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1
Day 8 Reverse Family
Now here’s a dream I think I once fortold
of a spirit made of solid gold
a future son a chosen one
who could never grow old
who could never grow oldit’s not the twa twa twats that live next door
it’s not the ones who don’t live here no more
it’s just that you can’t live without a core
and we’ve all forgotten what where fighting for
yeah we’ve all forgotten what where fighting foror the judge and jury cop and crim
the search for no specific binge
dodging out of monday rain
beloved by the sun god of spainit’s not the libertine the peachy keen
the underwhelmed and the plasticine
all the great people who’ve gone before
are picking up driftwood that’s blown ashore
picking up driftwood that’s blown ashoreWe’re just picking up driftwood that’s blown ashore
We’re just picking up driftwood that’s blown ashore
We’re just picking up driftwood that’s blown ashore
We’re just picking up driftwood that’s blown ashorelala lala lala lala lala
We’re just picking up driftwood that’s blown ashore
We’re just picking up driftwood that’s blown ashore
We’re just picking up driftwood that’s blown ashore
We’re just picking up driftwood that’s blown ashorewe’ve all forgotten what where fighting for
we’ve all forgotten what where fighting for
we’ve all forgotten what where fighting for
we’ve all forgotten what where fighting for -
2
Day 10 Reverse Family
No light and shade no quarter took
you ripped the last page from my book
No light and shade no quarter took
you ripped the last page from my book
No light and shade no quarter took
you ripped the last page from my book
No light and shade no quarter took
you ripped the last page from my bookThis house is empty without you
it’s emptiness seems harsh and cruel -
3
Day 13 Reverse Family
I stand alone
Alone in my home
alone where I roam
I stand aloneNo-one understands and no one can save me
drowning frowning Sunday Gravy
Your advice is nice
but everything comes at a price!I stand alone
Alone in my home
alone where I roam
I stand aloneA struggle to find
the london buzz
I should quit this town
and forget all that I wasI stand alone
Alone in my home
alone where I roam
I stand alonedrowning frowning Sunday Gravy
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4
Day 310 Reverse Family
there’s no test to an mp3
makes the experience too easy
there’s no test to an mp3
makes the experience too easyand by the bubble of adult the sky I’ll lie
for the arms of the past I cannot crythere’s no test to an mp3
makes the experience too easy
there’s no test to an mp3
makes the experience too easyA new decade
the planned charade
let lives burn hard
and never fades
never fades -
5
Day 336 Reverse Family
I’m the last man standing
in a crator caused by painI can sense my friends beside me
but all I feel are my boots filled up with rainI nailed my faded colours
resolutely to the mast
but like white lillies at a wake
theyve faded oh so fastI nailed my faded colours
resolutely to the mastSo much upheaval
so much change
I really thought
we’d pull through
but it’s so clear that ...
it's not the same for you -
6
337 Reverse Family
In my head I ride to battle
everyday the dawn does rise
everyday I climb the hill
clad head to toe in a guise of liesEveryday I smile through the sorrow
everyday I choke back the tears
nobody can see tomorrow
and nobody can quell my fearsnobody can see tomorrow
and nobody can quell my fearsEveryday I smile through the sorrow
everyday I choke back the tearsIn my head I ride to battle
everyday the dawn does rise
everyday I climb the hill
clad head to toe in a guise of lies -
7
343 Reverse Family
I'm the caption
under todays bad cartoon
a hot air powered rocket
from the dark side of the moonwe Shouldn’t judge
we Shouldn’t judge
people in glass housesI'm the caption
under todays bad cartoon
a hot air powered rocket
from the dark side of the moonthen life gets in the way
then life gets in the way
then life gets in the way
of all the good timesI'm the caption
under todays bad cartoon
a hot air powered rocket
from the dark side of the moonbad cartoon
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8
344 Reverse Family
Could you still believe or are you doing it just for me
Could you still believe or are you doing it just for meThere’s no-one in this world
to compare to my little girlCould you still believe or are you doing it just for me
Could you still believe or are you doing it just for meThere’s no-one in this world
to compare to my little girl
There’s no-one in this world
to compare to my little girl -
9
356 Reverse Family
So I built a new contraption
to aid my social interaction
which I toasted with a cup of
english tea
But by the afternoon
in my
very lonely room
it consumed me
in it’s apathyI built a new contraption
to aid my social interaction
I built a new contraption
to aid my social interaction BTo citizens advice
I placed a call
to plead for some direction
but they said we can’t advise
we’re not here to save lives
that’s for spies with cats eyes
who can administer
appropriate conceptionsthat’s for spies with cats eyes
I built a new contraption
to aid my social interaction
I built a new contraption
to aid my social interaction
I built a new contraption
to aid my social interaction
I built a new contraption
to aid my social interactionbut then I’m wondering what happened to good old talking
so placed another call to citizens advice, but they said we can’t advise
that’s for spies with cats eyes hahaI built a new contraption
to aid my social interaction
I built a new contraption
to aid my social interaction
I built a new contraption
to aid my social interaction
I built a new contraptionIt didn’t get many likes!
