It don't get better than this

There's a dirty bar on the beach in town
We pull in when the sun go down
Plug in and turn it up, crack a cold one

Hey now, how does that song go?
Backbeat to the sound of the bongo
Yeah we're just kicking it out

It's such a sweet sound
It's such a sweet sound, turn it up now

It don't get better than this, no
It don't get better than this
Believe me, it don't get better than this

Ole tequila, when you hit the floor
Get up 'cause you know what I saw
That girl she's checking you out man,
With beer goggles

Hey now, what was my line?
I lost my place in the bassline
Hey dude keep it together

It's such a sweet sound
It's such a sweet sound, turn it up now

It don't get better than this, no
It don't get better than this
It don't get better than this
Believe me baby, it don't get better

Cool it down, burn it up
Cool it down, turn it up, up, up
Turn it up now

It don't get better than this, no
It don't get better than this
It don't get better than this
It don't get better, it don't get better

This one's for the neighbours,
cause I know they hate it
That's why we play it baby,
Yeah we're shaking the vine

This time there's no rest for the wicked
We're gonna kick it, and there's nowhere to hide

Turn it up now (It don't get better than this)
The sweet sound (It don't get better than this)
You know we're leaving the ground (It don't get better than this)
Up, turn it up now (It don't get better)
We're gonna burn it down, burn it down
Turn it up

It Dont Get Better Than This

Evolution

Matchstick Man

Well she wakes up at 3am to tell me what she's dreaming,
And I love the way she moves her arms,
she's trying to make a picture of her story on the ceiling,
But I don't understand

I was the matchstick man And she was Joan of Arc
In a trailer park in Neverland
Oh, I don't understand why

Well she sleeps into the afternoon,
She says oh my life is a magazine,
And, and, and I'm a superheroine,
The sunlight makes a temple of her body in the bedroom,
And she says, "Hey, I am what I am."

I was the matchstick man
And she was Joan of Arc
In a trailer park in Neverland
Oh, I don't understand

And she says, "Why don't we board a train to India,
We'll touch the shrine and live forever down in India,
And I know Jiva will keep us safe from all of our illusions,
And just for tonight, we'll really be alive."

Well, she wakes up at 3am to tell me what she's dreaming

I was the matchstick man
And she was Joan of Arc
In a trailer park in Neverland
Oh, I don't understand

And she says, "Baby, you can't hide
When superheroes come alive,
I'm looking for the way out,
While you're just looking for the payout baby,

Some things you just can't tell,
Throw a coin in the wishing well,
Time stops for the beautiful girl,
And we dance across the world tonight

She is my Joan of Arc
I'll be her trailer park,
I was the matchstick man
And I said, woh-oh-oh 

_____________________________

Vocals, acoustic guitar: Al Paton
Electric Guitars: Yves Dei-Cont
Keyboards: Marcus Bester
Bass: Nick Acker
Produced by Chris Acker at Boomcat Studios
Mixed by Tully McCully at Spaced Out Sound

Matchstick Man

Always

My darling, did love come tumbling down?
Did it tear you up inside?
And are you trying to get your life back on the ground?
Its alright, it's alright now

'Cause I've been thinking of you my friend
You've got a pretty face I could never forget,
And your eyes are shining like cool blue water
When everything just gets you down
When all the cars are leaving town
It's alright, it's ok

I will always be there for you
When everything is changing
I will always be there for you
I'm never gonna change my mind

'Cause of all good things I'll keep you in my heart now
Look above there's a full moon baby
And I'm daydreaming of you
I saw your pretty face again
It's alright, it's ok

I will always be there for you
When everything is changing
I will always be there for you
When everything is strange

I will always be there for you
When everything is changing
I will always be there for you 

_______________________

Vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion: Al Paton
Electric guitars, backing vocals: Yves Dei-Cont
Keyboards, backing vocals: Marcus Bester
Bass guitar: Michel Dei-Cont
Drums: Richard Brodrick
Recorded at Paris Studios Cape Town Mastered by Tim Lengfeld at TM Mastering

