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'English Boy Wonders' - Lyrics and some brief comments by Gregory Spawton

1. Big Empty Skies

Driving over the wasteland coming over the rise where the light fades in broken trees under big empty skies. Did you wait for the fire when the atom was burned you could wait for forever now as the question you asked -Take me to your leader- is so sadly misplaced here like real faith in the church like her faith in the holy man like her faith in this Earth. We don’t need you anymore you’re naked in our eyes don’t care for you anymore can you offer more than lies I can’t have you anymore but I’ll meet you in the sky.

About a cynic and a spaceship.

2. Brushed Aside

Great God this is an awful place though sometimes her smile lights the emptiness. He lost his way it happens in blizzards or flames he said. Christ how the ice can burn. Great God this was an awful thing to waste sometimes her smile lights the emptiness. I rest my case won’t you do the same no, you wait here you wait for the sun to rise. I’m tired of talking tired of city limits and tired of walking. Across the grass outside the house they’d sell their brothers for a place in commanding heights.

Robert Falcon Scott meets Ayrton Senna There are earlier versions of this track, with some very different passages.

3. A Giddy Thing

In a saxon room came close to you and later hidden in the dark in a shelter like a pleached bower I talked to you, you talked to me. You spoke about a joint decision oh how I loved the way that word fell from your lips. And later still we lay below the trees me deep in you, steeped in you. When the man asked who knows that wishes can come true I put my hand in the air because of you. Will you think me just a passing phase that would really blow my mind will you think me just a lonely man that’s true for them.

Set in York and Winchester,July 1994, about Kathy.We used a similar pizzicato pattern in the instrumental as on Take Me To Your Leader; one of the rare musical motifs on the album. The first few bars are actually based on a passage written by Phil Hogg (the drummer on Bard) in our early days when we were in a band called Equus.

4. 28 Years

Well I go a long way to the blame say what you will sing what you can I’ll be there to take your hand lead you to the promised land. Well I’d only be here on earth 28 years and my life up to then had taken a turn for the worst. Now I can’t get my feet up off the ground throw it all down in my face. But when all is over the ending will come and I will be back where I started right where I begun.

Martin's song, set to a 12-string duet with flute by Martin Orford. Aka 28 Beers.

5. Pretty Mom

Bet she tastes of orange fruit pastilles bet she wants for the stars in the sky. When she comes into work in the morning wonder what is on her mind? Waiting by the lakeside you sometimes catch her eyes alight on you. Bet her life is a half-painted canvas maybe fill in the spaces between. Like some fabulous anti-gravity machine she makes me happy she knows how I feel she knows what I mean. Here she comes!

Andy came up with the title and I wrote a set of lyrics around his theme. Musically, this was influenced by the La's, and the Cure. Lyrics from June/July1994.

6. Out Of It

So he fears this can’t comprehend this misunderstands this. Don’t dissect me don’t even try to second guess me. Can’t you just leave it alone. We’re all in the gutter. But some of us are looking at the stars. Maybe someday we will wake up in the same place.

Aimed at a victorious cuckold, with a chorus from Oscar Wilde. The instrumental, in 13/8, is a good passage. (Composed in August 1994).

7. Cloudless and Starry and Still

The sky was burning land and sky just a little bit or maybe way too high. If you will remember me. Don’t matter what you’re wishing for ‘cos it don’t come true. We were way too far. It’s not so far the space between the sun and stars it’s not so long forever. Wore you like a high fever took a little walk to the end of the sky I love you. Waited a long time for this for you. And it’s gone.

The title was taken from a first world war poem. I really like the line 'Wore you like a high fever' and some of the other words are nice, too, but a 'b-side' at best.

8. Albion Perfide

Coming home away from you this much is true the empty days have gone. Coming back from the other side the knowing lies kiss the days goodbye. And nothing ever changes no nothing after all we are burning because. Just because. Falling down from starlit skies exist survive and kiss it all goodbye. And nothing ever changes no nothing after all we are burning becauses. Just because. Looking for hope looking for a way out it’s not enough. Looking for hope looking for love, no it’s not enough. Looking for a little truth finding there’s a lot of pain. What we knew they’ll never know. Looking for hope looking for us – maybe we never did. Looking for us looking for the be all and end all it’s gotta be enough. Looking for a little truth finding there’s a lot of pain. What we knew they’ll never know. No it’s not enough so take your chances Superman in circumstances. It’s been a long time such a long time. It’s not enough can’t comprehend the Angles anymore so take your chances now. Been a long time such a long time, because just because.

