1. |
Limelight
03:12
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I've shared lots of different stages with musicians of all ages
I'm a footnote on the pages of their touring history
And if they don't remember seeing or recall me even being
On the poster well that's no surprise to me
And I wouldn't even blame them and it's not good cause to hate them
I'm not crass enough to name them here today
But sometimes I often wonder if the shoe was on the other foot
Would I have just behaved in the same way?
I'm always one step left of limelight, tapping my foot on the side lines
Loitering in small print at the bottom of the bill
Always support and supported, get ignored and not applauded
I'd get drunk but can't afford it so I will, just carry on
I'm a man with just one choice, one old guitar, one croaky voice
I use to make a lot of noise night after night
And the people that I play with give me strength enough to stay with
The idea I won't give without a fight
See I've rubbed shoulder with the best, top of their game, above the rest
And it's inspired me to invest all of my life
In the pursuit of something higher, but I've yet to set the world on fire
And I'm well aware I'm running our of time
I'm always one step left of limelight, tapping my foot on the side lines
Loitering in small print at the bottom of the bill
Always support and supported, get ignored and not applauded
I'd get drunk but can't afford it so I will,
Oh yes I will, just carry on
Oh yes I will, just carry on
Oh yes I will
You see I've always harbourd hope that I would one day play a show Where I could be in the right place at the right time
But I know that's unrealistic, chances are I fuckin' missed it
Disappointingly consistent is my life
See I've played in lots of places, and I've met some famous faces
Really put me through my paces on the stage
But deep down I've always known they'll never take me on the road
So I've leaned not to raise my hopes, just raise my game
I'm always one step left of limelight, tapping my foot on the side lines
Loitering in small print at the bottom of the bill
Always support and supported, get ignored and not applauded
I'd get drunk but can't afford it so I will,
Oh yes i will, just carry on
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2. |
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I've seen the circus man entertain the best he can
But clowns are creepy and a bit weird (bring the beat back)
I've seen the acrobats juggle fire and tame big cats
But that strikes me as a strange thing to want to be good at
I'd rather see a man in a bar
Playing songs that he wrote on a beat up old guitar
Don't care if sometimes he don't play it right
Four chords and the truth, and I'll have a good night
I've seen the football games, to me they're all the same
One team wins, one loses, and next year they'll just play each other again, and again, and again
I've seen films at the cinema, some good, some so bad I don't know what they are
I tell you one thing, every time I went, I was over charged
I'd rather see a girl in a bar
Playing songs that she wrote on a beat up old guitar
Don't care if sometimes she don't play it right
Four chords and the truth, and by she's alright, she's alright, alright.
I've seen too much TV, way more than what's good for me
I don't know why because all I ever see is repeats, of Top Gear, and Come Dine With Me
And after all I've seen, there's only one place I want to be
On stage with nothing but my guitar between you and me
I'd rather be that man in a bar
Playing songs that I wrote on my beat up old guitar
Hope you don't mind if sometimes I don't play it right
Four chords and the truth...shit, I think I just played five
But that's alright, that's alright, that's alright
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3. |
Be The Bigger Man
03:33
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Sorry son you've got to go to school again today
Coz if you don't get educated you will never find your way
I know it doesn't seem it's worth it at the moment but it's true
These are the best days of your life my boy, now, would I lie to you?
So grab your lunch and text books, get your arse out of the door
And I will drop you at the gates where I've dropped you a thousand times before
Do your best to learn some lessons, have some fun and make some friends
You've only got a few years left and you will thank me in the end
I know it's hard, but don't cry, coz these things are sent to try
I know you find it hard to see but you are always going to be the bigger man
Thing is Dad, you never see what happens when you go
I become the primary target for every bully that I know
You always taught me that the best way to avoid a bully's fist
Is to ignore them and they'll move along, but that's not true is it?
So I accept my daily beating with a minimum of fuss
And accept the fact that that's just how it goes for kids like us
For the moderately intelligent, or slightly overweight
The best years of your life might not be all that fucking great
I know it's hard, but I won't cry, coz these things are sent to try
But I find it hard to see how I am ever going to be the bigger man
I never stood a chance did I?
The over weight religious kid with four eyes
Everything that they put me through
Made me a bigger man that all of you
Then one day two decades on I'm drinking in the pub
And a guy that used to kick my arse at school just wanders up
He tried to be all nice to me as if everything had changed
I grabbed the fucker by the throat, and then carefully explained
That a decade of sustained mental and physical abuse
At the hands of him and all his friends has unsurprisingly produced
A good deal of repressed resentment, and the tendency to snap
No I don't want to be your friend, how could you ever have thought that?
