home pastorals - lyrics

City pastoral

The dogs, the boys, the sheep
are standing where the grass is ankle-deep
and waiting for the darkness
waiting for the darkness

The shepherds and their girls
are hiding in the dumps and boarded malls
waiting for the darkness
waiting for the darkness

What light there is that bounces off walls
will do for the moonlight on trees
on hands and knees the peasants will start to crawl

The hands and louts who live on the dole
will take it in take it in turns
with chants and wild screams
to churn the pale milk of our dreams

The hogs, the hens, the grouse
are rooting where the trash defines a house
and waiting for the darkness
waiting for the darkness

The foxes with brief stares
are beckoning from dens of tools and spares
waiting for the darkness
waiting for the darkness

The drowsing heat that bounces off cars
will do for the glinting of stars
as on their rear paws animals shake and stand

The beasts of pray that live with no names
will go and grow go and grow hands
to come and dig deep
beneath the surface of our sleep

You deserve

Make it big out of here

your career

is just what you deserve

now, baby now

what you deserve

now, baby now

Show your folks that you can

try your hand

and get what you deserve

now, baby now

all you deserve

now, baby now

Early in the morning

late in the afternoon

and everything still is going so, so soon

everything you deserve

everything you deserve

is going to get you before you grow and learn

everything you deserve

Dump it all, start again

may your brain

get you what you deserve

now, baby now

what you deserve

now, baby now

All the hype for a fool

keeping you

from the love you deserve

now, baby, now

all you deserve

now, baby, now

Early in the morning

late in the afternoon

and everything slow is going so, so soon

everything you deserve...

Blamelessness

Bignose

writes from the lost and found

says he had this girl he felt rather proud about

summer

brought a new one around

says he’s sleeping better now but feels a hole where once there was

that nice feeling of blamelessness

They’re trying to put the weight of life on us

our first rule should be to never look behind

and when deep in doubt deny we’re in two minds

if they tell us just how wrong we are it’s talk

talk, talk, all they ever do is talk

Mother

tells me she’s so ashamed

knows there’s no one else but her who should take the blame

her kids are

supposed to be deeply hurt

she knows she’s better off apart but she could do with some of that

nice feeling of blamelessness

They’re trying to put the weight of life on us...

Down

We thought marriage was a one-off vow

we were blinded by the here and now

we’re sorry

We kept separated long enough

for our twins to shed the skins of love

we worry

Now skin is all we are, we are, now

raw skin is all we are

now skin is all we are, we are, now

sore, brushing with a crowd

it’s hardest when we cool down

waiting for our star

before it shines we look down

We lay listening to everything

but the thinning of the magic ring

we carried

A bad taste was trailing in our wake

for each word unspoken on the lake

we ferried

Now water’s all we are, we are now

dark water’s all we are

now water’s all we are, we are, now

dark rain without a cloud

with nowhere left to fall down

waiting for the sun

to dry the slope we rundown

and take it all away

No matter what we do or say

we’re only sitting here

waiting for the pain(t) to peel away

Holy darkness

Just before we met each other

we held our lives rent free

now we’re looking for a home in

every bed we see

Holy darkness

let us in

be our partner

share your keys

no more talking

let what space is left be glistening with silence

no more sense

Well before we saw each other

we saw blind truths were lies

now we’re looking for a cover

with arms and lips for eyes

Holy darkness

be our God

build a new place

with our words

we’re renouncing

for a time broken with sleep glistening with silence

(oh, how quick the trudging of slow violence)

Wooden soul

I have a soul that’s made of wood

I’d air and dust if I could

but every thought in there is hard

and my stray feelings won’t stray far

But when the sunlight comes

I hear voices everywhere

We’re caught in between

let us in, let us in, let us in

I have a soul that’s made of snow

it keeps and covers what I know

and every thought in there is stark

as cold as winter and as dark

But when the sunlight comes

there are light words everywhere

We’re still smouldering

let us in, let us in, let us in

Home away

I respond to every call
being there is what I'm for
being there and never understanding when it's time to go
high time to go

