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    In a delightful gatefold sleeve, with artwork by Keeley Drain (www.scatteredstars.co.uk)

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1.
SUNRISE, NOT A CLOUD IN THE SKY BIG DAY OF FAMILIAR SURPRISE AND I WALK AND I TALK IN THE USUAL WAY, THAT’S ALL AND I THINK TO MYSELF WHAT A GOOD DAY FOR THE SLAVES WATER JUST COMES FROM THE TAP AND A FORTUNE OF MIRACLES LANDS IN MY LAP AND I PRAY THAT’S HOW IT STAYS AND I THINK TO MYSELF WHAT A GOOD DAY FOR THE SLAVES THE ROOF LEAKS A LITTLE THAT’S ALL WE THINK THERE’S SOME DAMP IN THE PARTY WALL IT’LL WAIT FOR ANOTHER DAY AND I THINK TO MYSELF WHAT A GOOD DAY FOR THE SLAVES I STARE AT THE PAGE IN MY HANDS AND TRY TO AGREE WITH SOME OF ITS DEMANDS I CAN READ, I CAN WRITE, I CAN THINK FOR MYSELF HEY-HEY AND I THINK TO MYSELF WHAT A GOOD DAY FOR THE SLAVES I’M A SLAVE MYSELF AND IT’S A GOOD DAY FOR SLAVES
2.
23 02:36
I KNEW A GIRL, SHE CAME TO TEA SHE WAS AN AWFUL LOT LIKE ME I LET HER DOWN EVENTUALLY BECAUSE I WAS TWENTY-THREE I KEELED HER HO BOYS AND I LET HER GO 'CAUSE I WAS TWENTY-THREE THE MORE YOU TAKE, THE MORE YOU NEED THE MORE YOU NEED, THE MORE YOU NEED I MET A MAN WHO SHARED MY STYLE WE DROVE AROUND FOR QUITE A WHILE I MUGGED HIM OFF AND STOLE HIS KEYS BECAUSE I WAS TWENTY-THREE I KEELED HIS HO BOYS I LET HIM GO 'CAUSE I WAS TWENTY-THREE THE MORE YOU TAKE, THE MORE YOU NEED THE MORE YOU NEED, THE MORE YOU’RE GONNA NEED THERE’S EGOS HERE TO FEED AND HEARTS THAT NEVER BLEED
3.
Falling 03:48
Falling is the easy part, at least that's what I've found The trick is knowing what to do when you hit the ground Spread your arms and arch your back or curl into a ball Either way you have to take the impact of it all All those years you wait there, on the safety of the ledge Never realising you're right on the edge One shove is all it takes to send you plunging down You clutch the air, you fight for breath and the world just spins around And you can learn your lines, and you can make your plans But the truth comes battle-scarred It takes a long while to fall a long way And it's bound to hurt when you fall this hard So forgive me if I took too long to find where I should be The way the light got brighter made it hard to see 'Cos you can learn your lines, and you can make your plans But the truth comes battle-scarred It takes a long while to fall a long way And it's bound to hurt when you fall this hard
4.
I’VE SEEN THE SUN RISE IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC I’VE SEEN IT SET FROM SAINT NAZAIRE I’VE SEEN IT BURNING IN THE SKIES OVER AFRICA BUT I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING QUITE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE GIRL WITH THE SCRAMBLED YELLOW HAIR THEY SAY THE MISTS ON THE MOUNTAINS OF MOURNE CAN DRIVE AWAY YOUR DEEPEST CARE WELL I DON’T KNOW ABOUT THE MOUNTAINS OF MOURNE BUT I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING QUITE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE GIRL WITH THE SCRAMBLED YELLOW HAIR OH I FIND HER MOST ATTRACTIVE AND I FIND HER QUITE SINCERE AND I FIND HER SO DISTRACTING EVERY TIME SHE’S NEAR OH I FIND HER SO SEDUCTIVE AND I FIND HER QUITE SUBLIME AND I FIND HER EVERY MOMENT PREYING ON MY MIND AND THEY SAY THE MOON ON THE TAJ MAHAL CAN TAKE YOUR BREATH IN THE WARM NIGHT AIR WELL I DON’T KNOW ABOUT THE TAJ MAHAL BUT I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING QUITE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE GIRL WITH THE SCRAMBLED YELLOW HAIR
5.
Rolling and tumbling down on The Strand You held my heart in the palm of your hand You kissed me at midnight and bid me adieu I didn't know I'd been waiting for you I was cut off, but I'm back and dancing on strings Lost in the moment and breathlessly lifted by wings Breakfast on Central, the neon possessed We danced on the street like the brutally blessed The scarf that you wore as we walked in the rain Ice skating, frozen, you kissed me again I tend to treasure all my mistakes The clumsy farewell that embarrassment makes Lost in departures and breaking the bank Looking for someone or something to thank Rolling and tumbling out into the night Blissfully broken but now it's all right Breaking the news to the rest of the crew And calling your name just for something to do Rolling and tumbling
6.
If you go looking for truth in this life Well I hope that you get it If you like well I’ll lend you some of mine For whatever you can get from it Raise up your flag; let’s see your colours now Raise up your flag; let’s see just what you’re made of If your heart’s on your sleeve when you puff out your chest Then we know what to expect from you No veneer, no disguise, when we look in your eyes There’s a chance that what you say is true Raise up your flag; let’s see your colours now Raise up your flag; let’s see just what you’re made of 'Cos I don’t buy just anything. Raise up your flag; let’s see just what you’re made of Dear prudent, won't you come out and pay?
7.
My Boy 03:21
I took my boy into my arms, not sure what I ought to say. What wisdom from the old boy's lips will bless that young heart today? There'll be the dogs of dirty scoundrels snapping at your heels, and dead-head boys with sunken eyes trying to make a deal. They'll be pissing in the streets, discarded wrappers at their feet; in the temples where they worship they'll be queuing twenty deep. Where every Friday night's a brain-dead battle for the right to implacable stupidity and a choice of who to fight. The future of the country, our disaffected youth, they can handle twenty shots but they don't care about the truth. Your ignorance keeps knocking, encouraged by the lame who want you down where they are - divided, dead and tame. They'll be dancing in the gutters when the order comes to move; when there's nothing left to fight for, well there's nothing left to prove. And your parliament will rob you and then barely pay you back; give your corn to lazy lifers who never get the sack. You can fill in your own pot-holes and lock up your own thieves, 'cos we're all in this together, so we're led to believe. A cross-examined nation looks for loopholes in the law, while Magna Carta's authors spin - what'd they bother for? If the most important question is which lonely voice to gag, let's keep the guys all flying high with the Red Bull and the flag. So it's a curse upon their houses with their kicked and splintered frames, while inside on the flat screen, it's all guns and panel games. And if they're offering to save you with their perfume, gold and lies, there's nothing to be scared of if you only use your eyes, because you know your generation could bring some healing to the land; it's too late for your Daddy, he's already shown his hand. If you can greet two strangers like everybody thinks they can, you won't be king of everything but you will be a man. Not sure what I ought to say.
8.
Sunset 04:41
Close your eyes with the other guardians of the past Maybe if you sleep for a while, he'll come for you at last And will he need you still; will he call that name? Do you think he's grown? Will he still look the same? All those years when you'd sell your soul to slow the days Now each empty hour finds a million time-defying ways Is this how it ends? Did you do it right? Did you push too soon? Did you hold too tight? Though he never asked for a sacrifice It was your life, too; and you gave it twice Is this what they mean when they talk about your pride and joy? But like everyone always said… he's such a lovely boy
9.
THIS PAUSE FOR BREATH GIVES ME PAUSE FOR THOUGHT, AND MORE IF THE LAWS WE USE NO LONGER HAVE A USE, NO MORE IT’S CHANGE, JUST NOT THE CHANGE YOU CHANGED FOR SUCH A BRILLIANT DISGUISE LEAVE YOUR AMBITION, YOUR DOGMA AND MISSION AT THE DOOR LET’S ALL FACE IN AND WE MAY BEGIN TO BELIEVE AND BUILD A LAND OF MAKE-BELIEVE AH BUT HOLD, NOT EVERYONE’S BEEN SOLD AND IF NOW BY DEGREES WE LEAVE NO-ONE ON THEIR KNEES PLEASE SEE THE HATE OF THE UNENLIGHTENED IT’S ONLY BECAUSE THEY’RE FRIGHTENED LEAVE YOUR AMBITION, YOUR DOGMA AND MISSION AT THE DOOR LET’S ALL FACE IN AND WE MAY BEGIN TO BELIEVE AND BUILD A LAND OF MAKE-BELIEVE IT’S CHANGE, JUST NOT THE CHANGE YOU CHANGED FOR NOT SUCH A BRILLIANT DISGUISE

