Dead End Street

A song about the sorry state of affairs we find ourselves in in 21st century Britain.

It’s about feral street kids, junkies, hoodies, no go areas – all that really exciting stuff that makes modern urban life such a joy to experience. So if you’re not depressed enough already then give your lug ‘oles a dose of this.

Music to slit your throat to. Leonard Cohen would be proud!

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Here’s the lyrics :

They knock you down, they steal your money
A gang of them, they think it’s funny
Filmed it on their mobile phone
Up on YouTube when they get home
The ambulance can’t pick you up
It’s vandalized when they park up
Policemen only come in twos
We’re on our own – just me and you

Just pop a pill – it does no harm
Stick a needle in your arm
Pour a beer down your throat
Snort another line of coke
Go out dancing, grab a bird
Squeals of protest never heard
Just a gang bang for your leisure
A seedy way to take your pleasure

It’s a one way street you’re driving down
A brick wall at the end
A one way trip to nowhere
And there’s no-one left to care…

As long as they can rob your house
To get the stuff they need
As long as there are pushers
And the habits that they feed
As long as there are junkies
And girlies on the game
There’s no way that things will ever change
They’ll just carry on the same

Walking down the pavement
You’re afraid of who you meet
Red lights in the windows
They’re inviting you to peek
Pushers at the school gates
Handing out the pills
Girls on every corner
Looking for a pull

We’re heading down a dead end street
One way the only way
Gangs of hoodies hanging around
Well, you better watch what you say

Faking It

Here’s one of my favourite pieces so far that seems to have been well received by the musical community since I previewed it on Fandalism – and my thanks to my good friend Dioclese for the video.

‘Faking it’ is about city boys. The Porsche and Champagne set who made all their dosh by gambling with yours. Low risk investment – for them at any rate! In retrospect, I thinks there in fluence from the Clash or the Jam in there somewhere?

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I’m making it – taking it
It doesn’t matter if I’m faking it
It’s alright as long as I’m raking it in
Nobody knows if I’m doing it wrong
But I make they sure they know if I do it right
Because I’m faking it

Seems to the world that I’m doing alright
I may play dirty but I sleep at night
It don’t matter if I stomp on you
You don’t know half of the things I do
Because I’m faking it….

Dirty money – coming clean
Nobody knowing what I really mean
It doesn’t matter
if I’m not what I seem
Big house and a fancy car
Pretty women down the champagne bar
Don’t know I’m faking it

Money talks – money screams
Nothing is really what it seems
Nobody cares while the cash keeps rolling in
can’t lose cos it’s not my money
My profit, your loss, well I think that’s funny
While I’m faking it

Faking it, Taking it, Making it mine
Faking it, Taking it, Feeling fine
No conscience,No repercussions
Working for me, Feeling fine
I’m faking it
I’m faking it
I’m faking it

Poison

Poison is a song about all the shit that goes on between two people when a relationship is breaking down.

Now you might very well think that this is based on the rather vitriolic events that surround and followed my divorce from my first wife. Well, as Francis Urquhart put it so well, you may very well think that but, of course, I couldn’t possibly comment.

I don’t see the point in picking away at a relationship when it much less painful and simpler to just face up to the fact that it ain’t working and walk away amicably. But people aren’t like that in real life, are they?

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You know that I
Got over you
So why can’t you
Get over yourself?
I’m glad you’re gone
You know we were no good
I’m better off
Without you

It seems to me that you’re never satisfied
I see that hatred burning in your eyes
Get on with your life and I’ll get on with mine
It’s best for us to drain the poison from our lives

It’s not the same
Why would it be?
I think it’s better
Why can’t you see
It didn’t work
But we gave it a try
Until you poisoned it
With all your lies

You want revenge but I can’t work out what for
You are the one that said you can’t take any more
It was your choice that you should walk away
But now you changed your story and it’s not what you say

Life is better
Now that we’ve split
I won’t be back
I just don’t want it
To be like
It used to be before
I’m glad it’s over
Couldn’t take any more

There is no doubt that I am better off without you
Without that poison that you were dripping in my brain
I’ll find somebody else, someone who’ll never doubt me
And I’ll be happy even if I’m on my own

Get on with your life and I’ll get on with mine
Living with this poison’s such a waste of our time

Times Are Hard

They certainly bloody are hard at the moment, so here’s a cyncical little song that contains a few tricks and tips to help you get by in this cruel 21st century world we find ourselves in.

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Here’s the lyrics :

Times are hard
You do what you can
Times are hard
Just to make ends meet
Times are hard
You know when times are hard

I went to the church
For a chat with God
I asked him to send me some money
And he listened to me
A plate came round
With some money on it
I put it in my pocket
And said a prayer of thanks
‘Cos times are hard

I sold my TV
And I sold my car
Sold most everything I had
And then one day
I tripped in the street
Nobodys fault but mine
But the lawyers said no
We should sue them
‘Cos Times are hard

I’m doing quite well
Since the compo claim
But still can’t find a job
But the man from welfare
Said don’t worry
We’ll see you alright
So now I’m off down the foodbank
It’s cheaper than the grocery store

Lorelei

A strange song inspired by my old friend Paul Wakely who wrote the lyrics to ‘Every Step Different’ on my last album.

