1. |
Gravity Waves
04:22
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Gravity Waves
Sometimes it comes, passes by unseen,
A feeling you miss, a half-remembered dream.
As the past and the future collapse into now
And time ceases flowing and you know this is how it has to be.
You are the focus, a singularity.
The curve of horizon beyond which I can’t see.
And I know you’re the reason, the why and the how,
And the time is for growing and I know this is how it has to be.
With your gravity waves, passing me by,
Gone in the blinking of my eye.
Hard to detect, harder to find,
Didn’t expect you’d change my mind.
With your gravity waves.
Now this has started, there is no turning back,
My universe opens, I fall through the crack.
And the dark is no matter, you light the way now.
You spin and you flatter and then show me how
The barriers shatter and I know this is how it has to be.
With your gravity waves, passing me by,
Gone in the blinking of my eye.
Hard to detect, harder to find,
Didn’t expect you’d change my mind.
With your gravity waves, passing through me
I’m the best that I can be.
Bending my space, stretching my time,
In the right place and I feel fine.
With your gravity waves.
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2. |
Woken By Owls
02:42
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Woken By Owls
This space by my side is cold and I know that it’s
Because of my pride and the way that I show it, if
I’d kept it inside you’d still be here but
It’s late and I am woken by owls.
Your scent haunts the bed and I breathe in your pillowcase
As I’m filling my head with the light of your smiling face,
Then I know that instead of sleeping I have to face
The fact that I am woken by owls.
It’s late in the night and I know now what’s going on.
Nothing is right and my hunger for you is strong.
But you’re out of sight in the darkness and here I lie
Broken and woken by owls.
And I know when I sleep you’ll be there in my broken dreams
And still I’ll act cheap, drive you far from me and it seems
I’m stuck in this heap, no way out, and I know that
I would rather be woken by owls.
I would rather be woken by owls.
I would rather be woken by owls.
No owls were hurt in the writing of this lyric, but a vole experienced a frisson of existential angst.
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3. |
Hard Bargain
03:46
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Hard Bargain
I’m trying hard to see if we can
Find something that looks like common ground.
But I’m not getting much from you
To give me a good cause to hang around.
There’s give and take in everything,
You’ve taken all I’ve given and then some.
And I think I’ve seen the best of you
And honey it’s all downhill from now on.
It’s a hard, hard bargain that you drive.
It’s a bargain I’ve been making all my life.
So, I guess our cause is hopeless, and
I guess that I am just a hopeless case.
‘Cos I’m not going anywhere that
I can’t see the beauty in your face.
It’s a hard, hard bargain that you drive.
It’s a bargain I’ve been making all my life.
Maybe I should break away,
Maybe I should leave,
Don’t know what could make me stay,
Help me to believe
That there is a future where
You and I survive,
A future where our bargain means
It’s great to be alive.
It’s a hard, hard bargain that you drive.
It’s a bargain I’ve been making all my life.
It’s a hard, hard bargain that you drive.
It’s a bargain I’ve been making all my life.
It’s a bargain I’ve been making all my life.
It’s a bargain I’ve been making all my life.
All my life.
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4. |
Recycled
03:10
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Recycled
Here I am,
Now you can
See right through me
Take a look, maybe now you’ll not resist.
Perhaps you’ll see the details that you missed.
Those labels that remind you I exist.
You thought you knew me.
Here I am,
Take the time
Try to enjoy me.
You’ll see, I’m more than just a mouth you kissed;
More than just one item on your shopping list;
More than just another taste you can’t resist.
There’s much more to me.
I’m flexible, I breath, I’m open, I am free
And I’m able to believe that I am strong.
There’s space for me to be, I’ll still be here to grieve
When you're gone, I will go on;
I’m recycled
Here I am
Come take a look
And see the new me
Maybe now you’ll understand just how I feel.
You’ll see me flowing, see me sparkle, see me still.
When you threw me just because you’d had your fill,
You helped renew me.
I’m flexible, I breath, I’m open, I am free
And I’m able to believe that I am strong.
There’s space for me to be, I’ll still be here to grieve
When you're gone.
I know you as you are, I’m more than you by far,
I’m the rhythm in the bar, I’m the song.
Now everyone can see I’m more than you can be.
You’re long gone, yet I go on.
I’m recycled.
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5. |
The Trick Or The Treat
03:00
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The Trick Or The Treat
Red, gold and brown fills streets.
Scents in the air, so sweet.
Pumpkin smiles glow,
They seem to know
The trick of the treat?
Here in the room, fire’s heat
Flickering, warms my feet.
But still it begins,
The darkness draws in,
The trick or the treat.
Once in a while,
There comes a time it’s hard to reconcile,
I’m in it too deep,
The trick or the treat.
Just when it seems I’m beat,
A sentence I can’t complete,
The bell at the door
I’m facing once more
The trick or the treat.
Once in a while,
There comes a time it’s hard to reconcile,
I’m in it too deep,
Once in a while,
I find a place where I can reconcile
The choices I meet,
The trick or the treat?
