Nobody told me

The Cataraqui was a British immigrant ship that wrecked off the coast of King Island Tasmania, on August 4, 1845, in one of Australia's worst maritime disasters. Out of 409 passengers, only 9 survived, resulting in the deaths of 399 people. The ship, on route from Liverpool to Melbourne, struck a reef in the Bass Strait during a severe storm. The combination of stormy weather, limited navigational tools, and poor visibility caused the ship to run aground, rapidly breaking apart due to strong waves.

 With such immense suffering and loss, it felt wrong that the story of the Cataraqui had not been immortalized in music. I decided to write a song, one that could capture the sorrow of that night and honour the lives lost. This tune, when performed, will serve as a tribute—a way to ensure that the memory of the Cataraqui and those who perished will never be forgotten.

Cataraqui
Verse 1 
We're humbled in this moment
Backs to the wind, it's cold
As the storm rages by
Forgotten souls
Winter winds wail
To the symphony of misery
Immigrants call
Immigrants call

Chorus
What have you done to me?
Why did you let me go?
We never feel the cold
We’re Cataraqui’s 
Lost souls
Lost souls
Lost souls

Verse 2
White face silhouettes floating shadows sink below
Stretched out hands as lightning glows
Waves crashing sounds of broken bow
Three months of misery 
Ends immigrant’s call
Ends immigrant’s call

Chorus
What have you done to me?
Why did you let me go?
We’ll never feel the cold
We’re Cataraqui’s 
Lost Souls
Lost Souls
Lost Souls

Instrumental down x2

Verse 3
Grave yards of Bass Strait 
King Island the resting place
Sealers have buried here
Of what remains
Moonlight flickers
A solitary path
Immigrants call
Immigrants call

Chorus
What have you done to me?
Why did you let me go?
We’ll never feel the cold
We’re Cataraqui’s 
Lost souls
Lost souls
Lost Souls 

Verse 4
There's only one light that flickers now
As we’re dancing to the moonlight song
Make way for the morning 
Silhouettes
From the unmarked grave 
Of the immigrants' call
Of the immigrants' call

Outro
What have you done to me?
Why did you let me go?
We never feel the cold
We’re Cataraqui’s 
Lost souls
Lost souls
Lost  souls

Instrumental out down x2 
Lost Souls 
Lost souls
Lost souls
Lost souls

Cataraqui

Ultimately, the song explores themes of memory, loss, and the emotional weight of the past that people continue to carry with them as they move forward. It reflects on a love that has faded, yet still lingers in the heart, like a quiet wake marking the end of a chapter. The lingering presence of the love is felt, even as time moves on.

The song is inspired by the vocal style and emotive storytelling of Marianne Faithfull, whose work often captures a raw, reflective melancholy. Much like Faithfull’s music, the song channels the complexity of love lost—its haunting aftertaste, its bittersweet beauty, and the way it shapes one’s soul long after it has passed.

Just A Little Wake Up

NoTurning Back Time Is On Your Side

This song and others you will find on the "Too Hip For The Room Playlist' are songs I loved but others felt were too outside the mainstream to move to the release stage. Well I saw The Boss was releasing old tracks so why not me. Each song in this collection is loved by the songwriter but so often that is not enough/ Be Well /Do well /Stay safe and know I love you all...EdAll rights reserved by Songwriter Edwin H. Balder(Lyric sheet available on request- Thanks to all the studio players)

Wreckage-By Songwriter Edwin H. Balder

An upbeat indie county acoustic song inspired by Donovan's "Colours"

Strawberry Summer

written by Paul McCartney 

guitar and vocal by Jim Armstrong. this track will not be monetized

im carrying

Strange desire

Siren`s Song

Siren`s Song (for Anaïs)

Cloak of nostalgia 

Winter arrives, silent and cold,  
With icy winds and a cloak of white gold.  
Even the last flowers surrender and fall,  
Like forgotten dreams, they answer the call.  
Fragrances fade,  
Leaving only the chill that seeps deep inside,  
A breath of frost that fills up my chest,  
While the world stands still, in a moment of rest.

And you, oh winter,  
Are the cold that won’t go away,  
You’re the frost that wraps me tight,  
The nostalgia that lingers night and day.  
And you, oh winter,  
Are the silence that makes me shake,  
You’re the weight of a love,  
That I can’t seem to forsake.


You are my winter, no longer mine,  
Like dead leaves of autumn, you’ve flown from my line,  
To a horizon that won’t be part of me.  
And here I wait for spring to see,  
Hoping the sun will melt this freeze,  
And bring back warmth, a gentle breeze.

While winter has frozen my heart so tight,  
I seek shelter, I seek the light,  
Among memories dancing in the dark,  
An echo of promises that leave a mark.  
And though the cold wraps me in its hold,  
I search for a flame, a warmth to behold,  
Ready to thaw this winter's chill,  
And bring back the warmth, if just for a thrill.


And you, oh winter,  
Are the cold that won’t go away,  
You’re the frost that wraps me tight,  
The nostalgia that lingers night and day.  
And you, oh winter,  
Are the silence that makes me shake,  
You’re the weight of a love,  
That I can’t seem to forsake.

Under this cloak of nostalgia, I wait,  
For the sun to return, to open the gate,  
For even winter, with its icy sway,  
Will eventually pass, and fade away.

Cloak of nostalgia

A tribute to our good friend, James & IndieBoom Shockwave when he tried to say a phrase 5 times fast.

Say It Five Times Fast

I write my own music ,but I will never forget my peers and the legends that inspired me to play music and sing

im carrying

Jim Alexander Armstrong

Recent comments

bart mastin

Related tracks