1. |
Born Tomorrow
03:14
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BORN TOMORROW: n y tell me yr fasting, inside …/that you fast in yr soul …/you will awaken, with all set to rights -/n you will be born new, tomorrow/and then all of yr yearning will die/and you will wait no longer/and yr pity will pass you on by/n yr heart will fill with stranger song/where will you go /where will you roam/when all of yr tears are overflowing /where will you go?/and as I see you, the distance in yr eyes … /as I watch you unravelling …/n then I see you believe you that yr right/n yr old world is dead and gone/where will you roam/where will you go/when all of yr tears are full overflowing /where will you go?
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2. |
Faith Stars
02:49
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FAITH STARS: when she appears/she appears with a word unspoken
/n everyone hears /tho their own tongues be withered n broken/n all that she says/turns to the rain/then she appears/in the guise of a different person/with no conversation/no language/no discussion/n all that she says/turns into rain/looking looking gladly–disappearing in the mist n spray/many running voices in the maddened n devouring rains/of change/terrifying threatening she appears/in horror she approaches/fixes her harsh fortune/subtle shattered future threatening/and I turn to the rain/and it is beautiful today .
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3. |
Call & Response
02:46
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CALL & RESPONSE: I am speaking/you are listening/light flickers from the waters we walk /we talk n we look, we walk to the clearing/I am speaking/I know I am heard/likewise–drawing together/alike–the harmony’s true/likewise– he call ‘n response ring out … /alike–the source of the tune -/you are speaking/I am listening/you are centered/n I respond/there’s one constant-/no rest, no stillness-/two lines run counterpoint in the song/likewise–tho scattered the meaning/alike–we’re sounding the tune/likewise–the call, the response/likewise–it breaths : it moves .
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4. |
Long After
03:26
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LONG AFTER: y smile as you feel all yr fight/living thru the wildfire in yr eyes/y look like yr laughing/ in all their eyes damning /you never change once yr word is sighed …/n yr unwitting testimony hides/all the silent sorrow of yr cry/you sigh to be lying / ‘n y feel you are dying -/you give all of yr love up to this lie/after the long hours of talking are thru/yr still locked in, spirit n word -/after the long hours of denial have passed you/all yr name’s a dark day -/when all yr words are said and sealed, they’re lost/failing, bearing witness to yr cause/you love where yr treading/yr feet of clay riding/weighted down with all that you endure/ after the long hours of talking are thrun yr still locked in there, spirit n word .
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5. |
Embers, Starry Tapers
02:54
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EMBERS, STARRY TAPERS: sweep the faint strings, musician/with thy long lean hand: downward the starry tapers burn/sinks soft the waning sand/the old hound whimpers crouched in sleep/the embers smoulder low/across the walls the shadows come and go/ sweep softly thy strings, musician/the minutes mount to hours/frost on the windless casement weaves/ a labyrinth of flowers/ghosts linger in the darkenening air/ hearken at the open door/music hath called them, dreaming/home once more .
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6. |
Away
02:33
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AWAY: why when yr tired limbs sigh/yr voice wears to a whisper/why oh why do you keep yr fight/wrapped so tight, to resist then?/yr so low down/n battled to ground - so torn down in yr insistence/lost somehow, worried n left out/nothing seems sound in yr persistence/y catch sight/of something right/you’ve long, long been waiting for/n you’ll be there -/why, when yr hurt to a cry/with your words weighted in wilfulness/why you would not pass it by … /it seemed but sour, foolish doggedness/yr so low down n yrbattled t the ground/so torn down in yr insistence/lost somehow, so left out/with nothing to be gained in persisting/oh you catch sight/of something right/that you’ve long, long been waiting for/n you’ll be there .
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7. |
Gathering
04:36
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GATHERING: gathering in the glass/all the running days I craved/each has it’s melody/gladdening & brave/n those times are beautiful/I can’t make them fade -/break that mirror/tip the glass over/n shatter the day .
when I refuse you/still you spurn my frightened flight /you walk into the room/n yr bringing it all alive/n those times are beautiful/I won’t let them pass/n this is truly all I want/we meet here at last -/for then I don’t hide/n there is nothing to conceal/n you pull me towards you/ n I’m alive again n real .
