'll never understand

Chorus

Were you a dancer or once a beauty queen

were you a famous actress on the silver screen

or maybe all you wanted were the simple things in life

a happy home and children and to be somebody's wife

Now leaves are falling and the summer's gone

will you carry on, living day to day

sleeping in shop windows where we buy and sell

and know too well, that you're the price we pay

perhaps your only crime

was to trust in someone bad

how I wish I could give to you

the life you never had

Back to Index

**Cool Water** **  
**From the AlbumSpecial Days

Sunrise over mountainside, small pebbles kissed by lazy tide

A sleepy village waits for another summer's long Croatian day

Boat started the mooring cast

Water rippling as the ducks go past

The sound of distant traffic as those who have to work go on their way

The temperature is rising how hot it's going to be

But the breeze is gently soothing on my face

fish are jumping, splashing to the sea

Was there ever such a wondrous place

Cool water. Drifting by

Cool water, reflects the sky

Cool water, running through my hands

Cool water

Fresh fish on the barbecue, chilled wine for a glass or two

Good friends all around me reminding me of how good life can be

Cards played by the waterside, sun sets on the distant tide

Another day is passing in this tiny village paradise by the sea

The temperature is falling, the sea has turned to silk

The moon is shining brightly from afar

another day is passing to treasured memories

As the sky fills with gently flickering stars

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# **Forbidden Fruit**

From the Album The Minstrel

She looks out the window, it's starting to rain

she can't take another day passing the same way

she steps out the back door, looks around

mustn't be seen, mustn't make a sound

jumps into her shiny car she knows she should turn back

but she's just a traveller on a one way track

Chorus

forbidden fruit tastes so sweet

wants to knock you off your feet

you may be strong you may be kind

but it'll make you leave your senses behind

she thinks of her husband giving all he can

no matter how she treats him, he's a kind and forgiving man

she doesn't want to hurt him, it makes her feel so bad

but forbidden fruit's the sweetest thing that she's ever had

this must be the last time she can't go on this way

this will be the last time until the next day

Chorus

what is it about him? she can't understand

he's not so good looking, there's nothing in his hand

but there's something in his eyes, something in his smile

that makes all the heartache so worthwhile

their time for love is over, it hurts so much to part

she must return to her loved ones and hide her aching heart

Back to Index

# **I am love**

From the Album Terasa

I'm not a man. I'm not the sun

Not the moon or ancient tomb

I'm not a statue for whom to serve

Nor fearsome thunder, or virgin birth

I'm not a mountain I'm not the sea

I'm not the reason for you to be

I am not an eagle, or a dove

What I am is simple, I am love

I don't want your gold, or robes of silk

Keep all your fine word and your guilt

It all comes to nothing when the mist is clear

If a child is hungry, or stands in fear

I don't want your wars, or your sacrifice

One needless death is too high a price

I gave you life so you could live

I gave a heart so you could forgive

I don't want your prayers don't want you blame

Don't want your hatred, not in my name

Your love that's steeped in self interest

With twisted words I never blessed

I gave you heaven but you make it hell

The home I gave, you leave a shell

If you truly want all that's above

Don't pray to me, pray to love

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# **In t** **he Garden**

From the Album The Minstrel

With such sweetness I recall

the days when I'd come home from school

and watch her working quietly in the garden

with callused hands that gently nursed

the flowers of the universe

she looked so happy working in the garden

a simple tune she whistled well

in chorus with the birds

she seem to hold them in a spell

that never needed words

it may seem to you her life was tough

but she had more than enough

when she was working in her little garden

though many years she's laid to rest

her memory still is clear

and when I see a flower I must confess

it seems that she is near

in summer and in winter still

she loved her land and work it till

all was well in her little garden

Back to Index

**1000 Acres**  
From the Album Special Days

The birds are greeting, the start of the day

The trees have come alive

The mist is clearing in its sleepy way

Floating to the sky

The door opens, he steps outside

Takes a look around

The signs are good, the day will be kind

But peace can't be found

Chorus

1000 acres is not that much

Compared to someone's life

One man's dream is another man's prison

One will live and one will survive

1000 acres is not that much

When the heart lies elsewhere

But 100 acres is just enough

To trap you in its lair

This field where once worked 100 men

Now there's is only one

The dreams of a father have been handed down

To a reluctant son

He climbs high into the monster machine

His heart left on the ground

Thinking of what he could have been

But for duty and family entwined

Back to Index

# **I Hated What I Found**

From the Album The Minstrel

I was standing on the platform waiting for the train to come

to take my hopes and all my dreams to the other side of town

to a side that's just as lonely as the one that I'd come from

I'd been changing sides for twenty years trying to find where I belong

it was just then that a train pulled in on the other side of the track

the sight of her hit me so hard it took my mind right back

to a time when we were married so many years ago

it was only then I realised how much I'd loved her so

Chorus

I said I had to leave her as tears fell from our eyes

and through the tears all I could see was me, myself and I

I said I had to find myself it sounded so profound

at last I knew I'd found myself but I hated what I'd found

I know she never saw me there and that gave me some relief

to see me as a broken man I knew would give her grief

she reached across and took his hand and held her children tight

there's nothing that I've ever seen as cruel as that sight

I've walked a 1000 miles or more without going anywhere  
found a thousand answers as to why nobody cares  
there's none so blind that seek the truth in a sea of empty words  
I spent my life looking at the starts instead of listening to the birds

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# **I Thought I Heard You Crying**

From the Album Special Days

Video www.nemojames.com/i-thought-i-heard-you-crying

I thought I heard you crying in the darkest hour of night

But it was just a long forgotten scene

How it hurt to see you while your body shook with fright

Till I told you it was just a silly dream

I did my best to comfort you and wipe your tears away

And sing gently while you drifted off to sleep

Then all would be forgotten at the start of every day

My love for you was as tiring as was deep

I thought I heard some clapping in the darkest hour of night

But it was just a long forgotten scene

You hit the ball for six, a perfect cover drive

A stroke as powerful as it was clean

I lived through you with bat in hand, a game I love so much

But I was never good enough to play

How I longed to tell you how proud of I was of you

But I was too embarrassed to ever say

I thought I heard you calling in the darkest hour of night

But it was just a long forgotten scene

Halfway through life's journey, your business left in ruins

Your marriage passed into something that had been

We didn't have a lot to give but we did what we could do

With us you knew you always had a home

We watched you get back on your feet and go from strength to strength

And build a life where the sun has always shone

I thought I heard you playing In the darkest hour of night

But it was just a long forgotten scene

in the bar we'd sit at night from start until the end

Those Madeira nights for us did reign supreme

Though my ears were blocks of wood and music lost on me

I was so deeply moved by your words

you sang with such conviction even I could see

You touched the hearts of all of those who heard

Now I can hear you crying in the darkest hour of night

But this is not a long forgotten scene

You're standing by my bedside as I slowly waste away

At my final stop behind a sterile screen

how I wish that I could say to l you that I hear your every word

and comfort you as I did right from the start

through all the years before you, you will never be alone

I will always live inside your heart

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# **I Used To Be**

From the Album Terasa

I used to be the driver

Of a distant steaming train

A might beast at my command

That laughed at wind and rain

I used to be a cricketer with the ashes in my hand

But then the dream was over

And the real world came along

I used to be a rock start

With screaming axe in hand

My fans would queue for hours

To watch me with my band

I used to be a business man

When I could do no wrong

But then the dream was over

And the real world came along

Bridge

Dreams are what you make them

They are at your command

But luck is still your master

And will laugh at all your plans

I used to be a writer selling scripts to Hollywood

Complete with score and leading part

That Oscar sure looked good

I used to be a rock start

The second time around

But then the dream was over

And a new one quickly found

Dreams are what you make them

They are at your command

But luck is still your master

And will laugh at all your plans

Now the days are shorter

And my hair once used to be

I know too well just how kind

fate has been to me

I never could have dreamt so well

And it's only now I see

This life I lead in paradise

Is what I never used to be

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# **It Really Doesn't Matter**

From the Album The Minstrel

He told her he was leaving, she said well that's ok

He said with some deflation is that all you've got to say

It's ten years since first we met but you don't seem to care

That now our time has ended and you don't shed a single tear

She said

It really doesn't matter

it doesn't matter all

Life goes on, I'll carry on

I'll stumble but I won't fall

Don't get me wrong, I love you

As much as any woman can

But I won't be a slave to a heartache

Not for you or any man

She told him that his job was gone, he said well that's ok

she said with some relief, is that all you've got to say

I'm sure you know at your time of life that work is hard to find

He said I know but if it's time to go I'll look ahead and not behind

He said

It really doesn't matter

doesn't matter all

Life goes on, I'll carry on

I'll stumble but I won't fall

Don't get me wrong I love this job

And feel a heavy sense of loss

But I won't be a slave to the dice that are played

Not for you or any boss

and I say

It really doesn't matter

doesn't matter all

Life goes on, we carry on

We stumble but don't have to fall

Don't get me wrong, I know it's hard  
when all we have is built on sand

But don't be a slave to the paths that are laid

Just do the best you can

No don't be a slave to the paths that are laid

Just do the best you can

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# **Listening Ears**

Is there room for me my friend?

a man who needs to play

I know the train left long ago

But I'm afraid I lost my way

I've got these songs in side my head

That won't leave me alone

For countless years they fell on ears

My songs have never known

Chorus

I'm not asking for the moon and stars

For mansions and for fancy cars

They have never meant a thing to me

All I ask is for is listening ears

And a heart that's not afraid of tears

And eyes that look beyond celebrity

Fate has been unkind to me

There's no one I can blame

When I was young I tried so hard

But the songs just never came

But now the words and music flow

And my guitar I command

Anonymity has destined me

as just another grain of sand

Back to Index

# **Little Tin Box** **  
**From the Album The Minstrel

There's no more money in my little tin box  
and five more bills to pay  
no more songs in my repertoire  
and ten minutes left to play  
my girlfriend's packed her bag and gone  
says she don't want to sleep on the floor  
the fridge is empty, the cupboards are bare  
so the cat's gone to live next door

Chorus  
Higher the bills go higher  
down down down my spirits go  
round and round the wheel keeps turning  
where it's gonna stop, no one knows

No more money in my little tin box  
and six more bills to pay  
if you think it's funny I got no money  
then turn and walk away  
there's bills to the left of me bills to the right  
into the valley of debt I go  
I've got seeds by the million  
but nowhere they can grow

Chorus

No more money in my little tin box  
and seven more bills to pay  
I've walk a thousand miles roads to salvation  
and I'm still looking for another way  
no more money in my little tin box  
and ten more bills to pay  
but I got hope and I ain't no dope  
and tomorrow ain't far away

