This Is Hope Lyrics

Colin has added his comments about all the songs on This Is Hope. You can find them at the end of each song

Peculiar

There was a crazy guy
There was a crazy girl
He said, why don’t you open right up?
I bet you’d pour right out

Or I could pour right into you you you you…

She became his crazy wife: Peculiar
They had a crazy son who laughed in the rain
For a week or 2, he went quite peculiar
But it turned out ok he went crazy again

Don’t make them laugh, or they will LAUGH at you…
Don’t piss them off, or they will piss on you…
Don’t make them crack !!
Or they will crack…you.... in 2 2 2 2……..

Peculiar, Peculiar, Peculiar
I’m not cool anymore, stay with me honey
Stay with me honey
I’m not COOL anymore, stay with me honey
Stay with me honey, Peculiar
Peculiar, Peculiar, Peculiar
Stay with me honey

Peculiar, I’m not cool anymore
Stay with me honey

I’m not cool anymore
Stay with me honey
peculiar
I’m not cool anymore
Stay with ne honey

Peculiar is Xanadu a few years on. She’s still a free spirit but also a bit closed, like the girl in black in The Breakfast Club. The guy singing about her in Watching Xanadu has now got the girl, but is frightened as they get older that he might lose her “I’m not cool anymore”. The song is the evolution of their family they’re a bit weird, even their son.

How ‘Bout I Love You More

Why, have we got to try
Time’s on our side, in these mechanical times
Swallow the pride, of the digital minds
If Time’s on our side

How ‘Bout I Love You more
How ‘Bout I Love You more
How ‘Bout I Love You more

Why, have we got to FLY
The Roman's have lied
Time-honored minds
Leonardo’s a spy
Science collides
Time’s on our side

How ‘Bout I Love You more
How ‘Bout I Love You More
how ‘Bout I Love You More
how ‘Bout I Love You More

It’s all over the news it’s all over again
It’s all over the NEWS it’s all over again
It’s all over the news it’s all over agAin

Why, do we have to fight
The Atoms have died
Meta-physics denied
The Roman’s were right
Tomorrow’s arrived
Rebuild their designs

How ‘Bout I Love You more
How ‘Bout I Love You more
How ‘Bout I Love You more
How ‘Bout I Love You More
How ‘Bout I Love You more
How ‘Bout I Love You more

This was inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci’s early drawings for flight and transport. It’s about the evolution of ideas in this field, mechanical innovation and advancement. It’s also a comment on progress, asking “Why?” Why do we have to make planes and cars if we can die in them? Why do we have to make weapons if we can kill each other with them? It’s about the relationship between man and machine. But also, fuck it! How ‘bout I just love you more?

Treescavengers

I called you, I knew there was a problem
Hope thought I could solve it
Hope isn’t an option?????

There’s quiet coming from Scotland
My phone fears there’s a problem
A Hebridean disaster
Needn’t happen around US

The Treescavengers called Me
WHO said they could call me???
They say I’m part of the problem
They say I shouldn’t falter
Then I dared to say..

I want you, to open up to the shadows
A new world's waiting to topple
Creeps are crawling to stop You

The Treescavengers called Me
Who said They could call me?
They say I’m part of the problem
They say I shouldn’t falter
Then I dared to say..

What’s happened in your life???
Walls of skin cannot hide
Afraid of what lies inside
Hope took a chance but didn’t bite

AaahhH!!!!!

The Treescavengers called me
Who said they could call me ???
They say I’m part of the problem
They say I shouldn’t falter
Then I dared to say..

It’s about reaching out to somebody close to you who is in trouble and who you think you can help. It might not be wanted but you have to dare to ask in order to try and make a difference. It’s trying to make them see that there is hope. But for them, is hope an option or not?

