Better Him Than Me
‘Cause you phoned me every night,
Just to make sure I’m alive
Only your lips and casket wine
Kept me off olanzapine,
Stilled these trembling hands of mine
If things were different don’t mean much
There were lines we couldn’t cross,
Minds I couldn’t trust
Oh, so-and-so said such and such,
That gets thrown around too much
Where the hell does that leave us?
As I fall back and watch you fall in love
With just someone or other who ain’t sharp enough
To know how to love you, covet you quite like you need
Still, better him than me
Better him than me
You disappear sometimes for weeks
Then I call you up to speak,
You pretend to fall asleep
Neglect can rust respect and trust
Collecting dust like broke antiques,
Our love grew weary then grew weak
As I drift off, I see you drifting away
With some moustache who ain’t worth the time that it takes
To tell you I’m sorry, I wonder how sorry I’ll be
Still, better him than me
Better him than me
And as I look back with hindsight, you’re looking the same,
A face flushed with fury and a stare of disdain
Oh, if you really knew me, you knew what I’d turn out to be
Still, you’re better off with him than me,
Better him than me
Atticus
This ship’s almost ashore
And the waves, they seem so mad at us
And I don’t know what for
Good man, Tobias
Go up and trim the sail
There’s few riches for the pious
No option here to fail
Oh, I see it rising
I see it rising
I see it rising
I…
Well hold on, Mary
In the winter I’ll be home
Oh, god forbid this ship of mine
Don’t splinter on the stone
Hold on, lover
It’ll only be awhile
‘Til you and I discover
Softer swells and one another
Oh, I see it rising
I see it rising
I see it rising
I…
Hold fast, Elijah
The bow is bound to break
Take that devil down inside ya
And try to pray, for heaven’s sake
Well, I see it rising
I see it rising
I see it rising
I…
Cynics
In a Richmond summer rain,
And I saw this girl who smiled just like you
Well I burned with regret, like my first cigarette
As you crossed my mind again
And I watched her pass in the polish on my shoe
See, there was a time when you were mine,
And the world was mine as well
But I’ve a mind as stubborn as a mule
And love, it waits at no man’s gate,
It rings at no man’s bell
And I boarded all my doors up like a fool
Well I guess this city turned us both to cynics
I guess it got the best of us somehow
If I could turn this wishing into whiskey
Well darling, I’d be drunk by now
There’s someone new, he’s not like you
He keeps it all inside
I’d sooner summon blood out of a stone
Ain’t it strange how some things change
But others don’t subside
I’m just terrified we’ll both end up alone
Well I guess this city turned us both to cynics
I guess it got the best of us somehow
If I could turn this wishing into whiskey
Well darling, I’d be drunk by now
Oh darling, I’d be drunk by now
St Philomena
Before we go to bed
My mother said, she said I had a saviour
But it seems my dreams have lost their way,
Bound for flame on judgement day
I pray that I get out on good behaviour
So baptise me, oh cleanse my soul,
Forgive me for the hearts I stole
It starts to take a toll as you grow older
Deliver me out of the hands
Of wolves in wool and sinner’s plans,
Eternity’s a burden I can shoulder
Oh, time has never stayed this slow
Oh, try to take me as your own
Oh, I was better off alone,
I was better on my own
Lord I’m coming home
Come on now, take me in,
Hear it howling in the blowing wind, I said
Come on now, bless my soul,
I fear I feel we’re growing old, I said
Come on now, take me in,
If I die, oh let me live, I said
Come on now, bless my soul,
It’s cold out here, oh don’t you know, I said…
Oh, time has never stayed this slow
Oh, try to take me as your own
Oh, I was better off alone,
I was better on my own,
I was better on my own
Lord I’m coming home
Oh St Philomena,
How I prayed for a return,
Just learn that we have been forsaken
But with that big book on the shelf,
Maybe I’ll convince myself
To share the loss, and bear the cross you’ve taken
Get On
If you wanna get to heaven, son, you’re gonna need a rocket
You wanna make the pearly gate before they start to lock it
Once they lock it, oh you won’t get in
See, hell’s just heaven with the lights turned down
A few more fires we can dance around
And all my friends will be there anyhow
‘Cause I’ve always been a sucker for sin
You gotta get on, get to moving
Get on, before the night’s too cold
You gotta get on, get to moving
Get on, before we’re all too old
Get on
Well I was calm, then I was critical, but now I’m just inspired
Slow to go political but I’m getting f**king tired
Of the demon screaming freedom with her hair on fire
Saying kindness seals our fate
See, first we steal the land, and then we set the laws
Boundless plains with the fastened doors
Oh can’t you see the irony, can’t you see the flaws
Oh no we won’t just wait
You gotta get on, get to moving
Get on, before the night’s too cold
You gotta get on, get to moving
Get on, before we’re all too old
Get on
I’m feeling like this life for some’s a little out of reach
When your coffee and your scones cost you twelve bucks each, but
I’m not here to scold you brother, I’m not here to preach
I say to each their own
But if we gave a little more, spent a little less
You take out what you need but you leave some for the rest
And pay some more attention to the pounding in your chest
And maybe just skip those scones
You gotta get on, get to moving
Get on, before the night’s too cold
You gotta get on, get to moving
Get on, before we’re all too old
Get on
High Horse
Silence bought, violence sold
And nought forgiven,
Lord I’m tired of these ways
That ain’t living, that’s just life these days
They taught you little but tortured smiles
Life’s this riddle where the answer is lie
Oh, so lie down boy,
A high horse leaves a long way to fall
Your feet don’t reach the stirrups,
It’s clear your spirit’s feeble as it’s small
If we hold on,
Are things gonna change, son?