Back to Index

# **Living on the Street**

From the Album Special Days

Living on the street, with too tired feet

Looking for a place to live

Living my life one day at a time

Please give what you can give

That cardboard box is mine for the night

Fair and square I won it in a fight

No up one down, no tax no rent

Depreciation, none percent

Living on the street with too restless feet

Morning's come at last

I've packed my thing one dull old ring

From someone in my past

I'd like to try some delicate food

But half a steak still sure sounds good

Cold or colder, grilled or fried

With something yellow on the side

The road is long

The nights are longer still

Maybe one day

I'll meet you on this hill

Living on the street with too wet feet

can't see my shoes for holes

I'd like to sit but I just don't fit

Alongside with these lost souls

you can take your nose down from the air

say what you want I just don't care

This is the way I choose to be

I know it ain't much but at least it's me

Back to Index

# **Looking For You**

From the Album Silly Old Man

I'll meet you in a small cafe

on a warm Parisian night

we'll watch the people passing

silently from sight

our touching hands will shadow

from the flickering candlelight

I'll look into your sparkling eyes

and shiver with delight

CHORUS

I've been looking for you everywhere

through endless lonely nights

wondering what you look like

and what are your delights

the moment that we meet

we'll know everything's alright

I'm looking for you

looking for you

I'll meet you on the golden sands

of a warm Caribbean night

our hearts will ache as we watch the sun

fall silently from sight

our love will beat in time

to the rhythm of the waves

we'll discover mysteries

from ancient moonlit caves

I'll meet you in a forest

beneath the falling leaves

we'll watch the sun weave silver rays

through gently swaying trees

our caresses will be gentle

our passion will be strong

our love will haunt that forest

long after we have gone

Back to Index

# **Love In Your Heart**

From the Album The Minstrel

There's a place of darkness in the heart of everyone

a distant echo of a song that once was sung

memories may torment and tear your soul apart

but you've got to keep love in your heart

There's a lesson forgotten for every lesson learned

A child that goes hungry for every candle burned

No one knows the ending but we all know where to start

You've got to keep love in your heart

Bridge

How do you feel at the end of the day

When you're sitting on your own

Does if comfort you to know you were right

It's easy to laugh in the safety of friends

At those who stand alone

But so much braver to open your heart

There's a flower that lies dormant in the cruellest of man

Left to himself he does all that he can

Sometimes we must fight him but we do so in the dark

so we've got to keep love in our heart

There a life that begins for every one that ends

To each and every child there's one message we must send

We all stand together, so we all must do our part

we've got to keep love in our heart

If you're looking for an answer

Here's where you've got to start

You've got to keep in your heart

got to keep in your heart

got to keep in your heart

Back to Index

# **Rosemary and Time**

From the Album The Minstrel

Chorus

There was a time when she thought life was forever

a time when she thought youth wouldn't fade

and a time when the hours passed so slowly

but for Rosemary and time, the years soon slipped away

there's a child in the garden, with nothing to do

she wants to be older and be just like you

everyone laughs and envies her youth

don't be in such a hurry

there's a young girl in love for the very first time

she wants to make love but she's told it's a crime

everyone laughs, your elders know best

don't be in such a hurry

Chorus

there's a girl dressed in white she'll soon be a wife

to have and to hold for the rest of her life

she's not sure of her feelings but he's all that she needs

and love will grow in time

there's a wife in the bedroom, she feels so alone

longing for love that she's never known

she knows she should leave him but everyone says

don't be in such a hurry

there's a mother in the garden, going through hell

at last she's found love but with somebody else

it must not continue for the sake of her child

and the pain will pass in time

Chorus

there's a woman alone now, afraid to grow old

who dreams of her lost love and the times she's been told

don't be in such a hurry, the time is not right

but there never was a right time

now the time for wasting time is over

and she finally knows what life's about

but the sands of her life are loosely scattered

and they've nearly all run out

Back to Index

**Over You**  
From the Album Special Days

Sometimes I look back at those days long ago

When we walked through the grass and laughed in the snow

We had something so special but I never knew

Now I can't, I just can't get over you

In that time between childhood and the building of walls

There's a place where we wait for the dice as it rolls

now all that's behind me and nothing is new

I can't, I just can't, get over you

I had to have all that I had not knowing what the cost

Forgotten just as soon as tides had changed

now I can't see what's in front of me, only see what I have lost

the victim of an ever shrinking stage

Sometimes it's so hard on those left over days

To think of our places and your special ways

I know that I did what I had to do

Still I can't, no I can't get over you

Success is a fragile thing, like a butterfly in your hand

Hold too tight, it will crumble into dust

I spent my life looking at the moon when I should have looked within

Maybe it's only love that you can trust

I know that time can play tricks on the mind

Can tell us of things just not true

Maybe it's not you but my youth that I miss

Still I can't, no I can't, get over you

Are you out there somewhere looking up

At that same old moon

Saying I can't, I can't, get over you

I can't, no I can't, get over you

Back to Index

# **Moj Prijatelj**

Live at the Kaboga Palace - Video

I've watched you through the passing years

Seen your joy, felt your tears

Watched your children come and go

Seen the sunset on those you know

shared with you each distant thought

Moj prijatelj

Upon these rocks I've passed the time

I'd watch the sea, you'd caste a line

Patiently I'd wait for you

To share your fish, a crust or two

Your kindness means more than you know

Moj prijatelj

Chorus

And with these wings I soar the sky

But we're are not so different, you and I

We share the joy this world can bring

And give thanks for ever blessed thing

The tides they come the boats they go

This simple life is all we know

A loving family waiting by

The sun rising in the sky

No need to reason how or why

Moj prijatelj

Chorus

But time for me is running fast

my young to you I must now pass

our hearts are small but we feel the same

we share a love for this our land

we're proud to have you as a friend

Moj prijatelj

Back to Index

**The Analyst**

I've come to you today to ask for your advice  
please won't you help me if you can  
there is no meaning in my life no place to rest my soul  
I leave my future deep within your hands

please come in and take a chair fill in all these forms  
stack them up and put them in the rack  
at the moment we've an offer two solutions the price of one  
guaranteed success or your problems back

your trouble is quite common we get it all the time  
it's due to childhood fears of the dark  
just do some mental exercise deep thinking and the like  
and put everything you've got into your work

a month has now gone by since I came for your advice  
please won't you help me if you can  
there's still no meaning in my life no place to rest my soul  
I leave my future deep within your hands

please excuse me if you would I must just look this up  
the answer lies within the laws of Zen  
it's the upward inward movement  
of a rhubarb when it flies and how quickly you can count from A to 10

I'll try and make it simpler so you will understand  
as you seem confused with everything I've said  
just tell yourself you're wonderful three times a day at meals  
and one more time before you go to bed

a month has now gone by since I came for your advice  
please won't you help me if you can  
there's still no meaning in my life no place to rest my soul  
I leave my future deep within your hands

listen Mr. Analyst I know that you mean well  
but my problem is my loneliness you see  
and I've seen you go home every night to an empty house  
and you don't seem any happier than me

but I've seen the way you look at me your eyes give you away  
your head is stone but your heart is made of glass  
now if we could go out walking and act as lovers do  
I'm sure that both our problems would be past

a month has now gone by since I gave you my advice  
please won't you help us if you can  
there's still no meaning in our lives no place to rest our souls  
I leave our futures deep within your hands

it's true I have these feelings of that I can't deny  
but I must detach myself for logic's sake  
love may be the answer and a simple one it's true  
but simplicity does not a theory make

but facts are always cold in bed that is also true  
where warmth and love are radiant in your eyes  
so let us go out walking and act as lovers do  
and leave our futures deep within the sky

a year has now gone by since she went for his advice  
and it really didn't matter what he said  
for now there's meaning in their lives a place to rest their souls  
and their future lies within their marriage bed

Back to Index

# **The Dancer**

From the Album The Workhouse Child

Look at the dancer, alone at the bar  
her toes to the floor and her eyes to the stars  
a prodigy moves with such beauty and grace  
and the world stands back to admire

since she could remember, dance was her life  
all else was forsaken, she would never be a wife  
moving her body to the limits of pain  
that's what her perfection requires

CHORUS  
dance with me till the end  
dance with me my friend  
this night will soon be over  
dance with me my friend

the lights of the stage leave the wisest eyes blind  
the child becomes a star and leaves the woman behind  
no time to be happy no time to be ill  
no time for love or for life

but deep down inside, a woman's heart aches  
while perfection demands more than her body can take  
caught up in a whirlpool of public demand  
not knowing the price she must pay

the years have slipped by now, as fast as her fame  
her body is broken and a child's heart remains  
the child falls in love too much and too late  
now each day must serve as her last

their love becomes stronger with each day that goes by  
art is your servant when love is let fly  
but art is a master so distant and cruel  
and it calls now to claim it's due

Back to Index

# **They Won't Come Round Again**

From the Album The Gate

He still remembers the 60's

like they were just yesterday

those long hot summer evenings

in the gardens where he played

he never knew a day as good

as those he knew back then

and it hurts to think

they won't come round again

he still recalls his first love

to the sound of the fabulous four

their love would last for ever

no one ever was so sure

now he still can see her face

in someone else's now and then

but she's lost forever

and won't be found again

Chorus

they won't come round again you know

they won't come round again

those days of love and freedom

in the heart of a tired old van

for all those things he thought were free

he must now pay the price

and the highest price

is they won't come round again

now his life is like a waterfall

that flows the wrong way round

his roots are strong and orderly

but they never reached the ground

he tells himself the answer lies

blowing in the wind

but it don't change the fact

that they won't come round again.

Back to Index

# **I Wish I Was A Has Been**

Chorus

I wish I was a has been with the world once at my feet

With tales of drunk and disorderly and broken hotel suites

Yea I wish I was a has been that would be so cool

Cause it's better to be a has been than a never was at all

My obscurity is legendary in that I can't be beat

To be so unsuccessful is really quite a feat

The door is often close to a has been that's for sure

But when you are a never was there simply ain't no door

Chorus

If they ever made a pop chart how it should not be done

There ain't no doubt about it, I'd be number one

They say if you work hard enough it'll finally come to pass

But I am here to tell you now they're talking through their arse

Back to Index

# **Bobby Two Beers**

Chorus  
Bobby two beers he's a hell of a man  
he can drink more beer than a watering can can  
if you ever find yourself up Norway way  
ask anyone and here's what they'll say

Boby two beers he's the man  
get his autograph while you can

My pal Bob came around one day just to hear me pick a few tunes  
there was Siv banging gently on an old tin can  
and Bobby grooving nicely on spoons  
I consider myself a real good host  
there was plenty of beer and wine  
but I couldn't keep up with Bob as he drank  
so I had to serve him two at a time

Chorus

For Bob every day is a bad hair day  
but that don't matter of course  
cause his heart's as big as a big elephant's  
and they say that he's hung like a horse  
he once fought an alligator in a fair fight  
bounced a bear around the walls  
he sang Bob Dylan's blowing in the wind  
while he held a tiger by the balls

Back to Index

# The World is Full of Heroes

Chorus

The world is full of heroes, though few of them are know

There's some that stand in battlefields and some that stand at home

There's a million debts of bravery, that will never be repaid

The world is full of heroes and here lies one today

A young man shelters in a field, each day could be his last

Death hides round every corner and rains with every blast

He spends a lifetime thinking of the man who saved his life

The unknown fallen hero left an unknown child and wife

And when the war is over there's still no place to hide

so he bravely soldiers on each day for his family to provide

through guilty years he can't accept that better men lay dead

For years his sleep is broken, by the screaming in his head

Chorus

A young girl shelters in a storm, hungry and afraid

While buildings rocked by angry bombs, demand a price be paid

From dusty ruins she builds a life, fighting every day

To keep her children safe and warm and help them find their way

Laying down her life each day for those she holds so dear

Asking nothing in return hiding every tear

Look around at what you have and all you hope to be

We owe it all to sacrifice from those who kept us free

Back to Index

**These Walls**  
From the video These Walls

We welcome you to this our land

to every nation near and far

Throughout this world so full of wonder

we stand beneath a shining star

we have no need of gold or riches

all that we ask is for what you see

the sun to sparkle on the water

and sit beside our family

Chorus

These walls are more than what you see

More than the stone that kept us free

They are the heart that beats within

A country proud where all is king

These walls that stand so proud and strong

Have inspired a thousand songs

A thousand stories they can tell

and hold you in their mystic spell

If I could have but just one wish

it would be that all could come

To share with us all that we love

and sit beneath our setting sun

And when your time with us has ended

And you are sitting far away

Remember this our time together

And in your hearts we hope we'll stay

Back to Index

**Jenny At The Front Door**

From the Album McDonalds Farm

Jenny, standing by the front door

waiting for the post to come

it's seven weeks since last she had

a letter from her son

he said he'd never leave her

said he never was that kind

but now he's found a better life

and left a million miles behind

Jenny, standing by the front door

ten years she's stood alone

he, too busy to write a word

she, too poor to phone

it's not he doesn't love her

of that he will insist

it's just that every day or so

he forgets that she exists

CHORUS

Jenny, Jenny, you're wasting your life away

you've lived your life for others watching how they play

Jenny, Jenny, just memories on your shelves

will you never realise that you are nothing.......

but yourself

Jenny, standing by the front door

remembering what her mother said

a woman's place is by a man

please get that in your head

well, her husband left for another love

and her son for another life

and all they left behind them

was a mother and a wife

you said I had to find a man, well mother I found two

but now I stand alone, please tell me what am I to do?

