[Verse 1]
Leave comfort for blistered hands and empty horizons,
It’s not about the money or to pay the rent.
I feel the need not to be crowded by city streets,
I need this air to breathe — if that’s okay.

[Chorus]
Don’t exile me in makeup and lace,
High heels can’t walk this place.
I’ll wear my RM boots instead,
Chasing stars, kicking up riverbeds.

[Verse 2]
Just the adventure I need to play,
My heart doesn’t know what it wants today.
Maybe the Red Dust will speak instead,
Tell me the truth — from heart or head.

[Chorus]
Don’t exile me in makeup and lace,
High heels can’t walk this place.
I’ll wear my RM boots instead,
Chasing stars, kicking up riverbeds.

[Verse 3]
What I hope to find, I can’t yet trace,
Living in a man’s world, fractured space.
Drawn to the fire, but afraid of the flame,
I see this vision — I’m never the same.

[Chorus]
Don’t exile me in makeup and lace,
High heels can’t walk this place.
I’ll wear my RM boots instead,
Chasing stars, kicking up riverbeds.

[Verse 4]
My heart’s been taken, there’s no disguise,
By a woman’s touch and deep blue eyes.
What I suspected now stands tall —
I’m not afraid, I want it all.

[Chorus]
Don’t exile me in makeup and lace,
High heels can’t walk this place.
I’ll wear my RM boots instead,
Chasing stars, kicking up riverbed.

[Outro]
I’ll wear my RM boots instead,
Chasing stars, kicking up riverbeds.


Don't Exile me

More than a Little Crush

Spent today cleaning the plaque at my parents’ grave, where their ashes rest. Standing there, I felt the conflict of holding two different truths — the love I found again with my father, and the strained bond that always remained with my mother.

Verse 1
I walked to Plot One Forty Four,
Two names printed side by side.
One I learned to love again,
One stayed out beyond my hand.

Chorus
Some things heal, some never pass,
I’ve cleaned those letters etched in brass,
But truth still cuts in Stone,
With times I walk alone.

Verse 2
Dad dwells within my mind,
I see him in the morning light.
You soar with eagles high,
On the wings of flight.

Chorus
Some things heal, some never pass,
I’ve cleaned those letters etched in brass,
But truth still cuts in Stone,
With times I walk alone.

Verse 3
Mother, I knew your deepest secrets,
Though you never knew I did.
Maybe I missed the roots beneath your care,
The hidden truths still growing there.

Chorus
Some things heal, some never pass,
I’ve cleaned those letters etched in brass,
But truth still cuts in Stone,
With times I walk alone.

Verse 4
From lessons missed, from love denied,
I learned to lay my faults aside.
For my children, I’ve tried to show,
The seeds of care in what I know.

Chorus
Some things heal, some never pass,
I’ve cleaned those letters etched in brass,
But truth still cuts in Stone,
With times I walk alone.

Plot 144

Verse 1 

Close your eyes, I’ll hold you near,
Through the dark, I’m always here.
Every sigh, each little sound,
Safe in arms where love is found.

Chorus 

I promise you, in night or day,
I’ll never let you lose your way.
From first small steps to skies above,
You’ll walk the world, but know my love.

Verse 2 

When you stumble, I’ll lift you high,
Point the birds across the sky.
First day at school, I’ll let you go,
But in my heart you’ll always grow.

Chorus

I promise you, in night or day,
I’ll never let you lose your way.
From first small steps to skies above,
You’ll walk the world, but know my love.

Bridge 

One day you’ll dream beyond my view,
But every dream I’ll share with you.
And if the road feels cold or long,
Remember this—the mother’s song.

Final Chorus 

I promise you, in night or day,
I’ll never let you lose your way.
From first small steps to skies above,
Forever held in endless love.

The mother’s song

Verse 1 
When the young die before their time, 
The old hearts are broken too. 
Your story only just began, 
Yet no one played your part for you.

Chorus
lived my life, now I’m giving to you,
To dance, to laugh, to carry your tune.
These feet are slow, but yours are still new,
leap where I can’t, let your spirit shine through.


Verse 2
If she danced on the street,
Flowers rise from the cracks at her feet.
Winter’s grey would leave from our sight,
Bringing us back to the warmth of light.

Chorus
lived my life, now I’m giving to you,
To dance, to laugh, to carry your tune.
These feet are slow, but yours are still new,
leap where I can’t, let your spirit shine through.

Verse 3
People are changed in a moment with you,
Time leaves its mark, then it vanishes too.
You gave us a light that will never decay,
A gift we keep close though you’ve gone away.

