This is the closest we’ve ever come to a hit record. It gets played in Germany all the time and a lot here too . I wrote the line about Mary Poppins while sitting at a set of traffic lights in Rutherglen. I had to madly write down the lyric in my diary so I wouldn’t forget it. All these taxis were beeping like mad. The 12 string on this is my Baldwin – the best 12 string ever made as far as I’m concerned. there must be something something going wrong in this garden all the flowers are black leaves are upside down but it really doesn't matter to me 'cause even on a sunday afternoon we could find that we have flown too far too soon too weak to see the meaning of it all and even on a sunday afternoon we could just pretend that we're in love and we will be in love there must be something something going wrong in this garden all the flowers are black painted upside down but it really doesn't matter in the long run I'll feed you up with hot dogs and ice cream strip away the bullshit hip routine you can't pretend you don't love mary poppins too and even on a sunday afternoon when all the world is hopelessly in blue I'll still be loving you
This is the song which kind of defines the album for me. It's about the last summer of adolescense and the feeling of "what's happening here?". My girlfriend and I used to bunk off school and go drink coffee in the Boulevard café in Falkirk. The bass playing on this is definitely Macca inspired. and we were lying there underneath the cherry sky our hearts and hands so high bugs and insects in our hair and we were just imagining if we miss the morning train we could be here till the bomb the bomb will fall and time will come and rip the hearts from us we're caught we're caught in an imaginary landslide we're caught we're caught underneath the cherry sky we're caught we're caught in an imaginary landslide trying to find the way home underneath the cherry sky ( trying to find the inside ) late that summer she gave herself to him among the long grass on a hill above town they lay by iron gates where people hid during the war ghosts and rust her nipples hard in the breeze slowly they walked back to the canal home for a piece on jam
This is next to Cherry Sky because it's basically a different take on the same subject. I tend not to write too specifically about things. If the album has a subject it is the feeling of late summer, falling in and out of love and a lot of things slipping away. As an artist I think what I can do best is talk about feelings. we were in love in the belly of summer warmed by the honeyed wildness of the sun I tasted your coconut lips and summer moved on I could see the magic I could see the magic I could see the magic in you hazy in a heatwave thinking this would always ring true autumn tapped her on the shoulder told her I still believed winter brought an icy shiver to me springtime was a world of wonder wondering if I would ever get you back we'll sleep again in the sound of the summers' goodbye
People say that a lot of these songs are about food. It's true that they boast many food references but this is the only one with a specific food subject. My wife Julie was working in a shop over summer and she hated it. Her lunch most days was a banana sandwich which gave her a feeling of warm nostalgia. I love the idea of food and nostalgia. A few strange folk have suggested this song may refer to felatio. Me ? Never!! Listen out for the brilliant glockenspiel sound on this – it's a toy. walking on her own on a rain covered street sleep in her eyes workin' shoes on her feet going to work and coming back home and going to work again dodging all the cracks and leaning to the wind when I go I'll be on my own and you'll know the difference 'tween the sun and the snow opens up her eyes takes a look at the day closes them again and she slowly slips away livin' in a dream never seeing it all swear one day I'm gonna pin my hopes up to the wall when I do I'll be like a train comin' through and everything old will be renewed every time she eats a banana sandwich takes her on a ride to the sun sleeping like a storm when the working day is done rolling down the road with a cone and two skates thinkin' 'bout a life on the run tommorow rushes in with the wind and I'll be gone
Incendiary drumming from Wilf on the tag. I was shouting "Keith Moon, Ringo Starr, more more!" Although I'm not a fan of deliberate pastiche we totally went for a major "hard days night" sound at the end of the track. babe is it wrong to believe in a world of angel deceivers we come strange little hearts so small and hopefull never feeling that we're sure of it all so small and grateful babe lets take a chance to be us and we'll fly over rivers and seas I'm waiting on it all waiting on your love waiting on the flood babe is it wrong to be me in a world of strangeness and no relief we come strange little hearts so small and hopefull never feeling that we're sure of it all so small and grateful babe if my life is so good then why am I filled with disbelief I'm waiting on it all waiting on your love waiting on the flood
One of three tracks that started out as demos. Because of that there are some strange little bits of singing going on. Anyway don't know what to say except it's one of my favourite cuts particularly the middle 8 when everything comes in. they met too late when summer was over and the wee small hours were turning to black surely there is still a way surely there is still a way but they met too late they met too late and paris was a daydream they'd never walk through the dusty night she was beautiful sad and scared worried about the strange love they shared but they met too late there's no use in crying over what can't be it never works the way that you intend I know we won't be lovers but we can still be friends and if you've got a problem you can come to me doesn't matter if it's great or small I'm not religious but I'm asking God to hold your hand and guide you through it all sending out a message of love to say that everything's alright