They’ve always been this way, son
Is it how they’re gonna stay?
They say nothing ventured means nothing lost
Not to mention they stabbed holes in the box,
Oh, you should be grateful you can even see outside
And that dangling carrot
That’s just salad for the wealthy and the white
If we hold on,
For change that’s coming
If we hold strong,
Are things gonna change, son?
Or are we bound to bow, boy
Raise the flag, throw in the towel, boy
Or finally stand our ground?
If we take a look, and take a lesson
(And hold on, and hold on)
And tame mistakes from all the guessing
(And hold on, and hold on)
If we count our luck, and count our blessings
(And hold on, and hold on)
You can hold on, you can hold on
Watermark
She was headed some place south-west
And I should’ve let her
I couldn’t breach my house arrest
She said we’re too clever
To ever coexist or coalesce
I thought I knew better
But she knew best
Oh, she’s like flooding rain
And I never saw the weather change
Two years together, four more apart
But I’ve still got a watermark
Well, I hear she married
Some circuit judge out near Adelaide
And her sister Sally
Said all of the groomsmen dressed in suede
Oh, but she still carries
Some sort of semblance of a flame
She took all of me except my name
Oh, she’s like flooding rain
And I saw it in her eyes as she drained away
Two years together, four more apart
But I’ve still got a watermark
Well she’s got a son now
And this Sunday he’ll be three
And her husband’s hair’s brown
But that boy’s as fair as fair can be
His cheeks red as sundown
And his eyes are as clear as sea
You can’t tie his tongue down
Guess he sounds a lot like me
Oh, he’s half flooding rain
And the other half’s too scared to change
Downtrod, down here in the dark
Just scrubbing at this watermark
Cold
In the bags under his eyes
And he asks if it’s alright
If I leave after we’re done
And so I gather up my pride,
Throw my shirt over my shoulder
And his last scorn in my side
He says he’s waiting on someone,
He’s waiting on someone
But I take solace in the fact
That his past is checkered as the blanket
That he drapes across his back
As he turns away to sleep
And that boy’s a stiff old drink
You always wonder why you drank it
And it burns more than you think
Still that burns all I keep
Oh, that burns all I keep
Don’t grow cold
Don’t grow cold on me
I’m cold enough for both of us, so,
Don’t lose your hold
Don’t lose your hold on me
I’m twice the fool I knew I’d be
Well I wonder if I need him
Maybe I’m just smitten
By the grass that’s so forbidden
On his side of the fence
I’m a feather in his cap
I’m the fresh notch on his bedpost
And the thing that hurts my head most
I feel a chance
Oh, I swear I feel a chance
Don’t grow cold
Don’t grow cold on me
I’m cold enough for both of us, so,
Don’t lose your hold
Don’t lose your hold on me
I’m twice the fool I knew I’d be
Lover, I'm Pleading With You
Bolts in my throat
Think I’ve done all the talking,
Now I just sit and croak
Seems only appropriate
To try feed you a smile,
But I keep on choking
Let’s get away for awhile
Lover, I’m pleading with you,
I just don’t know what to do
Gonna get in your car,
You know it isn’t too far
Gonna drive towards the calm,
See if the world still holds calm
And I know you’ve gotta work,
You ain’t getting no help
But I can pay your way, at least for a few days,
So don’t worry yourself
Lover, I’m pleading with you,
I just don’t know what to do
I don’t talk to those people anymore,
That’s not why I’m going
I don’t talk to those people anymore
Just need a chance to get home,
But life keeps on going,
‘Til we’re all set in stone
You tell me you’re busy
Think I already knew
Punching in, clocking off,
Dressing down, scrubbing up,
Doing what you’ve got to do
And I know I can take it,
Though I’m thinner than ply
Cities just shake me,
But I can just shut my eyes
Lover, I’m pleading with you,
I just don’t know what to do
Fourteen Days
Darling, I was married when I met you
And I guess I should’ve told you at the time
But I knew that girl since school,
And I was such a fool to make her mine
Darling, I was young and I was fickle
Oh, love was just a trickle, until you drown
I took her fear for love
But she’d love you just enough to keep you around
Oh, fourteen days of pouring rain
With a shiver I can’t shake
Come hell or high water, I pray that I taught her
Love ain’t a given, it’s all give and take
Well darling, I was sober ’til I met her
So how’d I get here drinking like a fish
Oh, our love was longer,
And stronger than the wall that broke my fist
And darling, I was wise and she was wily
Oh, something in her eyes gave her away
And I just pray that she learns before her
Body returns to the clay
Oh, fourteen days of pouring rain
With a shiver I can’t shake
Come hell or high water, I pray that I taught her
Love ain’t a given, it’s all give and take
If It Keeps On Raining
If the banks stay firm and hold, we’re safe here
If the levee starts to burst
We best expect the worst and race, dear
Oh, I need this bed to float now
Take my leave, go on and row down stream
Just leave me be
Oh, the river gonna bring me down
Oh, the river gonna bring me down
Well, the weather starts to change
As I put that mountain range behind me
As I drifted through the port
I lost the fleeting thought they’d find me
Oh, each day this river widens
Oh, I’d see the change inside her now
If I turned around
Oh, the valley gonna pull me in
Oh, the valley gonna pull me in
Never saw a sign of shore
‘Til I hit the ocean floor and lay there
Though boring half the time
I’ve more than half a mind to stay there
Oh, these skies are growing dark now
Seas will rise and fall, this tide we ride
It rules us all
Oh, the thunder gonna roll on in
Oh, the thunder gonna roll on in
Stovetop Coffee
We’re watching the stars, they’re watching the moon
We all wait for the sun to come break up the gloom
And the wolves they still howl, for the day will break soon
So we stumble on home, kicking bottles and stones
We stumble on home to our room
Well I draw your smile, and you draw the shades