Once in a while,
The trick or the treat?
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6. |
It Never Ends
02:57
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It Never Ends
Hush now baby, by and by
I will sing a lullaby.
I’ll lay a quilt upon your bed.
And kiss the hair upon your head
I’ll light a flame keep dark away
Stay by your side till break of day.
Hushaby, shushaby, sleep with no fear,
There’s nothing can harm you while Daddy is near.
Hush my son, years go by,
I sing no more a lullaby,
I watch upon you from afar,
Look over you where you are.
And ever I am there for you,
When times are hard I care for you.
Hushaby, shushaby, through all your years,
Nothing can harm you while Daddy is near.
Hush my boy, time goes by
And now you sing a lullaby.
I watch the father and the son,
And see you care as I have done.
And ever I am there for you,
When nights are long I care for you.
Hushaby, shushaby, throughout the years,
There’s nothing can harm you, nothing to fear.
Hushaby, shushaby, safe all your years,
There’s nothing can harm you, I’m always near.
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7. |
Time And Tide
03:30
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Time And Tide
Struggle to breathe as you’re fighting the rip,
Losing the strength in your weakening grip,
Carried away, you’re ready to give up the fight.
Trapped in the swell, between sea and shore,
Fighting for breath, you can’t take any more,
The salt on your skin is the kiss that you shared in the night.
It’s the feeling of hope as you cling to the rope
You’re fighting your pride.
The excuse that you gave, when you begged to be saved,
And nobody cried.
It’s too late for escape and all that awaits
Is the time and the tide.
The time and the tide.
Held in the curve of the point as it breaks,
A moment’s distraction is all that it takes,
And no-one is looking to see as you’re drifting away.
All that is left is a towel on the beach,
A dip in the sand and a life you can’t reach,
A harp or a dragon to flag that you once passed this way.
It’s the point on the wave when the love that you crave
Leaves you lost in the foam.
All the tides that you brave, all the love that you gave
Come to carry you home.
You can see no escape and all that awaits
Is the time and the tide.
The water enfolds, you feel yourself sink,
The shock of the cold, you’re nearing the brink,
Memories flash, you’re starting to think it’s too late.
Collapsed to an instant, the life that you had,
You notice you’re smiling, this isn’t too bad,
You drift into darkness and give yourself up to your fate.
With a start of surprise, you open your eyes
And you’re not alone.
She is there on the sand, you reach for her hand,
She’s taking you home.
So you make your escape and nobody waits
For the time and the tide.
For the time and the tide.
For the time and the tide.
For the time and the tide.
For the time and the tide.
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8. |
Buying A Hat
03:39
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Buying A Hat
We’re buying a hat,
The heat bears down upon us
As we walk these limestone streets under the sun.
We’re buying a hat.
The breeze that brushes skin is hot
And carries no sensation of relief.
You’d think that after all these years
That I would understand just how this goes.
And there before us is a thing that
Sits upon your head just so
And holds itself with charm and grace
And compliments your face
Just like a hat.
Is this the hat?
Turns out it’s not.
So we move on.
We’re buying a hat.
And I wonder at the things I still
Don’t know about you after all this time.
We’re buying a hat.
Not knowing only serves to feed
This thing I know to be my love for you.
I assume there is a kind of logic,
Underpins this act of buying hats.
And, though I do not know it, every
Time you choose to show it is
A clue that shows the you that makes
You ... you.
Just like a hat
Is just a hat.
Or maybe not.
And we move on.
We’re buying a hat.
And, though for me a hat is just
A hat and for you that just isn’t true.
We’re buying a hat.
I find that still I long to understand
This random walk under the sun.
And, if I knew just how it works,
Then would I share it, take it for my own?
Tell others that I’ve found the perfect
Way to buy this hat of hats?
Though I can buy ten hats within
Five minutes, at the most,
So, do I win
This game we play?
If it’s a game!
And, if it is,
When did it start?
Then I recall.
With some surprise,
I realise you chose me
In an instant.
You placed your lips
Against my ear
And whispered near ‘I love you.’
In that first moment.
Then I think that I must be,
For that to be the case,
A special kind of ‘me’,
So I rearrange my face to show
The pleasure this thought brings.
And, as you search the rack before us,
In my head the voice that sings
Repeats this joyous chorus;
We’re buying a hat.
We’re buying a hat.
We’re buying a hat.
(Spoken …aside)
(Is that it?
The one?
Try it on … turn round …
You’re perfect!)
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9. |
Life Goes On The Same
03:12
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Life Goes On The Same
Woke up this morning, life goes on the same.
Grey skies, old lies, life goes on the same.
Each day since you left me
Seems a lifetime filled with pain.
And just one thing is certain - life goes on the same.
Trying, crying, life goes on the same.
Hating the waiting, life goes on the same.
When you see me waving,
I’m drowning in the rain,
While slowly I’m sinking and life goes on the same.