And I thought you were hard! So don't cry, coz these things are sent to try
And that fear you're feeling now is no comparison to how
You made me feel at school, but I won't stoop to being cruel
No, I'll walk away in peace, because I'm always going to be the bigger man
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4. |
Conman The Barbarian
03:43
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You're a difficult person to hate
You build a rapport with my mates
You make us believe you're a man to whom we can relate
You're a difficult man to believe
Broken threads in the web that you weave
The cynic ingrained in me sees the next trick up your sleev
Now I try to see some positivity in the people I meet in my life
But you've just confirmed a harsh lesson to learn
That instincts are not always right
You're a difficult person to trust
But sit over here if you must
But our guard's collectively raised up between you and us
You're a difficult person to like
You seem the untrustworthy type
You stole my friend's car, mandolin, money, laptop and pride
I'm a positive man in a miserable land, benefit of the doubt's made me weak
There's people out here who will feed on my fear, so no wonder I can't get to sleep
And I have to believe that the people who need to believe in the good
Far outnumber the rest, coz if they don't that's just depressing enough to be true
Those people like you
You're a difficult person to know, so I'll make my excuses and go
What little faith I had in the human race is now blown
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5. |
Death Bed
03:49
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A man once asked this question of me, "What do you believe?"
I said "I don't believe in anything or anyone, but me"
He said, "Aren't you scared of what will happen to you when you die?"
I said, "I'm more afraid of never living life while I'm alive".
And that man he looked me in the eye, convinced my soul was damned
Unless I signed it over to a fairy tale man
He said, "My boy I'll pray for you, I know you can be saved"
I said, "Save your prayers for those who care, for me it is too late"
I can't bare the thought of lying on my death bed with regrets
Of places I've not ventured, people I have never met
I want to live like every second is the last I will achieve
And as long as I hurt no one then who cares what I believe?
That man he talked for hours about the virtues of his faith
And I could see the stony cold conviction on his face
He fired every weapon in his armory of lies
And some of it made sense to me, much to my surprise
But I had to remind myself that he was well rehearsed
At attempting to exploit fear by mis-quoting bible verse
I know your game my friend, you target people when they're weak
The vulnerable and disillusioned man falls at your feet
If your beliefs bring comfort to your heart
Then who am I to try and tear your world apart?
I wish you well in your endevours and your life
And I'll leave you to yours, if you leave me to mine
It's not your place to impose religious law
On the rest of us, like so many have before
And it's equally not my place to say you're wrong
I don't have to read your book, and you don't have to like this song
I know my way of thinking should allow the courtesy
For men like you to testify your faith to men like me
But the difference that I see between belief, and having none
Is a lack of faith has never waged a war with anyone
I can't bare the thought of lying on my death bed with regrets
Of places I've not ventured, people I have never met
I want to live like every second is the last I will achieve
And as long as I hurt no one then who cares what I, who cares what you, who cares what we believe?
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6. |
Frank and Sam
03:38
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There's nothing new under the sun
So naturally I am bound to become
A cover of a copy of a rip off of a better man
It's all been sung and said and played before
A thousand times and probably thousands more
My limited ability is always going to limit me again
And I know sometimes I'm ripping off Frank, and that's OK
I owe that man a debt of thanks, for how I play
I've got my heroes and I know I'm not alone in this
They've got their heroes too, so maybe we're all plagiarists
If imitation is the highest form of flattery
I'm gonna sound a little like the ones who influence me
I'm listening to all my favourite songs
I pick up my guitar and play along
So when I write I'm always under influence of something or someone
I'm trying hard to be original
But I can only play so many chords
And by the time it's written it's too late to realise what I have done
And I know sometimes I'm ripping off Sam, and that's OK
I owe that man a debt of thanks, for how I play
I've got my heroes and I know I'm not alone in this
They've got their heroes too, so maybe we're all plagiarists
If imitation is the highest form of flattery
I'm gonna sound a little like the ones who influence me
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7. |
Never Dreamed
05:39
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Never dreamed I'd make it past 21
That was as far as I could imagine when I was young
And by the time I got there I'd done my best
To reduce the number of years that I had left
And I can see with hindsight, that I was such a dick
I'll spend the next ten years trying to make up for it
See I've done my share of things that I shouldn't have done
And I'd done most of them by the time I was 21
I never dreamed I'd make it past 25
Hit my quarter century, and somehow I'm still alive
I spent the last 1460 days
Repeating old mistakes in new and ridiculous ways
And I've accomplished nothing, well, nothing of worth
Unless you count being drunk an accomplishment
And my reason for being is yet to arrive
You'd think it'd show it's face by the time I was 25
I never dreamed I'd make it to 32
And if you're being honest nor did you
I know enough by this point to know I don't know much at all
I never learned my lessons but I keep on being taught more
And I'm a poor imposter of the man I should be
I never reached the heights I said I would achieve
And I'm sorry darling, and that's the awful truth
But I'm as amazed as you are, I got to 32
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8. |
Perfectly Imperfect
03:16
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I'll never be a wealthy man
But I'll make as much as I can
Spend the majority on rent and food
And I'll spend whatever's left on booze
No I'll never make a million pounds
Dragging up old common ground
Playing every song the same
Hoping that I'll get away with it
I'll never be an honest man
Lying cheating all I can