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10
365 Reverse Family
The breathy graffiti on a car window
doesn’t linger long and then it’s gone for good
some memories will stay here longer
like the ones of you, I knew wouldand all the sleep and talking in the world
help to build a new facade
but that’s all it is when I’m alone
‘cos life is hardLike breathy graffiti
Like breathy graffiti
Like breathy graffiti
Like breathy graffiti
It’s hard to define what it is that I’ve actually done… which is where you come in… here is the basic idea/premise of 365
All of the songs were recorded between Jan 1st 2015 and Dec 31st 2015. They were recorded at home in a DIY style on my computer, I played all the instruments and did all of the vocals… I am not saying there are any virtuoso performances to be found anywhere within these tracks… but that’s not the point… they were all recorded in a spontaneous way and once recorded were not tweaked or edited… like what a day does, you get what’s next, pretty much whether you like it or not and you deal with it, sometimes well, sometimes not… life in the now. This was a test/ an experiment… an exploration employing a semi/surrealist/steam of consciousness, let’s call it a bit Jackson Pollocks… (use the mockney rhyme if you see fit)… It was an attempt at a reactionary style of creating songs… I wrote the words not for any specific song… I wrote the music and then forgot about it and then on any given day I made the next set of words fit the next number on the list…
But what was the catalyst for such an adventure… It was a direct result/reaction to the death of one of my best friends, I decided life was too short… Terry was the drummer and heartbeat of our band (The Tuesday Club)… after 3 years we were just building the necessary momentum to actually start getting noticed… we’d just supported Toyah at The 02 Islington, had just released our most critically acclaimed ep and had a real plan… that stopped on 17 Dec in it’s tracks… so too could’ve the band… my world was already collapsing under divorce, serious illness of my parents (one Bi-Polar and one Parkinsons disease) and struggling with being self employed and thrust back to the ‘family home’ at 47 while trying to keep alive a fledgling romance was all getting too much…
I could’ve cracked up, some say I did and maybe they are right… but the way I reacted, instead of crawling into a corner, or flinging the toe rope of my car over the nearest tree, was to attack my hurt and bury myself alive within my music… What could I do, how could I make a statement for me and to other people that you don’t need to buckle, there is a way to channel the pain, this I did in the year 2015 a year in my life, just an average man from St.Albans, Herts, (once an ordinary city in England, (but now haven of the wealthy and bearded). My style was spontaneous – I approached it, how Terry’s death had approached me, by shocking me into action…
Before I scare you away without even hearing a note, this document is not written/performed as a sob story though I won’t deny it’s probably not the cheeriest thing you’ll ever be exposed too. There is a large degree of black humour amid the despair, with a lot of ‘pinch of salt’ observation here within too. You have to laugh or you will cry… The only edits relate to some of the names, which I have changed but only for the sake of the innocent who I had to include and write about as they are/were part of my life.
The songs will be released as 7 track eps, 1 per week for a year from 2nd October 2015 until the first week of October 2018. Each ep will be accompanied by the diary entry of that day from 2015 by way of ‘sleeve notes”. Due to the cost, these will be initially released digitally only… but I am looking at all possibilities for a physical release too.
As David Bowie put it… In Quicksand (an apt title for this project too!)
“I’m not a prophet or a stone age man
Just a mortal with potential of a superman
I’m living on
I’m tethered to the logic of Homo Sapien
Can’t take my eyes from the great salvation
Of bullshit faith”
If you have any questions or need any more info please let me know. I want to try and get press interest during late August/September
thanks in advance for your support.
Dermot Illogical
other resources:
www.reversefamily.co.uk
www.facebook.com/reversefamily