THE ELEPHANT
Shall we dance around the subject? There’s an elephant in the room. Like the first of the birds to migrate, did the words leave my mouth too soon?
You were fruit which tasted so sweet, I ate right down to the part that was dark, black, dead at the centre, that’s when the elephant came along, it’s been here ever since, you don’t seem to care.
When you left, I asked its opinion, it said with a touch of regret, play the ivory keys of pianos, to unlock your heart and forget, or something along those lines, it was clearer at the time, in the end, all along, maybe it always was just the elephant and me.
THE ASTRONOMER’S SUN
The astronomer’s son climbs up the mountain at sunset to stare at the skies, feels most alive when valley beds are warm and fires die.
The pearl diver’s daughter rises at first light to swim, feels most alive when she’s under the water, she’s nothing like him.
You can’t hold a candle to this, the abyss, the precipice, the chase and the kiss, you can’t hold a candle to this.
At the end of the night, he turns his telescope down the hillside, she looks up from the sea, they hold each other’s hearts, but they are free.
You can’t hold a candle to this, the abyss, the precipice, the taste of a first kiss, you can’t hold a candle to this.
You can’t hold a candle to this, the abyss, the precipice, the stars and the starfish, can’t hold a candle to this, they can’t hold a candle to this.
ANDY CANDY!
Andy Candy, you’re so sweet, came out of the water, just to meet me, I was out on the sea of heartbreak, far from dry land and I saw you wave from the lighthouse, so I swam towards the twinkle in your eye, oh my days, oh my nights, boy I think you’re going to have to hold on tight, I’ve never been this far out on the sea of love in my life.
Abracadabra, tick, tick boom! When did you become the only buoy in the room? Grab me, stop the music, let the good folk stare, we’re not going to heaven cos we’re already there!
Andy Candy, you’re so sweet, tick, tick boom every time we meet, hang up the moon, put out the stars, let’s settle down, drift along together in a seaside town.
THE GIRL WHO LET THE TIGER OUT
All the summer through, she visited the zoo, bird of paradise, monkey in a cage, when it held her gaze, she knew without a doubt, she had to let the tiger out.
She drew up careful plans, sought to understand designs of the doors, trip-lights and alarms, in the bright of night, where whispers sound as shouts, she slid the bolt and let the tiger out.
He stopped beside the door, she held his orange fur, climbed onto his back, small girl and big cat slipped out of the town, she never looked around, the girl who let the tiger out.
The tiger always knew, a keeper would pursue a girl into the night, a tiger to the light, and though the years passed, hunted down at last, a tranquilizer dart went straight into her heart, last night I dreamed about the girl who let the tiger out.
PAVEMENTS OF LILLE
Trinkets and biscuit tins, stuffed animals, cutlery, broken jewels, old wooden trunks that have journeyed to wars, toys left behind after childhoods in France, I feel a pull to the past. Tell me is this how endings begin? Bottle bound ships break free to sail the pavements of Lille.
Paintings once hung on newlywed’s walls, hope poured in coffee cups, what’s the point of it all? Compasses, mining lamps, sextants and books, flags raised back from half mast, I feel a pull to the past. Tell me is this how endings begin? Bottle bound ships break free to sail the pavements of Lille.
Moules frites, jambon frites, that’s all there is to eat!
I can’t seem to think of the future, in amongst all of this past, perhaps if I buy you a ship in a bottle, and set it to sail forever on the pavements of Lille?
THE GIANT OF FERNBURY HILL
The Giant of Fernbury Hill, scattered about by the crows, who picked out his eyes where he fell, and turned all his bones into stones. He woke up each morning to birdsong, their joy at the sky filled his brain. Like a sycamore seed his mind spun, and he wanted to fly away.
The flight of the Giant of Fernbury Hill. Is he up there? Is he up there still?
When he told them, the owls found him foolish, the skylarks were too high to speak, the woodpecker said he was banging his head, and the nightingale sent him to sleep. But the birds of the forest were angry, they flocked and they hatched up a plan – should the giant’s luck turn and he take to their skies, he’d be brought down to earth with a bang.