Back to Index

# **But For Now**

Time passes by, the wheel quickly turns

Each day for you brings something new to learn

One minute confusion the next there is joy

Decisions no harder than the playing of which toy

Chorus

But for now you must sleep tell the world it can wait

Lost in in simple dreams there's no early or late

This time I know, will too quickly pass

But my love for you forever will last

How my heart aches with love, as I sit by your side

Your simplest achievements have me bursting with pride

Your every new word lights up the room

The dance you invented always ends far too soon

Back to Index

# **Vanity Fair**

From the Album The Gate

It was late at night in the kitchen

at the end of a long and cruel day

she sits all alone in the darkness

because her candle has just burned away

and she's told that she can't have another

because her master is going through hard times

yet her hands are still sore and bleeding  
from the silver and gold she must shine

she knows that she should go to bed now  
tomorrow is just four hours away

but for 7 days a week all she has

are these hours at the end of the day

when her mind is left free to wander

through a life that she can her own

not chained to the whims of a master

who tries to get blood from a stone

Chorus

Vanity fair, you have more than your share

much more than you ever will need

when you stand in your church

while your soul you do search

don't you think he's aware of your greed

vanity fair, how can you bear

to look in the mirror each day

while you're wasting the lives

of your servants who strive

to keep you in the luxury

you never worked for

it's your hands in the fire

but theirs, that get burned

Back to Index

**Walk On**  
It was in winter, many years ago

outside her front door our tears melt the snow

I held her tightly it hurt so much inside

and when I walked away I remember how we cried

we were too young, that's what her parents said

hearts are blind, love should come from the head

maybe I was blind but now I see it just the same

our love was perfect when she cast it to the flame

and she said

CHORUS

Walk on, don't ever look behind you

Walk on, with your eyes open wide

trust your heart but don't ever let it blind you

Walk on, with my memory by your side

well I walked on, I did just like she said

twenty years have passed and I still feel just as dead

I searched for so long, God knows I tried to find

just the smallest spark of the love we'd left behind

now I see you, me standing in the dark

walking children, slowly through the park

tears in your eyes, old before your day

a cruel man beside you, who drains your life away

and I remember what you said

Back to Index

# **The Poet**

He walks alone, stumbling through the darkness

soul on fire, his heart cries out in pain

he grasps at words that fly forever round him

and sometimes fall

who is he that lingers in the forest

tortured by the loneliness within

and yet embraced by wonders that surround him

and soothe him still

Chorus

he's a poet, a dreamer

creator of the world

his words will take you anywhere

his tears will make you cry

he's a lover, discover

the gift he longs to give to you

but don't forget the man inside

he stands alone

so many times he dreamt of perfect love

between the fires it surely must exist

and there above the flames that serve to blind us

our God will stand

through the years reality has scourged him

but compromise will never block his path

though only death will ever end his dreams

his words survive

Back to Index

# **The Tree**

From the Album The Gate

Up in the hills

there's an old man who works on his land

with a tough leathered face

and a lifetime of work on his hands

and he never asked more than to be left alone

with the wind and the rain in his hair

his family at the table at the end of the day

and the freedom to love and to care

now I ask you old man

there is something that's puzzling me

each day when you work

you stop by the side of that tree

then you look to the sky with a tear in your eye

and a sorrow that I can almost hear

how can it be, that the sight of a tree

can cost your tranquillity so terribly dear

he looked up and spoke

with a voice that still haunts me this day

and why do ask?

for there's no one who cares what I say

who are you with the left or the right

the centre the up or the down

they all say the same, it's the other to blame

and all that ever changes is who wears the crown

each time they came

demanding to set me free

but from what? I would ask

for I am all that I'll ever want to be

but whatever their name, they took just the same

everything I could ever grow

the only freedom I wanted was to be left alone

from being liberated, from what? I don't know

so I worked and they took

and not once did you hear me say no

for my children were my life

a poor man's riches you know

but then they filled up the heads

of my sons with their dreams

and they proudly marched them to war

now they lie there with me at the roots of this tree

yet their leaders return and still ask for more

the reds fight the blues, the blacks fight the whites

but the ending is always the same

no system is wrong, they all sing the same song

when you're pointing your finger it's greed you must blame

Back to Index

# **The Wheels Go Round**

From the Album The Minstrel

The fields pass by, the rivers flow

What town just passed, I'll never know

We gently sway, to the rhythm of the track

Some people stop and take a look

From gardens just like picture books

Sometimes they wave, and I wave back

Chorus

The wheels go round, the engine turns

The miles pass quickly the fuel gets burned

The wheels go round, time passes by

Some say hello, some say goodbye

He's trying hard to keep awake

She's wondering what next to bake

They're holding hands despite their years

I'm trying hard to read this book

But feel the need to stop and look

At the world outside

So far but yet so near

Back to Index

# **Two Eyes Are Not Enough**

From the Album Silly Old Man

On a ship bound for sunshine

I started to unwind

and turned my mind to all the things

that I'd gladly left behind

the woman I'd left crying

asking where she had gone wrong

perhaps I'd loved her, I don't know

but it was time that I was gone

then she sat beside me

a woman old and grey

her eyes were filled with sadness

her mind was far away

she took me by surprise

when she reached and took my hand

and said to me the words that I remember to this day

Chorus

Son, life's a gamble but death you know for sure

and it's only then you'll realise

if you were rich or you were poor

you think that you're an island but I have to say to you

there are things you see with four eyes

that you'll never see with two

we worked so hard for many years

so much we went without

we thought retirement and this cruise

was what life was all about

all the wondrous sights there are to see

this cruise is sure to bring

but without him standing by my side

they just don't mean a thing

one day he was part of me

the next day he was gone

though his heart was like a child's

it just couldn't carry on

I know you think you've got it all

with your gold and fancy stuff

but with all the money in the world

two eyes are not enough

Old lady I still think of you and the gift you gave to me

the other pair of eyes I have so now at last I see

Back to Index

**Fire in the Desert**

From the Album The Workhouse Child

Chorus  
Take me away far away from this place  
take me back home so I can embrace  
the love of my family, that's where I belong  
my heart is so heavy, I've been away far too long

There's fire in the desert, there's laughter in the sand  
there's blood on the sword that haunts my troubled hand  
there's doubt in the words that led us to this place  
I made his wife a widow, yet never saw his face

July 4th comes round again, a victory parade  
but here we stand with heavy hearts, blistering in the shade  
I'm proud of my country, I've done what must be done  
but let this be the last time, or else we've just begun

now there's peace in the desert, there's blood upon the sand  
there are reasons for killing, but none I understand  
so listen now you leaders who sit in peace at home  
don't tell a man lay down your life until you lay your own

Back to Index

# **A Bachelor's Lament**

From the Album Terasa

I go where I want to, do as I please  
follow the sunshine, sail with the breeze  
no need to argue, or make a scene  
don't have to say where I have been

I sleep the whole night with the sheets on my back  
pack all I own into one sack  
don't hear complaining, I get no tears  
don't have to count the cans of beer

CHORUS  
love I know can be so unkind  
it can crush your heart and rob you blind  
I know it only brings you pain  
but I wish I was in love again

don't have to sit through hours of ballet  
can sit by the T.V. and eat from a tray  
don't have to visit people I can't stand  
can keep my head buried firmly in the sand

I get no complaints about nothing to wear  
can through the day on a song and a prayer  
don't have to come home after a flirt  
worrying about the lipstick on my shirt

Back to Index

# **Strange Happenings**

From the Album Special Days

Strange happenings at number 23

There's a man thinks he's a teapot

With a wife that don't like tea

All day long they argue, in silence and in vain

But she says she wouldn't trade him

For all the tea in Spain

Strange happenings at number 24

There's a man who thought he was himself

But now he's not so sure

He's spent so long pretending to be who he was not

That now the things that mean the most

Are the things that he forgot

Strange happenings at number 25

There's a woman sings like Dylan

Like she's sitting on a knife

You'd think she was being murdered

But sadly no such luck

She knows too well it bothers us

But she don't give a damn

Strange happenings at number 26

There's a man that talks to onions

And tries to teach them tricks

The lack of a reaction doesn't bother him

Now he's thinking seriously of

Teaching them to swim

Strange happenings at number 27

There's a man who thinks he's Elvis

On a direct line to heaven

He knows that they're all laughing  
but doesn't really care

all he ever asks from life is to be your teddy bear

Back to Index

# **Suzie Likes Caviar**

Chorus

Suzie likes caviar, Jamie likes mousse

Simon's very fond of a nice fresh goose

wash it all down with a glass of champagne

start the next day with the same again

they earn a lot of money, there's no other way

they're going to start saving for a mortgage one day

two weeks to go and the money's all gone

but no need to worry cause there's always mum

they're all independent in a needy kind of way

always insist that it's their turn to pay  
never ask for money except when they're broke

two glasses of wine and one glass of hope

Chorus

Dad took out a loan to pay her credit card

he's got his own dreams but times are hard

he'd like to say no but he's told that's not cool

If you want to be loved, you've got to play ball

she's got a new iPhone and shoes to match

a card to satisfy every possible scratch

if your life passes by with nothing to show

the bank of mum and dad is the place to go

Back to Index

# **The Eagle and the Dove**

From the video The Eagle and the Dove

There's a full moon in a distant land  
a young girl walks across the sand  
dreaming of a love she's never known  
not far away a young man walks  
escaping from the troubled thoughts  
of another year spent alone

The night is finally over, it's time to head for home  
they jump onto a bus, and look around  
their eyes meet for the first time, their lives begin again  
everything is said without a sound

Chorus

This day is perfect, it was always meant to be  
since time began a path was laid to this your destiny  
this love is magic we can see it in your eyes  
the eagle and the dove, fly off into the sky

When there's someone special in your heart  
it's hard to be so far apart  
but destiny was always on your side  
now through the hard times you have come  
another chapter has begun

together and with those whose lives you've tied

Take a look around you, at those you hold so dear  
we wish you every happiness and more  
if fate was so determined to bring you here today  
we know this love will last forever more

Back to Index

# **Going to the Factory**

From the Album The Gate

I know that you don't want to hear this son

I know that you've heard it before

but it tears me up to see you this like this

so I'm going to have to say it once more

it's not so long since I sat there

watching that damn TV, till the end of the night

when you turn out the light, and darkness is all you see

It never would happen to me I said a thousand times or more

now each day passes just the same as the thousand gone before

CHORUS

now I'm gonna to the factory, the same thing every day

working in the factory, is eating my soul away

working in the factory, is more than I can bare

but I'm going to the factory and no one out there cares

they filled our heads with dreams my son

they told us of our rights

but they never told us just how tough

are those crushing factory nights

but there's only one thing that's certain son

when the speeches are all through

there's only one man you can ever trust

and he's there inside of you

you think that time is on your side

and tomorrow's another day

but if you don't start now it won't be long

before you've thrown your life away

Back to Index

# **I Could Have Been**

From the Album A Chair By The Window

He sits at his desk in the heat of the day

his hands on the keys, his mind far away

he looks out the window at the world passing by

and wonders how it ever came to this

he remembers a young man just out of school

in love with his music, didn't he know it all

those days in the band where the best of his life

why did they ever have to change

CHORUS

I could have been a star I could have been the best

I could have held the hearts of the world to my chest

I could have been that person up there on that screen

but now I sit in my office, so sterile and clean

passing each day just saying

I could have been

he's still got the cutting from the local gazette

that said that his playing was up with the best

and he's still got the scarf from that young girl in Bath

and at times he can still hear her laugh

he looks at his watch now it's time to go home

there's a big new car waiting that one day he may own

his wife will complain that he's home late again

just like he ever had a choice

Back to Index

# **A Happy Man**

From the Album Weave

If dreams were gold I would be a rich man

If truth be told that's what I'd like to be

With intentions realised I would be a good man

But memory fades quickly when there's nothing to see

If my thoughts were chosen I would be a wise man

But standing alone they just come and they go

If not for ambition I would be a free man

Living each moment as destiny chose

If I could see what's before me I would be a grateful man

But vision is blurred with your head in the sand

Though none of these things I am a happy man

And each day I have left, I will do what I can

Back to Index

# **Running**

From the Album Special Days

She's running from the future, running from the past

Standing in the present trying to make it last

She's always running but never going anywhere

Never asking questions, never needs to lie

all she ever seems to need is there before her eyes

she's always running and never seems to care

She has a simple heart that she'll share with anyone

10 minutes spent beside her, will pass as only one

When life is pressing heavily with no time to hear the birds

Stop and look around you, for a heart that's just like hers

Running from the office, running to the train

Running to the future, then running back again

You're always running but never going anywhere

Looking for promotion, that illusionary trend

Finding only faces, when you really need a friend

You're always running and no one really cares

Back to Index

# **I Met Her on the M25**

**I was driving down the freeway  
the one you call M25  
when all of a sudden everything stopped  
just around junction 5  
nothing moved for over an hour  
we were just lined up there in rows  
what is it about a stationary car  
that makes you want to pick your nose?