We’ll wait here a while for the sunlight to fade
And evening arrives as the wolves start to bay
The moments will pass and shatter like glass
And leave us at last where we lay
So lay down your sword and come in from the rain
Kick off your boots and shed all your chains
You can stay there all night, still the wolves will remain
I’ve twice checked the locks, I’ve my gun in my socks
And this door can hold more than the strain
In For A Penny
I could not imagine this showing on your face the way it does
I could not hear you speaking of this, no
I could not imagine you telling me the way you think it is
Hold on tight, I was not prepared for you
Your tongue you should bite, cause if you feel the same way too
Then darling, we might find out what we need to do,
But oh, give it time, cause I’m into you, oh
I could not see this going this way, no
I could not imagine this showing on your face the way it does
I could not hear you speaking of me, no
I could not imagine you seeming so comfortable and free
Hold on tight, I was not prepared for you
Your tongue you should bite, cause if you feel the same way too
Then darling, we might find out what we need to do,
But oh, give it time, cause I’m into you, oh
Oh, she said, the days grow long my dear
Oh, he said, if it’s so wrong, why I am still here
He said, when I’m with you my dear
Oh he said, I feel the same way too
To Build A Boat
I promised I’d build you a boat
And I pray each day that it may stay afloat
Amy, go put on your coat
Amy, this wind is too still
And we’ve got a sail to fill
I’ve not a doubt, further out, that it will
Amy, this wind is too still
Darling, there’s rocks to the west
Oh and I can’t shake this ache in my chest
Morning is dawning, it comes without warning
It’s best that we’re going now, better start rowing now
Amy, let’s drift out to sea
And trust there’s a gust in the breeze
Leave both the oars on the shore when we leave
Amy, let’s drift out to sea
Amy, we ain’t coming home
I’ve packed up the things that we own
If anyone rings there’s a note on the phone
Saying Amy, we ain’t coming home
Darling, there’s rocks to the west
Oh and I can’t shake this ache in my chest
The morning is dawning, it comes without warning
It’s best that we’re going now, better start rowing now
Whiskey Jesus
(You need Jesus)
I know it’s risky
But I’ll do whatever pleases me
I know she’ll love me,
I know she’ll love me either way
I know she’ll love me,
I know she’ll love me either way
He’s so good at listening
(She don’t stop talking)
We’ll still be dancing
When we’re too old for walking
But I know he’ll love me
I know he’ll love me either way
I know he’ll love me
I know he’ll love me either way
Well, I ain’t tactful
(Subtle as gunfire)
But it’s a fact that,
That you’re the one, I
I’m gonna love babe
I’m gonna love you either way
I’m gonna love you
I’m gonna love you either way
He buys me jewellery
(She rathers roses)
Well I thought he knew me
That’s how he shows it
But I know he’ll love me
I know he’ll love me either way
I know he’ll love me
I know he’ll love me either way
Well, I’m hardly a heartthrob
(I’m mostly a hot mess)
I fear my heart’s stopped
‘Til she’s in that white dress
And she says she loves me
She says she loves me either way
She says she loves me
She says she loves me either way
Libertine
But thinks it looks better on the floor
And for someone who knows everything about clothes
Well she barely wears a thing anymore
She says that something’s missing when we get to kissing
Cause she doesn’t like the lights turned out
So she throws open the curtains, tears off her shirt,
And turns to candles when the sun burns out
Married to the preacher man, faithful ain’t a feature
And I promise that she’ll eat you alive
She says darling quit your stressing, just give me your blessing
It’ll be the best thing you survive
You don’t know where you went, you don’t know what you spent
But you can smell her scent on your shirt
It’s all for the best, take your heart from your chest
And the rest is all going to hurt
No, you’ll never love her but you see it through
The kind of girl your mother wouldn’t want for you
She’s gonna love you ’til you’re black and blue
Frozen through, your heart in two
Black and blue
Everybody’s needing a story to proceed ’em
But I’m worried that it’s happened again
Cause every time you’re here, I just start to fear
That you haven’t even told them your name
Everybody’s saying you’re simply just playing around
You’ve got a mind of your own
But even just by playing, you’re basically saying
That you’re really scared of being alone
No, you’ll never love her but you see it through
The kind of girl your mother wouldn’t want for you
She’s gonna love you ’til you’re black and blue
Frozen through, your heart in two
Black and blue
Foolish Child
Stupid child, the streets are wild
And they lied when they said the world was better
You called to the night, your voice out of sight
And you were thick to think that he felt it
Foolish child,
These games are far too hard
Mind your heart next time
Foolish child,
Watch your bones fall apart
And boys can’t put them back together
Velvet voice, your car the only noise
As you soothed the creases from my brow
All my fears that I’ve harboured all these years
Were forgotten by the end of the hour
Foolish child,
These games are far too hard
Mind your heart next time
Foolish child,
Watch your bones fall apart
And boys can’t put them back together
Watch your step, ’cause your soul’s all you’ve left
When you’re lying deep in the ground
Copperphone
I reach out but I don’t get a grasp
Oh, we’re spinning ’round too fast
I speak out but I don’t ever ask
Hey, you’re screaming at me too loud
I can’t figure out a way around
Hey, you haven’t even told me your name
Say you wrote the song that I heard
But I know you didn’t write a word
Still you’re the one who’s getting the fame
Every hour, every station
We’ll be blessed by your creation
Everyone will have that song on their mind
But I know with every playing
There’s no truth to what you’re saying
They’ve just written what they know we will like