This Is The Hebrides

They found the killer, she preyed on the weak
America's pulling, the headlines out of ME
I’ve walked the pillars, of the Hebrides
Profit poets in the land of the free

Of Course I am open, Of course I am free
Of course I am wondering what’s happening to me
Of Course I am open, Of course I am free
Of course I am saying:
This Is The Hebrides

I joined the sinners down in New Orleans
America’SADAmerica’s pockets half full of broken dreams
I went back to the Highlands, where they say hope has a cure
Bibles are bashing the Clients to their whores

Of Course I am open, Of course I am free
Of course I am wondering what’s happening to me
Of Course I am open, Of course I am free
Of course I am saying:
This is the Hebrides

I’ve crawled along the floor
From Miami to the Falls
Louisiana didn’t know
What Alabama should have told about the war along the way
And I, I still loved

Arthur Millar, Alasdair Gray
Things are busy not happening to me
Michael Marra, Johnny Cash Cash!!
I’ve stepped from the Islands
To plagiarise the past

The things that I want, the things that I need
The things that are busy not happening to me
Europe is falling and I’d strike for anythIng
Millipedes Racing down America’s sKin

This was written in America’s deep south New Orleans, specifically. Somehow my geography and homeland of the Hebrides seemed closer to me when I was there. It features an Alabama preacher the language of these people partly inspired the album title. It’s also about war and the battle for geography; newspaper headlines and American TV news channels. America is at war with Iraq, and parts of Europe, politically. And not so long ago it was at war with itself. A capitalist society can ultimately breed George W Bush as President.

Tobermory Zoo

He got the cat on his back
He got his slippers on his shoes
And He holds on so tight
And he can’t find rules
He got the cat on his back
He got his slippers on his shoes
And He holds on so tight in:
In Tobermory Zoo!

Jack said they took all our troubles away
Jack said they disowned society
Jack said that the markets get what they pay
Jack said they can walk the talk

He got the cat on his back
He got his slippers on his shoes
And He holds on so tight
And he can’t find rules
He got the cat on his back
He got his slippers on his shoes
And He holds on so tight in:
In Tobermory Zoo!

Jack said that it’s number one all the way
Jack said they disowned community
Jack said that reform must start from the soul
Jack said that they reached their goals!

He got the cat on his back
He got his slippers on his shoes
And He holds on so tight
And He can’t find rules
He got the cat on his back
He got his slippers on his shoes
And He holds on so tight in:
In Tobermory Zoo (Meow!!)

‘Cause I know a MAN, with the world in his hands
Who knows where we stand
‘Cause I know a man, with the world in his hands
Who knows where we stand
In the future slideshow

Come on and join up if you can

Tobermory is the village I’m from on Mull. I wrote the chorus when I was 17. It’s about the old characters that were around when I was a kid. They were eccentric and aloof to the trends and fashions of the outside world. The song is imagining the breakdown of those people and their community values it’s about the debate between the individual and the collective. ‘Jack’ is JFK. I wrote the lyrics in America watching a documentary on him. The song is saying that community values can’t be measured on a flipchart. We can learn from the humour and values of these characters from the past.

Death Of A Scientist (Vision Of Man Over Machine, 2004)

And you will know me by my mistakes
I took a forest with my name
I took emotional decay
To another plain

A simple accident of fate
A quiet hero made a mistake
I’m the Fall Guy who fell away
I used to know a man

It’s funny before I lost my control
I had clarity!!!
Love is clear and gentle
It’s funny before I lost my control
I had clarity!!!
Love on a green and pleasant land
I lay down on a meadow

I used to know a man
Who burned his silly skin against the state
Who burned his silly skin against the state

And did you ever feel control
when heaven and hell became the same?
I miss my wife I miss my kids
I used to know a man

Down at the edge of a hay field lay
Face down and peaceful on this day
A broken man his wife would say
Is the body of a man

It’s funny before I lost my control
I had clarity!!!
Love is clear and gentle
It’s funny before I lost my control
I had clarity!!!
Love on a green and pleasant land
I lay down on a meadow

I used to know a man (feeling better)
Who burned his silly skin against the state
Who burned his silly skin against the stake

Ooo,ooOH Lord my heart’s on a crib
Ooh Lord my heart’s on a crib
Ooh Lord my heart’s on a crib
I’m ending all the grin and spin

Then throw the stones

AaahAhhH!! !