The flight of the Giant of Fernbury Hill. Is he up there? Is he up there still?
He took off by moonlight alone, but the jackdaw’s eye opened a crack, and a murder of birds was alerted, as the giant climbed high, they attacked! The Giant of Fernbury Hill, scattered about by the crows, who picked out his eyes where he fell, and turned all his bones into stones.
The flight of the Giant of Fernbury Hill. Is he up there? Is he up there still?
ELECTRIC MOONS
The lonely billionaire slumbers on a bed of gold, dreams of smoke and fire, my blood turns cold. You and I, we’ll work until we’re dyed shades of grey and beige, should we reach old age. It’s happening! Streetlights act like cataracts, stars evade our view, if we lie down can we counteract plans for electric moons? He takes me deep inside the factory, can it all be true - this astral fantasy, this lunacy? Plans, plans, plans, plans for electric moons.
SIMULTANEOUS EQUATION
Loud thoughts in the library – children learning to read, pensioners keeping warm, you know she’ll shelter you from brainstorms. It’s a simultaneous equation, infinity’s forever, work it out together.
Take the books from the tenterhooks, there’s no time to explain. Stop and dig here for the key and the fear, is it a words or a numbers game? It’s a simultaneous equation, infinity’s forever, work it out together.
Paths wear from your heart to hers you won’t need a map to return. She’ll be waiting for you at the top of the track, where words and numbers burn. It’s a simultaneous equation, infinity’s forever, work it out together.
UNDER THE STARES
Lost dog, posters in the street, if you see him, tell him we care, and we already know about the secrets he keeps in the cupboard under the stares.
Old telephones, socks without homes, the TV remote, some underwear, covering up the secrets he keeps in the cupboard under the stares, words overheard and grudges which burn, it’s too much for a small dog to bear, tell him he’s not alone with the secrets he keeps in the cupboard under the stares.
He’s to say if the snowball is gathering speed, we quite understand, we’ll be there. He’s not just to turn tail and run from the secrets, but we know that they’re hard to bear. If you see him on top of a lonely hill, tell him come home, tell him we care, and tell him we’ve known for a while now about the secrets in the cupboard under the stares.
BURNED DOWN
Down by the moon river, we watch fish shiver, silver on the ground, we can’t stay here.
Sparks which travel through the night, morning’s not a safe place, everything’s alight. Boy from a burned down town, telling me the fire’s out.
Hearts of women and children break like waves just before I say “are you sure?” Boy from a burned down town, telling me the fire’s out.
Down by the moon river, we watched fish shiver, silver on the ground, we can’t stay here.
FOR MILES
Over the hill and down through the daffodils, I can walk for miles if I’m with you. Jump across the stream, on past a fallen tree, I can walk for miles if I’m with you.
Wind, sun or rain, should you lose your way, you follow a forest path, they all lead to my heart.
Sitting on the beach and watching all the ships, I can see for miles when I’m with you. Whatever the weather we’ll follow trials together and I can see for miles when I’m with you.
Wind, sun or rain, should you lose your way, you follow a forest path, they all lead to my heart.
Over the hill and down through the daffodils, I can see for miles if I’m with you.
LOST AND FOUND
If you know what I’m describing, girl with rockpool eyes, ocean soul for diving, mermaid by your side. Strong winds made a sailor, sorrows left to drown, tides turn in your favour, wash up the lost and found, lost and found.
Home, best laid plans in tatters, but if it doesn’t resonate, it wasn’t the map that mattered; circumnavigate. Days pass without weather, you’re a screw up in a paper town, staple it together, find me at the lost and found, lost and found.
So, come hell or high water, we’ll see your ship in. Keep your head above the others, get ready to swim out to the lighthouse, I won’t let you drown if you’re in the doldrums, feel like you’ve run aground, don’t just drift there, circle round, come and find me at the lost and found, lost and found.
All songs and lyrics written by Claire Baker