A phrase I hadn't come across until reading Gary McMahon's blog (and now i hear it all the time).  A song about remaining stoic in the face of it all.

Check out Gary's songs and blogs here:

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Sing out your sad parade
Storm out the barricades
Lifting up heavyweights
Everything's different someday

Everything's coming up gold
If you squint at the world
You can sleep with your eyes half closed
If there's nothing inside your soul

Hanging on to let go
Hanging on to let go

Nothing will ever be normal
Hoping the wind it won't change
Put on old shoes
Call out your blues
Put on your resting bitch face

Nothing will ever be old
Feeling alright in the rain
Slip on old shoes
Call out old blues
Put on your resting bitch face

Nothing will ever be normal
Hoping the wind it won't change
Put on old shoes
Call out your blues
Just put on your resting bitch face..

Resting Bitch Face

She wears 
a cigarette end stare
and ponders over life
and wonders if she'll ever see the lights

She dreams 
of somewhere in between
and hopes we'd be more kind
she's mirroring the stars that fill her eyes
And I don't know where she's going
and I don't know where she's gone 
tonight

She stares 
at polyethylene flares
and holds her head up high
and wonders if she'll ever be so bright

And I don't know where she's gone
and I don't know where she's gone 
tonight

Aimee undecided
staring down the line
Aimee undecided
won't you stick around some time
Aimee undecided
holding all the light
Aimee undecided
won't you stick around 
sometime

I think
I thought 
I heard her name
calling out the night
I wonder if she's coming home
this time
this time...

Aimee Undecided

Thanks again to Amanda for adding her voice to this track (and for keeping that window ajar).  Please listen to her other great tracks on @phoebeelena.

Tie another balloon
to the skyline 
We could hold the sun 
between the shade
We might light the moon
it is high time
that we walked upon the stage

Swing on sycamores
we'll grow wise
we might count the lines til we grow old
Maybe we set sail on the last tide
We're never coming home

I have seen the world
and my faultlines
glitter like the skies of grey and gold
We might be the fools for the last time
but we're never letting go

Cry lightning bolts
Cry Lightning bolts
Cry lightning bolts
Cry lightning bolts

In turn send shivers upon my spine
In turn send shivers upon my spine
In turns send shivers upon my spine
And love send shivers

I have seen the world
and its shorelines
glitter like the skies of grey and gold
We might be the fools
but it's high time
and we're never coming home

High Time (by Amanda and Paul)

Dust and dreams 
still waiting to take hold
out of sight
out of sight

Bitter winds blow better for the soul
so open wide
open wide

Stillness seeps
like sun between the edges
trapping light
trapping light

Do we sit like tourists in the trenches
without the fight
without the fight?

Slow down
Come to our senses
Nothing like safe ground
we're tourists in trenches

Fall asleep in backseats 
silver lines
eyes shut tight
eyes shut tight

Just little nothings
slowly passing time
is that alright
is that alright?

Slow down
Come to our senses
Nothing but safe ground
we're tourists in trenches

I'm with the birds
I'm with the birds

If we just slow down
come to our senses
Nothing to hold now
We're tourists in trenches

Just passing time..

Do we sit like tourists in the trenches
without the fight
without the fight?

Tourists in the Trenches

All the skies will wait for me
High alive
fly away like featherweights
who've been holding the night

Disappear in waves from me
Don't be shy
All your anchors wild and free
just soar out of sight

Singing swallow swan dive
lost to the light
either way we try to breathe
staying alive

whooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

All the tide away from me
I'm capsized
Fall asleep to memories
just holding too tight

Singing swallow swan dive
Are you lost to the light
Either way you to try to breathe
just staying alive

Hold
everybody 
As we're drifting to the light

Oh 
anybody
Are you wearing out the light?

With the swallow swan dive
Are you lost to the light
Either way just try to breathe
just staying alive
Staying alive

With the swallow swan dive
Are you lost in the light?
Either way just try to breathe
Staying alive.

Swan Dive

She
stares at black and white replays
He
wanders through his yesterdays

Looks like
faces from a different day
Beside
buildings that we used to make

When the world was simple
and skies re-drawn
know your history love
When you're lost in taillights
and darkness falls
For you
memory song

She
stares at faces on the wall
He
remembers when the world was small

Just as daylight fades
like the surest storm
Oh you're heading for home
When you're lost in headlights
and darkness falls
For you memory song

You can count the lines
worn between the eyes
You can count the lines right here
One day at a time

When the world came easy
and skies re-drawn
Know your history love
When you're lost in taillights
and darkness falls
For you 
memory song

Oh sunshine 
One day a time..