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8. |
Belong
04:09
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BELONG: n yr weavin’ yr weary way on/and I ask – how are you safe?/wrapped up in yr same old stories/broken litanies of lace/n yr false and forsaken friendships/I want to see how they will play/all yr watching, n yr hateful hauntings/‘n yr running yr damage in yr face/I want to see how that will play/yes I’m hearing a belonging cry/arm in arm, we walk the summer long/n I watch you smile, even as you hide -/yr gentle lies I claim as mine - n every step we walk is stolen/we’re caught in the shrill winds shaking/I call you out, n yr struck dumb/as the weight yokes to yr shoulders/n all my gifts count for naught/ /n yr weavin weary way on/and I ask again– how are you safe?/wrapped up in yr stunning stories, yr broken litanies of ice & waste – /I know only too well how they will play .
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9. |
If At All
05:53
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IF AT ALL: I was the one who stood firm for so long/I was the one always ready to take yr side/I would always move at yr will, at yr say so/I’d always I’d wait for your guide, I aspired to yr word/n tho i followed you/to this day of ruin/do i mean so little to you, if anything at all? - /damn me for a fool for ever trusting n believing/I was taken in n’ used time after time uncaring/n tho I followed you/it didn’t mean a thing to you/n tho I followed you/it seems it meant nothing at all/I was the one awaiting yr wisdom/I was the one you took at yr word .
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10. |
Shielded/Yielding
03:50
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SHIELDED/ YIELDING: all yr wanting/all yr yearning/all yr powerless helplessness/you are emptying, surrendering slowly/dumbstruck bewilderment -/will you show me/yr opening face /will you let me be opening to you/a bright horizon, all unfolding/this flowering firmament/yielding & shielded in dismay/I believe you to be love/n I’ll raise you up/I’ll raise you high -/if you’d show me/my face uncovered/n unmask me/reveal my gaze/a spirit stricken, in forfeit hidden/for blossoming days long cast away/yielding & shielding/n I’m amazed/n I believe that you are love/n I’ll raise you high .
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11. |
Remembering
04:18
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REMEMBERING: I look upon the book you write/ the wish made long before/ the house where you have lived yr life /the charm you bring to bear/I fail yr words/yr frailities/they’re far then, n distant from the heart of me/yet I feel those words/for they are flowering/n the drunken taken day disappears to me/my remembering body / sleepwalks in the hour/the long, pale garden trodden/in the quiet of my blood/to try n take the skies/that yr eyes ride/for who would be fearful of sleep and night?/whose dashed footfall / in the rain rides/n whose weaving path do I walk beside?/listen n you’ll hear/ listen you’ll hear/you’ll hear ev’ry note loved,/each note sung/ev’ry awed word/listen n you’ll hear– you’ll hear ev’ry note loved/singing yr heart’s every word .
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12. |
Fireworks & Jewels
04:44
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FIREWORKS & JEWELS: stillness – all the night is sleeping …/stillness & silence -/the dreaming night is sleeping/th dreaming night is sleeping:
/op’nin’ in violence – violet, ochre, amber,/fiery & frightened – /taken, drugged in anger/dammed, forsaken anger – a silent, shaken anger …/fireworks & jewels/ night-sky is a maze/diamonds oh so cruel/ all my trust betrayed/the dreaming night over, above me, below me/& I am brought lower -/lost in blinding cruelty – a cutting, mourning melody /never ever known to love, so alien to me/fear is brought lower, love – the dreaming night shot thru me/a dreaming fear shoots to me/the dreaming night consumes me/fireworks & jewels/ the night-sky is amazed/diamonds all a-ruin / all my trust betrayed.
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13. |
Unsung
03:13
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UNSUNG: give/give all you know /just to let me live/ I look at you n see a kindness in yr face/tears, like a sainted glow/just for me, this mercy day/I look n you n see I never turn away/ you look at me n see I am amazed/ I thought you were dying but you still live it/I thought you were sighing/ but you were singing/ all tangled in song-struck harmony/ and I am there too-/ frail/ I thought us so frail/ but were as strong as endless sea/ I look at you and I see it in yr face/ deep as deep as can be/ n sometimes almost drowning me/ y look at me n I can feel such salty tears/I look at you n feel that I’m drawn near/n so, I’ll forget my cold icy sweat – all my wild fears/ for I stand with you .
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Martyn Bates UK
(For CD version write to Jerry at eyeless@eyelessingaza.com)
voice +acoustic w/songs/ e-guitars/kybd/ tape. Since 1980,
Eyeless in Gaza, & since 2000, Twelve Thousand Days, Mick Harris etc. Knew stuff / Forgot stuff / cared too much / cared too little - perhaps. 2023:current band = Kodax Strophes … with Martyn reportedly "still longing for 'Christmas in my soul". kodaxstrophes.bandcamp.com
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