half a day had quickly passed  
before we finally made a move  
I tuned myself to the radio  
I was getting in the groove  
but just as I passed by junction 6  
I couldn't believe my eyes  
a million cars came to halt  
man I was cursing that M25

five hours passed and we hadn't moved  
so I thought I'd get out and take a stroll  
when my ears were drawn like magnets  
to the sounds of some rock and roll  
and there she sat in this fancy car  
I thought I'd take a chance I said  
"hey honey don't just sit there  
get out that car, let's dance!"

we started to dance and it wasn't long  
'fore we were surrounded by a crowd  
I was rocking and rolling with this beautiful chick  
It was like dancing on a cloud  
some folks passed some beers around  
and some folks smoked some grass  
it's just as well those cars couldn't move  
cause I couldn't have moved my ass**

**I know you won't believe me  
but I'm telling you it's true  
me and this chick had fallen in love  
now what was we to do  
cause rumours were going round  
that we'd be there for at least another day  
so what the hell, we passed the time  
by rolling in some hay**

**well I'm telling you no word of a lie  
this chick was something else  
I thought I'd hit the jackpot  
cause she sure rang all my bells  
I said in these last few hours with you  
I ain't never felt so alive  
let's you and I get married  
and she accepted on the M25

we walked along this line of cars  
looking for a priest  
when lord above we found one  
who was drunk, to say the least  
I said, listen here my man of God  
marry us here and now  
and he then declared us man and wife  
as we took those sacred vows**

**I know it all sounds crazy  
but that's the kind of guy I am  
you can either take life by the balls  
or you can piss it down the pan  
I told her my life had been kinda tough  
but I was sure things would improve  
and I was right cause the road was clearing  
we were finally on the move

we arranged to meet at junction 12  
where she'd take me to meet here mom  
and we'd tell her about the M25  
where our life together had begun  
I put my foot down and my head back  
I was happy to be cruising again  
but then I screamed out every cuss I knew  
when we stopped at junction 10

well I sat there in a line of cars  
as far as you could see  
when I got out to see if I could find my wife  
so at least I'd have some company  
it wasn't long before I found her  
by the side of a big sedan  
there was my wife of only half a day  
in the arms of another man**

**she looked up at me with her innocent face  
and said with a tear in her eye  
I'm sorry babe it was fun while it lasted  
but I'm afraid this is goodbye  
I met this guy an hour ago  
and I love him more than life  
and as soon as our divorce comes through  
I'm going to be his wife  
boy meets girl, boy loses girl  
it often comes to pass  
maybe it wasn't the longest romance  
but hell, it was a blast  
so the next time you're on the M25  
cursing that traffic jam  
get out the car and have some fun  
show the world you don't give a damn**

Back to Index

# **What's So Good About Your Town**

From the Album Silly Old Man

**She never flew in an aeroplane**

**never sailed across the sea**

**never yearned to be in another place**

**never wanted to be set free**

**never wanted more than a happy home**

**and the work that she adored**

**tomorrow was a gift to her**

**and she never asked for more**

**we fell in love on that island**

**a garden in the sea**

**a simple girl and a traveller**

**who'd seen all you can see**

**I said I must show you the world**

**trying to sound wise**

**but what she said as she took me by the hand**

**took me by surprise**

**Chorus**

**what's so good about your town**

**that you want me to see**

**does the sun shine almost every day**

**are the people there more free**

**what's so good about your town**

**that I'll see when I arrive**

**can a woman walk the streets a**

**without fearing for her life**

**I told her not to talk that way**

**that everything has a price**

**and if she wanted progress**

**she must take my advice**

**travel opens up the mind**

**there's so much we have to see**

**then she kissed me sweetly on the lips**

**and said that's all I'll ever need

**Back to Index

# **Ski With Me Tonight**

From the Album Terasa

Do you know where the cold wind blows

Where silence rains and people flow

And icy crystal running beneath your feet

Yes my friend I know too well

That magic place of which you tell

Where the air is pure and life is oh so sweet

The chair glides slowly to the top

Round in circles, doesn't stop

We'll jump off and bravely face the wind

I'll be following close behind

Until the end we are entwined

And when we get down we'll go right up again

Feel that wind, blowing in your face

With all your worries trailing far behind

See that snow, filling every space

The moon will be our light

won't you ski with me tonight

Swaying gently side to side a lover of this mountain side

The speed is flowing quietly through my veins

The café's waiting there for us

With hot wine served in plastic cups

And a taste that will never be the same again.

Back to Index

# **McDonald's Farm**

From the Album McDonalds Farm

There's an old man who lives in the country

trying to find his way back home

rolling in and out of the meadow

banging away on a drum

oh oh what a story

there's an old black dog there beside him

who seems to be extremely pissed off

his masters got no money for bones

cause he's spent it all in the pub

oh oh he's feeling rough now

CHORUS

Nik nak paddy wak

his dog has gone and won't go back

he's gone to find McDonald's farm

Nick nak paddy wak

where the ducks go moo and the cows go quack

and they're raving it up in the barn

Nik nak paddy wak

he's heading down a one way track

he's going to have a real good time

howling away in the moonlight

leaving all his troubles behind

the dog walks into McDonald's farmhouse

taken back by what he saw

there's an empty whisky bottle on the table

and McDonald's passed out on the floor

oh oh what a story

so he walks out into the farmyard

hoping to finds some news

but the animals are out of their skulls

cause they've also been at booze

oh oh pass the bottle

Chorus

Back to Index

**Pride** **  
**From the AlbumThe Minstrel

The streets are all empty now  
as the comfort of darkness falls

The ghost of a thousand cars

Pass along curb stoned halls

There's the place where we used to meet

By the shade of that tree

From a time so long ago

a time of you and me

the house is so empty now

a monument to broken dreams

the ghost of a thousand laughs

the threads of a thousand seams

I tried so hard to start again but never found a way

One stupid act of madness

Forever I must pay

Chorus

I have my pride

Your foolish pride

That's all I have, I know

But I have this pain

And so do I

And I don't think it will go

Do you think of me now and then

When you gaze upon empty streets

Standing beside yourself, hoping one day we'll meet

I'm sorry that I hurt you, what more can I say

If only you'd forgiven me, we could have found a way

How I wish you were with me now

As I start on the long walk home

Passing through memories

So hard when you're on your own

I know it meant nothing, I know your love was real

But the thought will never leave me

This wound will never heal

Back to Index

**The Song You'll Never Play  
** From the Album The Workhouse Child

I met her on a train

she was sitting all alone

I asked her where she was going

she said she was going home

there was something there between us

we both felt it right away

two lonely hearts reaching out

on a cold and misty day

CHORUS

don't you sometimes wonder

don't you sometimes feel afraid

that the song that was written for you

is the song that you'll never play

I asked her where her home was

and I listened with surprise

she was heading in the wrong direction

and you could see it in her eyes

she had got on to the wrong train

but was staying for the ride

as she felt safe where she was sitting

and scared of the world outside

I know that we are strangers

but that's all we ever are

together we can leave this train

we can travel far

she said I'm sorry my dear stranger

I'm sure that you are right

but I'm not strong enough to leave this train

and face the misty night

I hear that she's still riding

on the same old train

but the doors won't close and the roof now leaks

and lets in the mist and rain

so before you get onto a train

on a dark and misty day

remember it's so hard to leave

and it only goes one way

Back to Index

**Married But Living Alone**

From the Album The Gate

She shuts the door, turns on the light

he said he'd be home late tonight

she likes to cook but not for one

she sits down by the fire

he'll get home tired, they'll hardly talk

he works so hard it's not his fault

but that doesn't help how she feels inside

there must be something more

how well she can recall the time

when they used to have such fun

when money was no substitute

for a day spent in the sun

CHORUS

she's married but living alone

with a man who is never at home

even when he's there she just can't bear

to think of what he's become

she knows that she still loves him

she just wishes that he'd change

to the man he was

when they were young

he's given her all he wanted

all she never asked for

she's got it all, she's married

but living alone

the day is done he's fast asleep

she's trying hard not to weep

so many times they've talked it through

but nothing seems to change

she wants so much to run away

but she'll leave it for another day

what could she do, where could she go

no answer ever comes

Back to Index

# **Silly Old Man**

From the Album Silly Old Man

I'm a silly old man walking in the rain

and I'll keep on walking till I'm young again

tapping on your windows banging on your doors

I'm a rich young silly old man

I'm a rich old man, as silly as can be

I can afford eccentricity

you know your only crazy

when you haven't got a bean

I'm a rich young happy old man

Chorus

I'm a silly old man with no need to worry

When the shit hits the fan I'll be gone in a hurry

You can shake your head and look to the sky

But you're the one with the clouds in your eyes

I'm a young old man playing in the snow

laughing with children, slipping to and fro

if you got the time now

come and join the fun

with a rich young funny old man

I'm a tired old man though I don't even know

when I fall asleep all my tiredness will go

If I wake up in the morning, I'll start my day again

as a happy old silly young man

I'm a simple old man not a care in the world

exquisitely implicit with my hair done up in curls

I'm a skateboard papa getting on down

I'm a happy old silly free man

Back to Index

# **Like Crystal**

From the Album Silly Old Man

It was just an ordinary day

like most that pass that way

but it only takes one second to change the world

two strangers in a park

some words to light the spark

just an ordinary boy and a girl

but then they had found

a crystal picked from the ground

and held tight within the hands of prayer

and who can understand

the power of a love so grand

and why should such a crystal be so rare?