Story goes that he and his daughter wrote a song years back called ‘Rock and Roll Mermaid’ which he was going to dig out of his archives and send to me – except that he couldn’t find it! This coincided with my messing around with open tuning after reading Keith Richards’ autobiography and then listening to a his solo albums.

This was then made worse by a friend of mine pointing me to an old album called ‘The Land of Blue and Grey’ by Caravan.

So Lorelei was basically the result of a bit of hippy dippy flower power shit mixed with some Stones’ guitar style and, in the true spirit of the 60s, some crap lyrics!

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I was sailing on the ocean just the other day
When the sound of the Lorelei was drifting my way
Half woman, half fish – she really was a dish
She got long blond hair and ruby red lips
Man what a woman! I looked her up and down
38-22 and 12/6 a pound

So was it all dream? Was it really what it seems?
Awake or sleep? I can’t tell what it means
Sometimes I wonder what’s going through my head
All kinds of stuff while I’m lying in my bed

Driving down the road in my pink Cadillac
Three ugly women sitting in the back
Waving to the people walking down the street
Pushing on the pedals with my two left feet
Was it all dream? Did it go without a hitch ?
Am I living in luxury or lying in a ditch

Sometimes I wonder what’s going through my head
All kinds of stuff while I lie in bed
Am I awake or sleep? I can’t tell what’s which
Is this life a gas or is it simply just a bitch?

Up in the air or down on the ground
Looking at that sun going round and round
Ever had the feeling that you don’t know where you are?
Going round the golf course at thirty under par
What do you do when you’re feeling pretty high
Do you pop another pill without wondering why

I watched her wander through the garden hedge
Half a glass of vodka balanced on her head
She said Are you hungry? I asked her why
But then she disappeared in the blink of an eye
There’s a weird helicopter hovering up in the sky
Say! Can you really see it and can it really fly?

Was it all dream?
Was it really what it seems?

Promises (updated)

********
UPDATE
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Since I released this track, my good friend Dioclese has made me this very nice video :

It’s been a bit heavy lately. In fact, I considered calling this new album “A Pint of Heavy”. Maybe I still will?

Anyway, in an attempt to move (briefly) away from heavy rock and punk, here’s a track that I think is a bit West Coast American Rock. I could see Fleetwood Mac doing this one – especially the guitar solo. When I sat down and listened to it afterwards, I thought ‘That’s a bit like Lindsey Buckingham’. Sorry Lindsey!

What’s it about? Well, the value of keeping your word, doing what you say and saying what you mean. That sort of thing.

Enjoy!

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Talk is cheap but time’s expensive
It’s what you do not what you say
At the end of the day that’s all that matters
Broken promises leave lives in tatters
Do what you say?
And What do you mean?
Broken promises
It’s all I’ve seen
Better for you
And better for me
Think about it
You’ll see what I mean

If I can’t trust what you’re telling me
How much worse can it really be?
Things’ll start falling apart
Heading for a broken heart

Politicians tell you what you want to hear
Media telling stories to fill you with fear
Do you know what truth is and how can you tell?
Modern living is a scene from hell
What’s to be done?
Does anyone know?
Swim upstream
Or go with the flow
Making waves
Or smoothing the way
Has anybody
Got a better way?

No-one should tell you what you have to do
You should be able to think for yourself
It might be easier to do what you’re told
But that don’t mean that it’s right
Tell the truth
Shame the devil
Try to keep things
On the level
Deep down you know
What you should do
Don’t let nobody
Think for you

Can’t believe what they’re telling me
It doesn’t seem quite right
Do you know a better way?
Can you see the light?

Talk is cheap
Or so they say
There has to be
Another way
Lies and cheating
Are just insane
Empty promises
Fall like rain

Bitch

This is a track hot off the presses from the new album which is progressing slowly but surely.

After I got this one down, I realised that it might sound a bit vitriolic. A bit angry. A bit bitter. Well, that’s because it is and I would like to thank my ex-wife for the inspiration. Even tho’ I got shot of her over a quarter of a century ago, it’s good to know that I can always call on her for musical inspiration.

Go the the post marked “The day my ex pissed off” on the ‘My Life’ page if you really want to know what happened. Frankly, I no longer give a toss!

I like this song. It’s got some oomph – and when I could decide which guitar solo to use, I decided to overlay them and use both. Interesting.

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I got home from work
Guess you thought it funny
You emptied out the house
And you stole all the money
It was easy for you
But it was rough for me
You opened my eyes
So now I can see

You were trash
You took all the money
You were trash
I guess you found it funny
You were gone
It’s a weight off my mind
You showed yourself up
For what you really are

If it ain’t right
Then I think you should say so
Not go fooling round
With any old so and so
I guess being honest
Just don’t come easy
When you’re looking round
To find the next freebie

No matter what we thought
It was never gonna be
I’m better off without you
It’s easy to see

The lies and deceit
Weren’t necessary
If you wanted to leave
Then you should have told me
I worked off my ass
So you could salt away my cash
You think it’s better with him
But it ain’t gonna last

You’re a bitch
You just think of yourself
You’re a bitch
Don’t think of no-one else
On your own
Is how you’ll end up
Good luck!
I don’t give a fuck…