The songs in this Volume come from the years 1975-80 and include
those not represented in our studio recordings (Volumes 1 and 2 of
this collection). Because those years are so well represented there,
only seven songs remain to give you. Three were newly recorded in
2011, one in 2015, three are demos dating from the years of their
composition and one is taken from a commercially-issued record.
Sky Crying Rain is the theme song from the 1980 BBC TV series
Maybury starring Patrick Stewart just before he became
Jean-Luc Picard. It was issued as a single and I've rescued it as
best I can from the vinyl.
Of the demos, two were intended for a woman to sing (I do them
here). Funny Guy comes from a two-hander music-theatre piece
Kerry and I wrote but which was never performed.
I Like It Here was written for possible inclusion in Cleo
Laine's One More Day album but missed the cut.
Deadly Night's Shade 1
is a home demo recorded on noisy low-quality domestic equipment in
1977. Most of our songs originally sounded like this before I gave
them the full studio treatment. This is how Kerry would often first
have heard what had been done to his words.
Deadly Night's Shade 2 is a 2015 studio remake.
Photo Pip Eastop
[ 1 ] True And A Lie
I'm alive I'm alive and well and living in London
and I can't can't believe my luck after what I've
been through I'm alive I'm alive and I'm well and
I'm living in London that's my story, anyway so how
about you?
Did you move
did you move on out
back into the country
like you said
you said time and again
you would do when you were free
is it all
is it all that you want
is it flowers and bonfires
what's your story, anyway
do you think about me?
And do the windows open out to the trees?
do the trees open out to the sky?
do you sit on the terrace in the breeze
(is it true or a lie?)
while youre arms get tanned
and a ladybird lands on your hand?
are there meadows are there hills?
and butterflies
on windowsills?
It's a year
it's a year and a half
and more since we parted
and I can't
can't believe the way
the time has flown by
do you know
do you know what I mean
when I say we're just started
that's my story, anyway
and it's true and a lie
Slow
down slow
down
life is
looking good
hoe-downs show-downs
across
the neighbour
the
neighbourhood
unwind
bump and grind
mamma
said you could
some
chance sun dance
always
said you would
Sun dance
you need it now
Sun dance
I'll show you how
Sun dance
holy cow
Sun dance
feeling good
Wake
up
make up
life is
looking good
break
up
shake up
'cross
the neighbour
the
neighbourhood
unwind
bump and grind
mamma
said you could
some
chance sun dance
always
said you would
Sun dance
you need it now
Sun dance
I'll show you how
Sun dance
well holy cow
Sun dance
feeling good
Sun
Dance
sun dance
till the sun goes down
it's a wurlitzer world
and a tambourine town
get the flags unfurled
let your hair hang down
don't slow down
don't slow down
don't
slow down
life is
looking good
hoe-downs show-downs
'cross
the neighbour
the
neighbourhood
unwind
bump and grind
mamma
said you could
some
chance sun dance
always
said you would
Sun dance
you need it now
Sun dance
I'll show you how
Sun dance
(well) holy cow
Sun dance
feeling good
The pane is cracking, there's a hole in the sky
It's black as the blues out there (in here), it's sharp as a cry
Cold (hot) as a teardrop in a hurricane's eye
Time out of mind I want to lay down and die.
In a cell in my
brain
The sky's crying
rain.
I've seen the Mad Hatter with a price on his head
Playing cards scattered and the white rose bled
Looking glass shattered, the flamingos fled
Just like the dodo I could lay down dead.
In some cell in my
brain
There's a crack in
the pane
And the sky's crying
rain.
I'm on the outside looking in
Thunder rolls over me and under my skin
As black as the blues out there it's bitter as sin
I don't know how to stop or where to begin.
Cause I'm spinning
again
Round a cell in my
brain
And the sky's crying
rain.
Composed and recorded in 1980.
Daryl, vocals, electric piano, bass guitar. Paul Hart,
synth. Stan Sulzman, soprano sax. John Marshall,
drums.
