The Long Run

This life
Although it may be real
We never signed a deal
Or held negotiations
To get some changes
But life
Has cast us in this drama
A badly-scripted saga
Through that we have been granted
A Z-list stardom

And that's a role that's ample for me
Who wants to know the top of the tree

In the long run we are all dead
What is the point of getting ahead?
In the long run we are all dead
What is the use in making your bed?

High life
The pressure on the famous
Is almost always dangerous
And we enjoy spectating
As it claims them

Then we mourn for a fading star
But it's only our fate writ large

In the long run we are all dead
What is the point of getting ahead?
In the long run we are all dead
What is the use in making your bed?

In time
You'll join me as you come down
We'll both be on the way out
Supposing that we've got round
Some global meltdown

It's the closing argument
In the case for my defence

In the long run we are all dead
What is the point of chasing success?
In the long run we are all dead
What is the sense in breaking your neck?

Written, performed and produced by Oliver Shaw

The Long Run (Edit)

Worldview is the alias of Oliver Shaw, an Oxford UK-based songwriter, performer and producer mingling rock, pop, dance and folk with insightful lyrics and an overarching melodic sensibility. Oliver began playing in bands, including one with Coldplay’s bassist-to-be, then spent several years honing a one-man band approach in his home studio, writing, singing and playing everything in the manner of Stevie Wonder, early Prince or World Party. Oliver then adopted a new format mixing live instruments and PC as Worldview, playing dates in Oxford and London and releasing the album Our Condition in 2008; Oxfordshire Music Scene wrote: “Worldview's aptly titled 'Our Condition' takes a snapshot view of modern living, with its raw honest exploration of life today...It's a strong offering with music that combines the ballads of REM with the dance beats of Duran Duran". The album track 'Entitlement' was later featured in the major BBC drama The Driver starring David Morrissey, broadcast in autumn 2014. The recent financial crisis was the subject of 2009's single, 'Party’s Over' which featured on the diverse personal and political album Schoolboy Errors, released in February 2012. This and other album highlights were aired on radio shows and podcasts worldwide, and Oliver discussed the album and his musical path in the UK's Vents Magazine. Now largely a studio act, Worldview's 2014 album Pop Philosophy was a mature reflection on life, loss and mortality in melodic, guitar-led rock songs with elements of electro, folk and funk. In its album review Skope Magazine concluded: “Pop Philosophy takes the basics of pop music, the hooks, the delivery, the thoughtfulness, and perfects them”. 
After a six year hiatus Worldview returned with Young Eyes Burning Bright. The rock/pop album’s ten songs addressed twin, related themes: midlife regrets and lessons and mortality and bereavement. Musically an established love of the sounds and songwriting of the 1960s was augmented by a belated reconnection with his formative ‘80s and ‘90s influences. Music blog The Static Dive wrote: “From the opening percussive arpeggios, live drums and analog synth of ‘Under the Bonnet’ to the New Order vibes on tracks like ‘A Rothko And Your Face,’ he blends modern Indie with the classic sounds of the pioneers of Rock and Pop. More often than not, the Worldview sound mixes dramatically different styles to create something entirely new. From the melancholy Americana Alt-Pop of “It’s What Happens’ to the cool experimentation of ‘Certain Love,’ it’s a great listen.”
The new album Everything Is Temporary is a collection of songs exploring topics of loss, nostalgia, changed times, and the vagaries of success; the common thread being contingency and impermanence.  These eleven tracks are a melodic, eclectic mixture of rock, pop and folk, incorporating everything from Moogs to musical boxes, Telecasters to Theremins, vocoders to violins, and ukuleles to uilleann pipes. Everything Is Temporary is released on digital platforms on 17th January 2025.

The Long Run (Edit)

World-view