Since the start of lockdown in 2020, I've been semi-regularly singing acoustic cover version requests for people. For day #170 I decided to record a full version of the classic song Ghosts by Japan. So here it is!! Hope you enjoy :)

Ghosts (Japan cover)

A song about feeling overwhelmed and fighting back against it

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LYRICS:

I've got oceans and if I drown
Who'll sing to you when I'm not around
I've got oceans and if I break
At least I'll know I wasn't fake
I've got oceans and if I fall
At least I'll know I gave my all
I've got oceans of strength in me
Sometimes you have to break to break free
I've got oceans
I curb the tide
So swim to me
And together we'll hide

Oceans

The Island EP

Carnival of Blue

A melodic, catchy love letter to one David Bowie, written before he released 'The Next Day' album, finished after his untimely death.

At the time of writing the song, I was kind of saying, 'where are you, what are you doing, are you coming back?'

After it was finished, it felt a little cheeky and irreverent but from what I saw of him in interviews, I felt he had a touch of those qualities within him, so I see it as a worthy tribute.

Most of all it was made with love and affection for a great artist and his work.

Return Of The Chameleon Kid

The sea, love, existential questions, kissing between the bike sheds, all the big questions are here... like what is actually my favourite track on Dare! On a more workmanlike level, I wanted to write a song that avoided guitars and built upon sounds I don't normally use. I was pleased with the result, but people kept citing it as a favourite on the album (Seven Imaginary Songs - Volume Two) so here it is for your consideration. Hope you enjoy!! :D

Elljot requested the lyrics, so here they are, enjoy:

You are the sea, you explode like the waves
You are a typeface that appears through all my days
You are the clouds, you are dreamy and soft
You are a bomb that might just go off
You are the breeze in the shimmering heat
You are the melody over the beat
You are the sun in a strawberry haze
You are the vision of glory days
You are the fall that wraps around me
One day soon we will all be free
You are the storm about to break
You are the kiss that keeps me awake
You are my favourite track from 'Dare!'
The future that the past reveals is everywhere, it's everywhere, it's everywhere
Between the guilt and the fun
Between the many and the one
Between the bike sheds with a kiss
Between the hit and the miss
Between the joke and the jibe
Between vibration and vibe
Between the angle and the poise
Between the silence and the noise
Between the sheets and the skin
Between the sinner and the sin
Beyond the clouds of reasonable doubt
Between the mother and the clout
Between the ringtone and the call
Between the rise and the fall
Between the armour and the chink
Between the angel and the blink
Between the sky and me
You are the sea
You are the sea
You are the sun
You are the clouds
You are the one
You are the sky
You are the fall
You are everything
You are all
You are the sea
You are the sun
You are the clouds
You are the one
You are the sun
You are the one
The one for me
You are the sea

You Are The Sea

I had a friend, my Mum and Dad’s neighbour, and when I went to visit them, I would chat to him over the garden fence, mostly about music as he was an avid fan.
When he passed away, I knew it would only be a matter of time before I wrote a song about him.
I wrote something called Music Man, which got past the first verse and then stalled badly! And then, as I sometimes do, I went back to a half-sketched lyrical idea and started to work at it. That idea became Catch A Flame, which now includes a variety of moments and ideas including dealing with grief, creativity, getting through the day, mental health, addiction of some kind, perhaps addiction to a way of seeing things in life and trying to see things in a new way somehow in order to deal with your circumstances in a better way. Weirdly, it doesn’t seem to directly reference my friend now but he was the catalyst behind the song turning into what it is now and so the song is dedicated to his memory.
I have a great affection for this song. It has that unusual quality of sounding quite uplifting whilst being quite dark lyrically. But the best thing about it is that I finally got to ask some of the friends I have made along the way to participate on the track. It’s funny how I never felt like I was socialising whilst I went out and played live but all of a sudden I would stop and realise I had made lots of musical friends and that it had been no effort, just fun. And so I asked a few of them if they fancied singing on this song and they were very happy to get involved. It was such great fun going to people’s houses to record, getting multiple harmonies emailed to me and, in one case, getting a fantastic vocal recorded and sent from someone’s mobile phone.

Hope you enjoy the song, lyrics below:


CATCH A FLAME

I can't give you answers, I won't say your prayers
All that I can tell you is I've been there
Some crumple like paper, some conceal the tear
All that I can tell you is I've been there

What made you think that the sun would be on your side
What made you think that you'd always enjoy the ride
It's not just you, I've been there too

I can't cure this illness, I can't hide the stains
All that I can show you is the pain
I can't change the weather, I can't make you king
All that I know is that I know nothing

What made you think that the sun would be on your side
What made you think that you'd always enjoy the ride
It's not just you, I've been there too

They tried to burn you but you've been burning forever
You can go it alone but it's better together
You say you don't smoke but you still play with matches
You got no itch but I can see the scratches

Catch a flame for those who have been hurting
But don't know how to put it into words
Catch a flame for those who want to escape
Fly as high and free as the birds

Catch a flame for those who cannot be here
Paint the sky in colours that make you high
Light the night with memories and endearments
So they will see you when they're passing by
So they will see you when they're passing by
So they will see you when they're passing by

Catch a flame

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Catch A Flame

Black On Track - I Want You Bad 17 1 2019

Hi there, Coosticks make warm, melodic music and have variously been described (by others) as ‘catchy’, ‘vulnerable’, ‘poetic’, ‘almost androgynous’, and ‘a naturally gifted maker of songs’ - I’ll take all of those!! Have a listen and see what you think. For more, why not join our mailing list at the link below.

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