CHORUS

like crystal, like crystal,

their love was such a precious thing

a mysterious and many sided gem

like crystal, like crystal

a song that only two can sing

a wonder that never will die

a lifetime passes by

no need to reason why

with perfect love there is no fear

now she sits alone

their time has come and gone

old woman who never shed a tear

she talks inside her head

for there alone, he is not dead

but patiently awaits their time resumed

their crystal will not die

will hold the earth, reflect the sky

and embrace that wondrous power entombed

Back to Index

**Fighting on the Wall**  
From the Album Special Days

There's glass on the floor storm clouds fill the air

Food on the table but no one on the chair

A head full of words that just can't be unsaid

silence is deafening when there's no space on the bed

Won't you go back, won't you go back

Won't you go back and talk

Won't you go back, won't you go back

no matter who's at fault

Stop fighting on the wall, It ain't no use at all

Stop fighting on the wall, you're both going to fall

There's no place for love, with anger in your heart

stop fighting on the wall, that's a good place to start

Get back on the floor, that's a good place to begin

When you're fighting on the wall, no one's gonna win

When nothing is left there's nothing left to gain

Winner or loser, both sides get the same

Back to Index

**Marie (Where Are You Now** )  
From the Album The Minstrel

Many years have now passed by

from the time of which I speak

when the world was such a happy place

and the strong seemed not so weak

she came into my life one day

when all around was dark

we danced around the heavens

and strolled the summer park

when we made love it seemed as if

the sea for us would part

and angels cried with happiness

as they soothed our aching heart

if love comes but once a lifetime

this was surely mine

we'd have been together forever

if fate had not been so unkind

Chorus

she haunts my days, haunts my nights

the time we spent just seemed so right

I see her face in every star

the memory of her burns so bright

I know the time has passed into eternity

if I could see her one more time

Marie, where are you now

I held her hand, touched her heart

and begged her not to speak

and felt the pain of wasted love

as tears rolled down her cheek

the moment that we parted

will haunt me all my life

but our love was cursed forever

for I already had a wife

and now that time has left me

deserted and afraid

it's only now I realise

the path my loyalty laid

for Le Grande Amour that I had found

that was from deception born

was blessed by God but scorned by man

and lay on a bed of thorns

Back to Index

# **The Moonbeam**

Come child and sit down beside me

sit by the warmth of the fire

the glow of moonlight on this cold winter's night

reminds me of a time of desire

I'll tell you a tale of a young girl

whose presence would light up any room

her voice filled the air with a music so rare

and her eyes shone like the moon

CHORUS

don't try to capture a moonbeam

it's like trying to touch the sun

it will shine in your heart then quickly depart

into daylight or clouds it will run

oh how I fell for that young girl

as she sang and she shone through the crowd

though times were hard she kept us from the cold

like the sun when it shines through a cloud

she told me she loved and adored me

and that we would live in such style

she lay in my bed when I asked her to wed

and she sang through the eyes of a child

but still I married my moonbeam

and she did try so hard to shine

but she cried for a stage from the bars of her cage

and I knew she would never stay mine

so I let go of my moonbeam

and with a tear it flew off with the night

but I know in her way she still loves me this day

and I still feel the warmth of her light

so child one day when you meet her

I beg you don't turn her away

we are all we can be as you're all to me

and we're only alive for this day

sometimes at night I can see now

your eyes shine like hers did then

though I love you so I won't want you to go

but when it's time I will sing once again

Back to Index

**Remember this day**  
From the video Remember This Day

Remember this day, over clear Croatian skies

When you held a world of love in your eyes

On a boat bound for nowhere, on a crystal clear sea

And a union that's destined, forever to be

With family and friends, from near and from far

Gathered around you, like light from a star

We all stand together and together we say

For the rest of your lives, you must remember this day

Chorus

So hold tight your hands and remember with pride

The joy that you brought, and the lives that you tied

Though times may get tough and the sky sometimes gray

you'll always get through it, if you remember this day

Love's not just a word, or this moment we see

It's the heart of the family, the root of its tree

It's the thoughts left unspoken, the time that will pass

The future unplanned and the lines that we cast

When you're far away, never think you're alone

for when you know love, you are always at home

from those that all around you and those up above

we share in your joy, we share in your love

Chorus

when the candles flickers, at the end of the play

remember with sweetness, how you're feeling this day

Back to Index

# **A Good Man**

From the Album The Gate

He didn't want to set the world on fire

Never wanted his own empire

he was happy just to get along

from day to day on a prayer and a song

didn't have to lie, never had to cheat

never knew the feeling of just being beat

he played the game with a laugh and a smile

a simple man with a majestic style

CHORUS

he was a good man, strong and kind

you can see it in the love that he left behind

ah ah, ah ah, he was a good man

he was a good man and I miss him so

and I'm here to tell you I was proud to know

ah ah, ah ah, a good man

though life had dealt him a troubled hand

it was never more than his shoulders could stand

no matter how hard the rain fell from above

he never lost his faith in the power of love

there's no reason why I wrote this song

no one was killed, no star was born

I just hoped that you'd be glad to hear

of a good man who I still hold dear

Back to Index

# **Who is She**

From the Album McDonalds Farm

She knocks on, the door he lets her in

she sits down, he pours some gin

the hotel room is cold and stark

his nameless face blends with the dark

that's fifty pounds is all she says

and doesn't move until he pays

he complies with her demand

puts the money in her icy hand

now he's paid the price

she'll do anything he asks

he leads her to the bed

nothing must be said

before we start I must confess

he said while slowly she undressed

I'm not proud of what I do

and neither I assume are you

because of this I must insist

the lights stay out and you resist

the urge to know the man behind

this shadowed face that leaves you blind

for you and I are strangers

and that's how it must remain

he steps into the cage

the actress takes the stage

CHORUS

who is she, this stranger

she is all one could ask for from sensuality

who is she, this stranger

she'll do anything that you desire

pay the price and you can light her fire

the tide goes out to leave behind

the battered driftwood none shall find

she had played her part so well

in sounds of love she does excel

she was the best he'd ever known

his passion rose with every moan

if only they had met before

she took the life of a whore

he feels the need to talk to her

and she the need to hear

of what he'd left behind

that haunts his troubled mind

there was only one love in his life

the woman who was once his wife

but she had been so dull in bed

while erotic dreams had filled his head

it's seven years since they had part

when he had left her broken heart

to seek excitement where he could

in hotel rooms and shaded woods

and now this stranger by his side

had made him love with strength and pride

a shadowed face he'll never know

she'll dress and quickly go

she kissed him softly on the cheek

and leaves him while he soundly sleeps

her tears at last allowed to fall

she hurries through the silent hall

how could he have been so blind

when darkness can't obscure the mind

this stranger walking from his life

had in fact once been his wife

Back to Index

**Did Anybody See Her**

From the Album McDonalds Farm

Just as the birds began to sing

to start another day

I was opening the front door

trying to think what I could say

so many times I'd used the lines

that only those in love believe

it's was so much easier to fool herself

than pack her bags to leave

I was feeling so complacent

as I climbed the creaking stairs

praying that the perfume

no longer filled the air

but as I pushed the door wide open

I could see something was wrong

our bed had not been slept in

and all her clothes where gone

CHORUS

has anybody seen her

does anybody know

where she may be living

where she might have gone

has anybody seen her

I've looked everywhere

all I want to do is tell her

just much I care

I'd always played around you know

just like it was a game

once in a while I'd feel some guilt

but I continued just the same

but through all that time there she was

a woman so kind and true

and it hurts me now to realise

what she was going through

but now she's gone without a warning

and no letter did she leave

only her parents know where she is

and say she's better off without me

Back to Index

**Give Me a Smile**

From the Album A Chair By The Window

The train was running late, I gave a big sigh

then I saw this pretty thing from the corner of my eye

I sat down beside her trying to act cool

whistling like a budgie and feeling like a fool

I wonder if you she likes me, what's in her mind

I wonder if she's sexy, I wonder if she's kind

come on little lady won't you give me a sign

then we can get together and spend some time

CHORUS

Give me a smile, if you want me to talk

just one little smile then we can go for a walk

we'll get to know to know each other and then make a date

please give me a smile girl before it's too late

shall I offer her a mint, shall I compliment her clothes

shall I tell her there's a bogie on the end of her nose

why is it so hard for me to say a damn thing

when I know it wouldn't kill me and what joy it could bring

my train pulls in and I step right up

I closed the door behind me and I turned to look back

Then when it pulled away and there was no more hope

she gave the kind of smile that says "I wish you'd have spoke"

I'll remember that smile till the end of my days

when I think of what I missed cause of my cowardly ways

Back to Index

**Africa**

When he was young he used to have a doll

Nothing grand just something he could hold

He called it Africa, Africa by name

A lonely child from day start till the end

But in that doll he always had a friend

He called it Africa, from Africa he came

Chorus

Africa was all he had

it was more than enough for him

A secret world they shared together

They'd fight through thick and thin

To distant lands where heroines

Were trapped by wicked men

The day was saved by Africa

And Africa's best friend

As time passed by his world remained the same

Friends came and went then came around again

But always Africa, Africa was there

What wondrous stories they could tell

But he told them only to himself

Just he and Africa, for only Africa he cared

Chorus

It was just a name, just a word and nothing more

No deeper meaning, no mysterious door

He knew that doll had something more than life

A lake where they could bathe, where stories came alive

Back to Index

**Cat Attack**

From the Album Weave

There's a full moon rising, the dogs are howling

On the dark side of town, there's something going down

A storm is brewing, resentment stewing

You better watch out

Someone's gonna get hurt

someone's gonna eat dirt

There's gonna be a cat attack etc

It's been a long time coming, those cats are cunning

They strike like lighting, very frightening

The dogs are fierce, but they come of worse

They better watch out

It's time for a show down

Let's all go down

There's gonna be cat attack

There's Cookie on the right side, Django on the left side

Jutko from behind, with trouble on his mind

The dogs are surrounded, they're gonna get pounded

They better watch out

Sadie takes the first hit

But lucky gets the worst of it

It's a cat attack

the show is over, that's the end of Rover

He put up a good fight, but the claw beats the bite

Dogs should stay at home, by the fireside with a bone

They need to watch out

If at home they stay, they live to fight another day

In a cat attack

Back to Index

**Flora's Holiday**

From the Album Weave

Stop your labour come this way

For this is Flora's holiday

The sheep in the meadow are hard at play

This day will be yours

If you ask me of now of then

The words have changed but the song's the same

the heart will beat or fade away

Laughter has never changed

The poet must still rearrange

While lovers dream this is their day

Rise you children come this way

For this is Flora's holiday

Time to laugh and time to play

For music and dance

If you ask me why don't we now

Stare as long as sheep or cow

Or see the world as once we thought it was

I will tell you to close your eyes

It's only then you'll realise

The answer's not in why or because

Sleep you children where you lay

For that was Flora's holiday

Back to Index

**Four Winds**

Looks like we been here before

100 times or maybe more

It's the same old thing again and again

You take the black and I take the white

In between is where we fight

We'll sort it out, but I don't know when

Chorus

Four winds don't ever let them harm you

They'll just come and go

They shake your walls and do nothing but alarm you

But just you let them blow

Four winds can be held back by our love

At each corner of the globe

If we stand strong together we can face them

We can walk down any road

You walk in my shoes and I'll walk in yours

If the room is locked love will open the door

That's the way, it has to be

So let's not fight we'll stand strong

Then those winds can blow all night long

Cause all that matters is you and me

Chorus

Bridge

Words come too easy when the tongue start to burn

Reason takes a back seat for the ride

But love lies waiting for the tide to turn

That's why hearts and arms must stay open wide

Back to Index

**Nonsense** **  
**From the AlbumWeave

Looking for a place to do the fandango  
Looking for a mountain I can climb  
Hoping to find that perfect mango  
Hoping to solve that perfect crime

I wanna be a hero just like Robin   
I wanna have a beard like Desperate Dan  
Looking for a wave to ride my toboggan  
I wanna build a castle in the sand

Chorus  
The Jabberwock's in town tonight  
You better watch out and no how to fight  
He'll gyre and gimble claw and bite  
And snatch your band from out of sight  
Stop your nonsense back to work  
Or I'll tie you up in a very straight shirt  
That looking glass ain't what it seems  
It's nothing more than a mad hatter's dream

I wanna write songs that ain't got no message  
And tell a story that never ends  
I wanna be the diamond in the wreckage  
And be the knight that slays all trends  
I wanna make sense of all this nonsense  
I wanna write a book in wonderland  
I wanna turn plastic into incense  
And hold a free bird in my hand

Back to Index

**Second Thoughts**

The day was uneventful, like the many gone before

We laughed and joked, kissed and hugged and shared the daily chores

We talked about the holidays and where we'd go that year

Our future was all set in stone or that's how that it appeared

We kissed goodnight as always and drifted off to sleep

Her's was always restless while mine was long and deep

It wasn't till I woke up that I found something was wrong

The bed and house were empty, I knew that she had gone

Chorus

It seemed my life was over as my eyes turned to tears

The thought of life without her was more than I could bear

But when the night had passed and the birds began to sing

Second thoughts took over so a new world could begin

First thoughts will overpower you, listen if you must

But second thoughts are the ones to trust

I knew that she still loved me and that I felt the same

But sometimes that's just not enough and no one should be blamed

As a new world opened up my sadness slipped away

Those first thoughts tried to crush me but second thoughts won the day

And now a lifetime later its easy now to see

That the day she walked out was a precious gift to me

Second thoughts have led me to a second time around

A life that I once dreamt of where true love has been found

Back to Index

**Somebody Stole My Hole**

From the Album Weave

Chorus

Somebody stole my hole, it ain't nowhere to be seen

It was there last night when I turned out the light

Over there on that patch of green

I just can't carry on, now my hole is gone

You better watch out there's a thief about

Yea somebody stole my hole

Well I spent all day working through that clay

In wind and rain and sun

My back is sore and I'm pretty damn sure

I must have moved a ton

It ain't hard to describe its round and wide

With nothing in between

But there ain't a soul that's seen my hole

Now I'm feeling pretty damn mean

Chorus

I didn't waste time in reporting that crime

They asked where I'd seen it last

I said late last night when I turned out the light

Then I thought I heard someone laugh

Send a patrol to find my hole

I screamed at the policeman

He said I ain't got time to fight this crime

But our finding a hole man can

I put down that phone and waited at home

But the hole man never came

So early next day I took out my spade

Intending to start again.