Memory Song

Hello
Are you lonely?
Dim the lights
If you'd only stop to pass the time

I don't believe a word you say
But it don't matter much these days

So stop
sling hand grenades
Til there's nothing left to save
Here comes the rain

I'll be your cheerleader tonight
If I could only learn the lines
I'll be your cheerleader tonight
We'll go on and on and on and on
I'll be your cheerleader 
Be your cheerleader
tonight

So long
sing serenade
Til you've nothing left to fake
Here comes the shame..

Be your cheerleader tonight
If I could only love the light
Be your cheerleader tonight
if I could only learn the lines
We go on and on and on and on..
Ah
what a way to go
dead inside..

Cheerleader

Title seems particularly apt waking up in 'normal' island today..

Don't stick around
The fear's upon us
Still we speak 
of happiness
See your breath
go on forever
Still your words don't 
make a sound

Do-dooh..

We build walls
and claim the borders
Still we scream
a happiness
A simple world
Where you could haunt me
Am I just dreaming
a life's regret?

Holding
Steady as the wind blows
can't you see?
The rest is history 
don't you know?

Do dooh

Now days fly by
and years up on us
Still we drift with happiness
And will this moment 
to stay forever
That sinking feeling
we can't forget

Hold on
Steady with the sideshow
Because my old soul...
The rest is history
don't you know?

Do doo...

Don't stick around
And claim the borders
Still we scream 
a happiness
A simple world
where you could want me
Am I just dreaming
A life's regret?

The Rest is History

She wears heavens and suns
Calls black lightning and runs
Sings 'glory be' I love you like no-one
She sees heavens above

Sky stained silver and golds
Featherweights of the world
Don't fall asleep
you'll love me til you don't
Standing still to let go

The storm chasers

Who's going save us now?
Who's going to bring us down?
Are you looking up?

O love of mine
let's catch the light
fill darkest skies
and fall on me

Who's going to save us now?
Who's going to bring us down?
Are you looking up?

Won't you stay with me
stand with me 
Staring at 
everything

Stay with me
Lean heavy
Staring out
storm chasers

Storm chasers..

She wears heavens and suns
Calls black lighting and runs
The storm chasers...

Paul McKeever's Album

Storm Chasers

Do you walk
through the worn widescreen
Looking lost
In this lifetime?

Do you wonder
with the slow heartbeat?
Do you wander?
I see
the age of the idiot
the age of the idiot

Slow
you know where we're going
right?
Just outside

Not getting younger
I dream drip-dried
Slowly puncture
the long goodbye
Well
you know where we're going
right?

Hey love
watch don't spoil the view
Hey love
I'm hanging onto you

(with the sky stained blue)

In the age of the idiot...

Do you wander
out of sight?
Little wonder
I held on tight....

Age Of The Idiot

Standing
statue still
You're all
skin and bone

Stand up
little featherweight
overblown

If you're getting lighter
If you're getting lighter
If you're getting lighter
Then we'll hold on

I fell down
dust my dreams off
I'm good as gold

Landed
on my feet again
Hanging on

If it's getting brighter
If you're getting brighter
If you're getting brighter
leave a light on

She said
She said
Leave a light on

Still standing
Dust my dreams off
I'm not letting go...

Leave a Light On

Girl in the picture
Looking calcium cold
Stare in the mirror
I don't think it'll hold

Splitting the shadows
Making long silhouettes
Arching out arrows
I don't give what I get

Fire away love
Fire away love
Fire away love
So fire away love
Fire away love...

If you stare at the walls
If you stare at the walls
If you stare out the walls
long enough
for long enough

If you stare at the walls
If you stare out the walls
If you stare at the walls
long enough
then one day 
they might move for you

Girl in the picture's 
never going to get old
Never going to get old.....

Girl in the Picture

We're somewhere
sitting on the shore tonight
Dissolving
Is in anybody in the light?

Lay on me
I'll listen as the world is loud
If only
I'd hold you as the heartbeat proud

Sitting in the sailboat
Watching as the waves collide
Like broken little bottles
breathing as the day drifts by

You were the colour to my grey
Daydrifting wide awake
(It did not pass me by)

We're somewhere
Sitting in the sun tonight

Daydrifting

Artwork by Kristen Soblinskyte

C'mon
skies are breaking
Sun bursts
black and blue

Who are we?
Wishing for nothing
Never been
better with you

Laughing
Old tears tumble drying
All my love
is yours to lose

You could be anything,
anywhere, impossible,
Blood rushing, bruised
Hard as the heartbeat
quietly sounding, see through

And the world will turn around you
And the world will turn
I swallowed skies
on the tip of your tepid tongue

On The Tip of Your Tepid Tongue

Love
out of time
Laugh
as you say the closing lines

'Life is such a picture postcard scene
Crying in romantic comedies'

The world
and me so small
I'm with the birds
before the fall

Life is such a picture postcard scene
Crying in romantic comedies
Trace the teardrop if you're so inclined
Better still just learn the laughter lines

Romantic Comedy

Saw you flicking the v's 
in your head
Air kissing the cheeks
of the living dead
I'd run away if I'd something 
left to lose
You tell your truth from the bottom 
of your shoes

Momentary moved
With the moonshot mind
Yesterday's looking old 
as the compromise
I'd disappear if you'd only see
straight through
You tell your truth from the 
bottom of your shoes

Won't you save me the lightning bolt?

