lyrics

syracuse

syracuse

we looked back at the futures that were yet to unfold
telling the tales that have all been told

we sat on the walls so far from home
and you picked the moss off that ancient stone

and we fell asleep in pastures green
and let go our grey-sky sisyphean scenes

the rivers of our minds have been running for so long
if only our fears were lost in their song

oh let’s sail away to islands new
much better a blue-sky sicily view

sleep restlessly
dream beneath the sea
so hard to let you go

but now the deed is done
and all of my mind battles won

though it’s not the life that I would choose
we still have our dreams syracuse

back garden rag

you can turn your back light on now everybody’s gone
the spiders in the shed have been lonely too long

in your garden in the rain trying to place a name
on the dying bugs as they drown in your brain

where the sun is high
with the birds in the sky
and you won’t leave your chair
because you don’t know how to fly

but we won’t grow wings if we don’t even try

soon autumn leaves will fall but we can’t cry for them all
and there’s a dying bird behind a concrete wall

now you’ve sent the blues away the yellows have come to stay
and though you don’t look scared it doesn’t feel that way

if you die in your dream
tell me how does it seem
to have to relive the pain
that’s already been
though it may hurt now time will wash the slate clean

as the time starts to drag
all your pretty flowers sag
and your hobo boots
poke through their plastic bag

did you think you could wipe them off with a back garden rag

new dawn

I have a dream back when the day would break and then
sunday bells would chime
for the places I have been all come to me in dreams
but I forget them every time

my eyes up at the clouds my feet stuck to the ground
caught by summer rain
for a safety line may break and a happy heart can ache
while the seasons stay the same

and a staying thought is hard to find
choose a better way to live next time
but for now I’ll dwell too long on the things that I got wrong
while all the positives slip my mind

the voices on the breeze from faded memories
sing about the day
when the scenes they were for real and the time was ours to steal
before a new dawn took them away
and a chemical lodged in my brain is the only proof that still remains
for all of us it seems will be washed away in dreams
and forgotten to the rain

and when our day is done and we’re back where we begun
the stars will be our eyes
kept by the dream of you our echoes falling through
as a new sun begins to rise

the spare room

on an evening in the spare room with the lamps turned down
your sunday heart weighs heavy now
just you and the relics of your golden past
some dreams weren’t built to last

the postcards of the places you’ve never been
peel from the window and let the moonlight stream
in shafts through the hallway to beneath the stairs
but you won’t find many answers there

sifting through an old box as you wonder how
all your once favourite toys can mean nothing now
pictures of a young boy that you didn’t draw
sights that you never saw

in the hard truth reminders of that empty bed
lives that just exist now inside your head
with the burden of a future that was always known
and all the love that you still owe

so put off tomorrow for another day
by the quiet of tonight you would forever stay
in the safety of the spare room with the lamps turned down
but the clock sends you back to town

and by the moon you drive back to town

unwritten lullaby

we’ve got a lot of memories left out in the cold
one to many deckchairs that we couldn’t unfold
and I tried to tell a story in the failing light
but I couldn’t find the words or get the ending right

and we had a lot of dreams that we couldn’t explain
an awful lot of tears mixed up in the rain
and we tried to read a poem by the harbour lights
but we fell into the crosshairs of our own skewed sights
and I spent last night by candle light
with an ache and a broken pen
but as the feeling grows my energy goes
and I just want to come home again

we had a lot of feelings that we didn’t dare expose
we hid a lot of truths beneath those colourful clothes
and I tried to paint a picture of what’s going on in my mind
but it came out all wrong because I was working blind

and I spent last night by candle light
with this ache and a broken pen
but to see your face sets it all in place
and I just want to come home again

and I’ll wait with the stars for you
and carry these scars for two
a home amongst the stars with you
forgotten by their scars

I spent last night by starlight
with the same old fears again
but when I join your dreams I shake off these scenes
and set aside my broken pen

messing about in boats

summer river glistening in the sun so soothing lapping at our boat
mayflies hover while the water runs
and ripples as we row

quiet morning feather in the breeze
so warm this feeling that has grown
blissful solace the river bank and trees
wave softly as we go

so happy to be here it’s been a perfect day
but it’s time to make our way back home
and my heart with the sun heavy in the sky
is sinking like a stone

and like a stone so gladly go
to the bed below the deep

and carry to your room this simple tune
and by the moonlight sleep

so long, bluebell

hey bluebell don’t hang your head low
it was just fate this chance to grow
through tired eyes you watch the passers-by
holding thoughts only you can know

as you pray by streams in your pale blue dreams
for the season to come again
where once we stood in a bluebell wood
and turned our faces to the rain

hey bluebell we keep spinning round
and your children will blossom one day
but the leaves of time are fast falling down
and there’s no way that I can make you stay

for the old oak tree will lose its leaves
while its shadow still remains
but for you brief flower you live a month in an hour
and make your whole world this quiet lane

so long bluebell now you’ve had your time
I’ll remember you until I’ve had mine
but there it ends a rut on a railway line
the impassive intercity of time

and with the memory gone and the world moved on
we won’t be looked for amongst the stars
but as new flowers spring let the dawn birds sing
about a moment that once was ours

laughter lines

when your clock is running slow
and the hands will only turn to their right
and you find yourself peering through a rain-flecked window
at an another autumn sky in the dying light

when your tea is getting cold
and you’ve cut out all the deaths from the Times
are your wrinkles just a curse of getting old
did you scare off the laughter lines

let the wind blow the trees
keep breathing in and out, out and in
for like the course of all those cobwebs that flutter in the breeze
we can’t tell the world how to spin

now we can all go dig a whole
but we’ve all been cut from the same design
so you can’t tell me money is the measure of a soul
I’ll look for the laughter lines

hymn of the dripping tap

trying to sleep in the morning
restless birds bringing dawn in
counting bugs in the garden
and the aeroplanes in the sky

feeling low in the pantry
scrub the floor to stay healthy
golden milk for the wealthy
and golden stars for the brave

an aching head is a headache
a broken heart follows heart break
take a pill for handshake
take a shower for a bone

you poured out your heart over coffee
next time try milk it gets let messy
tickety-tock is the mouse still
killing time under the floor

to be or not is that the question
to think a lot is that just pedestrian
to write a song is that salvation
will I be lonely when I die

michael fish blues

I get so worried that some day we’re gonna fall out
right out of this ride out of this fight
and we can ride it with a brain and though it might be a lie
well that’s alright I guess that’s life

well I can see you’re in a state but I don’t think it’s right
to come around here like you did last night
if you’re losing anyway I don’t see the harm
in falling down without a fight

I wanted grey skies you wanted blue
now that we’re together baby what we gonna do
about the unanswered prayers from above
how ‘bout a song about love

when you’ve fallen in a fog without a way out
don’t be afraid to scream and shout
and when the final curtain falls and your song starts to rall
don’t take it hard we all bow out

you wanted blue skies I wanted grey
but put our hearts together baby we can find a way
through life and all the fashions of love
and the grey skies above

and when we’ve all had enough
at least we both had a laugh