I tried to start but I had no heart

Even half a hole was just too much

So I drank some beer and I held back a tear

Till my thoughts had turned to mush

God bless my soul I miss that hole

And I curse the thief that came

life goes on I'll carry on

But I'll never be the same again

Back to Index

**Thank You James**

From the Album Weave

I was just a young boy with first guitar in hand

The only thing I dreamt of was playing in a band

Hendrix, Purple, Zeppelin I followed with my friends

But I needed something different to satisfy my pen

But when I heard you singing I knew my life had changed

Just a simple tune that sent shivers down my spine

I didn't have much money but I always found a way

of buying every song of yours that I could find

Thank you James

For being there when I needed a friend

In Mexico we walked through fire and rain

So long ago and far away

Thank you James

For being on that Jukebox all alone

I cried as you were singing your sad songs

But it sure was good, to get home again

I practiced hard and there came a day I was always in demand

From studio to studio to endless touring bands

But all I ever wanted was to play the songs I wrote

but they rejected everything without listening to a note

This Taylor sound is very good but the market's much too small

Come back when you've something we can sell

Now 30 years and more have past and you're still selling every day

And you still hold your audience in a spell

Thank you James

For helping me to go round just one more time

Carolina was always on my mind

Walking down that lonesome road

Thank you James

How I wish that yours was my town too

But you know that I won't lie for you

Sweet baby James, I am the man they froze

Thank you James

It's good to know that you will not die young

Not a victim of Kelly's machine gun

On that October road, with sunny skies

Thank you James

Even though I'll be lonely tonight

All I have to do is close my eyes

And sing your song of Copperline  
Back to Index

**Four Seasons**

From the Album Weave

Four and twenty fading leaves have fallen from the tree

With silent echo from distant centuries past

Fleeting thoughts of summers gone

With loves that came and went

While sand was falling slowly through the glass

A time of warm reflection floating gently by

The daylight baton relayed once again

A time to open palms and pass om our borrowed gifts

Putting down the sword to reach out for the pen

The air takes hold its icy grip as the day breaks into light

Gardens white from Jack's immortal sword

The fragile journey in circles caught trapped by borders dark

But comfort found as a note within a chord

The festive bridge so welcome spans from old to new

Following a star from centuries past

Giving strength to face a new year head bowed before the wind

As a weary mother prepares the summer's cast

With darkest days behind us the cleansing has begun

Terra brings to life the sleeping roots

Tiny hearts are soaring from tree to waking tree

While Eros stands awaiting time to shoot

The crease has been prepared, the willow linseed oiled

By hands that dream of centuries to come

From ash to dust to hungry earth

The empty beds awake

A symphony conducted by the sun

As life steps firmly forward the stars put in their place

Cases packed with dreams that can come true

Sleeping layers forgotten

Time touched by evening sun

A wine glass filled with nothing much to do

Majestic rows of colour waving to the sky

Trading light for life that birds will plant

A berry can through branches passed

And neck that glows at night

While still green hearts are learning how to dance.

Back to Index

**This Town**

From the Album Terasa

It's good to see you back here

my old friend

I hear that life has treated you well

I still remember two boys

walking back from school

What stories we could tell

We never caught that big fish

they talked about

But we sure did try

They still talk about that time

you farted in class

We laughed until we cried

Chorus

This town is enough for me

This town is all I'll ever need

This Town is where I want to be

This Town.... this town ..... this town

This town wasn't right for you

we could see in your eyes

The city lights and buildings grand

How strange to see that young boy

now a powerful man

Holding life in the palm of your hand

Yes I'm still living here in the same old house

teaching in that same old school

My kids still look for that big fish but still no luck

laughing with friends and playing the fool

Chorus

I wish you all the best my dear old friend

But your world is not for me

This here is my empire, I know it's not so big

But what I got is what you see

Back to Index

Too Much Stuff

From the Album Terasa

I came home late last night didn't make a sound

Opened the door and looked around

There was too much stuff, too much stuff

There was paper on the hall stand, bottles on the floor

Still a Santa costume hanging on the door

There was too much stuff, too much stuff

Chorus

You got too much stuff it's driving me insane

I've just fallen down those stairs again

One of these days when you ain't around

I'm gonna bury that stuff deep underground

But I know if I did you would just buy more

Now you've got you've own parking space at the store

I know that you say you got enough

So it's just as well, I got so much love

A different pair of shoes for each day of the year

Handbags coming from out of your ears

You got too much stuff, too much stuff

You got enough books to open a shop

If you don't know what it is you throw it in a box

got too much stuff, too much stuff

Chorus

I can't sit down without clearing the chair

A pile in every corner from here to there

You're slowly taking over my wardrobe space

I'd like to hang a painting but their ain't no place.

Back to Index

**Weave a Life of Love**

From the Album Weave

Sunday morning, slowly starts the day

Bacon frying, so the kids are on their way

A sleepy kiss good morning a smile that warms the heart

A feeling that the world is good

And we all can play our part

Chorus

You've got to weave a life of love

Spread it everywhere

Stranger friend and family

Let them know you care

The greatest gift that you can give

Is that tapestry you weave

For your children and their children

And all that they believe

Lunch is packed you pull out of the drive

Excited voices so glad to be alive

The beach is not so crowded the kids run off to play

The smiling faces all around say all they need to say

Monday rising quickly starts the day

Office driving your car knows the way

It's not the work you dreamt but

But you know its value well

As do those that trust you, the people that you help

Back to Index

**What am I To Do**

For as long as I remember he was always there

Our first day at school both of us scared

He put his hand on my shoulder and said will you be my friend

from that day till now that friendship didn't end

Those years weren't so easy the kinds played it rough

But he always stood beside me and taught me to be tough

It was us against the world standing side by side

But his were the shoulders on which we relied

Chorus

Should I tell him all about it or shall I look the other way

Shall I make his world come crashing down or wait another day

One day he's sure to find out and ask me if I knew

I could never lie to him, so what am I do

Both of use the best man each other's wedding day

Soon the word was perfect when we watched our children play

She told me that she loved him with all of her heart

So why did it end and why did it start

Chorus

I checked in at a hotel on a trip I didn't plan

It was then that I saw her standing in the arms of another man

It was only too obvious that they were more than friends

Through a tangled web of lies I could see the end

Back to Index

**A Kind of Love Song**

I'd like to say I love you but I don't,

I'd like to say I'll stay here but I won't

I need you like a turkey needs to be at Christmas lunch

I'd like to say I love you but I don't

I'd like to say I'm bovered but I ain't

I'd like to say you're special but I can't

I need you like a fish needs a frying pan

I'd like to say I'm bovered but I ain't

Chorus

How good it feels to think of ways to say our last farewell

To live with you forever is my idea of hell

If only I could turn back time to the day before we met

I'd have stayed at home that night

And not know this regret

If you want to leave then be my guest

Just get your hat and coat I'll do the rest

I need you like I need an earwig in my head

If you want to leave then be my guest

One day I won't be here and then you'll know

The meaning of regret to let me go

I need you like a tiger needs a visit to the zoo

One day I won't be here and then you'll know

Chorus

But for now I suppose it's time for tea

It's just another anniversary

50 years have quickly passed and nothing much has changed

But for now I suppose it's time for tea

Last Chorus

How good it feels to know that you

Don't mean the things you say

From love to hate and to hate to love

I know it's just our way

But through it all the hardest times

We chewed and spat them out

Cause laughter is the only thing

we just can't live without

Back to Index

**Broken Wing**

If you could fly where would you go

To distant lands where warm winds blow

Or would you like to stay near home

Where what you see is what you know

From branch to branch from friend to friend

To hungry mouths that you must tend

My feathered friend with broken wing

How sad the song that you now sing

Chorus

The highest mountains I have climbed

And seen the world from way up high

Such complex problems I have solved

Some with brass and some with gold

An empire lays beneath my feet

But as I look down at your beak

None of that now means a thing

If I can't mend your broken wing

From branch to branch I watched you fly

With careless soul and weary eye

The world can be a dangerous place

For gentle hearts that lose the race

My furry friends who hunts for fun

Do you understand what you have done

But I know I can't hold you to blame

As in your place, I would do the same

Back to Index

**Bye Cycle**

You won't see me any more

That's one thing I know for sure

You caused me too much pain

left me lying in the rain

Time and time I told you, never again

But you called me back just like a long lost friend

But this time I'm saying that you went too far

When you threw me in front of that moving car

Chorus

Bye cycle , Bye cycle  
you're up for sale, there's no turning back

Bye cycle , Bye cycle

I ain't taking no more of your crap

Bye cycle , Bye cycle

You can take some other mug for a ride

Bye cycle , Bye cycle

You can't say that I ain't tried

You know I've given you so much love

Treated you with velvet gloves

What do I get in return

A real sore arse and road burns

Broken bones and brown underpants

100 stiches maybe more

Repair bills that I can't afford to pay

and bruises by the score

Back to Index

**Field of Dreams**

I don't know why I wrote this song

I don't know if it's right or wrong

I only know if it's right it must be written

To some it might seem quite absurd

Writing songs that are never heard

But those who won't lie down should be forgiven

Day after day my head is filled with tapestries of sound

I sit there in wonder as each word gets written down

Just where it comes from is a mystery to me

Like every word is cast in stone and that is what must be

chorus

Welcome to my field of dreams it reaches far and wide

To you in may seem nothing much but I stand here with pride

If I build it they will come I once heard it said

But right or wrong there is nothing I would rather do instead

There are times when I must confess I'd like to stop and take a rest

And do those things I've never time to do

But who knows when the well runs dry, when it does you won't see me cry

Maybe just a little tear or two

I used to say I didn't care if recognition came along

That all that really matters is the singing of the song

But it's hard to see the ones you love die slowly on a shelf

Still I think of just how blessed I am that I want for nothing else

Back to Index

**I Am Here For You**

If the world could see beyond your smile

Would they see a woman or a child

Alone and scared praying that there's someone there

Who understands if only for a while

How I wish one day that they could find

What lies behind a troubled mind

But we fire into the dark hoping that we hit the mark

Not knowing if we are cruel or we are kind

Chorus

I don't have a magic wand how I wish I did

But I do have a heart to share and will give what I can give

I don't know what the answer is but this I know is true

If you feel you need a friend, I'll be here for you

If the world could only understand

How life can change with the turning of a hand

Young or old, shy or bold

We all build our lives on shifting sands

Just remember everything must pass

Today's pain might just be the last

There are people that care, always someone there

So just reach out behind the looking glass

Bridge

Hold your head up high look the world straight in the eye

And say I'm not afraid, I am strong

I'm proud of who I am and though I need a helping hand

I will find the strength to carry on.