Not a word of truth be spoke
I'm just another punchline lacking joke
I'll never be a movie star
I've got no acting skill or natural charm
I've got no focus and no discipline
You'll never see me on the silver screen
But I'm a perfect example of how not to be
And I'm a perfectly imperfect version of a man like me
No I'll never be a famous guy
And it's obvious the reasons why
I'm not cool enough for skinny jeans
And if I was I wouldn't want to be
No I'll never get a record deal
Coz I write songs about the way I feel
Not just saccharine false platitudes
Radio friendly fake and autotuned
But I'm a perfect example of how not to be
And I'm a perfectly imperfect version of a man like me
I'll not amount to anything and no-one listens when I sing
I'l not amount to anything
I'll not amount to anything and no-one listens when I sing
I'l not amount to anything
I'll never be a man free from vice
Collected far too many in my time
No I will not be sober as a judge
Coz I like the taste of whisky far to much
I've always found it tricky to say "no"
When certain things a re waved under my nose
And I know it might be bad for me
But life is short so it might as well be sweet
But I'm a perfect example of how not to be
And I'm a perfectly imperfect version of a man and a
Perfect example of how not to be
And I'm a perfectly imperfect version of a fucking idiot like me
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9. |
Glass Half Empty
04:38
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I'm a glass half empty kind of man
I know it's hard for you to understand
But everywhere I go I see the worst case scenario
Coz I'm a glass half empty kind of man
You're a glass half full up kind of girl
And you inhabit an entirely different world
You're everything I need, the marijuana to my speed
You're a glass half full up kind of girl
And I am sorry, but it seems you got the bad end of this deal
Coz I'll always worry that the way I am might change the way you feel
Coz I'm a glass half empty kind of man
It's just the way I've always been, it's just the way I am
The air above my head has a rain cloud there instead
Coz I'm a glass half empty kind of man
And I am sorry, but it seems you got the bad end of this deal
Coz I'll always worry that the way I am might change the way you feel
You see the good in everyone
I could find a dark place on the surface of the sun
You see the good in everything
You're the perfect counter melody in every single sad song that I sing
You're a glass half full up kind of girl
One smile from you can change my world
You're everything I need, the marijuana to my speed
You're a glass half full up kind of girl
And I am sorry, but it seems you got the bad end of this deal
Coz I'll always worry that the way I am might change the way you feel
The way I am might change the way you feel
The way I am might change the way you feel
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10. |
Tell It To The Beer
05:10
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We spent too long pretending that our band was gonna make it
We never stood a chance but we just stood our ground and faked it
Convinced the world would notice if we made a lot of noise
There's a lot to be said for talentless, over-confident, skinny white boys
Then reality took a bite out of our boyhood dream
A wound we can't recover from, not completely, so it seems
A final ditch attempt to make out fantasy come true
But by then I knew it wouldn't, and I think you knew it too
But now we know our place, we know our station
And though we've never had a proper conversation
You're my friend, and you're my brother
I wouldn't trade the life we've led for any other
We got ourselves a manager, and we played a lot of shows
We even played in London, coz that's where everybody goes
To be discovered as the next big thing but that's not fucking likely
It really is all who you know, not how good at guitar you might be
But we were never that good but that's not the point at least we tried
And the best thing to come out of this is we're best friends 'til we die
So digging in with thickened skin, I love the place I've got to
I love my friends like family, I'd be pretty stupid not to
And now we know our place, we know our station
And though we've never had a proper conversation
You're my friend, and you're my brother
I wouldn't trade the life we've led for any other
Now here we are a decade on and living miles apart
And boyhood dreams are merely distant memories in the past
It seems that life got in the way of our imaginations
Maybe now we'll get around to having that conversation
Even if we don't it doesn't matter coz we're still here
We lived to tell the tale, so let's tell it to the beer
We may not be the men we thought we'd be when we were twenty
But we lived life without compromise and by god we lived it plenty
And now we know our place, we know our station
And though we've never had a proper occupation
You're my friend, and you're my brother
I wouldn't trade the life we've led for any other
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11. |
Under The Table
03:48
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Four days have passed since we'd eaten the last
Piece of food we had in the flat
And ever since then it's been one week long bender
And there's no obvious downside to that
I've called in sick every day of this week
And I think my boss hasn't a clue
But he's known for ages I spend all my wages
On extacy cocaine and booze
Guess that's another job I'll lose
So drink 'til you're under the table
Smoke 'til your lungs are on fire
Numb all the pain with some more of the same
And pray next time you'll get even higher
And everyone's leaving the party this evening
With stories they'll never forget
Of killer joint passes, and tripping out glasses
And things they might later regret
And when everyone's gone we're still carrying on
Coz I hid some of mine from the rest
Coz my friends become vultures, but that's just cocaine culture
Makes selfish men out of the best
And I'm no different from the rest
So drink 'til you're under the table
Smoke 'til your lungs are on fire
Numb all the pain with some more of the same
And pray next time you'll get even higher
Are we getting too old for this now?
Shouldn't we age with more grace?
I know what your answer will be
It's written all over that gurn on your face
So drink 'til you're under the table
Smoke 'til your lungs are on fire
Numb all the pain with some more of the same
And pray next time you'll get even higher
Oh drink 'til you're under the table
Smoke 'til your lungs are on fire
Numb all the pain with some more of the same
And pray next time you'll get even higher
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