A hotch potch of a song, part pop, part progressive and overall, not entirely satisfying. Tony's piano and Steve's drums are the redeeming features. Lyrics completed in September 1994.

9. Right to the End of the World Tra-La

She was made of winter dew melting on the grass and poppies painting fields of orange in the green the places where we were made up unmade up Warwick Slade and Lucy Hill. Catching hold of stars between thumb and forefinger gathering the tall trees the shadow clouds and breeze. Then one day I fell asleep and when I woke up she was gone. The title is from Benoite Groult’s description of lovemaking in ‘Salt on our Skin.’As with much of this album, it’s about Kathy.

Musically, this short, two minute piece is a real journey, covering lots of ground. The main influence is from XTC. In some respects, the album starts here as we kept the best songs for the closing sections of English Boy Wonders. Written in Feb 1995 and set in the New Forest and on the way to York.

10. The Shipping Forecast

She made a starshape on the ground drew me up with marmite fingers. She was the most English of girls hair hung straight to pretty curls. Ducking for froth with the end of her nose. Harry Nillson poured out on a cartridge. It starts to rain. All our wishes came unstuck all that we wanted. There’s truth in travellers’ tales there was this girl. In the summer I’ll be boring them both with castles when we’re apart. All our wishes came unstuck all that we wanted. I have been there spinning with the payload “It’s a bomb dear – elbows off the table.” One by one cloudless and starry age of reason sheer weight of numbers. Took the path to the top of the hill stopping for breath stopping for holding on. Where do we go from here right to the end right to the end of the sky. The older I get the less it makes sense the colder I get. When you are there it starts to make a little bit of sense. When you’re not around it doesn’t make any sense anymore. It’s all fallen down. Vespasian brought his legion here now it’s all fallen down. Vespasian brought his people round now it’s all fallen down. Within the circle of a Kathryn wheel that starts to burn and turn away from here.

This is the forerunner of a ‘timeslip’ technique I used on Bard, mixing personal lyrics with historical allusion; the overwhelming force of an opponent is embodied as Vespasian who destroyed the Durotriges when the Romans invaded Britain. There are bits of my childhood in there too; I remember listening to Harry Nillson on an 8-track cartridge in my parents’ car and visiting English castles. The lyrics were mostly written in August 1995 and then completed just after the song was debuted at the Astoria in London on 2nd February 1996.

11. Mr Boxgrove Man

Cold here don’t be afraid that’s angels for you think they ran away. Empire, exhausted seam got a few years behind you and a few years in front of you not many dreams. And maybe inside of you there’s a sickness that’s running deep deep down into bone. And you’re unaware. I’ve gone to ground I’m lost and I wanna be found. Cold here but having fun that’s angels for you the canvas runs I hold your hand in the movie’s last reel in the pit of the fleapit on the iron wheel. Cold now but unafraid, lay your head on the ground let it fall away I’ll hold your hand. They say we don’t like touching we don’t like talking we don’t like laughing a good day’s worth celebrating. I don’t like pleading don’t like believing we don’t like touching we don’t like thinking we don’t like touching we don’t like fucking.

This is about Englishness, about growing old and about decay. It’s about ending up on your own and with nothing. Again, it was debuted at the Astoria show prior to it’s release.

12. Reaching For John Dowland

Jonny imagined the wonderful sound Submarine sunk on the Thames by a cloud Indian brave in the planes of a mall Hunting the ground for the shortest return Away from here a miners’ cage falls Dancing like rain off the face of the road Twisting and tearing wheel snakes in his hand Later is burned, tomorrow is burned Torching his alien blood in a forge Away from here the gunners raise a storm Here you waited for me Waited long on the outside Or the darkside or somethin Jonny wasmaking the wonderful sound Searching the strings for a meaning No-one was there, there was no-one at all Alone in a huddle, smashing electrons Away from here a city eats itself alive

It's based around the delusions of someone who was seriously injured in a car accident. John Dowland is an English composer and lute player from the 16th/17th centuries.

13. Fell Asleep

Come inside, you dreamed her you know her now laid waste to her. Promise me this, she said, promise me this. But what about us who gave for us. Dance with me ‘midst orange trees where apple blossom kiss the breeze. Sometimes we were in love but we never knew. We never knew inside what drove us what made us us who gave for us. Sometimes we were in love but we never knew no we never knew. Sometimes we were in love.

An elegy (for Karen).