Chorus
lived my life, now I’m giving to you,
To dance, to laugh, to carry your tune.
These feet are slow, but yours are still new,
leap where I can’t, let your spirit shine through.

ooh
dance,  laugh, carry your tune

ooh
dance,  laugh, carry your tune

Leap where I can’t

Verse 1
Don’t look up  the sky is falling
Don’t look down  the ground is crawling
Keep that blindfold,  if that’s your cure
Everything you own is no longer yours

Chorus
Blind        can’t see the chains you wear
Blind        pretend there’s nothing there
Blind        the mirror’s cracked, light won’t shine
Blind        to every warning sign

Verse 2
History fades,  whitewashed of crimes
Truth rewritten by the ruling slime
Hands are dirty,  yet they preach
Justice stays just out of reach

Chorus
Chorus
Blind        can’t see the chains you wear
Blind        pretend there’s nothing there
Blind        the mirror’s cracked, light won’t shine
Blind        to every warning sign

Verse 3
Blame the neighbour, blame the sea
Point the finger, never me
Trading shadows, never free
Bury responsibility

Bridge
Evil wins when good men do nothing
Silence grows, and shadows keep coming
The cost will come, it always does

Chorus
Chorus
Blind        can’t see the chains you wear
Blind        pretend there’s nothing there
Blind        the mirror’s cracked, light won’t shine
Blind        to every warning sign

Chorus (Final)
Chorus
Blind        can’t see the chains you wear
Blind        pretend there’s nothing there
Blind        the mirror’s cracked, light won’t shine
Blind        to every warning sign


Outro
Blind… (fades)

BLIND

“A moment when we drop the mask and reveal our true self — a truth worthy of being written in the book of life.”  

Verse 1
Lines on my face, tell of laughter and pain,
Stories of sunlight, stories of rain.
Hide behind a curtain, I show to the crowd,
Love makes me gentle, it brings the mask down.

Chorus
Book of life, write it each day,
Page at a time  that won’t fade.
Dust and fear, cuts like a knife,
Sung in the chorus of life.

Verse 2
City can drown us in deafening sound,
Yet one small voice can turn it around.
Grey clouds can cover the brightest of skies,
Rainbows break through when we open our eyes.

Chorus
Book of life, write it each day,
Page at a time  that won’t fade.
Dust and fear, cuts like a knife,
Sung in the chorus of life.

Verse 3
Each day’s a page that we leave behind,
Chapters we keep are the ones that survive,
They live in the choir, they keep us alive,
In quiet resolve, the spirit won't yield.

Bridge
Castles and shields can keep love apart,
But still I reach out for the beat of your heart.
Take time to breathe, smell the roses in bloom,
The cry of a newborn can banish the gloom.

Chorus
Book of life, write it each day,
Page at a time  that won’t fade.
Dust and fear, cuts like a knife,
Sung in the chorus of life.

Outro
This is your book of life,
Your book of life,
Book of life… (fade)

Book of Life

Verse 1

Young girl living in a small town,
Life all around was getting her down.
But she could escape from all of this,
In the room of dreams, she found her bliss.

Chorus

Dancing to Leif Garrett, poster on the wall,
Turning up the music, answering the call.
Spinning in her bedroom, moving to the beat,
Twelve years old and life could feel so sweet.

Verse 2

Lazy summer days, Walkman in her hand,
A boy she would watch from the caravan.
She carried that secret, a heart beating true,
Writing his name in a book of blue.

Chorus

Dancing to Leif Garrett, poster on the wall,
Turning up the music, answering the call.
Spinning in her bedroom, moving to the beat,
Twelve years old and life could feel so sweet.

Verse 3

This summer adventure has ended,
Back to the school that she dreaded.
Holding on tight to what freedom means,
Living her life in the room of dreams.

Chorus

Dancing to Leif Garrett, poster on the wall,
Turning up the music, answering the call.
Spinning in her bedroom, moving to the beat,
Twelve years old and life could feel so sweet.

Bridge

Someday she’ll leave that small-town street,
But twelve years old still feels so sweet.
A fleeting time, a secret flame,
The room of dreams, where nothing’s the same.

Chorus

Dancing to Leif Garrett, poster on the wall,
Turning up the music, answering the call.
Spinning in her bedroom, moving to the beat,
Twelve years old and life could feel so sweet.

Outro

Echoes, cassette radio in her room,
Songs that told her she was made to move.

Dancing to Leif Garrett, poster on the wall,
Turning up the music, answering the call.