Many days waste away
in my bed
The cautious mute counts the words
in his head
But you tell your truth
from the bottom of your shoes

The Cautious Mute

Sentimentally searching somewhere for skyline
from the inside do you
Scream with the sound of a silent town watching slow rain
If it's ok with you
Could we sit and pretend that are hearts aren't heavy 
in headlights
and just enjoy the view?

Kissing and missing
I swear in scenes I'm the punchline
Falling great heights 
from you

Steady as ships in the wrong direction
Drift through
And I don't have much to lose

Steadiest ships swim the wrong direction
in your shoes
Well I don't have much to lose

Heartbeat racing 
wring me out and I'll drip dry
On the cold skies
with you

Great Heights

Inspired by Kathryn Williams

Close the curtains
draw the blinds
Say the stars
have lost their shine
Staring out
a half shut eye
Like it would kill you just
to breathe the world outside

If I could peer out periscopes
I'd be hanging on a hope
When you know
you know

Mirror's making eyes at me
If I stare hard enough then I
won't disagree

With a momentary mope
I'd be stuck in the same boat

Bring those
Cold hands stuck together
Holding heavy weather
Lonely hearts forever
When you know
you know

Close the curtains
Draw the blinds
Say the stars are going to shine
When you know
you know

Mope

Art by Suzanne Valadon

I don't believe that the halo
will help me now
Miss memories
That I let go
Weight heavy now

Seeing stars
Would the heavens 
help me out?
I'm only a whisper
In the scream & shout

If these arms could wrap around
If these arms could wrap around
If these arms could wrap around
Sunday morning comedown

Sunday Morning Comedown

Bombs look better
when they're over there
And they're somewhere out of sight
Still the heavens
fire their warning flares
and we hope in it's alrights

Skyline splinters
in a thousand frames
And the world it moves too fast
Going nowhere
with the silent shame
Don't you know I'm breaking glass

Is anyone
not looking up?

Keep your distance
Give a gentle wave
Faintest footprints
in the dirt
You've been talking to yourself again
But you don't believe a word

Is anyone not giving up?

Bombs look better
When they're over there
And I hope that they might pass
You as silent as the coldest stare
Don't you know
I'm breaking glass

Breaking Glass

Save yourself
or send me a sign
staring at the world
not moving in time
A penny for the pleasure 
to stand in your light
Making heavy weather 
We burn better bright

Scaling burning buildings
with skyscraper cries
Clawing to the edges
Still toeing the line
Right?

When everyone else is just going it alone
(oh alter ego)

I need my alter ego
Or somebody to save
Not to get carried away
Two feet on the ground
the quiet part loud
Watching in colourful grey

Save yourself 
Or send me a sign
Staring at the world not
moving in time...

Alter Ego

Stone cold
life is such a bore
Watch from windows
Counting crows
Catch the dreamers down below
Stay in the light

Sinking by the shore
Dying to be ignored
Stand upon your own spotlight
Hiding in plain sight
(hiding in plain sight)

Where I was meant to be
Where I was meant to be

Hope you're happy now
Left the good parts out
Look my love was lightbulb bright
And hiding in plain sight
(hiding in plain sight)

Where I was meant to be
Where I was meant to be
As long as history
Where I was meant to be

Hiding in Plain Sight

Calm old worry lines
Grow with steep incline
One day will wisdom come to light?
It wears me out sometimes

We fall a little further
against the tide
We'll try a little 
my sunshine

Open can worms
Feels a lot like love
You say 'the truth weren't meant to hide'
I keep too much inside

So pull a little closer
like the tide
I'll sing with you my torch song
to the night

Hey hey..
let it rain
it's falling on my face again

Hey hye..
let it rain
I'm feeling like I did that day

Pull a little closer
like the tide
I'll sing with you our torch song
to the night

Hey hey..
let it rain
I'm feeling on my own again

Hey hey..
let it rain
I'm feeling like I did that day...

Torch Song

Hanging on Gallowgate skies
The city's a sleeping
The city is sleeping
in time
with whisky and wine

If you let me dream
then I've hope
If you let me dream

Cold like the Waverley walk
I'll be outrageous 
I'll be outrageous 
and talk
oh we can talk..