Stay with me any minute
Now you’ll see they’ll be finding
So many reasons for them
Not to leave
Stare Well
The door reveals the mountain air, there’s still no sign of light
The love within your stare, well
It’s making me feel I’ve been hypnotised
Meet me in the forest, and it’s there we’ll build our home
The city life is boring, there’s enough warmth in our bones
And every time you’re close, well
You’re making me feel like I’m paralysed
You’re making me feel like I’m paralysed
Meet me in the mountains, and we’ll turn towards the east
And as the sun arises, it supplies us with our heat
And every time I speak, well
You’re making me feel like I’ve improvised
Meet me in the morning, as the rain settles in
The storm confirms that winter’s here, we’ll shed our summer skin
And every time you’re near, well
You’re making me feel so romanticised
You’re making me feel so romanticised
It’s time we leave this town
We’ll head for higher ground
We’ll say we’re mountain-bound for somewhere better
It’s time we build our home
We’ll find strength in our bones
We’ll leave, forever known for this adventure
So it’s okay for you to change to somewhere higher
We’ll make a move, we’ll make a way, we’ll start the fire
We’ll sleep for days, and when we wake
We can retire
It’s not the same, it’s not the same, now that we’re older
We wish for warmth, and wish for change, and want it colder
A change of place, a change of pace, pick up our shoulders
Pick up our shoulders
Aisle Seat
But right now I’m scared to leave the room
Cause if I return, well I know you’ll be here
We can pray I miss the lights
And then I’m too late to catch the flight
And I’ll have to stay with you another year
It’s probably best if I don’t speak
Cause what I want to say
Is not acceptable in places quite like these
Not sure what I should do
I guess I’ll just appreciate
The company of someone quite like you
It’s just a mass of stony beach
We’re travelling so fast, but those below,
They underestimate our speed
We’re swallowed into blue
Could this be the emergency
That finally puts those exits to their use?
But in time we will all
Fall down to where we started it all
And this time when you call
I’ll tell you I’ve been sorry since the moment I departed New York
It’s probably best if I don’t sleep
The nights are getting longer,
You’re just trying to fill the space between the sheets
Still I won’t fill the room
I’ll rearrange the house
But never quite remove the space left there by you
My neighbour’s fast asleep
Still, I can’t help but think of how
They’re using up the honoured window seat
They’re blocking out the view
The infinite blue ocean,
We’re doing what we can to chase the moon
But in time we will all
Fall down to where we started it all
And this time when you call
I’ll tell you I’ve been sorry since the moment I departed New York
‘Cause if my plane had never shown,
And if our pain had never grown
We’d have worked it ’til near perfect
And believed that we were home
And it’s been hours since I woke,
And it’s been days now since we spoke
And I’ve been drinking, slowly sinking
Since my television broke
Still the puzzle’s left undone,
And we’re just left chasing the sun
I’m left wishing it was over
Just as soon as we’d begun
And I’ve a suitcase filled with sand,
And I’ve your letter in my hand
I must leave it and can’t see it ’til we land
If Only, For Now Pt. 1
Pour your scars on my skin
I know we’re getting older
Just let it begin
You can’t reason with lovers
‘Cause they only see reasons why
It’s hard to see what you need
With stars in your eyes
So don’t let me down
You don’t know what you’re talking about now
Don’t go and say that you mean it,
‘Cause I believe you won’t let me down
I know we’re just thinking out loud
I won’t just say that I’ve seen it
I’ll leave it to work itself out
Sometimes I wish we were strangers
Then leaving wouldn’t hurt me so much
But I’d sooner die than goodbye
And not know your touch
So don’t let me down
You don’t know what you’re talking about now
Don’t go and say that you mean it,
Cause I believe you won’t let me down
I know we’re just thinking out loud
I won’t just say that I’ve seen it
I’ll leave it to work itself out
But I will fight
And hope that there’s hope left inside of you now
I’m frightened that everything you ever loved
Has now lost its desire
If Only, For Now Pt. 2
The lights went out all over you
And as we left, the tree came down
There was not a breath to break the mighty sound
The humming tone drew us in
The hidden door, the blowing wind
From the river bed, the stony ground
The iron shed, the ocean sound
We could just stay here, if only for now
We could just say this won’t bring us back down
To the ground where we lay
The dust it set, the flag it blew
The lights went out, and darkness grew
And as we left, the silence broke
And from the depths, the voices spoke
And what they said drew us in
The secret note, the blowing wind
From the river bed, the stony ground
The iron shed, we’re homeward bound
We could just stay here, if only for now
We could just say this won’t bring us back down
To the ground where we lay
So hold on tight, hold ’til it’s numbing,
‘Til your palms have gone white, cause change is always coming, so
Check your grasp, the movement approaches
And it’s coming on fast, we’ll hit before you know it, so
While We're Here
You have to live it well
I said, how can you tell
She said the only cure for this love
Is to learn to love you more
I said, how can you be sure
Cause try as we might, we don’t get out alive
And we are all just driven by the fear
So let’s take this night, begin to live or start to die
Cause loving’s all we’ve got while we’re here,
While we’re here
You said my only fear in this world
Is to truly show my face
I said, don’t let life go to waste
You said I never believed
That love is even real
I said you never got to feel
Cause try as we might, we don’t get out alive
And we are all just driven by the fear
So let’s take this night, begin to live or start to die
Cause loving’s all we’ve got while we’re here,