Back to Index

**He Planted Trees**

There's a cloudless sky the sun is fierce

The earth like dust, no shade to be found

The world is just a story told  
time stands still in this African town

Out from nowhere a man appears

Alone and fearless he stands

With only one thing on his mind

Where to empty his hands

It's hard to dig in the midday sun

But he doesn't seem to notice doesn't seem to care

All he feels is there's work to be done

Using a spade instead of a prayer

Where once there was nothing now stands a twig

Where might oak will grow

As years pass by just where it came from

No one will ever know

There's some that give with careful calculation

some that give with no reason or rhythm

Some that talk with endless hesitation

Saying nothing time after time

But once in a while someone comes along

Doing nothing more than what needs to be done

No thought of reward or recognition

No bottom line or banging of a drum

God bless those people who never took the score

They planted trees that they never saw

Back to Index

**If Daddy Was Wrong**

**If daddy was wrong, was it really his fault**

**He did the right thing or that's what he thought**

**We are what we see, we do what is done**

**What was right yesterday, today may be wrong**

**He might not have shown it but he loved in his way**

**he was there when you needed him through night and through day**

**things weren't as easy as might have appeared**

**each generation has its own tears**

**so stop for a minute before judgement is made**

**of those gone before us and the prices they paid**

**If mummy was wrong, it don't mean you were right**

**Did you stand in her shoes, did you see with her sight?**

**She had her dreams just like you do**

**She traded them gladly to be close to you**

**She did what she thought was right at the time**

**She looked at reason while you looked at rhythm**

**you treated your future like it had no worth**

**It was all she could think of from the day of your birth**

**If you're right or your wrong, it don't matter any way**

**The hand that you're given is the hand you must play**

**The choice is yours to look forward or back**

**To follow a path or fall in the cracks**

**We can look for life or we can look for blame**

**We can choose forgiveness, or we can choose pain**

Back to Index

**It Ain't Right**

You said you were tired of staying at home

So I went out and took a loan  
It ain't right

I booked this fancy restaurant

because I thought that was what you want  
It ain't right

But you've spent the night looking at your phone

I'm sick of hearing that ringing tone

You're sending photos of your food

So now it's cold and that's just rude

Your reading texts that don't say a word

And answering while you eat dessert

I don't wanna start a fight but

It ain't right

I bought us tickets to the lion king

Cause I know you like that kind of thing  
It ain't right

What a show it turned out to be

The best one that I ever did see  
It ain't right

But you spend the night looking at your phone

You might as well have stayed at home

What is it about this Instagram

That turns a person's mind to jam

Your world revolves around Facebook friends

Ask yourself where your freedom went

I don't wanna start a fight but

It ain't right

You've spend the day looking at your phone

With a room full of people sitting all alone

One day I won't be around

and you'll miss the life you never found

I know a father don't mean that much

Compared to that screen that you have to touch

I don't wanna start a fight but

It ain't right

Back to Index

**It Takes a Real Man to Cry**

The door opens everyone turns around

It's that special moment where dreams are found

A dress of flowing satin worn by the bride

Beside her a man bursting with pride

Ooh ooh things well never be the same

There's a new man in her heart

Ooh ooh Its not easy letting go

Now the tears do start

Chorus

It takes a real man to cry, a real man to sigh

To stand by his emotions, look them in the eyes and say

This is who I am, I'm not afraid to say

These are tears of pride and I will not look away.

Curtains open the performance has begun

He hates opera, wishes he could run

He only came to please his wife

cause she's the best thing in his trouble life

ooh ooh but as the music takes hold

he feels something stirring and touch his very soul

ooh ooh he fights to not let go

but his life is filled with beauty as the tears begin to flow

Chorus

It takes a real man to cry, a real man to sigh

To stand by his emotions and look them in the eyes and say

This is who I am, I'm not afraid to say

This is how I feel and I will not look away.

Back to Index

**Playing to the Crowd**

They ask me if I knew him, I have to say I did

We'd solve the problems of the world even though we were just kids

Arguing in black and white on each side of our class

He with silver spoon in mouth and me with one of brass

They ask me if he meant well, I have to say he did  
but his heart was in his pocket, that's something that he hid

It's easy to be liberal with interests not at stake

When others have to pay the price for all of your mistakes

Chorus

Playing to the crowd, that's the safest way to go

If you can't give them what they need, give them a good show

When you're playing to the crowd, you always have a friend

It's only when your time has passed they see what you have spent

They ask me if he understood, just what was at stake

But to him it was all the same when the crowd began to wave

Here you have my principles, a great man once said

But if they're not to your liking, there are others in my head

The question you should really ask is why time and time again

We accept the choices passed down by Hobson and his friends

When the crowd is cheering and the heart begins to race

Is when our eyes are blinded to what lies behind the face

Back to Index

**The Simple Rules of Life**

Don't sit down when the flames are getting higher

Don't stand up when the bullets start to fly

Don't start to swim until you're in the water

Don't fall in love if you're afraid to cry

If you like life then don't complain about getting older

Don't fall asleep till the fat one starts to sing

If you wanna run, make sure you're moving forward

Don't start a fight unless you're wearing wings

Chorus

The simple rules of life might seem obvious to you

But laugh at them and that might be the last thing that you do

They're much the same for everyone, if you're high or if you're low

Who knows where they come from who knows where they'll go

Don't be brave unless your eyes are open

Don't think twice when you've jumped out of a plane

Don't burn a bridge till you've reached the other side

Don't lose the key if you've wrapped yourself in chains

Don't hog the ball when someone's talking to you

Don't talk to a fool without opening your heart

Don't start to dream if you can't throw the dice

Don't ask for a credit until you've played your part

Back to Index

**Those Damn Pipes**

The first time that I saw you I'm afraid it must be said

the thought of a life together was furthest from my head

It's not that you weren't pretty, in a spooky kind of way

It was just those damn bagpipes that you said you had to play

I don't claim to be an expert in matters of the ear

But sanity is of those thing that I do hold rather dear

The noises that come out of that bag of windy pain

Is of those things I prayed that I will never hear again

Chorus

Those damn pipes, they're driving me insane

I've tried almost everything, like leaving them in the rain

those damn pipes, are indestructible

I would give most anything to not see them again

She knows that I would like a pet, a cat or dog would do

and if she was being honest she would like one too

I did bring home a cat one day, a ball of furry sweet

but one note from those bagpipes and it ran off down the street

1000 curses to the man who invented that machine

designed to torture eardrums, it's every sadist's dream

but if it makes her happy I'll grin and bear the pain

and if she does grow tired of it I'll open some champagne

Back to Index

**The Search**

CHORUS

I will search for truth

I will search for freedom

I will search for purpose

to the corners of the world

a young man packs his bags, father I am leaving

I can't go on living in despair

I look around, all I see is confusion

pain and suffering and a God that doesn't care

you live your life and do your best

of that I'm sure

I just have this feeling

that there must be something more

CHORUS

he travels far talks to many strangers

learns to pray in many different tongues

he drinks the wine passed through generations

breaks the bread with those he lives among

but after many years pass by

he's no closer to the truth

so he packs his bags and returns

to the country of his youth

CHORUS

a traveller falls in love, a woman of rare beauty

a happy home, built on solid ground

father I'm contented but there's something that still troubles me

I searched so far but the truth I never found

but son you have found the truth

the truth is you are happy

and if you want a purpose

you will find it with the truth

if you want to see this God

that you've been searching for

just look into your loved one's eyes

and you'll see Him there I'm sure

**Can You See Light**

She was not too bright thought you'd never have known

Cause she spoke with such a confident air

No questions asked no doubt ever passed

Born on the centre chair

No negative thought no time on her shoulder

Quality time to spare

Sympathy for you as she looks in the mirror

Adjusting her tired hair

Can you see light, it's there in the stars

There's a fountain of wisdom inside her that won't run dry

Can you see light, now let's hold hands

She's got all the answers but you'll never see her when she cries.

Now rub your crystal on your lottery ticket

Feel it tremble in your hand

It might not work but you've no need to worry

You can still live in fairy land

If it's love that you want, then place it on your heart

It's sure to come your way

That'll do nicely, that's where the door is

Here's someone else to play

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**Different Paths**

Times were hard, days were long

but there was always strength to carry on

we planted dreams and watched them grow

we sat and watched the river flow

and now we choose to end the fight

the days are long and how dark the night

we both know it's the only way

to love tomorrow we must part today

CHORUS

Different paths, different roads

different worlds, with different loads

you see me, I see you

on different paths, with different views

a different sky, a different blue

in the pouring rain, on a passing train

different paths

two kids at an altar, some words were said

what were the thoughts going through your head

promises and futures all were sold

but fortune tellers wouldn't be so bold

we had so much love, had so much fun

travelled to places just to see the sun

but now that it's over I have to say

there's a heavy price we both must pay

I look at the future and that seems bright

but that's not going to help us tonight

I wish you all the love that you can find

but don't forget what you left behind

Back to Index

**Peruvian Girl**

I had arrived in Peru that morning with my heart in my hands

I was knocking back the Pisco Sours on the El Silencio sands

I was in the mood for romance I was in the mood for love

I had to find a Peruvian girl

A sweet and kind Peruvian girl

Then suddenly before me like right out of a dream

There's a woman with a beauty like none I've ever seen

And a smile that said a thousand words struck deep into my heart

What is your name, Peruvian girl

Do you feel the same, Peruvian girl

Chorus

And she said , la la la etc

We walked along the shore a whole with the moonlight in her hair

She didn't understand a word I said but she didn't seem to care

But I did so much want to tell her what was in my heart

Did she feel the same, Peruvian girl

Did she feel this flame Peruvian girl

Chorus

Within a week we were married on Peruvian land

I was looking forward to spend my life on the El Silencio sand

But that night she looked into my eyes and in perfect English said

Please don't be mad, my Englishman

I have been bad my English man

She said there's something that I've tried to say to you all week

But I have wanted you so bad that I could hardly speak

I come from Bethnal green my love in sunny London town

We go home tomorrow, my Englishman

Let's see no sorrow, my English man

Then I said

La La etc

**She Said Hello**

I could see her walking in the rain

it had to be her, she looked just the same

the years had passed her by with kindness and respect

in the years she'd spent with me, she only knew regret

I was close behind her, she entered the cafe

I stood there frozen, wondering what to say

when at last I entered, I saw her sitting there

with a smile so kind and warm she didn't seem to have a care

chorus

she said hello, how have you been

it's so good to see you, let's talk for a while

but I don't have long

she said hello, I heard goodbye

all I saw was a stranger who was once part of me

it hurt so much when she said hello

I sat beside her not knowing what to say

she took control and I well recalled the day

when the world to her was fearful, she would shelter in my arms

and I thought she'd not survive a day without keeping her from harm

now as she talked it wasn't hard to see

her world had opened on the day I set her free

as I sat beside her, a man once strong and sure

a victim of the confidence of the woman I still adored

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**Have Pity On The Writer**

I'd like to welcome you today

to celebrate with me

the marriage of creation

to the mind of the free

the power of the written word

is awesome indeed

but the beauty of the word in song

is what the spirit needs

you see before you an open book

there's nothing he shall hide

he'll tell you of the times he's loved

and the times that he has cried

for an artist's life is governed

by expression of his pain

and it's hard to find emotion

when you're sheltered from the rain

CHORUS

Have pity on the writer he has not long to live

just as long as it might take to give all he can give

his road is long and crowded, he follows fortune's trail

and by the side you'll see the graves of so many

that have failed

from years of frustration

he stands before you now

at last the words have found their place

yet still he can't say how

the music weaves its way around

the lines on a page

setting fire to the words

released from their cage

and when this night is over

and you're lying in your beds

thinking of the day you've left behind

will the words he's given you

be floating through your heads

or lost forever in the writer's mind

Back to Index

**She's A Mother Now**

Caroline will be staying home tonight

her child is sick

it's nothing much, he's going to be alright

she loves him so

another night to spend alone

the fun of youth she's never known

she's a mother now

at seventeen she thought she knew it all

like most of us

trying to run before she could hardly crawl

afraid to miss the bus

her parents just didn't understand

they were strangers in a child's land

she's the stranger now

all she ever wanted was a place of her own

somewhere to tell the world

"hey look now I'm grown"

then someone told her one day

the answer was well known

just have yourself a child

and they must find you a home

it seemed so simple and a lovely child as well

that was hers alone

she never realised just what she had to sell

till it was gone

another night she sits alone

no one to see how much she's grown

she's a mother now

Caroline will be staying home tonight

her child is sick

it's nothing much, he's going to be alright

is there nothing more?

