Bruce Lawson's personal site » my music

Song: Aquamarine

Bruce — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 13:30:21 +0000

Down at my Dad’s house, I found some old cassettes of demos I made in the early 90s. So bad luck, blog watchers; expect to find the tech content of this blog spoiled with hissy wow-and-fluttery vanity posts.

Anyway, here’s one of the favourite songs I wrote during that period. I was obsessed with TS Eliot’s poem Marina, a monologue inspired by Shakespeare’s Pericles. So I ripped that off, nicked a line or two from The Waste Land, pinched a bit of Shakespeare’s The Tempest and, while the literary store detective was looking the other way, ran off with a bit of Dylan Thomas too.

It’s a 4-track demo, hastily recorded in order to test out the harmonies swirling in my head, and the cassette suffers from being in a cupboard for 20 years, but maybe you’ll like it.

Audio MP3

Aquamarine –
I’m a ship becalmed after stormy seas.
You’ve been silver and green;
I love you best now for your clarity.
You sing to me in sharpened keys.
You bring me emeralds and harmonies.

I will be here for you if you’ll be here for me
Sometimes, the tide turns
and everything becomes monochrome.

Aquamarine –
Your wet hair dries in the warm sea breeze.
Lie still and dream
Of the mountains – there you feel free.
Sail across still memories
Under sleep where all the waters meet.

Aquamarine -
This music crept upon the water to me
I’m a machine
Powered by your electricity.
You ebb and flow with melody;
You bring me emeralds and energy.

What seas, what shores,
what great rocks?

Sieze what’s yours;
What grey rocks?

What islands? What water laps at the bow?

The sea’s daughter, you ebb and you flow;
The sea’s daughter, in emerald green;
The sea’s daughter, my Aquamarine.

Lie still, be calm, and dream.
O my daughter.

A decade later, my wife had a dream of a baby girl swimming to her through water so took a pregnancy testing kit the same day. 8 months later, our daughter was born. We named her Marina.

Song: “Don’t Bring Me Down”

Bruce — Sat, 28 May 2005 12:00:30 +0000

A tune by Shez, which we recorded on our ever first day in a recording studio back in 1991.

I rather regret that the lyrics I wrote were pretty shit, and my multi-tracked guitars at the end are way too overpowering. Neither is it helped by the fact that the engineer managed to mic up the drums to sound like Andy Cope was hitting a wet cardboard box with a fish.

But I still quite like my trademark dirty guitar solo, with the feedback squeak as it goes back into the melody, and Shez’s bassline rocks, especially when he goes into the descending alternate riff at the end.

Audio MP3

Song: “Midsummer Morning”

Bruce — Sat, 19 Mar 2005 11:12:11 +0000

The guys in the band challenged me to write a vaguely happy song, so this song celebrates a midsummer’s day when I sat at twilight watching a dozen hot-air balloons fly low overhead, while smoking a spliff with sexy Sangeeta.

Shez plays bass; Nick Sherrard on lead guitar; Andy Cope on drums, soundman Paul Williams displays his unerring sense of rhythm on tambourine. Bruce on vocals and rhythm guitar; Andy and Shez on backing vocals. Written and recorded some time in 1991.

Audio MP3

I’ve never seen you looking half as attractive
as you did when I woke early, warmed and reborn.
The sun beckons flowers through the rubbish and the plastic
to the purity of midsummer morning at dawn.

And you smile and say,
“today we’ll do the things
we couldn’t do any other day.”

I’ve never felt quite so insouciant;
I’m willing to wander and wonder and learn.
the sunshine provides the time to do precisely what you want -
to live and love until the winter returns.

Right here and now the world is timeless and beautiful;
suspended in space like a carnival balloon.
All my perceptions subtly different from usual;
each moment is musical and perfectly tuned.

Song: “Closing My Eyes”

Bruce — Sun, 13 Feb 2005 11:08:40 +0000

Woh!! Teenage – or rather, early twenties, angst. There was half an hour at the end of a long recording session so we quickly did this – and kept it, sandpaper throat, microphone pops and all, due to our being out of time and money. It was a staple of the live set, the rest of the band nicknaming the song “One for the ladies” due to its popularity with the girls in the audience.

Shez on bass, Bruce on guitar and overdubbed lead guitar, Andy Cope on moral support.

Audio MP3

My heart is telling me lies again. I’m closing my eyes to them.
I’m closing my eyes.
My brain is talking good sense again. It’s advice that I’ll reject again.
I’m closing my eyes.

I feel pretty good inside. I’m gonna try to do it right this time.
Gonna try not to hide.

I know that I don’t know you well, but even so I can tell
that with you I could feel free.
And yet, I cannot speak to you about what I think of you
and what you’ll take from me.

I feel pretty good this time. I’m gonna try to do it right for you.
I’m gonna try not to hide.

My heart is intent on hurting me. My good sense is deserting me.
I’m closing my eyes.
My eyes are always deceiving me, my rationality is leaving me.
So I’m closing my eyes.

Sometimes I think I’m too shy; I’m closing my eyes.

Song: “Kitty Fisher’s Locket”

Bruce — Mon, 09 Aug 2004 11:30:17 +0000

Kitty Fisher was a lover of Charles I. "Kitty Fisher’s Locket" was an old English folk song that I’d heard of (it was a rude song, as locket was slang for vagina). I never found the original words or tune, so wrote my own. Alison Eglinton sings double-tracked vocals, I play double-tracked guitars and a bit of keyboard.

Audio MP3

(Here’s the demo version, recorded on a rainy Sunday afternoon as I was writing it, with me on vocals and double-tracked acoustic guitar:

Audio MP3

If Kitty Fisher gives you pictures Make sure that you frame them.
“Here’s one I drew, that man’s you; It’s of heaven when it’s raining.
There’s saint Peter in a mac, he’s got two wings on his back. Do you like it?”

If Kitty Fisher, seeking pleasure talks of making love with you.
Softly kiss her, speak in whispers, watch how she moves under you.
Hold her while she weeps when you both come.
Let the silence in to soothe her.

If Kitty Fisher gives you treasure keep it in your pocket.
Memories in filigree That’s Kitty Fisher’s locket.
“That’s me and my mother when I was a little girl.
Do you think I was pretty?
That’s me in a forest, another time, a different place.
Do you like me?”

Song: “The Libby Purves Megamix!”

Bruce — Fri, 18 Jun 2004 08:22:41 +0000

So a mate of mine, Bruce, was interviewed on BBC Radio 4 by Libby Purves the other day, and asked me to burn a CD of the interview. While doing so, I hit upon the idea of splicing up some of the dialogue and making a dance song that had Libby mocking the size of mate’s dick. I don’t usually like dance music (cos it’s piss-easy to make) but I’m rather proud of this!

Audio MP3

And, sorry Bruce!