While we’re here
She said, don’t you remember,
Cause I can’t seem to forget you
You know I’ll never let you down
He said, that’s not the issue,
But every time I was with you,
My feet wouldn’t touch the ground
She said, don’t you remember,
Cause I can’t seem to forget you
You know I’ll never let you down
The Storm
Come on I’ll take you home
You’re walking on the ceiling,
You’re stealing the show
In the morning you’ll feel better,
But this is not a joke
It’s a storm that you can’t weather,
It’s better we go
So close your eyes and take a breath
I will only try what I think’s best for us
Take a seat and slow it down
Try to see how this is for the rest of us
Cause I can see the storm, it’s closing in
And the rain will only fall where we have been
And we’ll be fine as long as we keep travelling, oh
I know that you’ve been thinking
The room is spinning ’round
But darling you’ve been drinking,
And it’s bringing us down
I know that you’ve been dreaming,
Cause I can see it on your face
It’s time that we were leaving,
Cause you’re not seeing straight,
Oh, you’re not seeing straight
So close your eyes and take a breath
I will only try what I think’s best for us
Take a seat and slow it down
Try to see how this is for the rest of us
Cause I can see the storm, it’s closing in
And the rain will only fall where we have been
And we’ll be fine as long as we keep travelling, oh
Wave
My love for you, it goes on
There’s a bridge running over the water
And I could take it and get straight to you,
But there’s so much left to make of this
Though the water’s running faster than ever
We could dive in if we wanted to
And it could take us somewhere else than this
There’s a ship going over the ocean
And we could take it at a steady pace
Cause there’s so much more to learn from this
But if it comes to be the greatest of options
We could dive into the tidal wave
And I’ll still be glad it’s turned to this
So I’ll run, cause it’s all that I can do
There’s a place where the river is narrow
And we could jump it rather easily
But there’s so much left to still decide
If it comes to be, the water is shallow
We should wait to get across the stream
Cause I’m still not sure which is the better side
So I’ll run, cause it’s all that I can do
It’s all that I can do
There’s a place, there’s a time
It’s a race to the line again,
I’ll give chase
There’s a start, there’s an end
There’s a place in my heart again,
I’ll make haste
There’s a place, there’s a time
It’s a race to the line again,
I’ll give chase
There’s a start, there’s an end
There’s a place in my heart again,
I’ll make haste
Oh, my love for you, it goes on, it goes on
My love for you, it goes on, hey hey hey yeah
My love for you, it goes on, it goes on,
My love for you, it goes on
Jacarandas
In the early afternoon
I try to wring it dry
But it still remembers you
I tell my friends I’m fine
And I tell that to you too
My ma says I’ve lost my spine
All of my body aches for your body
Still I tell nobody what I know
All of the reasons I stayed quiet,
I no longer believe them
These are the few things that I know
In spring, the jacarandas bloom
And hailstorms make me think of you
It’s all a little quieter when you leave
I paint my heart on the fence
And I wait and watch it dry
I sit and try to brush away
The thought you’re still not satisfied
Your morning kiss over coffee
Started feeling like goodbye
I saw the jacarandas die
All of my body aches for your body
Still I tell nobody what I know
All of the reasons I stayed quiet,
I no longer believe them
These are the few things that I know
If early skies are stained with red
The fishermen will stay in bed
I hope the hail makes you think of me
Nothing makes me miss you more
Than peach-grey clouds and all your flaws
The colours all feel tireder when you leave
When you leave,
I wake later in the day
When you leave,
My nights burn out in the tray
When you leave me
I run out of things to say
When you leave
When you leave
When you leave
Oh, when you leave me
Keep On Coming Over
Where I am pressed against the floor
And pressed for breath
And I’m a man, but often manic
I am the pound and I am the panic in my chest
There’s a side of you that’s tried and true
That tried to do the best with what I gave
But my anxiety’s like prejudice and lecithin
It’s in everything these days
Keep on coming over,
Keep on coming around and kicking the door down
I need it more now than you’ll ever know
I got myself sober, so my mind’s a little quicker,
Quicker on the draw now
Better the devil you know
Than some drunkard you don’t
Here’s to the hopeless, the hopeful and hope-filling
The unstable, unable and unwilling
And here’s to those who need a break from feeling broke
Here’s to finding what it takes for us to cope
For us to cope
Well I kept my drug store saviours at arm’s length
At the expense of better sleep
Though it taught me to be patient
That brand of education don’t come cheap
And my shoulders grind most of the time,
But that’s fine, I’m told it’s where I hold my stress
Most of what I hold just tends to vanish
So I’m surprised there’s any left
Keep on coming over,
Keep on coming around and kicking the door down
I need it more now than you’ll ever know
I got myself sober, so my mind’s a little quicker,
Quicker on the draw now
Better the devil you know
Than some drunkard you don’t
Here’s to those who need a break from feeling broke
And here’s to finding what it takes for us to cope
Thank God
I’m pretty sure that’s what I thought when I met you
Between my mother and my friends, you found your critics
Still there’s no limit to the boundaries you blew through
You always said enough with no specifics
Try and blind me with the science, and skip the truth
Well I tried to park the thought, but my mind kept driving
When it arrived, I found some second thoughts on you
Thank god that I’m prone to overthinking
Thank god that I thought ’til I was sure
Thank god I let it hurt and let it sink in
Now I can tell you without blinking
I don’t need you anymore
Don’t they say that love is blind and blame is blinding?
