Freedom

From the album 'The strangeness of Bartholomew Steep' - 2011

Call out the barman, bring me more wine
I seem to have drained that last glass
There's nothing but dreams dried up at the bottom 
Now don’t try to deny it
It’s written all over the way that you move
When there's so much love
But it’s just, ripping red at the seams
The things we do, the things we say
Have two different meanings

If we don’t see eye to eye babe
Its just running around, chasing dreams which lead me to
Lips as sharp as ice

This chill wind blows the window closed
But could I hold on for one more dance?
While the rats slip out through the side door
And the candles burn down through their stands
No I don’t, don’t fear the tightrope
But the audience scares me to death
Bring me one more bottle
So I might drink your health

Call up the factor, bring me more time
I’ve been shouting for hours and my voice has grown hoarse
But my mouth’s still running wild
So take up this glass and go fill it with rain
This wine’s running out and its taste has grown strange
Come serve up a storm to wash it away
Wash it away

This chill wind blows the window closed
But could I hold on for one more dance?
While the rats slip out through the side door
And the candles burn down through their stands
No I don’t, don’t fear the tightrope
But the audience scares me to death
Just give me five more minutes
I’ve half a glass or rain left

Half a Glass of Rain

From the album 'The strangeness of Bartholomew Steep' - 2011

You seek your kicks from life
Of course that’s what you do now
When the years roll on, the rivers flow,
Just to fill your eyes so blue.
But all this time it takes
 just to cross this bridge to
search the grass, through the trees where I might find
the slightest sense of you.

There’s just something deep down within my mind
Shake it to the left, yeah do it, the way you do.
Your every breathe is blessed with all my might
Born for the grace of light in your every move

There’s just something deep down within my mind
Shake it to the left, yeah do it, the way you do.
Your every breathe is blessed with all my might
Born for the grace of light in your every move

And if I purged my soul by fire
Would it help to revive
The sense of being able to feel 
(would it change, change a thing)
And as I stumble to my bed to dream away the night…
In the end as we all learn - 
The love you take is equal to the love you make

Shake it to the left

From the album 'The strangeness of Bartholomew Steep' - 2011

It’s just an old line, on my mind this morning
Drinking warm wine in the summer evening rain
It’s almost sometimes
I can’t catch myself falling
These lines they wake me up so many mornings

Whatever my mind hides

And all the old ghosts came round late last evening
Called for another toast
A little smoke, a glass of wine
Then they led me out the door
Don’t know where I’m going these evenings 

I’ve been finding all these half-formed truths
Under my carpet lately
It’s a wonder I’ve been finding time to tidy up at all
The sooner this party’s started
The sooner this doubt drifts on

Summer’s gone summer’s gone summer sun


I’ve been finding all these half-formed truths
Under my carpet lately
It’s a wonder I’ve been finding time to tidy up at all
The sooner this party’s over
The better for us both


vocals - pat monaghan
drums, percussion - bernie martin
keys, backing vox - ged maccafferty
and matthew macdonald

An Old Line

From the album 'The strangeness of Bartholomew Steep' - 2011

fiddle- chris rasdale

A New Line

From the album 'Tubig.moomoo' - 2004


DON' T WANNA DANCE ALL NIGHT

I burn holes in the page
with the pen to the point
line by line and hand on heart but dont all these words just.....
with all the things we hide running peddle to the floor
to find the truth, to fill all these pages i work upon

ive been waking every hour, trying to catch myself asleep
but you know, nights dont run so smoothly
with even silence been dancing round my room
to the beating of my clock,
when my ticking heart assumes 
the beat
the high
the wave i ride
this wave i ride

and what if i dont wanna dance all night?
i dont sleep to dance all night
i dont know, i dont know
sleep's too far and this beat goes on and on and...

melody.
i try to gather every piece
and dreams dont come
so ill take this beat i ride



Special thanks to Bernard Martin for the drums under some considerable duress, i seem to remember the recording situation involved a sock on the bass drum pedal to lessen neighbours irritation and me throwing pillows at him to try and create a drum booth... And of course to Ged for the polishing of the turd :P

All other instrumenty things by me. And perhaps providing you with an insight into why i now use guest vocalists!

Dont wanna dance all night

From the album 'The strangeness of Bartholomew Steep' - 2011

So you say you’re leaving? Can you take it easy,
Won’t you take it easy on me?
So you say that you’re leaving? Can you take it easy,
Won’t you take it easy on me.
Child
Wherever you find this. Give it a little bit of room

So you say you’re leaving? Can you take it easy,
Won’t you take it easy on me?
So you say that you’re leaving? Can you take it easy,
Won’t you take it easy on me.
Child
Whenever you find this. Give it a little bit of room

When you say goodbye girl, I’ll be standing by,
Like watching sunlight breaking.
You can take a mile girl, but it wont be far, said it can’t be too far away
Child
And if ever you find this
Give it a little bit of room


vocals - mick drain
percussion - bernie martin
keys, backing vox - ged maccafferty
violin - sarah cull
and matthew macdonald

Easy on Me

From the album 'The strangeness of Bartholomew Steep' - 2011


Well I’ve been searching for an open road
But these crowds they move right through me and it doesn’t seem to matter
Where I’m bound
Can you tell me where everybody’s going? 
Cause their eyes they betray reason but I can’t do the explaining

And all I’m hearing is
‘I went out last night and I just came to this evening', or 
‘me and my girl got engaged’ 
and it’s all got me thinking


That aint the rhythm to my dance
But that’s just fine
It don’t matter which way you go
It don’t matter which way you go
Aint in no hurry to slow down
So ill take my time
It don’t matter which way you go
It don’t matter, it don’t matter
It don’t matter

For the ride
For the ride
For the ride, and whatever time

So I’ve been searching, yeah I’ve been searching
Trying to find, find an open road
We won’t be seeking shelter, from where the wind blows cold
Nor shelter from the storm
But all I’m hearing is…


That aint the rhythm to my dance
But that’s just fine
It don’t matter which way you go
It don’t matter which way you go
Those aren’t the steps I move to
But that’s just fine
It don’t matter which way you go
It don’t matter, it don’t matter..

Bartholomew Steep

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