The last three songs on Ten Objects delve down into areas even I’m not sure about.
Don’t Ask Me
This is an old song that’s long waited its turn to get on an album. Conceived on a lonely weekend visit to Luxembourg, it catches a couple who’ve experimented with an open relationship descending into bitterness and retribution.
Don’t Ask Me (CD quality) Download
Don’t Ask Me (mp3) Download
I’d always imagined it as a piano ballad, and was delighted when James Bryce took over from my stumbling chords and played it fluently. Sarah Whiteside backs him up on cello.
Don’t Ask Me
Don’t ask [C]me
Don’t ask [E7]me
If you should [F]stay here tonight
When there’s [Fm]somewhere you’d rather [C]be
Don’t ask me
Don’t pass it to [E7]me
I’ve got [F]temptations of my own
I won’t [E7]be your chaperone
[Am]You’ve been walking this [E7]city
From [Am]bar to feckless [E7]bar
[F]The yellow [Fm]streetlights
And the [C]crawling cars
[Am]Is it some kind of [E7]penance
[Am]That you do for [G7]me?
Well [C]there’s your [G]halo
In a [C]second of [Bb]amber [F]light
If [Fm]that’s what you want, don’t ask [C]me
[Abm]You always were a diplomat
Even [Am]on the other side
[Gm]You had all the denials and the [Dm]charm
[Abm]But now the border’s open, and you’ve [Am]nothing to defend
[Gm]You want to surrender in somebody’s[C] arms [Ab] [Bb] [C]
Don’t ask meDon’t ask meIf you’ve got your eye on some little possibilityDon’t ask meYou’re the one who’s freeI’ve got years to walk these roomsIn this decorated tomb
You gave me your diaryIn a moment of truthAs if I’d want to seeThe view from you
You don’t need me to give youA pat on your swollen headYou just throw in a passwordTo set your conscience freeWell if that’s what you want, don’t ask meWell if that’s what you want …
https://youtu.be/LsXTI_lPOeYOther Things
The second song from 1990, this was influenced by Zen: the idea that moments occur in life where all your ideas – what life is about, who you are, your free will – have to be dropped in the face of the present moment. For many people it happens when they’re faced with mortality – their own or someone else’s. The song appeared in my mind late one night walking home across the Meadows. I’d never felt it would work in a live set, and previous attempts to record it failed because I tried to add too much instrumentation to lift the mood. This time I just let it be what it is.
Other Things (mp3) Download
Other Things (CD quality) Download
Other Things
With other [D]things, you follow what’s been done before
With other things, there’s patterns you can [G]learn
With other things, you [A]fall back on [G]experience [A]
[G]Sure to [A]recognise a bell that [D]rings, with other [A]things
With other [D]things, your friends and family rally round
With other [D]things, someone will know the [G]scoreBut now it’s all unknown
[D]Now you’re on your own
[A]Like you’ve never been [Bm]before
With other things, you wear a mask that serves you wellWith other things, you’re who you want to beWith other things, you might play the superstarThe helpless girl, the priest, the queen, the warrior king, or other thingsWith other things, a smiling face will get you throughWith other things, a borrowed line will doBut what you see todayYou can’t explain awayThis has got to come from you
So here it [D]is before your [A]eyes
Here it [D]is are you [A]surprised?
Here it [G]is how will you [Bm]move?
Time stands [Cmaj7]still until you [D]move [A]
With other things, help is never far awayWith other things, you can run for homeWith other things, who you are and what you’ve doneMight count for a lot in the reckoning, with other thingsWith other things, you can take your mind awayTo other things, the TV or a bookBut now the picture’s wide, you can’t even see the sidesAnd it’s forcing you to look
So here it is are you prepared?Here it is are you scared?Here it is it had to beYou came so far you had to see
Here it is it’s come to youHere it is what will you doHere it is how will you move?Time stands still until you move
What you see todayYou can’t explain awayThis has got to come from you
Gordon (Down on the Tracks)
Gordon was written fairly recently. I had that enjoyable experience of starting to write a story with no idea where it would go, and being as surprised as the listener at where it ended up. I remember it being a joyful experience, despite the strange and dark subject matter. Musically it was inspired by The Handsome Family, who like to do really slow songs.Gerry added sounds of nature recorded in his garden.
Gordon (mp3) – click three dots to downloadGordon ( CD quality) – click three dots to downloadGordon (Down on the Tracks)
As the [C]last train [G]pulls from the [C]station
[F]Into the ink black [C]night
The [F]lights on [G]inside like a [C]warm living [Am]room
[C]Carried away
As the last quiver runs through the railsLike snakes in the light of the moonGordon unrolls his sleeping bagDown on the tracks
And the foxes that prowl through the stationAnd the owls that snatch rats from the railsNever disturb him or enter his dreamsDown on the tracks
To [F]sleep in the presence of [C]danger
To [E7]rest in the deadliest [Am]place
To [D7]know that you wake up
With [C]no time to loseGives a moment of grace
As the light paints pink in the morningHe senses the rails come aliveHe takes his time to the platformAs the first train arrives
To sleep in the presence of dangerTo rest in the deadliest placeTo know that you wake upWith no time to loseGives a moment of grace
This was recorded in front of a small audience of friends shortly after the song was written.
https://youtu.be/xB4F5k38qUgAnd that’s Ten Objects – I hope you enjoyed this walkthrough and that some of these songs become your house-guests.
Oh wait – there’s more!
The first release of the album had a limited edition CD with three more songs, so here they are (mp3 only):
Live and Learn – a light-hearted pity party that was shortlisted for the album but didn’t seem to fit.
Coming Through – a song of retreat and renewal that’s been on the recording wait-list for many years
Bishonen – a live version of an extraordinary, chilling song by Momus, the greatest barely-known singer-songwriter in the world.