That explains most of the time I spent with you
So you can keep your family name and social climbing
It’s time I start shining like the diamond I outgrew
Thank god that I’m prone to overthinking
Thank god that I thought ’til I was sure
Thank god I let it hurt and let it sink in
Now I can tell you without blinking
I don’t need you anymore
You once said, “All that ends just ends poorly”,
So don’t try calling me bawling when you’re pissed
There’s no ‘happy’, there’s no ‘ever after’ to this story
And I’ve no urge to reconcile or reminisce
I’ve put more than I ought to into this
Thank god that I’m prone to overthinking
Thank god that I thought ’til I was sure
Thank god I let it hurt and let it sink in
Now I can tell you without blinking
I don’t need you anymore
Between Heartbreaks
I need to be sure that we’re on the same page
See, there’s looking for signals, there’s looking for more
And I’m not looking to get lead astray
I could dream this love into existence
I’m ungodly persistent when I want it my way
There’s the good, and the bad, and the difference
The difference is who’s there at the end of the day
But it’s hard to hold hope at the start of the joke
When the punchlines keep letting you down
So I’m between heartbreaks right now
Just nod now if you understand me
I feel too much doubt to determine disdain
I don’t learn my lessons and I don’t pick my questions
I just say what I think, don’t think what I should say
You’ve seen my head get all the forms of fucked up
And you’ve helped me to get it on straight
You know the songs that I sing,
They don’t make folks dance in the usual ways
Still you danced with me in the kitchen
Such earnest conviction in your usual grace
Though I stood on your toes, and all the music I chose
Was too slow, and not to your taste
But I was always so good at bad timing
Your gaze dived from my eyes to the ground,
Said “I’m between heartbreaks right now”
What’s the good in good timing when the good times don’t last?
When the harder you’re trying, the quicker they pass
And I don’t need reminding, so you don’t need to ask
What’s the good in good timing when the good times don’t last?
Well it’s hard to hold hope at the start of the joke
When the punchlines keep letting you down
So I’m between heartbreaks right now
Shotgun Wedding
Like your high school sweetheart
Sinking in the back of a cop car
You never would’ve got far, anyway
Some things make you guarded
Like the long walk home,
Alone and broken-hearted
You’d barely even started to escape
I grew up in a small town,
Where the small kids slipped
through the small cracks in the playground
And all of their big dreams dissipate
And I met you on the upslope
We got by on getting high
And hiding our high hopes
Shove a stick in the bike spokes, and fake the grade
It was shaping up to be so much bigger
Than a shotgun wedding on a hair trigger
Like something to make your heart beat quicker
Some things make your head spin
Like when your therapist says
That you’re not misread, you’re just spread thin
But he’s good as guessing, anyway
You grew up in a pipe dream,
Where all of the cakes were baked
With stevia and light cream
So the world just might seem a little sweet to taste
It was shaping up to be so much bigger
Than a shotgun wedding on a hair trigger
Like something to make your heart beat quicker
We were saving up for a two-bed fixer,
Grow some roses and raise a litter
Too far gone to reconsider
Breathing heavy like the air got thicker
Something to make your heart beat quicker
Roses
Violets are just violet
Love takes longer than you think
We’ve only watched the pilot
If it’s as precious as they’ve told me,
Then I really wish you’d hold me while you can
The devil’s in the detail
It’s been known to confuse me
This heart’s an old two-stroke
It never runs smoothly
And it starts shaking when it’s idle
I try to dampen its denial when I can
And sometimes I labour the point
Sometimes you point out all the traits I’m ashamed of
Some days we’re burning, some we’ve had enough
But it’s all part of learning the labour of love
Blame it on the movies
Unusual expectations
The jaded face of beauty
Romantic affectations
Long before you knew me
I’d try forgo this fabrication where I can
Well your beauty’s in your mercy
Not in the eye of some beholder
And all your grace that makes me worthy
And look forward to growing older
And I know that I get wordy
But still I’d rather know that I told you while I can
And sometimes I labour the point
Sometimes you point out all the traits I’m ashamed of
Some days we’re burning, some we’ve had enough
But it’s all part of learning the labour of love
Hopeless Folks
That I can live out my dreams through
And though I won’t mean to,
I’ll push to the boil
And I hope for a daughter
Just like me, only shorter
That learns to loathe me like you will,
But I’ll spare and I’ll spoil
See, hope’s just a thing that hopeless folks talk about
I hope that we cope when the hopeless love ends
And in time, you will lose it
That raw fascination
Enter fresh realisation
I’m just like the rest
And in time, I will fail you
Like I swore that I couldn’t
When the shoes that I stood in
Didn’t feel underdressed
See, time’s just a thing that busy folks talk about
To justify all of the years that they spend
While their love gets mislaid, misconveyed and mistaken
So most of the time, all the timeless loves end
By the time this love ends,
I hope against hope we aren’t empty