I used to be a man
Who burned his silly skin against the State

And tonight, tonight I’ll fight this life
Tonight I’ll fight for life
And clocks tick and Transport clucks
And blood still Flows around bodies
And tonight, tonight I’ll fight this life
Tonight I’ll fight for life

It’s about Dr. Kelly speaking from the afterlife. He is observing his public demise and seeing things more clearly. The line ‘I used to know a man’ is him observing himself. I took some of the lyrics from the newspaper articles at the time. At the moment of his greatest physical pain suicide he found clarity and love. I watched the play Justifying War, the one based on the Hutton Inquiry, with my Dictaphone turning. Life and politics both still go on after his death. But people are turning off to politicians and the climate of grin and spin.

Your Love, My Gain

Your love, your love my gain again
Your love, your love my gain again

And I can take the pain and make it mine and take it in
Because I’m more than what I have without you
And I can take the pain and make it mine and take it in
because you’re more than what I am without me

It’s your way of holding on
How much can I know
Before I’m old enough???

Your love, your love my gain
Your love, my gain your love again

And I can take the pain and make it mine and take it in
Because I’m more than what I had without you
And I can take the pain and Take it in and make it mine
Because You’re more Than what I am without me

It’s your way of holding on
How much can I know
Before I’m old enough?

Yeah I’m old enough
I’m more than love, I’m more than love
I’m more than love, This is more than love
This is hope I’m at, This Is Hope I’m at
This is hope I’m at, This Is Hope I’m at
When will You call and say?
When will You call and say?
I’m more than love!
This is hope I’m at, This Is Hope I’m at
This is Hope!!!!

I’m feeling better.

It’s your way of holding on
How much can you Know
Before you’re old enough?
How much can I know
before I’m old enough?
How much can you show
Before I’m holding on?
Your love, your love my gain again

This was inspired by the BBC series One Life. I watched an episode that was based on a 12-year-old girl who was trying to help her alcoholic mother go into rehab for the first time. She was effectively the parent to her mother. The song is written in the first person from what I imagined to be her point of view. She is asking, “When am I old enough to be a child?” The middle section of the song ascends with what sounds to me like Flash Gordon pianos. That’s the point she has momentarily reached hope.

Casanova At The Weekend

She said, What’s the Matter with feelings?
Build Casanova at the Weekend
What’s the matter with me then?
Build Casanova at the weekend
What’s the matter with feelings?
Build Casanova at the weekend
What’s the matter with me then???

I wanna see your proto-types!!
And I wanna see the things you like
And I wanna see if man can beat machine
The kind of things you know about
Are the kind of things I want to know about
The things that happen where you’ve been

She said, What’s the matter with feelings?
Build Casanova at the weekend
What’s the matter with me then?
Build Casanova at the weekend
What’s the matter with feelings?
Build Casanova at the weekend
What’s the matter with me then???

I wanna make your children talk
And I wanna see your programmes work!
And I wanna see if science can be used
I wanna hear your numbers crunch
And I wanna see the laptop lunch
That I had when I was being you

She said, What’s the matter with feelings?
Build Casanova at the weekend
What’s the matter with me then?
Build Casanova at the Weekend
What’s the matter with feelings?
Build Casanova at the weekend
What’s the matter with me then???

What’s the matter with feelings
What’s the matter with love again
What’s the matter with working men
What’s the matter with working men?

And oh if my arms don’t touch my toes
Well I’ll grow a bit again
And if the days choose to go
Well I’ll grab them if I can
And if my arms don’t touch my toes
Well I’ll grow a bit again
And let the days run away

…What’s the matter with Working / rubber / Machine Men
What’s the matter with feeling me?

It’s about human cloning. It’s about a man and woman. They are Mork & Mindy for the cloning generation. He is from another planet and has been cloned so that his ‘makers’ can observe our planet and life. The clone is losing himself in our society and is choosing to be a lad (Casanova) out partying at the weekend, and is the city exec during the week (laptop lunch). She is wishing he would just be himself. He’s turning into a monster who can’t feel. It’s turning into Frankenstein & Mindy.

My Friend The Addict

Holes, you used know
You’ve still got time, You’ve still got time
You will not be told
You’ve still got time, You still fall down

Satin and steel below
You’re finding it hard to grow old
It’s easier to just go boy go
My friend the addict runs

Choose another role model now, model now
You can still be bold
You still fall down, You’ve still got time

Satin and steel below
You’re finding it hard to grow old
It’s easier to let go boy go
My friend the addict runs

Satin and steel below
You’re finding it hard to grow old
It’s easier to just go boy go
My friend the addict runs
My friend the addict runs

Holes, you used to know
You've still got TIME, You’ve still got time

This song is about trying to talk to somebody with addiction problems, trying to make them see that they don’t have to keep choosing the wrong route and repeating the same mistakes. There is still time for them to beat it, but they keep running.

