we’re
gonna save the summer
how many miles would I go for my love?
through the storm, through the storm
will I walk on the paths of her loneliness?
where I don’t belong and where I’ll never be
‘cause all my life I’ve never cared
I’ve been floating in the air
feeling I’m old and young at the same time
but now, you know, I’m not so sure
what’s gone wrong and what’s the cure
how can we chase away all of the dark clouds?
we’ve got to save the summer
will she walk on the paths of my emptiness?
where we don’t belong and where we’ll never be
take a taxi into town
past the girls and drunks and clowns
telephone me from a box if it’s raining
we’ll swim our way into the crowd
talking low and thinking loud
we’re gonna chase away all of the dark clouds
we’re gonna save the summer
we’ll save the summer
maybe we can do it if we want it enough
‘cause if you want it
it will wait for you
if you want it
it will wait for you
if you get there soon
A lot of the songs on this record were made in quite a cut up way.
Sometimes I take bits of songs and graft them on to bits of other
songs,even going as far as writing several different melodies to the
same changes. This is a prime example, having started life as "Just
Before
The Sun Falls" becoming "A Rainy Weekend In London" and then half of
"We're Gonna Save The Summer". I came up with the verse when I spent
a
week improvising guitar for a special needs dance workshop at Paisley
Arts Centre. At the end of each day we would have a sort of warm down
and I started playing this very pastoral thing. By the 3rd day I had
started singing "How many miles..." Don't know where it came from.
Maybe the feeling of longing that was in the room. It really fitted
perfectly to the chorus. Sometimes songs are more like sculpture..chipping
away
until you find out what you're doing or what you mean. The arrangement
is very dense. There are about eight guitars all doing
various things, vibraphone doubling up some of the guitar parts and
some glockenspiel. Norman Blake sang most of the back ups. He just threw
them down one part after the other and it's great singing. Normally
I sing all the bvox and you can sometimes tend towards the same thing
as you
did last time, so it was amazing to hear someone else's perspective.
an ordinary day out in the suburbs
an ordinary day out in the suburbs
hear the children sing, woo-oo woo-oo
I know you really care
so say a prayer
and maybe one day we’ll live in the suburbs
we will have a house and a car and a dog
you will call him Joe
I will call you sweetheart
we will have a ball
and if it rains
we’ll just stay in drinking coffee
we’ll turn the other cheek
if people say
they don’t like our way
or the things we do
and we’ll be making love out in the suburbs
in the blazing sun, woo-oo woo-oo
I may well opine
our life is just divine
and you may well agree
but if you’re bored
maybe you’ll call up some old friends
I wouldn’t mind at all
if you need some time to be free
‘cause you’d do the same for me
and we’ll turn the other cheek
if people say
they don't like our way
or the things we do
and if you're bored
maybe you'll call up some old friends
Brian, Jim or Miles
I wouldn't mind if you stayed out all night on the tiles
This is one of the first songs I wrote for the album, and it was
pretty obvious that the first version was totally complete. It's not
a serious
serious song, in that it doesn't kick you in the backside with a big
message. It's more about how simplicity and breeziness can be very
intense. Again we're knee deep in vibraphone. What a sound. Someone
said this is a bit Gilbert O'Sullivan. I don't have any problem with
that.
He's a very very underrated writer. Do yourself a favour and go back
to "Nothing Rhymed" or "Alone Again Naturally"...these are really
beautiful things.
we’ll get by
we can live with the magic
we can live with the magic
been around the world, seen a lot of things
done a lot of thinking ‘bout the way I live my life
and the way I live my life
is my concern
because we’re living in a world of geniuses
telling us what to think
even though we won’t be geniuses
we’ll get by
though we haven’t got a clue
we could always have fun finding out
learning something new about each other every day
Another kind of cut up type thing. The demo of this is about 40 seconds
long - instrumental - lots of dinky synth sounds and drum machine. I
was thinking about another artist when I wrote it up into a proper song
but it really felt right for me when it was done. I arranged the string
parts and got Amy Geddes to put them down part by part. Usually I'd
use a section but it was a lot of fun doing it this way too. Mixed this
track about 5 times before we got it right.
blue december
blue december in the city
pretty girls in winter clothes
all the streets, so busy
Christmas lights
like confetti in the sky
spinning round and round
but I know
I’ll find a new december
in the city
as the world goes by in rhyme
all my words have flown some other place
on a satellite in space
spinning round and round in my mind
I’ll work it out in time
it’s easy
but don’t think you’re above
the ins and outs of love
well, nothing's really true
and lately
I’ve struggled to contend
with nights that come in soft and blue
and find me in a dream of you
and later
when we’re older
many more years down the line
will we gaze in wonder at the love we squandered
never mind
we’ll work it out in time
Lately I've done a lot of MD-ing work at the BBC, for the Fred MacAuley
Show and The Beat Room. Typically someone will call and say ,can you
do
arrangements of 4 Gershwin tunes, or Jimmy Webb or something of that
nature for like next Wednesday, and you're constantly listening to
great writing and learning about it. It definitely has had an effect
on the way I write and my attitude to the craft of songwriting. When
you
listen to Webb or Bacharach or McCartney the attention to detail in
terms of getting meaning across really is staggering. You really have
to distil
your songs into very intense little nuggets. Blue December is something
which uses a lot of technique to try and get very intense feelings across.