By the time this love ends,
I hope to be gently let down
There’s reasons aplenty that you’ll grow to resent me
Oh lord, protect me from your mother and your friends
And the kids every other weekend
By the time this love ends
If I live to see children
Who won’t have the time
When I lose what’s left of my mind
And I find my repose
Then I hope I go quietly
No coda or footnote
Just this old wooden overcoat
And a tag on my toe
See, living only matters when you realise you’re dying
And dying only matters if you care where you’ll go
Living only matters when there’s something to live for
And the more I’m around you, the more that it grows
The more it chips to the bone
Like the wind when it snows
From the depths of my chest to the pads of my toes
Oh, the more I’m around you, the more that it grows
By the time this love ends
SomeLovesJustGetLost
The other half I’m working on myself
And half the time I’m working you up
I’m really just begging for your help
We discussed the need for trust
But I was brought up by the bible and the belt
And half my life I’m tiring
The other half I’m trying to excel
Most of life is in the timing
Most of luck is just the hand you’re dealt
But my hands are wet with privilege,
Claimed forgiveness and residual wealth
So it feels a sight improper
To hang crepe for every bother that I’ve felt
Some loves just get lost
Some get lost in translation
Some loves just get lost
I’m just trying to be patient
Half the time I let you in
The other half I’m just letting you down
There’s this quiet calm complacency
A place that complications can compound
The definition of division
By some notion you can turn it all around
‘Til you wind up face down in the kitchen
A victim of living, too tightly wound
Some loves just get lost
Fires
I have been good
Now it’s only when I dream we touch and kiss
See, as much as I want you
I can’t keep lighting fires in these parts
It is far too dry here, you’ll have to sleep in the quiet
In the quiet and in the dark
Please believe me, I never meant for this
I’m working on being good
I’ve forgotten other whispers and fingertips
See, I’ve tried not to want you
I’ve looked for lonely fires in other parts
But it is far too nice there, I’d rather wait in your quiet
In your quiet and in the dark
I was hiding in the bathtub
Smoke was seeping through the door
I swore I’d stay and fight if things got dire
I told myself I was leaving you a hundred times before
But you always see the smoke before the fire
Congratulations
I even thought that you were waiting for me there
Congratulations on such abject speculation
I’ve not seen a soul so craven or behave so unaware
Congratulations, now all the words I had are wasted
And your train has left the station
And I couldn’t pay the fare
The hardest part of coming home is knowing who’ll be there
It’s your face but I never see your smile
It’s feeling like I’m losing you and losing all my hair
Things that flourish when you’re younger fall out after a while
These things grow then fall out after a while
Congratulations on such fine self-flagellation
Aren’t the righteous all impatient with themselves?
Such indignation, well I’m not here to preach persuasion
If you don’t want to speak to Satan, don’t call hell
Oh, congratulations on such keen-eyed observations
The mean guy role’s been taken,
But you play the part so well
And the hardest part of coming home is knowing who’ll be there
It’s your face but I never know the voice
Some days it’s cold and callous, some nights I swear you care
Sometimes I fear the worst of you won’t leave me any choice,
Sometimes I fear you won’t give me a choice
Congratulations, well I guess you made your destination
And my need for explanations
Will die here with me someday
Lakehouse
Oozing that bulletproof brashness your rhetoric demands
You always boil out the blemishes, make a broth of a man
And she’s holding your hand
Well, the uptake’s like nettles, ’til the ache settles in
Then love drops her petals there under your skin
That ache’s there to say that you’re paying for your sins
The ache settles in
And it’s not a breakthrough
The quandary that breaks you,
It ain’t the one that you fear
And it’s more of a breakdown
A few nights in the lakehouse
To get your head clear
Just had to get out of here
You’ve sworn at the ceiling and even more to yourself
That you want more of me, but you need more than help
Oh, and the more your words fail you, the harder you yell
And swear to yourself
But it’s not a breakthrough
The quandary that breaks you
Is far from profound
And it’s more of a breakdown
A few nights in the lakehouse
And you try burn it down
And you get out of town
Come back when the flame’s out, blame and doubt,
A shame about the fire
It’s strange what the brain does when it’s burning desire
Oh, burning desire
Strawman
I built a strawman from your words
But I was only ever trying to hold ground, not to hurt
And it must have been the seventh call,
‘Cause one through six were a free for all
We were both so quick to find shit to assert
And I was off my head on a foldout bed
On the mezzanine in my brothers shed,
You said you needed me like bleeding on the brain
It took much too long to think that through
‘Cause I thought maybe that you need me too,
Instead I crawled home and told you that I’d changed
You see, I dream in black and white
But I lack the fight and I lack the stones
What’s the good in being right and left alone?