If you'd only see
we're not lost
If you'd only see

When you hold
the world in your eyes

(I'll be the steamer shell shocked
 hope is contagious
 hope is contagious
 Fool on the Waverley walk
 I'l be outrageous 
 hope is contagious)

It's a long time
to let go....

Waverley Walk

By the weight of
contemplations
you've got a lot to hold on

Sit the steps of
your high station
I didn't feel so alone

Oh silver will spill at dawn
Oh silver will spill

When all your lights are
racing away

And you couldn't stop
from your high station

So put a record on
play my favourite song
Let the night stay long
on repeat

Bring the morning light
Be my favourite sight
Leave it all behind
Let me dream

And you couldn't stop
let the lines grow old
And you couldn't stop
so let me dream..

High Station

How's your halo
when you've nothing to wear?
Hold you head up
on a wing and a prayer

Float like feathers
Float like feathers
Just open wide
wide

Elevate
the 
stars
pull
parachutes

Hold your head up
for there's nothing down there
With the open eyes
eyes

Elevate
the
stars
pull
parachutes

(we connect the stars)

How's your heavens
when you're stopping for air?

parachutes

Hello love
Hello love
do you walk
do you walk upon this earth of old?

For the seams 
that we share
I would hold them anywhere
Do we fall apart to just let go?

All your dreams
sing em loud
I will follow them somehow
Don't you know that we weren't meant to be afraid?

All your words
that still hurt
they will never be enough
but a love is still a love to find someday

Do you wander alone?
Do you wander alone?

Wear all your lights
So I might find
(for a love is a love to find someday)
Wear old fault lines
for stars will sigh
Wear all your lights
in time
(for a love is a love to find someday)
They will guide us home..

Hello love
hello love
do you walk
do you walk upon
this earth of old?

Faultlines

Drink until we sink
like the bottles
we live on

Singing to the moon 
we are half lights
waiting to form

And we rise to the world
headstrong

Calling out the clouds
spill the oceans
we adorn

Sunken ships adrift
on the water
we sail on

And we rise to the world
Head on
And we rise to the world

Feathers in the storm
Feathers in the storm
like feathers in the storm
(People hold on)

Sunken ships adrift on the water
we
will
come
home

sunken ships

Love
your bones
lift the skies up
on your own

Oh do your best to breathe in
hold tight
well if you walk on water
I can hold the tide

When you live in a world of black and white
When you live in a world of black and white

You could turn the sky grey blue
know not what the things you do
May the silent screams be gone

When you see the world in black and white
When you live in a world of black and white

You can pick me up again
I'll won't break
All my insides 
falling into place
All your truths be told

You can clear the Scottish rain
not today
oh my light my guide
scream rainbow stains
All your greys are gold
All your greys are gold

Life in black and white

Thanks again to Amanda for the quick work and more laughs on this track. Please listen to her other great tracks on @phoebeelena.

Girl 
who I adore 
howling on the floor
Don't take the light
Don't take the light

Fill your cup some more
staring at the shore
We'll pass the time
stare out like tides

Boy don't be so sure
All I have is yours
Unweathered eyes
still see the lights

Boy don't take too long
For feathers bright
will dream tonight

Hey lead on 
Hey lead on
I'll see the sights

So lead on
So lead on
I'll see the sights

Don't say
nothing
will change

Don't save hearts
race in the rain

Don't say
nothing will change

Don't save hearts 
race in the rain

Don't say 
nothing
will change

Don't save hearts
race in the rain

Don't say nothing
will change

Don't save heart breaks anyway
breaks anyway

Sightseers (by Amanda and Paul)

Fellow stranger
it's been a while
since you met me
eyes crossing aisles

Through the crowds
of limbs alone
flying elbows
bring better souls

Oh 
going nowhere fast
this time

Midnight mornings
stop for air
still cold calling
someone somewhere

Don't ask questions
Don't read minds
All our dreams
just killing time

Oh maybe there's a light 
going spare
Holding on too tight
I'm already there...

(hey now little hurricane harbouring high hopes
hey now little hurricane won't you come on home
hey now little hurricane harbouring high hopes).

Fellow stranger
it's been a while
since you left me
'cross the aisle

Fellow Stranger

Thanks again to Amanda for for joining on this track and helping shut that window!  Please listen to her other great tracks on @phoebeelena.

Love
so wise
Love
Breathing's not a bother 
when you take in all the light inside

Love 
so brave
Love
Backed into a corner
Gonna hold for hurricanes
You say

Well maybe we fit every fold, every fold
You take a little weight..
You take a little weight off the soul
So don't let go

For loves
will last in time
Alright?
For loves 
will last in time
Alright?

(Love can never be lost
can never unwind
Love can never be wrong
can never be wise)

Love
don't fade
Love
backed into a corner
well
gonna hold for hurricanes in rain

paulmck

Pinned to spotlight

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