Tuesday Lilies

the year was still a young one
when I heard the banshees howl
been racing with the dead eyed dogs
on the edge of the big void
into the heart of darkness next to the big void

been fed with love and beer and booze
queer city angels took my blues
downed it in one gulp made sure
it never would appear
never would appear

while Europe’s busy going bust
and rock'n'roll still takes its toll
while there’s all that talk of gloom and doom
them Tuesday lilies won’t
ever stop to bloom

now who of you will come with me
and walk out on the ledge
and gaze into the velvet April sky
and please play “Port Of Amsterdam” for me
you’ll find a teardrop in my eyes
I’ll feel light as feather
and I’m ready for to fly
light as a feather I would fly

row your surfboard up the bus lane
on that Boulevard Vauban
past the radio station
that played Harbour Town
they would change your name to “a droit”
get you high on Picon bière
felt lost out on the highway
now it feels as I’ve been found
lost myself out there but now I’m found

now who of you will join me
on my walk out on the ledge
to gaze into the velvet April sky
when they play “Port Of Amsterdam” for me
and make me lose myself and cry
I’m ready to go anywhere, I’m ready for to fly
light as feather I would fly

Moonshine Special

mama rode the moonshine special
mama drove it right into the wall
mama said no sheriff will arrest me
then mama went up in a fire ball

mama never left without her shotgun
kept that sawed-off little sweetheart ‘neath her seat
cigar between her teeth, when she sat behind the wheel
mama always had the feds upon her heels

me and Sue were parked in that dark side road
my fingers almost made it in her pants
when mom came shooting by as fast as lightning
just a little bit too fast for that last bend


mama crashed into the ten mile turnpike
down there on the western county line
when the feds stared at the few remains of ma’ they said
she was the best damn whiskey runner that we had

mama rode the moonshine special
mama drove it right into the wall
there was no one who ever did arrest her
yeah mama went up in a fire ball

Black Water

this town’s a grand old river
that’s what I’ve been told
no one ever told me
it’s mean and it’s cold
they say if you make it
you make it round here
they didn’t say there’s a price to pay
and that’s trouble
trouble on end

this town’s my big true lover
that’s what it always been
I knew she would feed me
with pleasure and sin
they say if you get there
well, you get there to win
they didn’t say when it comes to pay
it’ll shake you
and break you
and take you deep deep down

you’re that cheap Mia Farrow
with a copper to your left and your right
travelling business class on a ghost train
that’s a one-way ticket to ride
and you’ve seen the unspeakable
I can tell by the look in your eyes
plunged head on into darkness
this river’s sheer blackness
and this river’s black waters still rise

rise, rise, rise rise
black waters
rise, rise, rise
rise black waters rise

seems like business as usual
for the plain-clothes police
and the medics on this dull autumn day
from across the canal
from some open window
some strangely sweet music would play
and it’s breaking my heart to
see you glaring at someone or
something somewhere far away
away from the darkness
this river’s sheer blackness
and the waters that always would rise

rise, water, rise

Grief

checked the screen
a thousand times
but no text would appear
if i gone out too far this time
the waves would keep me there
the gulls
would sing my songs for you
I wish i had
some more to give
but now
grief
is love without a home

connection fails
no wakeup call
will reach me over here
set the sails for candyland
like many times before
but now
they just sell one-ways here
i wish i’d known
right from the start
no bliss
for a home without a heart


A Tenner, An Album, A Heart

we ran like headless chicken
on a tightrope without net
staked all we had on passion
no it’s never a safe bet
drove endless miles to get here and
each mile i do regret

but made a tenner sold an album won a heart

they put us up in junk yards
they feed us gone-off beer
the food’s not on the menu
‘cause they can not sell it here
tonight it’s free admission
but we’re free to pass the hat

to make a tenner sell an album win a heart

tonight we’ll be invincible
tonight we’ll do alright
trouble is the bar man says
“forgot you’re on tonight”
where there’s no crowd there ain’t no pay
but you can try to play

to make a tenner sell an album win a heart


Border Song

it’s break or be broken
a rule not outspoken
for him who will dare
devil may care
rather give it a go
than die around here
without future or past
and a shipload of fear

word is there’s a train
to the north county campsites
at the terminal station
they feed you with bags full of
hope and it’s said
you can stand in the queue
wait for your lucky number
be among the chosen few

and they’re throwing the dice and they’ll soon let you know
is it hell or paradise where you gotta go
they pretend to be god but that’s just a disguise
something’s gone off here
it just doesn’t seem right
I’m afraid we’re all screwed for they
close down the borders tonight

if you run into my sister
or my brother or my mom
tell them no one can hurt me
after all they have done
and I’ll be on that train
and I’ll make it big time
and we’ll soon meet again
and there’ll be no borderline
and I’ll be on that train and I’ll
make it big time and we’ll
soon meet again and there’ll be no
borderline

and they’re gambling with souls and they play their own rules
and they treat us like fools and they say we’ll be fine
if we stay where we are if we don’t cross that line
something’s gone off here
let’s get this straight
they don’t give a fuck and they
close down the borders tonight


Into The Light

you said I do confuse you and that you kinda like it
and you want me to just carry on
did I tell you I fell for this river not you
as I fell for the lakes and the sea

the people at work they’re good people, but they don’t sing your song
and you know you will never, that you’ll never ever sing theirs

you’ll never sing theirs

and someone’s appearing out of the shadow
with a secret just meant for your ears
your songs make me think about the sea and the past
and what’s coming and what’s going to last

and someone’s appearing out of the darkness
with a secret just for you to hear
your songs make me think about the sea and they
make me want to dance
make me want to dance

will they start a war while I’m asleep
put some dirt on the white, the immaculate green
will they chop of the heads of the queen and the king
in this year that was lacking a spring

I know I will blow it as I blown it before
I’ll be losing ground as I lost ground before
don’t take it personally, I still do regret
I threw up on your living room floor

I’ve got not much to offer
but I’m happy to share
a moment of bliss in these times of despair
when it all
seems to go wrong

and someone’s appearing out of the shadow
with a secret just meant for your ears
your songs make me think about the sea and the past
and what’s coming and what’s going to last

and someone’s appearing out of the darkness
with a secret just for you to hear
your songs make me think about the sea and they
make me want to dance
make me want to dance

into the light


Homeland

the hours keep a-crawling
now the leaves they’re a-falling
can you tell me my dear
where did this year disapear
if i think long enough
and i find the right line
i might remember that homeland of mine

the end of the summer
feels worse every year
will this struggle go on
will we sing that old song
will we freeze in disgust
in a land that’s gone bust
will our hearts still be beating
for that homeland we lost

driftwood i am
on the wide open sea
in search of a harbour
that’s waiting for me
steered my way clear
of the rocks and the sand
longing for some place
I’d call my homeland


and i keep singing prayers
to the sky and the sea
to retain what seems
kind of homeland for me
and i keep sending prayers
to the heaven above
to let me find someday
some homeland to love


Folk Song

take that folk song shove it up your arse
take that folk song shove it up your arse
take that treasure of tradition
brother, grease it with a vision
now take that lame old folk song up your arse

johnny went to play the monday folk club
convinced his whacky tunes would suit them well
they didn’t like his stuff
told him to bugger off
once a monday folk club was enough

take that country yodle up your arse
take that country yodle up your arse
take that great americana
spice it up with marihuana
take that old time country yodle up your arse

nellie went to join the bluegrass nazis
wednesday night down at the union hall
her picking was too slow
so they told her to go
and never come down wednesday night no more

take that country yodle up your arse
take that folk song shove it up your arse
take that folk tradition up your arse