Sometimes my mind gets taken back
To the conversation that we once had
About all the ways that love makes us insane
And we’ve trod this road ten times before,
And each implosion showed me more
Still we resort to doing things the same
You see, I dream in black and white
But I lack the fight and I lack the stones
What’s the good in being right and left alone?
And I watched fruit die on the vine
‘Cause I lack the spine to taste what’s grown
But that lets a lot of spoiled seeds get sown
Now I’m a fistful of old percocet
And a purpose yet to grow
Just a thriving line of loves that I bemoan
You see, I dreamt of you in white
But I lacked the fight and I lacked the stones
Like the night you read my rights and left alone
Falling In And Out
Just the shirt on your back and bad memories of me
Oh, the ache and the anguish, the damage, the doubt
There’s a lot more to love than just falling in and out
That’s all you’re left with when the yearning runs dry
A shoebox apartment and permission to cry
A dog that you named, and a joint account
There’s a lot more to love than just falling in and out
That’s all you’re left with, is space to expunge
All of this biding your time and biting your tongue
The devotion that you dropped down the crack in the couch
There’s a lot more to love than just falling in and out
That’s all you’re left with, is ‘after the beep’
Just a long empty space you can place your critique
To hear you acknowledge just one time out loud
That there’s a lot more to love than just falling in and out
Reflections
Of those troubadour clichés
And the night that you said ‘fare thee well’
Sits fairly well these days
And there’s nothing like distraction
To help the doom slip by
But I can’t look my reflection in the eye
And I’ve shelled my share of evenings
Staring holes right through my shoes
I’ve often scurried by Bad Frankie’s
For fear of bumping into you
But it’s helped me curb the backsliding
I tried to justify
I can’t look my reflection in the eye
Now I keep myself encouraged,
Counting the worries I outgrew
And the long days make me ache
The way I used to ache for you
So I renew my puissance
With each night that I survive
And the cause of my compunction
Is how we ended here
Our only sin was in the function,
Symbiotic but insincere
In conjunction with the boredom
Of the unbeholden balladeer
All the Bacharach and back of the rack wine
Dripping cold contrition down my spine
‘Til I can’t look my reflection in the eye
So it’s back down to the coal face,
Head to toe in sweat and soot
Well I’ve learned to tow the line,
And to live on the back foot
But upon deeper inspection,
Well you start to realise
That the memories you adore
Absorb the remorse that you despise
And the nights when I get hungry,
I can eat my words and swallow my pride
But I can’t look my reflection in the eye
by the time this love ends – 2025
Released 5 September 2025
Written and performed by The Northern Folk: Paul Dyason, Georgie Currie, Renn Picard, Jayden Dunne, Edward Caunt, Miguel Hutton, Alex Cameron, Khayl Picard, Grace Hornsby, William Carey, and James Eggleston
Lyrics by Paul Dyason, except tracks 7, 8, and 13 co-written with Georgie Currie
Engineered, mixed and produced by Renn Picard at his home studio
Recorded on Wurundjeri country
Mastered by Joe Carra at Crystal Mastering
Photography by Lewis Ayton
Logo by Kristian Rasmussen
With thanks and love to our families, friends, and supporters
watermark – 2019
Released 29 March 2019
Written and performed by The Northern Folk: Paul Dyason, Georgie Currie, James Eggleston, Jayden Dunne, Edward Caunt, William Carey, Alex Cameron, Khayl Picard, Renn Picard, and Grace Hornsby
Lyrics by Paul Dyason, except track 4 co-written with James Eggleston, and track 9 by Alex Cameron
All tracks recorded at Newmarket Studios, North Melbourne, on Wurundjeri country
‘Get On’ engineered and mixed by Callum Barter at Newmarket Studios
with Michael Parker – trumpet
All other tracks engineered by Julian McKenzie at Newmarket Studios
Mixed by Callum Barter at Remo Music, Highland Park, Los Angeles
Mastered by Joe Carra at Crystal Mastering, Melbourne
Artwork by Amber Gittins (original work titled ‘Outback Storm’)
Logo by Kristian Rasmussen
stumble on home – 2016
Released 28 October 2016
Written and performed by The Northern Folk: Paul Dyason, Georgie Currie, James Eggleston, Jayden Dunne, Edward Caunt, William Carey, Alex Cameron, Khayl Picard, Renn Picard, Michael Parker, and Grace Hornsby
Lyrics on tracks 1, 4, and 6 by Paul Dyason and James Eggleston; tracks 2 and 5 by Paul Dyason; track 3 by James Eggleston; and track 7 by Georgie Currie
Engineered and mixed by Adam Rhodes at Sing Sing Studios, Melbourne
Mastered by Ross Cockle at Sing Sing Studios, Melbourne
Recorded on Wurundjeri country
Artwork by Alison Percy
the northern folk – 2015
Released 2 October 2015
Written and performed by The Northern Folk: Paul Dyason, Georgie Currie, James Eggleston, Edward Caunt, William Carey, Alex Cameron, Khayl Picard, Renn Picard, and Michael Parker
Lyrics by James Eggleston, except track 6 by Paul Dyason
Engineered and mixed by Adam Boon at Professional Audio Services, Wodonga
Mastered by Tony Boon at Professional Audio Services, Wodonga
Recorded on Dhudhuroa country
Artwork by Nora Goodbourn