I know what I'm like
never up for anything
you tell me I'm lucky
that I should give my everything - but
everything is everything
I am only one
I felt as good as ten when we were two

You call me yellow when I'm blue
going on is what you do
going on and never stopping when I can't keep up with you
so like you

I'm dragging along
never really following
why leave you alone
to take care of everything - 'cause
everything is everything
I am only one
I felt as good as ten when we were two

Oh, to go under
to dive back to the time
when we were hunger
stark depth and rhyme

I’ll ring your bell at night (and I will let you in)

I’ll know you at first sight (I’ll wonder where you’ve been)

I won’t put up a fight (I won’t care if I win)

I’ll tell you were right (I’ll notice you’re too thin)

Oh, everything is everything (far too thin)

Sunkid

Sunkid
let me in
get me over
again

again

Sunkid
let me in
get me over
my greed

my greed

Honey-scented, autumn-coloured
how I need you still
sunny meadow, glow-worm-covered
for my only seed

It's not right for me or you to claim that we're both real
I am only there when you're my sunkid

Baby-bearing virgin moaner
when I hold you still
I forget that I'm a goner
I am what I feel

much as I would like to claim that I am never ill
I am only whole when you're my sunkid
sunkid

Home pastorals

Home pastorals

always coming, going, and gone

you sit there in the filtering sun

I think of techniques for impressing my words with your eyes

you zoom on my shrivelling soul and double its size

but then a chill comes and it brings in its shade

I know, I can tell, ’cause I’m suddenly growing afraid

of our home pastoral

turning sour in the dribbling rain

a white cloth gets covered with stains

I try to sugar my words but they stick to my mouth

your mellow, wandering stares congeal into frowns

until it’s the eye of the storm hits the clouds

I know, I can tell, ’cause I’m suddenly gasping aloud

for our home pastoral

oh, our home pastorals

Spike Milligan#2

Sometimes I feel like Spike Milligan
talking to clueless baboons
in the lost language of Babylon
writing all lines but his own

Sometimes I feel like Spike Milligan
watching his fellows get by
feeding the world on shenanigans
giving their all to its lies

I never really cared
for the ground that was buoying my feet
I never really shared
what I felt though I say what I think
only moments after the heat

Sometimes I think I'm Spike Milligan
stacking a stage with my lies
no one to hear my theatricals
no one to watch me strut by

Sometimes I'm dead like Spike Milligan
only my breath is still there
working each morning's caesarean
blowing dull words through the air

I never really cared
for the grass that was feeding my greed
I never really flared
my true colours to those of my ilk
only leaving smudges of need

The years

The feeling we can go no further

we overcome it every night

fathom by fathom we ride

into a country with no earth under our feet

it’s sweet and sour and sweet, my love

a theory that we never prove

for we do not wish

we shift but don’t move

The thought that we possess each other

is not untrue if not all true

standing or falling we stand

together with no dust under our feet

and is this it you always ask

yourself or both when you need proof

but now you’ve no wish

you shift but don’t move

The years we can’t forgive each other

a barren no man’s land we fight

cover by cover each night

a country with no feet above the earth

It’s hit and run and back my love

Though we don’t hit but never miss

for we do not wish

we shift but don’t move

Golden

Lady winter

shine snow, dazzle like spring

Bite into

thin light, hide everything

keep our golden age

trembling-bright under your skirt

blind us

into taking

years on end of skies

the colour of dirt

just remember

to rename it

call it rage

Lady winter

stride tall, follow your light

walk into

old doors, towing new eyes

wear our golden age

like a sun under your skirt

and take it

on your travels

where your lover

waits alone

just remember

to rename it

call it dawn

keep our golden age

safe and sound under your skirt

blind us

into taking

years on end of skies

the colour of dirt

just remember

to rename it

call it hurt