Back to Index

**Germinal**

Sitting there on the desert sand

cool night air and guitar in hand

picking out a tune

looking for some words to sing

thinking about those last few years

writing songs that no one hears

watching the night pass

wondering what the next day will bring

it's been so hard, as the flower grew

wondering if he'd ever make it through

but something inside him said he has to write

and not to rest till he'd won the fight

though there were times, when he'd lay in bed

crying "Lord won't you give me strength to raise my head

please watch over the seeds I've sown

let them find a place in someone's home"

trying to prophet in your home town

it's like facing winter in just an evening gown

with no one to turn to who will ever understand

people smile as they turned away

"he'll learn" you'd hear them say

"he's nothing special cause there's nothing in his hand"

but now he's so close, he's paid his dues

he's had his share of the reds and the blues

his music judged from leather chairs

criticised before it hit the air

by the masters of a factory

where lives are ruled by fashion industry

but his time will come one day

when seeds are strong they'll always find their way

Back to Index

**A Rat Race**

When the New York city streets

prepare themselves for midnight

you can feel the tension in the air

it's there you're going to find them all

crawling from the woodwork

rising from the sewers of despair

do you want to buy my drugs?

do you want to meet my sister?

five dollars and she'll show you a good time

guns for sale any kind you want

let them do your talking

walk with them down the avenues of crime

CHORUS

it's a rat race, it's a fight for life

only the strongest will survive

it's a rat race, don't you hang behind

and the only prize you'll get is to stay alive

when the New York city streets

prepare themselves for daylight

painting over the dark and deadly grime

it's there you're going to find them all

crawling from their mansions

walking to their world of legal crime

would you like to buy these shares

we can make a killing

there's always someone on the street who'll pay the bill

you're feeling sick, come to me

my business is to care

I'll cure you but the cost is going to kill

you want the child, that's my game

I can buy you justice

but you'll work for half your life to pay what's due

vote for me, I love you all

I'll build a better world

then maybe I will build one for you too

Back to Index

**The Flower**

She dreams as she walks through the forest for hours

singing and dancing in tune with the flowers

a child on her own with heart so pure

blind of the trouble she must one day endure

then suddenly before her on a carpet of green

a wondrous flower, like none ever seen

she's so excited on this magical ground

she feels she must share what she has just found

by the side of the road she calls to a man

"I've something to show you, please come if you can

I'll show you a flower and I'm sure you'll agree

a more beautiful sight you never did see"

"yes, said the man, I happen to be

an expert in this, let's go and see

I make them myself, I arrange and dissect

so I will know if what you say is correct"

he smiles at her innocence and watches her glow

she is only a child, what does she know

only a man as learned as he could really know the truth

they arrive at the place where the flower stands proud

he stands in the sun with his head in a cloud

his eyes see the truth but his heart won't admit

that this flower is special and he asks her to sit

listen my child, you must stop this charade

this flower is pleasant but that's all I'm afraid

I've made hundreds myself, almost the same

I know it's quite pretty but it's not what you claim

she looks up and smiles, stands proud and strong

"I'm sorry kind sir but I'm afraid that you're wrong

please wait here a while by the shade of that tree

I'll find someone else and I'm sure they'll agree"

"how dare you! he cries out, doubt what I say

I am a critic, it's my opinions they play

ask someone else then, bring them if you can

who do you think they'll agree with, a child or a man?"

now he's alone he studies the flower

he knows that it's special and it turns his life sour

he must find the secret so he can create

such a wondrous thing as this

so he picks the flower, it lay dead in his hand

there seemed nothing to it, he couldn't understand

why it's wondrous beauty burnt through his skin

so he tore it apart to find out what lay within

"just as I thought! he cried out in joy

it's just bits and pieces, like the kind I employ

I've studied creation and one day they'll see

if such beauty exists it will should come from me"

the child then returns with an old man she's found

when she sees what has happened she falls to the ground

the old man is angry and filled with dismay

"I knew of this flower and it's true what she says

now you've destroyed it, so no one can see

"God save us from men like you claim to be

you claim to create but you love to destroy

you are envy's tool and mediocrity's toy"

"you are envy's tool and mediocrity's toy"

Back to Index

**Forest of Fire**

I had a dream in my pocket, love in my hands

and a forest of fire in my soul

but there was smoke all around me

from the heat of the fire

and I know now I'd lost my control

in a world full of stories, passions and glory

I must find some for myself

there's so much to say, in so many ways

and my forest of fire's gonna help

but now I see the road more clearly

I can see what was always there

now I must follow don't feel so hollow

and my forest of fire now helps to inspire

please gather round me

now that you've found me

and listen to what I must say

ambition is nothing if you don't have the reason

so let your forest of fire show you the way

Back to Index

**They Love Him**

It's quarter to eight, the place is alive

the house is full, he's just arrived

they love him, they love him

the lights go dim, he takes the stage

he looks so good in his ivory cage

they love him, they love him

his opening chords ring quietly

striking their emotion

his eyes are watered

by the strength of their devotion

CHORUS

he stands alone the stage his home,

and the only love that he's ever known

they love him, they love him,

a hotel room, a crowded bar, his only friend, an old guitar

they love him, they love him

his music soothes, excites and uplifts

all of them wish they had such a gift

they love him, they love him

they envy his gift, his wealth and his fame

they envy it all, they think it's a game

they love him, they love him

he gives them all he has

they've had such a good time

he waves goodbye with a tear in his eye

strangers till the next time

CHORUS

the lights are on, the hall is cold,

the seats are empty, his stories are told

they loved him, how they loved him,

he stands on the stage, looks at his life,

the silence is cruel, it cuts like a knife

they loved him, they loved him

if they could see him now

in lonely isolation

a victim of his art

and their admiration

Back to Index

**One Day You're in Paradise**

Don't look at the telephone, come away from the door

you know he won't be coming back no more

I know said he'd love you till his dying day

but that's just one of those things that lovers say

I know you won't believe me but one day the pain will pass

and you'll look back at this and smile

someone else will come along then just wait and see

how all this pain has been worthwhile

CHORUS

I know it hurts

you feel so dead inside

you can't go on

there's nowhere you can hide

you miss him so

no one ever felt like you

you look to me

but there's nothing I can do

one day you're in paradise the next day you're in hell

just be thankful you're alive and the difference you can tell

one who never learnt to walk is one who never fell

one day you're in paradise the next day you're in hell

you may be surprised to know that I was once young

and I can tell you I was also stung but now I look in retrospect

it just had to be it never could have worked

it was so wrong

then one day someone came along and I'm sure you can see

that she and I were always meant to be

so all the pain had been worthwhile or how would I know

just how much she does mean to me

Back to Index

**The Fields of France**

When tiny feet are playing

the coldest heart shall warm

with futures shining in their eyes

a better world is born

the fields of France are resting

the sleep that never ends

near monuments to avarice

lie rows of fallen friends

When happy feet are dancing

two hearts that dance as one

to celebrate a union

a love that's just begun

the fields of France contented

their deaths were not in vain

if those they loved and left behind

would never know such pain

When tired feet are marching

through endless reasons why

their God was truly on their side

and God would never lie

the fields of France are restless

they've heard such words before

they stand beside a God that cries

I never spoke of war

When lifeless feet are laid to rest

beneath a distant star

those they loved and left behind

are soon to bear the scar

the fields of France are once again

crying out in pain

as the wheel that's turned by avarice

comes around again

Back to Index

**Fame Without Talent**

The bar's almost empty, stale smoke fills the air

he's finished his last song

he puts down his guitar but nobody cares

how much longer can this go on

he's sung with a passion the songs of his life

as they talked and they drank their beer

a troubadour walks on the edge of a knife

waiting for a break to appear

just as he's leaving someone calls out his name

a drunk at the bar, who's sipping his shame

come sit down beside me, I have something to say

I've come here a distance just to hear you play

I see by your face now you know who I am

I'm one of the kings of guitar

but I'd give anything just to play like you can

so much for the superstar

CHORUS

fame without talent is a curse my friend

it's a rod on your back that will never bend

it's a fire in your heart that will never burn

but just smoulder and choke your soul

smoulder and choke your soul

I don't know how I made it, it just happened one day

when they wrote that I played like a king

but they'll say what you want, as long as somebody pays

and if you want, you'll believe anything

for a while I believed them and held my head high

and saw what I wanted to see

but a day never passed when I didn't hear

someone playing much better than me

but you've got real talent and one day I'm sure

you'll also be famous and hear the crowds roar

but no matter how long I'm playing this game

I've nothing to offer but a face and a name

they laugh at you now cause they don't understand

the power you hold deep inside

but at the end of the day it's what you think of yourself

that allows you to stand there with pride

Back to Index

Come a Little Closer

Each day he wakes

And walks slowly through the sleepy village streets

Till he stands beside his faithful fishing boat

His heart is full

He takes the wheel

Glides slowly through the harbour to the sea

looks around at all he holds so dear

His heart is free

God touches those

Who know when they are happy and content

Not crying for the things that they don't need

His heart is touched

There's the island that he's past 100 times or more

Somethings changed but what it is he is not quite sure

Then she appears

before his eyes

Like a dream

Please come a little closer

there's no need to be afraid

Those rocks you see are harmless

over here is where dreams are made

Then she was gone

As quickly as she came she disappeared

Left him wondering if it had been real

But life goes on

Day after day

he sees and hears her singing the same song

He wants to go and meet her but he's scared

The rocks aren't safe

Then one days their eyes meet with a feeling strong and true

She tries to fight but knows that there is nothing she can do

she feels so confused as her head begins to spin

but her heart melts quickly when she hears him sing

I can't come any closer, those rocks will sink my boat

So far from land there is no doubt I'd be lost without a hope

But you could swim here to my side where we'd both be safe

Then we could be together and ride the ocean waves

Please come a little closer, there's no need to be afraid

Those rocks you see are harmless over here is where dreams are made

But he is wise

He shakes his head and slowly sails away

He knows how many lives those rocks have claimed

But his heart aches

She stands alone

She knows her world will never be the same

She wants so much to stand there by his side

But she is scared

The next day when she sees him she casts caution to the wind

She jumps into the sea and to his boat she swims

please come a little closer

There's no need to be afraid

Here inside this boat with me

That's where dreams are made

And so they live

With love that just gets strong every day

But there is one thing that she asks of him

That he should see

Where she came from

And so one day they sail up to the island of her birth

Cautiously he waits there but then he hears her words

Please go a little closer

There's no need to be afraid

I know a place where we can land

It's there my dream was made

Against his better judgement he feels she must be true

For if the rocks where dangerous then she would perish too

As the boat goes closer the sea begins to change

He's seen it many times before but nothing quite so strange

He tries so hard to turn away but there's nothing he can do

The wind is so relentless as the rain obscures his view

Soon the boat is crashing on the unforgiving rocks

He knows beyond a doubt that this last fight has been lost

As the sea take hold of him he sees his love close by

With his last remaining strength, he swims there to her side

Then suddenly

Just as they both surrender to the sea

He takes her in his arms and asks her why

I don't understand

Why did you guide me to the rocks now you will die as well

Why would you trade what we had, for a one way trip to hell?

I just could not help myself, that is who I am

It is in my nature, there was no thought or plan

Please come a little closer

There's no need to be afraid

At last we are together

That's were dreams are made.

Back to Index

Free Rum

Welcome to the party son  
this is where good sailors come

when there time on earth is through  
there's always room for one more crew

We usually ask for 50 years  
through stormy seas and cloud soaked tears

But those who answer the siren's call  
are also welcome one and all

Chorus

Free Rum, Free Beer  
a party for every day of the year

Clap your hands and stomp your feet

Dance along to the sailor's beat

A chair is not the place to stay

when the fiddler starts to play

we've only got the rest of time

so jump right in and join the line

here you're always with your friends

the fun and dancing never ends

a dancer's work is never done

when one tune ends it's just begun

it might seem now that you'll get bored

but you just need to cut that cord

no more storms and no more fear

no more sirens in your ear

Back to Index

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