1. |
The last band standing
04:25
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The last band standing
I remember when we made them dance, before a change of circumstance
Just a few survived somehow, they’re the last band standing now
Every other bar was filled with sound, until it all went underground
Some carried on in the open air, but only with the weather fair, and now
Johnny fits kitchens for the minimum wage, drinks every night, to control the rage
He ain’t been right since he sold his gear, paying the rent in a time of fear, now the
The pretty things are back on the tools, the mavericks conforming to rules
Dictated by a cabal of fools, the pretty things are back on the tools
They’re back on the tools
I remember when we used to hug, performance high is such a powerful drug
Valves went pop as they shut off the juice, reset the switch but it was all no use
The ballerinas at the back of the queue, tiny dancers disappear from view
Those mavericks who ignored all the rules, are now the pretty things back on the tools and
Now the band has gone their separate ways, it’s the only way to get through these days
Closure, restriction, indiscriminate rules, from a pack of upper classed overprivileged fools
The pretty things are back on the tools, the mavericks conforming to rules
Dictated by a cabal of fools, the pretty things are back on the tools
But first I need to source those tools, cos my next job’s in revolution
It’s time we levelled up, time to share out the guns and the ammunition
Because that is my volition,
it’s a radical position
But it’s a logical decision
Joey’s on a building site, minimum pay, his nerves all shot living day to day
Benno got a job as a delivery guy, wife and baby back home, he never ever lets her see him cry
Now I tip my hat to the last band standing
I will raise a glass to the last band standing
The pretty things are back on the tools, the mavericks conforming to rules
Dictated by a cabal of fools, the pretty things are back on the tools
And I will make you dance to the last band standing
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2. |
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You can't keep doing that
We loaded the van and drove for miles,
Traversed the land and crossed the seas
Sang some songs and flashed our smiles
Then something brought me to my knees
Now please don’t make me plead
Pulled into a roadside stop,
Mechanic “fix the alternator”
Now put your foot down on the gas
cos we’ve got to meet with Ultan later
The point I make cannot be straighter
You can’t keep doing that, well it’s not even nice
I let it slide the first time it’s not slipping by my twice
You can’t keep doing that, it’s getting hard to breathe
If one of us has lost control, then one of us should leave
Had the van searched at the docks,
looking just like Right Said Fred
If Marv knew what was in the back,
one of us would have dropped down dead
Instead, I got the double bed
Took a stroll around the town,
to bag a tourist souvenir today
But all the shops are closing down,
I don’t know how they make it pay
No one gets up ‘til midday
You can’t keep doing that, well it’s not even nice
I let it slide the first time it’s not slipping by my twice
You can’t keep doing that, it’s getting hard to breathe
If one of us has lost control, then one of us should leave
Imelda put on her red shoes, I put the horns back on my head
It was nice of her to talk to me, caught 1 in 5 of what she said
And this is what she said
Mad dog Mike was on the bus,
we’re knocking back the poteen
Now it’s the Undertones and us,
we found this tight little scene
Imelda’s looking mean
Bandaoke was a blast,
Joe slayed them with his Sex on Fire
As The Wireless drove him on,
he hit the high notes even higher
He could have sung in a children’s choir
You can’t keep doing that, well it’s not even nice
I let it slide the first time it’s not slipping by my twice
You can’t keep doing that, it’s getting hard to breathe
If one of us has lost control, then one of us should leave
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3. |
Little people
04:45
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Little people
Let's dance, in the street
For those that make it possible for us to eat
Quick stop, convenience
Or supermarket hanger. Taking pounds and pence
Big parade for you upon this day
We'll automate your jobs away
Anyday.....
Bins bang, in brown and green
Let's hear it for the ones who keep our city clean
Hi-vis, and garbage trucks
Take away the evidence you drink too much
little people there on the front line
We'll forget you when we're doing fine
Every time....
Now they’re hitting up little people
They wanna rip the little people, again
Cos there’s big people driving the train
but it’s the little things that keep you sane
Bus stop, and taxi fare
Stuff you can rely on to get you there
They drop, and pick you up
Those folks they kept us moving when the world just stopped
we’ll be back to traffic jams and rage
We’ll be singing from a different page
In a cage….
Clap clap, at 8 pm
And when you go to wash things always count to ten
Two eyes, are all I see
Of the faces of the angels watching out for me
You can buy a badge if you like
Job done and then it's on your bike
You won’t strike......