Always (featuring Desert Velvet)

Vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion: Al Paton
Electric guitars, backing vocals: Yves Dei-Cont
Keyboards, backing vocals: Marcus Bester
Bass guitar: Michel Dei-Cont
Drums: Richard Brodrick
Recorded at Paris Studios Cape Town Mastered by Tim Lengfeld at TM Mastering 

Ghost in the Ceiling (featuring Desert Velvet)

Peachy

You caught my eye, groovin up slowly
Your half smile sweetly disarmed me
mischeviously charmed me
And I just wanna say, you move in the right way,
in the right way

Summer is rising, engines are firing
And I just wanna say

Everything's peachy
Everything's peachy
So come on and share a little,
share a little,
share a little love tonight

Now I've got a ride, it's nothing amazing,
but it knows where I'm going
And you can come along, yeah groovy

See the world in my mind
and I'll dance with the light in your hair
I think we've got ourselves a moment here

Summer is rising, engines are firing
And I just wanna say

Everything's peachy
Everything's peachy
So come on and share a little,
share a little,
share a little love tonight

This is a calling
Everybody's in now
This is a calling
Everybody's in, let me hear you sing

Everything's peachy
Everything's peachy
So come on and share a little,
share a little,
share a little
Share a little love tonight

Everything's peachy
Share, share a little now
Share a little love tonight

_____________________

Vocals, acoustic & electric guitar, bass: Al Paton
Percussion, Backing vocals: Rob Paddock
Recorded at Urban Mix Studios
Mixed by Tully McCully at Spaced Out Sound

Peachy

Sex Is The New Love

Al Paton's voice spills out onto the Zula Bar crowd as he slams out another chorus on his well-worn guitar. His music is clearly influenced by bands like Dave Matthews and Counting Crows.

The song he's playing is a simple acoustic guitar number, but it shows Paton's strength as a songwriter. His lyrics are fresh and honest, almost African in their story-telling style, relating his version of life, a lover or some crazy dream.

In the next song, I'm taken back to the deserts of Namibia where he grew up. Apparently, from the age of 7, he had a recurring nightmare of wanting to be a pianist. Although I know the truth is simply that he banged away at the old family piano until it finally broke down, which forced him to take up the guitar.

Somewhere along the way he must've learned to drum too, because the set finishes with a dramatic solo on an African drum. Nice touch. It feels like it could on for longer. All night in fact, if people's reactions were anything to go by.

Afterwards, we chat and I find out that in high school, college and his twenties, he played in a number of rock bands, writing songs and winning a few of those nameless 'battle of the bands' titles. As he progressed, his bands added a few regional and international music awards to that list, including first place in both NBC's Music Makers Contest and Stage Magazine's Recording Sponsorship, with the band Desert Velvet.

Since then, he has reached the top 40 pop rock charts on Garageband.com with the song 'Matchstick Man' and was awarded Top 15 Lyrics of all-time in pop-rock. 'Always' (with Desert Velvet) and 'Peachy' also made the top 20 of the Vivacious Voice National Songwriting Contest.

I also hear the story of how he co-wrote the lyrics for the Western Cape's National cricket team song (the Cape Cobras), with his mother, Lesley Paton! The song was a collaboration with Gabi Le Roux (Mandoza, Jack Hammer) and Clive Ridgeway (Judith Sepuma).

Also surprising, in 2010 he featured in Ross Dix-Peek's list of Prominent Rhodesian-born Men and Women (1890-1979), alongside Nobel Laureate Albert Luthuli and AC/DC producer Mutt Lange. "That's a bit much though," he admits, "I just play a guitar."

If a guitar's all it takes, there may be hope for us yet. As I step out of the bar into the warm Cape Town night, I'm tempted to go home and dust off the old 6-string in the attic and hack out a tune. Fancy a jam Al?

"Any time."

Paton currently lives in London, UK and performs regularly.

Al Paton

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