I don't think the craft of the thing is more important that the feeling
but the song wouldn't exist without the craft, if you know what I mean.
It
was recorded in about 2 hours on the upright at EKAC, with a little
bit of upright bass in the middle 8.
you justify my life
when we met I’d already died
or was living as a zombie
then you came and kissed me alive
I was growing straight and true
and if there’s a God above
then I know you’ll understand
when I say he put me here for you
and making love is the way that we’ve learned
‘bout each other
it’s the way part of you can become part of me
part of living, feeling free
all my past sins you forgave
wanna thank you from the heart
for this wandering soul you’ve saved
you justify my life
and if you’ve got to leave then I’ll understand
but I hope you can just pretend
that you really want to see me one more time
really want to see me one more time
really wanna see you
I’ll come and worship every day
really wanna see you
you’re the light that’s shown me the way
This is actually derived from "Brazilian Boat" (Songs For Marshmallow
Lovers). Duglas T Stewart wrote words for BB but Frank and Stefan From
Marina wanted to use it as a BA BA BA song. I took his words and stretched
them this way and that until they fitted one of my other
tunes. Duglas is a really great lyricist in my opinion (check out the
BMX Bandits "On The Road To Heaven" "Gettin' Dirty" "Serious Drugs")
and he manages the neat trick of writing poppy, accessible words which
are at once profound, sweet and simple. Believe me that's not easy.
There's a lightness about this song that I just love. I was thinking
about The Isely Bros when I cut the track. The synth solo is a Korg
with all sorts of buttons and knobs...you can never get the same sound
twice.
battersea bardot
battersea bardot come down to the station
we’ll stand by the windows
and watch all the trains pull away
we will dream of electric balloons
on christmas day
when the thing we want most is just fun
we could even learn to live with life
in the short run
in the long run
battersea bardot
I know it seems stupid to dream
but they might come true
for all that we know
I will tumble down morning streets
in your afterglow
when the thing we want most is just fun
we could even learn to live with life
in the short run
in the long run
I find you on monday but lose you on tuesday
come wednesday, I’m outside in
battersea bardot come down to the station
we'll stand by the windows
and watch all the trains pull away
we will dream of electric balloons on christmas day
meet at the florist where I will be honest
and tell you that you are the one
Every town and village has their own Bardot don't they? Some exquisite
creature that seems to shine out from everyone else. Every boy loves
her and no one knows her. I think about this song like a little flower
or a super 8 film or something..full of little twists and colours. I
thought about the movie "Billy Liar" a lot and the need to escape from
reality. That's what "electric balloons on Xmas day" is about really...
looking for the exotic in everyday life. The intro and outro feature
autoharp, harpsichord and 12 string acoustic all completely out of tune...
I was thinking about Bagpuss and the musical mouse organ. The thing
about songs is that you can take all these things and mix them up and
you get
something very unique.
the young picnickers
instrumental
I cut this with Brian as a little piece maybe as intro music for
live shows or even as a soundtrack to a super 8 film or something.
I love good instrumental tracks on albums like "Summer Days And Summer
Nights" ( The Beach Boys ) and Bacharach's instrumental albums. So much
feeling and no words. When Frank and Stefan heard it they were straight
on the phone. "This is the title track of the album". Fair enough.
once there was a man
once there was a man
something of a non-believer trying to get belief
something of a fool
wasting all his time
thinking he was born to hold the worries of the world
in his hands
once there was a man who thought survival was the only thing he owned
you could always tell him by the strange look in his eye
once there was a man who saw his dreams and visions
tumble to the ground
like the stars crashing out of the sky
and there’ve been times, when I’ve passed by
on all those things that made me high
no need to worry, cause it’s alright
and one fine day, we both will rise
Finished this song when Brian and I were trawling round Germany doing
promo for "Tall Poppies". It's about worrying and feeling that the
world relies on your sanity. I remember playing this for Frank and he
just loved it so much right away. The cut was done in 3 hours...very
simple
....two or three guitars and a few little harmonies. The outro is meant
to be a bit like escaping into the sun.
over & over
is it a sin?
lord, I swear that I’m only a boy
trying to live my life every day
and be part of the world that I’m in
but when I’m right
you make me feel as if I’m wrong
and when I’m wrong
I’m the first one to know
lost and alone
like a child in an ocean of storms
well I can’t seem to find my way
to a somewhere that I can call home
but if it’s right
then the world will wait for me
I can’t give in
‘cause I’m under your spell
over and over
turning it over in my worried mind
pulling me under
tearing me apart
it’s such a waste of time
your love is just a waste of time
This was written in one session at my old piano in Glasgow and was
a straight attempt to write something in the style of Bacharach's Dionne
Warwick work. I don't neccesarily think that one should be copying other
writers but you do have to do your homework, you know, and that's
what I was doing here. The song is very flowing structure wise and that
comes from sitting down at an instrument and writing in one session.