about

Recorded at The Pig Pen, Great Leighs, Essex followed by some overdubs at High Barn, Great Bardfield, Essex and The Bothy, Debenham, Suffolk. Mixed and mastered at High Barn and The Bothy. www.therecordingbooth.co.uk

Produced by David Booth and James Partridge, with thanks to Andrew Campbell and Michael Winn.

Strings, noises, digitally manipulated feedback and additional percussion arranged by James Partridge and David Booth, often when partially drunk and therefore receptive to odd ideas about making kettle drums sound like fireworks, and so on.

Brass arranged on a laptop in a Skoda by Paul Sartin with interjections from James Partridge.

Sleeve artwork by Keeley Drain (www.scatteredstars.co.uk).

Thanks always to Carey.

credits

released August 11, 2012

James Partridge – Guitars, Vocals
Shane Kirk – Guitars, Bouzouki, Vocals
Gibbon – Bass, Vocals
Helen Mulley – Vocals, Flute
Tony Winn – Banjo, Vocals on 4, Harmonica on 5
Tony Turrell – Keyboards, Vocals
David Booth – Drums/Percussion
Nick Zala – Pedal Steel
Richard Lockwood – Violin on 2 and 7

Mick Harding – Bodhrán/Percussion on 1, 4, 5 and 6
John Bennett – Guitar on 9
Paul Sartin – Oboe on 5 & 8, Violin on 4 & 5

Ed Neuhauser – Tuba on 1, 6 and 9
Andy Mellon – Trumpet on 1, 6 and 9
Justin Thurgur – Trombone on 1, 6 and 9
Brendan Kelly – Saxophone on 1, 6 and 9

Caleb Hawley – Backing Vocals on 9
Boo Hewerdine – Backing Vocals on 5

The Choir Invincible (on 6): Cara Luft, Caleb Hawley, Bess Rogers, Alex Berger, Tev & Joseph Partridge, Adam & Dominic Romano-Critchley, Finn Booth, Rebecca & Sophie Farnish, Charlotte Chappell.

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