The Song Lyrics of Nemo James

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The Song Lyrics of Nemo James

Singer, Songwriter

 

 

 

 

 

 

www.nemojames.com

Edition 1

10th May 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2017 by Nemo James

All rights reserved.

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONTENTS

A Simple Love Song

Special days

It’s A Crazy World

The days I will remember

The Minstrel

Dreamer On The Run

A Song of Sixpence

Sing For Your Child

The Gate

The Workhouse Child

A Warm Night In May

A Chair By The Window

Cool water

Forbidden Fruit

I am love

1000 Acres

I Hated What I Found

I Thought I Heard You Crying

I Used To Be

It Really Doesn’t Matter

Listening Ears

Little Tin Box

Living on the Street

Looking For You

Love In Your Heart

Rosemary and Time

Over You

Moj Prijatelj

The Dancer

I Wish I Was A Has Been

Bobby Two Beers

The World Is Full Of Heroes

These Walls

But For Now

Vanity Fair

Walk On

The Poet

The Tree

The Wheels Go Round

Fire In The Desert

A Bachelor’s Lament

Strange Happenings

Suzie Likes Caviar

The Eagle and the Dove

Going To The Factory

I Could Have Been

I Would Be

Running

I Met Her On The M25

What’s So Good About Your Town

Ski With Me Tonight

Pride

The Song You’ll Never Play

Silly Old Man

Like Crystal

Fighting On The Wall

Marie (Where Are You Now)

The Moonbeam

Remember this day

A Good Man

Who is She

Did Anybody See Her

Give Me a Smile

 

[]A Simple Love Song

From the Album The Minstrel

I wanted to write a song for you

to tell you just how I feel

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

 

 

[]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

 

 

[]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

[]The days I will remember

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

 

[]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

 

[]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

 

[]A Song of Sixpence

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 willl 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

 

[]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.

 

[]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

 

[]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

[]A Warm Night In May

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

 

[]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

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

[]Cool water

From the Album Special 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

 

[]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

 

[]I am love

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 you 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

In The 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 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

[]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

[]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

 

[] I Thought I Heard You Crying

From the Album Special Days

 

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

 

[]I Used To Be

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 use 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

 

[] 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

 

[]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

[]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 mile 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

 

[]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

[]Looking For You

From the Album The Minstrel

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

[]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

[]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

[]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

 

[]Moj Prijatelj

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 

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

[]The Dancer

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 

They Won’t Come Round Again

 

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.

[]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

 

[]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

[] 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

 

[]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

Jenny At The Front Door

 

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?

[]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

 

[]Vanity Fair

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 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

[]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

 

 

 

[]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

 

[]The Tree

 

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 their 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

 

[]The Wheels Go Round

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 

Two Eyes Are Not Enough

 

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

 

[]Fire In The Desert

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

 

[]A Bachelor’s Lament

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

 

[]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

 

Srange 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

[]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 earns a lot of money, there’s no other way

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

Two week 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

Mum took out a loan to pay his credit card

she’s got her own dreams but times are hard

she’d like to say no but she’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

[]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

 

[]Going To The Factory

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

[]I Could Have Been

 

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

 

[]I Would Be

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

 

[]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

 

[]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

well 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

 

[] What’s So Good About Your Town

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

[]Ski With Me Tonight

 

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. 

McDonald’s 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

 

Nik nak paddy wak

his dog has gone and he won’t go back

he’s living on McDonald’s farm

Nik nak paddy wak

where the ducks go moo and the cows go quack

they’re raving it up in the barn

Nik nak paddy wak

even old Tom Cobbly’s dealing crack

he’s having a bad good time

howling away in the moonlight

leaving his life far behind

[]Pride

From the Album The 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

[] The Song You’ll Never Play

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

 

Married But Living Alone

 

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

[]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

 

[]Like Crystal

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

 

[]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

 

 

[] 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

[]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

 

[] 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

 

[]A Good Man

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

 

[]Who is She

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

 

[]Did Anybody See Her

 

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

 

[]Give Me a Smile

The train was running late, I gave a big sigh

then I saw this pretty thing out 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

and 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

 

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