Now they’re hitting up little people
They wanna rip the little people, again
Cos there’s big people driving the train
but it’s the little things that keep you sane
Little people giving up their lives
Making sure that only love survives
You're being taken for a ride
You'll find it happens all the time
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4. |
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The day the first bus came to town
We’ve been stranded here yet they think it’s our idyll
Abandoned by those pushing pens
They say “You should be grateful but you’re troublemakers”
Well you couldn’t see it through my lens
Trudging through dark, muddy fields, wet cement and tar
The daily run, the gauntlet thrown, contempt felt from afar
They lined the streets, all gathered round
The day the first bus came to town
Clapped and cheered and stamped the ground
The wheels’ so perfectly round
The horn a beautiful sound
Line the streets and gather round
(so grab a seat and settle down – 2nd time)
(so paint your face and we’ll paint the town – 3rd time)
‘cos today the first bus came to town
Times were hard back then, but then they always are
But still there’s no excuses
You built the house but then you didn’t build the road
All your platitudes were useless
Like the farmers they sent packing, we all struggle to relocate
But we came back stronger fighting, took control of our own fate
They lined the streets, all gathered round
The day the first bus came to town
Clapped and cheered and stamped the ground
The wheels’ so perfectly round
The horn a beautiful sound
So grab a seat and settle down
‘cos today the first bus came to town
Well I come from the city, that’s just been destroyed
That’s a repeat of a show that I want to avoid
Every new pavement and every new road
Brought joy to a people once sad to behold
We trip over memories and walk into walls
The house where I was born still stands
whilst everything around it falls
They lined the streets, all gathered round
The day the first bus came to town
Clapped and cheered and stamped the ground
The wheels’ so perfectly round
The horn a beautiful sound
So paint your face and we’ll paint the town
‘cos today the first bus came to town
Today the first bus came to town
Today the first bus came to town
Today the first bus came to town, so gather round
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5. |
Out of your depth
04:26
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Out of your depth
If you wade in, you're gonna get wet
Wait for a bailout it ain't coming yet,
Up to your neck, knee deep in debt
Feet off the bottom, you'll be out of your depth
So come on in the water's fine, help you find a state of mind
Be careful not to go beyond your depth, that’s a pretty safe bet
Waiting for a bailout, well it ain't coming yet, I remember what you try to forget
(now you’re out of your depth)
Looking for excuses but nothing will wash, any refuge when you're under the cosh
(now you’re out of your depth)
It's a jungle out there, still swinging from trees
There’s some walking tall, some drop down to their knees
Nothing will wash, now you're under the cosh
The light shines through you and now our gain is your loss
The air in here is rarefied, nowhere left for you to hide,
it’s time you paid the interest on your debt
The sharks in here are pretty fierce, every bubble that they pierce
Will leave you in a puddle of sweat, but not yet
Are you waving or drowning, it’s so hard to tell
It’s confusing these days, when everybody’s got something to sell
Waiting for a bailout, well it ain't coming yet, and I will remember what you try to forget
Looking for excuses but nothing will wash, any refuge will do when you're under the cosh
Come on in the water’s fine, help you find a state of mind, you haven’t started paying for it yet
The air in here is rarefied, nowhere left for you to hide, it’s time you paid the interest on your debt
Waiting for a bailout, well it ain't coming yet, I remember what you try to forget
(now you’re out of your depth)
Looking for excuses but nothing will wash, any refuge when you're under the cosh
(now you’re out of your depth)
Come on in the water’s fine, help you find a state of mind, you haven’t started paying for it yet
(now you’re out of your depth)
The air in here is rarefied, nowhere left for you to hide, it’s time you paid the interest on your debt
Now you’re out of your depth
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6. |
Heaven scent
03:37
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Heaven Scent
She wears merely heaven scent, She’s gently effervescent
Like a spring perfume, She’s bending in a crescent
Like the moon in June
She wears merely heaven scent, She’s cuddly when she’s bubbly, like a
Large gin fizz, The only trouble is, that every second whiff, Makes me wonder if
She’s really heaven scent
She wears merely heaven scent
It’s her natural bent, A sniff of her allure
Pure or impure, your money’s all spent
And it’s kill or cure
She wears merely heaven scent, She’s smashing and she’s splashing, like a
Busby Berkley Babe, She’ll send you to your grave, when you’re far from ready
With your knees unsteady
She wears merely heaven scent
An aroma to present, She makes me stagger
Like Niagara, hot and spicy
like a Berber tent
It’s a surely small surprise, To see her vaporize
Before your very eyes
With an air of Cleopatra, And boots like Nancy Sinatra
She doesn’t need to try for size
She wears merely heaven scent, She’s the lady to my gent
Her citrus cologne, Is a home from home,
Lois Lane to my Clark Kent
She wears merely heaven scent
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7. |
Stupid pictures
02:16
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Stupid pictures
I see her on the street, walking all alone
Crossing a busy road, staring at her phone
Traffic slams to a halt, someone’s shouting 'Mind yourself'
But she's too busy taking stupid pictures of herself
Later in the traffic she’s driving next to me
Looking in her mirror as she drives into a tree
Drag her from the wreckage and say 'do you need help?'