Dancing to Leif Garrett, poster on the wall,
Turning up the music, answering the call.
(Fade)

Dancing to Leif Garrett

Verse 1
You’re so fine
(so fine)
All mine
(all mine)
I won’t rush
(ahh ahh)
Unless you touch
(unless you touch)
If you sip
(what you sip?)
I’ve got that wine
(red red wine)
And if you’re hungry, Boy, I’ll set the table just right
(mmm yeah)

Pre-Chorus
Ooh darling don’t keep me
(waiting)
There’s a fire we could be making
(come on)
I’m talking slow jams, midnight
Candles dripping on the bedside
Girl, let’s slip in, it feels right

Chorus (Hook)
I’ma keep the lights low
(I’ma keep the lights low)
I’ma keep the lights low, boy
(I’ma keep the lights low, hopin’)
That you’re feeling what I feel
And you want me like I want you tonight, baby
(tell me that you’re coming soon)

Verse 2
Velvet sheets
(velvet sheets)
Bare skin
(bare skin)
We move slow
(ahh ahh)
Where do we begin?
(where do we begin?)
Every glance
(every glance)
Turns me to flame
(turns me to flame)
I don’t want tomorrow if tonight don’t stay the same
(woohoo)

Pre-Chorus
Baby, don’t keep me
(waiting)
There’s a storm inside worth breaking
(yeah yeah)
I’m talking whispers, sweet wine
Hands tangled up  your spine
Girl, let’s lose track of time

Chorus (Hook)
I’ma keep the lights low
(I’ma keep the lights low)
I’ma keep the lights low, baby
(I’ma keep the lights low, hopin’)
That you’re feeling what I feel
And you want me like I want you tonight, baby
(tell me that you’re coming soon)

Bridge
Don’t need no games, no disguise
I see forever in your eyes
Every word, every sigh
Is written straight from the heart tonight

Chorus (Hook – repeat/fade)
I’ma keep the lights low…




Keep the Lights Low

Cruellest Mirror takes aim at vanity, envy, and the trap of comparison. Each verse calls out the seven deadly sins, while the chorus smashes the mirror that feeds them. Dark synths, driving beats, and a defiant hook turn this into a dance-floor anthem about breaking free and standing on your own terms.  

Verse 1 (envy/pride)
Measuring worth by the shoes you wear,
High-rise dreams but the cupboard’s bare.
Buying respect with a fist of gold,
Run too fast and you lose control.

Chorus (with call-and-response)
Cruelest mirror is the one that compares
(“Compares!”)
Smash it to pieces, leave it there
(“Right there!”)
No need to copy what’s already there
(“Don’t care!”)
Be one of a kind, beyond compare
(“Oh yeah!”)

Verse 2 (greed/lust)
Silver tongues and a hunger for more,
Buying love at the corner store.
Chasing flesh like a prize to claim,
Lose yourself in the heat of the game.

Chorus (with call-and-response)
Cruelest mirror is the one that compares
(“Compares!”)
Smash it to pieces, leave it there
(“Right there!”)
No need to copy what’s already there
(“Don’t care!”)
Be one of a kind, beyond compare
(“Oh yeah!”)

Verse 3 (wrath/sloth/gluttony)
Feeding rage with a bitter bite,
Lazy days blur into the night.
Drown your sorrow, the glass won’t care,
Still the mirror is waiting there.

Chorus (with call-and-response)
Cruelest mirror is the one that compares
(“Compares!”)
Smash it to pieces, leave it there
(“Right there!”)
No need to copy what’s already there
(“Don’t care!”)
Be one of a kind, beyond compare
(“Oh yeah!”)

Bridge / Breakdown (7 deadly sins)
Greed and lust, they burn too fast,
Pride and envy — they never last.
Wrath and sloth will drag you in,
Gluttony hides ‘neath a sugar grin.
(Gang vocal: “Learn the lesson, don’t give in!”)

Outro (chant / funk groove)
Smash it, walk on, don’t look back,
Smash it, walk on, don’t look back.

Cruellest mirror

I feel incredibly lucky to be the age I am. Born into the world when the Beatles changed everything, shaped by the great song storytellers of the ’70s, swept up in the sound revolutions of punk, disco, and new wave, and partied through the electric ’80s. Now in my 60s, I get to draw on all of that — life, love, chaos, beauty — and stand on the shoulders of giants to tell my own stories in song

This album was never meant for the charts — it was meant for me.
Written after a scotch or two on quiet Saturday nights, these 11 tracks carry the fingerprints of a life lived, loved, lost, and occasionally laughed at.

Some songs are straight from experience. Others? They wandered in after a few top-shelf drams and made themselves at home. Together, they make up a personal mixtape of memory and imagination — reflections whispered to the only audience that truly matters.

An Audience of One is not just a title.
It’s a reminder that sometimes the most honest songs are sung when no one else is listening.

Cruellest mirror

Saturday Ghosts

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