every day I read your stars
listen girl, you’ve got me talking shit
living in a daydream, carrying a burden
struggling with the weight of it
if I tried I could be someone who
appeals to you, so I
I’ve got to find a way
to be part of the things that you are
it’s the only way, it’s the only way
yes it’s the only way
scorpio, capricorn
every day I read your stars
listen girl, I’ve got you talking shit
standing in a cyclone, carrying a burden
struggling with the weight of it
if you tried, I believe you could be
someone who depends on me, so you
you’ve got to find a way
to be part of the things that I am
it’s the only way, it’s the only way
yes it’s the only way
leo, sagittarius
every day you’ll read my stars
I’m gonna ask a question
how many roads will we walk down?
how many stars will we jump on?
when everything is slipping away
I’ve got to find a way
to be part of the things that you are
it’s the only way, it’s the only way
yes it’s the only way
taurus and aquarius
every day I read your stars
I read your stars
I recently played bass for Alex Chilton and we were doing a song
called "What's Your Sign Girl"...brilliant song...also Alex is pretty
much
into astrology and was reading my cards and stuff. He's a brilliant
character, kind of tough to work for in some ways but I'd do it any
time. Anyway I was thinking about star signs and the vibe when you're
going out with someone and you find yourself reading their stars every
day...obsession I guess. The song is kind of a modulation fest with
lots of key changes. There are also about 12 guitars on there each playing
a little locking thing against the others. Every vocal part is tracked
three times and there are about four parts and then counters with
harmonies on those and then some oohs and aahs..a lot of vocals.
strawberries in the snow
a sunny day
you and I
walking through the wilderness
looking for
traces of
magic in an ordinary world
our future will collide
with everything we’ve put aside for us
and there we were, eating these
strawberries from a dirty plate
she was still, on about
raising frogs in texas state
and walking through the fourth dimension
feeding lions flowers in the park
something went wrong in the rain
hidden way deep in the ice cream
frozen and bitter
like strawberries in the snow
she was young
I was, too
we were on the roller coast
sailing in, sailing out
swimming at an ordinary beach
our future will collide
with everything we’ve put aside for us
something went wrong in the rain
hidden way deep in the ice cream
hidden way deep in the sun screen
hidden way deep in our world
we will step out in the rain
dressed up in clothes for the summer
we’ll rediscover
the strawberries
hidden in the snow
This song was started during the writing sessions for "Tall Poppies"
but I just could not finish it. I kept setting it aside and trying to
get
space from it because I felt that if I could eventually finish the thing
it would be one of my best. I do really love this song and it's a
very inside thing for me. The metaphor in the lyric is fairly obvious.
Sometimes you can learn a lot about yourself from songs as I think I've
said elsewhere on these pages...it's like God telling you secrets about
your life. I'm not trying to be deliberately obtuse or surrealistic
with
lines about "raising frogs in Texas State" ...it's more about trying
to search through your soul in a free way until you can put your finger
on
some very deep truth about your life. I can't really explain my feelings
about this song...all I can say is that when I finished it it was such
a
big relief and a feeling like I said something I'd been trying to say
for years. Hope that makes sense. There is another cut of Strawberries
with
strings etc but Stefan loved the piano version so much we decided to
go for that.
stella painted joy
stella painted joy, right across the heavens
braggin’ ‘bout the stars she’d surf
she was seventeen, knickers at her ankles
lying on the astroturf
we would disappear, smoking at the river
randy as the day was long
stella, when will we belong?
stella fell in love with a man of twenty
moved into his single bed
I was signing on, she was in the suburbs
making toast and giving head
stella where’d you go?
please give me an answer
tell me is your love still strong?
stella, when will we belong?
can you imagine the things we could be
if our lives hadn’t got in the way
in a manner of speaking
would you be carving your name in the walls
if I met you today?
tell me why, why must we pretend?
when we know that our love’s at an end
knowing we’re right, feeling like we don’t belong
knowing we’re right, feeling like we don’t belong
This is almost my favourite Pearlfishers track of all. I love multi
sectional pieces but they have to be right on their own terms...you
can't just chuck any old bits together. The point of "Stella Painted
Joy" is the juxtaposition of quite funny and colourful language against
very passionate feelings..."knowing
we're right, feeling like we don't belong"...The song is probably a
condensed version of 2 or 3 people I knew when I was younger...school
friends...it's obviously about sexuality and sensuality and the growing
up part of early sexual experience. The lyrics in the verse are meant
to be funny of course but also very loving. Maybe these were a bit inspired
by Serge Gainsbourg. "Stella" is the most cinematic thing on the
record and the instrumentation consciously uses a lot of colour...banjo,
harpsichord and string quartet. The play out is just about screaming
out your feelings and celebrating the heart. That's what pop music can
still do.