But she's too busy taking stupid pictures of herself
I took her to a bar she sat down next to me
She needed a drink so i bought two or three
I said 'let's hit the floor' dancing's good for your health
But she's too busy taking stupid pictures of herself
I took her back to mine and put some music on
I said I love this track she said I hate this bloody song
I headed for the sack, ended up alone,
As she just sat there pouting at her phone
Yes she did
Going out some time, happy as can be
Getting kind of serious, I get down on one knee
Ask her what she thinks, she said 'put that on the shelf'
Cos she's too busy taking stupid pictures of herself
Too busy taking stupid pictures of herself
Too busy taking stupid fucking pictures of herself
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8. |
Hypomarine
03:42
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Hypomarine
I’m sifting through the scraps
Fragments of thoughts that were chipped off this old block
I wish I was born in 45, what a year that was to come alive
Come alive
I see you, see through you
You see me but I am opaque,
There’s mist on the lake but I crawl between
The water and the drops suspended in between,
In hypo marine state, a liminal extreme
Just don’t ask me where I’ve been
Hypomarine
Fly from the scene, from the hypo marine
I’ll take as much as I can take
And just a little more to be safe
Before it’s snatched away and becomes more precious
The eyes more blue and the lips more luscious
mmmmm..
I hear you calling time
There’s always someone watching the clock
And listening for the chimes, and stealing all my rhymes
And making sure I pay for all my crimes
Whilst creating whole new paradigms
Just don’t ask them for the time
I’m slipping through the cracks
Watch me fall then spring right back to life
And cut this cord if I only had a knife
I could give it all every single night
Just don’t ask me for an invite
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9. |
Another nameless dream
04:12
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Another nameless dream
I was there, flying through the air, 3 feet off the ground
Then I soared above the rooftops, to where there was no sound
Dropped a rock into the ocean, things are never what they seem
Playing tricks inside my mind again, in another nameless dream
At the bottom of the ocean, I walked for days on end
An Atlantis dwelling serpent was convinced I was his friend
Next thing I’m underground, I’m mining a rich seam
But I came out empty-handed from another nameless dream
So many times before, I’ve had this same old dream
But this time it was clearer, like a flowing arctic stream
In my rage I was the age, of where you wake up wet
Used to dream of fame and stardom, well I haven’t got there yet
An erotic dream, becomes a nightmare, pushed it to extremes
Freud would have a field day, with all these nameless dreams
So here I go again, catch me dreaming of a time
When I fell asleep and didn’t dream, before it was a crime
With every crook and nanny, I cooked up different schemes
You can call me what you want, please just don’t call those nameless dreams
Dreams like Escher, labyrinthine, tangential, Russian dolls
Non-linear forms unravel, with all that that involves
So many times before I dreamed I had this same old dream
But this time it was clearer, like a flowing arctic stream
Playing tricks inside my mind again, another nameless dream
Freud would have a field day, another nameless dream
But I came out empty-handed from another nameless dream
You can call me what you want, please just don’t call those nameless dreams
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10. |
Acirema
03:52
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Acirema
I’m sorry mate but I let you down,
I let myself down, now it’s all over town
Well, when I say town, I mean social media
in the Colosseum they are lining up to feed ya
To the lions, we’re all getting chewed by something, with a surplus of time and headful of nothing
Disappearing inside, only seek to hide, long walks, longer days all rolled into one
Study the clouds, watch the skies, check the position of the sun
It’ll disappear by 5.15, I’m out of my brain and it’s the end of the scene
You can count me in and count me out, it’s the end of the dream
You can count me in without a doubt
Wild swimming, cold water, now the sons and daughters
They got knocked up during lockdown, well there was nothing else to do
Should have kept your distance but there was nothing else to do
Now the new wild west frontier is coming into view
Weapons grade lies, industrial scale corruption, the next binary choice is civil war or revolution
It will be televised and it will be streamed,
it will be beamed in to your sub-conscious and inhabit all your dreams
it will push you to extremes, bursting all your seems
Destroying all your teams and stifling all your screams
You can count me in…
This is not Acirema
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CSi Plymouth, UK
CSi is a collaboration between 2 Plymouth-based musicians/songwriters/producers, Rob C and Si Hackers.
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