Len

Len, we knew a while ago
Len, we knew a while ago
You needn’t try to hide it
You Needn’t Try to hide it

Len, we knew a while ago
Len, we knew a while ago
You needn’t try to hide it
You Needn’t try to hide it

On a world scale
You’ve really done nothing wrong
Hey, well, what went wrong???
Done nothing wrong
Done nothing wrong

You needn’t try to hide it
You Needn’t try to hide it
Done nothing wrong
Don’t matter what you Are done nothing wrong

Len, we knew a while ago
Len, we knew a while ago
And when you speak so clearly
Len, don’t let it go!

You needn’t try to hide it
You Needn’t try to hide it

On a world scale
You’ve really done nothing wrong
Hey, well, what went wrong???
Done nothing wrong
Done nothing wrong

You Needn’t try to hide it
You Needn’t try to hide it
Done nothing wrong
Don't matter what you are done nothing Wrong
Don't matter what you are done nothing Wrong
Don't matter what you Are

It’s written in the voice of the parents of somebody who is struggling to ‘out’ themselves sexually, saying that they always knew. It’s acceptance from the most unlikely source the parents. It’s unconditional love we can ‘take anything on’ as long as we are together.

In The Next Life (A Requiem)

In The end
In the end we Laugh
We will Laugh again
Till the end of Time

At the end
At the end WE part
We will be again
I will see you again

In the end
In the end we Laugh
We will Laugh again
I will see you again

I depend
I depend my life
All my life for you
For the things we do

Oh, I’m changing inside
What in the world keeps me alive?
If I was like you for most of The time
Clinging to steel, clinging to life

In the end
In the end we laugh
We will laugh again
Till the end of time

Oh, I’m changing inside
What in the world keeps me alive?
If I was like you for most of the time
Clinging to steel, clinging to life

Create your future don’t hide
from the union inside
Let go of your soul

So Time, make up your mind
Show me a sign, All of The Time
You were away, most of the time
Selling your soul,
Your soul…(aaawwAAH!)

And you'll come with Me, my Queen
Cause ALL men risk a Fall
And You'll come with me, MY queen
Cause All men risk a Fall
And oh why world??
Oh why world

I don’t need to Be needed
I don’t need To be needed
I Don’t Love to Be loved

I’m getting out!…

Dear Listener,
I wanted to briefly interlude this sonic experiment to say something significant or insignificant. In a moment, Colin, he who has brought this sound to you, will sing one last thing concerning one of life’s fabrics, ( I loved her….) but before he does I must explain about tomorrow: Tomorrow, you might hear another message referring to one of the other living fabrics, forever there to be bought and sold and lived within. So, Until Tomorrow, This Has Been Hope.”

I loved her….

Say what you wanted to say!
Before it’s too late ...

At the end
At the end we part
I Will See You again
We will be again

Dedicated to my Grandparents

“And You’ll Come With Me My Queen, (for old) men risk a fall..”
lyric taken from “Taynuilt Safari”
A Poem By Angus Macintyre (My Grandfather)
taken from the collection: “The Compleat Angus”, famedram press

This song was inspired by my grandmother's death at the end of last year. It also features my other gran from Mull on guest vocals, as well as two lines from my grandfather¹s poetry ‘You will come with me, my Queen, for all men risk a fall.’ I discovered the gospel singers in New Orleans. I went to the house where Mahalia Jackson was born and also visited Mount Moriah Baptist Church, where she began her career. I found three singing sisters and recorded them right there and then. The song is also about the core life fabrics: love, death, and work. The Austrian girl who speaks during the song was recorded spontaneously as I was recording hitting a drum in the studio courtyard. My gran is saying that one of these days (‘Tomorrow’) she might talk about another life fabric that has shuffled to the top of the pack. It’s about reconciliation in another life with those we love don’t forget to say it before it’s too late.