Day follows day, life goes on the same.
Can’t seem to break free, life goes on the same.
Maybe there’s comfort as life goes on the same.
Woke up this morning, life goes on the same.
Grey skies, old lies, life goes on the same.
And that light in the tunnel,
Is it hope or just a train?
Still I’m holding my breath while
Life goes on the same.
Life … goes on … the same
Life … goes on … and on … and on … the same.
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10. |
Cicada Shuffle
02:54
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Cicada Shuffle
It’s hot and I’m weary and I’ve got the blues, so
I grab me some ice and a bottle of Ouzo.
Put on my hat, kick off my shoes,
Sit in the shade while I take in the views.
And all I can hear is the buzz in the trees,
It’s the song of cicadas that’s filling the breeze,
When I’m feeling wrong,
Cicada song keeps me smiling.
It’s the song that they sing when the sun’s shining bright.
An up-tempo rhythm that’s sure to delight.
And when the sun sets at the end of the day,
It’s a minor key, chilled out, boogy they play.
Wherever I go there’s a buzz in the trees,
Like a thousand cicadas are rubbing their knees,
I’m where I belong and
Cicada song keeps me smiling.
And when I return to my old English ways
It’s a song that reminds me of hot island days.
And as it grows colder and chills to the bone,
I take myself back to Kefalonia home,
I just press a button and the buzz in the trees
Is there to remind me whenever I please,
When the nights grow long,
Cicada song keeps me smiling.
When the nights grow long, cicada song,
When I’m feeling wrong, cicada song,
I’m where I belong and
Cicada song keeps me smiling.
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11. |
Hole Filling
03:33
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Hole Filling
Together we should renovate
This home we love, we share.
I’m thinking that it must be time
For you and I to care.
Hole filling.
It seems we’ve papered over cracks
In order to conceal
The wear and tear we tried to hide.
I’m wondering how you feel.
Hole filling. Hole filling.
Breathe low; spread your angel wings.
Breathe deep; gather in the new.
Hold firm; higher, pure and true.
Give voice; let air and spirit sing.
Make it good, make it true,
Hold the space, repair, renew.
Give and take from the heart,
Now’s the time for us to start
Hole filling. Hole filling.
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12. |
Six Inches To The Right
02:57
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Six Inches To The Right
Bluebottle flies into the pane,
Same old tired routine again.
He bangs his head against the glass,
Same old thing just comes to pass.
He’s not going anywhere,
Seems to me he doesn’t care.
Hope that you will be back soon.
Same old music, same old tune.
Latch is open to the right,
Same old problem, same old fight.
He can’t see it’s open wide,
Double blind, I can’t decide.
Doesn’t care there is no gain
For all his effort, for all his pain.
Guess you’ve been away too long.
Same old lyric, same old song.
You and me, used to agree
There’s beauty everywhere.
Now it seems bluebottle sheen
Is the colour that we share.
Makes no difference how I try,
You walk away, I don’t know why.
Still I know I’ll try again,
Maybe next time things will change.
Tip and tap upon the glass
Reminds me how the seconds pass.
Bluebottle flies, I wish he might
Fly just six inches to the right.
I don’t know why he can’t see,
Just six inches, he’d be free.
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13. |
Cat Thoughts
02:54
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Cat Thoughts
The cat is staring at me.
The breeze is drifting by me.
The clock is ticking near me.
And I am searching for your smile.
The cat says, “Come and feed me.”
The breeze just flows around me.
The clock is counting down my seconds.
And I’m remembering your smile.
Cut the grass, trim the edge,
Feed and water, tidy hedge,
Plant the seed, watch it grow,
Seasons passing, join the flow.
Life’s current takes you where it goes,
Each moment all you have to show.
The past has gone, what next, who knows?
So just let go …
These moments are your life.
The cat is curled and sleeping.
The breeze is just a gentle whisper.
The clock ticks on regardless.
And I’m content to know your smile.
Cut the grass, trim the edge,
Feed and water, tidy hedge,
Plant the seed, watch it grow,
Seasons passing, join the flow.
Life’s current takes you where it goes,
Each moment all you have to show.
The past has gone, what next, who knows?
So just let go …
Cut the grass, trim the edge,
Feed and water, tidy hedge,
Plant the seed, watch it grow,
Seasons passing, join the flow.
Life’s current takes you where it goes,
Each moment all you have to show.
The past has gone, what next, who knows?
So just let go …
These moments are your life.
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14. |
Morninglight
01:35
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Morninglight
Grey light flows softly, through curtains partly drawn,
As I wake to morning light and you.
The sound of your breathing, soft rhythm of the dawn,
As I wake to morning light and you.
The calm in this moment as darkness fades to grey,
The last light of dreaming as shadow slips away.
And you are ever with me, as each and every day
I will wake to morning light and you.
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Mike Rawlins England, UK
Hampshire based, singer-songwriter - finding out that starting late is no barrier - what matters is the music.
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