1. |
To Be A Man
03:43
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To Be A Man
I thought it was simple, thought it was easy,
Thought I’d become one just because….
Thought all I had to do was nothing;
Bide my time, sit back and nod (nod and wait).
Shoot some pool, chase some girls,
Drink some beer, talk shit with my mates.
All the heroes that I’d seen
Carried the scars of burnt-out dreams (the deeper, the better).
Now I’m learning what it means.
Now I’m learning what it means
To be a man.
Wake in the morning, put on a smile;
“I’m doing well, I’m doing fine.” (just don’t ask me about it, alright!).
“Always right.” “Always wrong.”
“Suck it up.” “Don’t let your feelings show.” (“Be in control.”)
“No regrets.” “Always win.”
“Show no fear.” “Go as hard as you can!” (“Prove you’re a man!”)
All these messages we get,
Telling us how we’re supposed to be men. (Ah, don’t believe the hype!)
Now I’m learning what it means.
Now I’m learning what it means
To be a man.
But who the hell are we learning from?
Who the hell are we learning from?
Too many fathers absent or gone;
Too few good men, reliable and strong,
To pass that knowledge on -
To be a man.
And what it takes to be a man -
And what it takes to be a man -
And what it takes, I tell my sons,
Through my mistakes to be a man:
Backbone and heart. Backbone and heart.
Backbone and heart - to be a man.
Now I’m learning what it means.
Now I’m learning what it means.
Now I’m learning what it means
To be a man.
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2. |
Ana (out of control)
03:10
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Ana (out of control)
He followed her down to the river
And kissed her as she slipped downstream,
Out into the mouth of the ocean,
Out into the mouth of the sea.
He couldn’t make her stay,
Couldn’t let her go;
Ana, out of control.
Said, I will not believe
You’ll never come back home!
Ana, out of control
He followed her down to the river
And kissed her as she slipped from him.
Every night he had to watch her go.
Every night it was the same dream.
He couldn’t make her stay,
Couldn’t let her go;
Ana, out of control.
Said, I will not believe
You’ll never come back home!
Ana, out of control
Sometimes it felt like a mountain.
Sometimes it felt like a cloud.
Sometimes it felt like a whisper.
Sometimes it felt like a shout.
I’m not ready to let you go!
I’m not ready to let you go!
I’m not ready to let you go!
Ana, this grief is a stone.
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3. |
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Phone Call To My Dad At Xmas
Hey dad, I’m sorry, it’s been a while,
I’m wishing you a merry xmas.
I can see you with a beer in your chair by the door.
I can picture mum wrapping the presents.
The boys are outside in the summer sun,
Running around and playing with the hose.
They were asking if it’s night for Uncle Connell in Dublin.
They were asking if his street will get snow.
I bet your garden’s looking great!
Have you dug up the spuds for dinner?
I just know my brother will get there late –
Because that was always my brother.
I can see Niamh giving out gifts by the tree;
There should be some in the post from the boys and me.
And when everyone gets there say hi to them, please.
The boys say hello to their cousin.
I love you.
I wish I could be there.
Merry xmas.
Merry xmas.
I hear you’ve been breaking down?
Well, hang in there old man!
I’ll get there with the whiskey.
The doctors’ll get there when they can.
Ah, it’s been a hell of a year.
Holly has a new partner.
But the boys are happy and growing big.
And Quinn’s getting used to his glasses.
The other night we watched the Brass Band play
As they switched on the lights.
I was never one for xmas songs
But somehow I couldn’t stop crying.
I thought of me, and I thought of the boys,
And I thought of you and mum,
And how there’ll be a million more Christmases
‘Cause we’ll all just stick around.
And the band played Auld Lang Syne.
And the band played O Holy Night.
And the band played O Little Town Of Bethlehem.
And the band played Peace On Earth, Goodwill to Men.
Ah, and Little Drummer Boy….
Ah, and Deck The Halls…
I don’t say it enough but I should:
I love you.
I wish I could be there.
Merry xmas.
Merry xmas.
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4. |
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This One’s For The Winos, The Working Girls, The Lovers, and The Crowds Passing By
I duck down in the alley,
Looking for a light,
I’ve got holes in my shoes
So my feet don’t get too tight.
I’ve got a pocket full of nothing,
And a brim full of sky,
To take me through the belly
Of a Saturday night.
I’ve got nowhere that I’ve got to be;
I’m footloose, unaffiliated, feeling fine, and fancy-free
With the winos on the cobblestones,
And the jugglers throwing bones under light.
The streets are gold tonight.
I’ve been across this city,
Under every overpass;
Sat in every open doorway,
Up against the glass;
I’ve seen every kind of face;
And, if you have to ask,
There’s a treasure trove of richness
In the cracks we pass.
I’ve got nowhere that I’ve got to be;
I’m just getting myself out on Cuba Street,
With the working girls, and the weaving crowds,
And the lovers arm and arm, in up tight.
The streets are gold tonight.
Just down past the Hotel Bristol
Somebody’s blowing “Nobody Owns The Moon”;
An old man laughs; a car toots its horn;
This is our town, baby -
This is our town glowing in gold.
I’ve got nowhere that I’ve got to be.
I ain’t thinking of Lorraine, she ain’t thinking about me….aye.
I duck down in the alley,
Looking for a light.
I’ve got holes in my shoes
So my feet don’t get too dry.
I’ve got a pocket full of nothing,
And a hand, a handful of time.
This one’s for the winos, and the working girls,
And the lovers, and the crowds passing by.
The streets are gold tonight.
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Stewart Pedley Coromandel, New Zealand
‘Eclectic in style’ is a good way to describe the music of Stewart Pedley. He draws from a wide range of influences - from rock to folk, to New Orleans groove, to blues and punk and jazz - and has thrown them together to form a distinctive voice in songwriting. Front and centre of his music, always, is an attention to lyrics and a knack for good storytelling. ... more
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