This is the only known recording of this song to survive. It was recovered from a RealAudio encoded file after the original tape was lost in a burglary, so the quality is sub-par, but it is all that there is. Recorded at Willem Moller's Sharp Street studio in 1995, the line-up of Occam's Razor at this time was Heidi Bouwer on vocals, Brett Lock on bass, Brett Collings on drums and Al Paton on guitar. One of a handful of Afrikaans songs we played, it attracted the attention of Beeld newspaper (the biggest Afrikaans daily) when we played it at the Oppikoppi music festival in 1995. Beeld said we were one of "the new bands attracting the most attention". "Pop Van Die Nag" was one of the band's songs I did not write - it was Heidi's contribution - and it tells the story (for non-Afrikaans speakers) of "A doll of the night" and the dehumanising consequences.

POP VAN DIE NAG

Sesuur saans as die dag kleinkoppie trek,
staan ek op uit my drome en skud reg vir werk.
My gesig uit 'n bottel bêre ek by my spieël,
omgord my lendene en pantser my siel.
En die strate wink en Mammon blink
en ek "for sale" vir my dag se brood
en die glase klink en my hart verdrink
en ek sterf bietjies-bietjies 'n stadige dood.byhngt

Sroop jou siel en loop die pad,
skouer aan wiel, bedien die stad.
Ek is die pop met die harlekyn-lag.
Ek is die dop wat speel in die nag.
Ek is die pop met die dooie oog,
substituut-speen waaraan almal soog.
Oo-oo

Twaalfuur saans as die nag gatkant wil wys,
staan ek op uit my vodde en loop na my huis.
My bed is 'n aanklag wat kou en verniel,
omgord my lendene en pantser my siel.
En die strate stink en ek stik van blink
en ek besweer my dag se brood.
En die manne jil en my binne-mens gil
en ek sterf bietjies-bietjies 'n stadige dood.

Stroop jou siel en loop die pad,
skouer aan wiel, bedien die stad.
Ek is die pop met die harlekyn-lag.
Ek is die dop wat speel in die nag.
Ek is die pop met die dooie oog,
substituut-speen waaraan almal soog.
Oo-oo

Ek is sy. Ek is...is...ek, ek, ek, Ek.

Pop Van Die Nag

To Get There

A Live recording of us in the rehearsal studio jamming our new track 'Mary Jane'

Mary Jane

Soon to be the first track on The Huxleys upcoming album, here's a sneak preview of the latest song recorded in studio - Work.

The Huxleys - Work

This song is dedicated to everyone out there in the world......

New Track By Yulin Arendse DEPRESSION

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

2009 track composed and edit by Rina at 4face Musik



Aurgasmic

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.

Matchstick Man

Al Paton

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