[ 1, 2, 4]
[ 3, 5, 6]
[ 7 ]
Recorded at The DReam Room, London.
Sequenced 2005-2011.
Live recordings and mixing February 2011.
Recorded at Essex Music Studios, London, 1979-80.
Version 1 recorded at home, London NW7, 1977.
Version 2 recorded at Coiano, Italy, 2015.
All these compositions and recordings
are covered by copyright.
[ 4 ] Troubadour
Well he's a little bit good with the music
and he ain't too bad at the rhymes
and that's all you need to make a heart or two bleed
and fix you a few good times
cos he can sing in the back of a beat-up van
or he can sing with a band on the stage
and he doesn't give a damn if he's an also-ran
if he's picking up a living wage
He can sing a few bars of the blues in the night
and he can laugh and he can cry you shame
he knows how to lead you into a song
and no two nights are the same
well he's only a travelling troubadour
he's been around since the world began
and it may be the second-oldest trade
under the rising sun
Well he's only a travelling troubadour
he's only a travelling troubadour
he's only a travelling troubadour
he's been around since the world began
and it may be the second-oldest trade
under the rising sun
He hits the sack when the sun comes up
and he lives for the midnight hours
he can keep himself going on cigarettes
and a couple of whiskey-sours
and half of his life is in studios
and the other half is on wheels
and half of the time life is roses and wine
then it's back to those motorway meals
It's been months since he slept without dreaming
it's been a year since he slept alone
he hangs on to home by the skin of his teeth
and the cord of a telephone
he's only a travelling troubadour
he's been around since the world began
and it may be the second-oldest trade
under the rising sun
Well he's only a travelling troubadour
he's only a travelling troubadour
he's only a travelling troubadour
he's been around since the world began
and it may be the second-oldest trade
under the rising sun
Composed 1975. Daryl, vocals, piccolo bass guitar, sequenced
backing.
[ 5 ] Funny Guy
Funny guy –
you don't see eyes so soft and grey,
such humble pie,
such nerve and such naïveté
every day –
not every day.
(You funny guy.)
Funny night –
I tried so hard to be blasé...
not very bright.
Small wonder that he ran away.
I'll spend today
in disarray.
(My funny guy.)
You crazy clown –
you picked me up,
you put me down,
shook me like an
eiderdown
and left my whole
world upside-down
– you tumbledown
mean, low-down
crazy clown.
Funny man –
such silly things you had to say...
You hit and ran –
please call again another day,
any day.
Yes, any day,
you funny man.
(My funny, funny man.)
Composed and recorded in 1980. Daryl, vocals, piano.
[ 6 ] I Like It Here
I like it here
we'll eat pizza tonight
by candlelight
Oh, I like it alright
Mmm, I like it here
sitting watching our wine
disappear
Oh, I like it just fine
Home is
where the heart is
& my heart is home at last
we'll build a fire, we'll build a
future
sit and dream about the past
and
whenever I come home at night
you're
there to hide me
and
whenever I go out at night
you're
there beside me
and
every time I feel I need you
I feel
you
inside
me
and I
like it
Oh, I like it here
No more doubt or fear
there's a world to hold
and it's all pure gold
don't you like it here.
Composed and recorded in 1979. Daryl, vocals, piano.
[ 7 ] Deadly Night's Shade 1&2
See a girl
on a crowded train
scared of goin'
home again
waits till daylight
starts to fade
lookin' for deadly night's shade
City girl
in an empty street
frightened by
the sound of feet
hides beside
the penny arcade
learnin' 'bout deadly night's shade
Stands alone
at Leicester Square
rainbow face
in a neon glare
can't shake
off mistakes she's made
lost in deadly
night's shade
Rememberin'
the man she loves
breathin' hard
against her gloves
hopin' dawn
is gonna trade
winter light for deadly night's shade
Version 1 composed and recorded 25th April 1977. Daryl,
vocals, piano. Version 2 recorded 21-22 June 2015. Daryl
vocals, sequenced backing, piccolo bass guitar.