This song is a kind of amalgam of a few different people. Sometimes when you're writing songs it's good to take little bits of different people and situations and kind of merge them. Then you've got something that's both real and imaginary. Brians great contribution to this song was to mess about with the verse chords and where I'd had quite chimy, happy chords he made them a bit darker and uglier more in keeping with the lyric. It's really important to arrange songs properly. You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear but you can enhance a good song to sound like a really great bit of work. she steps out in the rain hides her face from the sun what a strange little girl stepping into my world she drinks coffee and rum she lives out in the stars what a strange little girl wanna be where you are but she says hey how d'you get to be so dumb you're so hung up always looking back trying to find a hook to hang your troubles on it's unsurprising that you consider me such a fool you're a strange little girl I don't fit in your world I don't fit in your world she's a seeker of truth in amphetamine nights what a strange little girl setting my world to rights she's unamericanised she's dangerous dumb and wise what a strange little girl stepping into my world and I say why do you always have to bitch and moan you're so strung out wailing on my head trying to find a pin to burst my bubble with it's unsurprising that you consider me such a fool you're a strange little girl I don't fit in your world I don't fit in your world
I used to sing this trad song in folk clubs when I was 16. Pentangle's version was one of my favourite records. When I met Bert Jansch recently I told him how much I loved his vocal on the track ; he said "It's not me it's John Renbourn, I only play squeezebox on that". I was shattered. Anyway this started as a demo for a pseudonym album "The Strange Underworld Of The Tall Poppies", which of course became the Pearlies album. The last thing to go on was the drums, I was kind of conducting Wilf to a completed track. 'twas homeward bound one night on the deep swinging in my hammock I fell asleep I dreamed a dream and I thought it true concerning Franklin and his gallant crew with 100 seamen he sailed away to the frozen ocean in the month of may to seek a passage around the pole where we poor seamen do sometimes go through cruel hardships they remained strong their ship on mountains of ice was thrown only the eskimo in his skin canoe was the only one that ever came through from baffin bay where the whale fish blow the fate of Franklin no man may know the fate of Franklin no tongue can tell Lord Franklin alone with his sailors doing well and now my body it gives me pain my long lost Franklin I'll cross the main 10 000 crowns would I freely give to say on earth my Franklin lives
Another demo. My favourite moment on the album is when the strings come in the second time and stay in over the verse. It was a real moment in the studio. My sister Theresa plays random wind chimes all through the song. The clunk at the end is the back of a nylon strung acoustic. night breeze in the colours of my room like you hazy red fills my head like a night breeze across the city skies to me under my door under my skin with the night breeze we said summer's over and it only just begun but on a night so clear I do believe the night breeze brings you back to me so summer warm and blue like you sweet and free will the night breeze bring you back to me
This is one of those songs that kind of write themselves. Karen Matheson recorded a version for her solo album which unfortunately wasn't used. Maybe it'll come out one day. well we've been in some strange places driven wild highways and it's written on our faces getting stronger with the passing days sometimes you can't take any more but it's alright if you feel your heart is on the floor in the darkest hour I'll be there to light the gloom in the darkest hour like a seabreeze in your room in the darkest hour we can be as one we can be as one sometimes take for granted all the love you've shown but it's not the way I've planned it it's just the way we've grown and if we've lost the thrill of being new I believe I still can find the best of me in you in the darkest hour I'll be there to light the gloom in the darkest hour like a seabreeze in your room in the darkest hour I'll be there to break your fall and I'll stay there through it all
Took literally 6 months plus to write this. The tune was in my head for ages but to put down what I was trying to express was difficult. The last chorus ""..the blue plastic pool of your youth.." was inspired by a photo of my brother and I in a paddling pool at my Gran's house. The string arrangement at the end is really inspired by Disney movies like Mary Poppins ( as is Banana Sandwich – chim chimmanee…). she's looking tired she's got things on her mind tremors from everyday storms shoes untied tears uncried dark fascinations from days gone behind out in this circus her days just dissolve into an endless ballet people come people go everyone losing their minds on the way when we are lovers we'll share days of sun and cold october holidays we will be blessed with the best yet to come and we'll find our love in the middle of an everyday storm chimney sweeps stalking like black cartoon crows over the roofs of the town she goes on trying relying on angels that never come round throw back the curtains step out and you'll find the blue plastic pool of your youth something so real something closer than truth and we'll find it there in the middle find our love in the middle of an everyday storm
There are about 4 really developed versions of this tune on tape but the best is this simple version. I'm not religious but this is definitely a song about wondering about God. The lyric is about some kind of restless feeling of dissatisfaction and yearning for peaceful days. On a technical note the guitar is played in DADGAD tuning and the strings were arranged by Charlie McKerron and Brian on the spot. I've just written a tune with Charlie called "Orange Sandy Plains" which will probably be on the next lp – due in 2005. working all day for the never end got no time to find a lover or a friend a lover or a friend something's happening I don't understand something hidden here in the palm of my hand the palm of my hand I don't really know what it is all I really know is what I wish away from it all away from the world and walk like a king and be me again walking backwards spinning round and round don't know if I'm up don't know if I'm down don't know if I'm down starless skies and seas of black and white all God's children reeling backwards from the fight looking for the light filled with disbelief fear and doubt something in the air turns me inside out riverrun under the water over the seabed I sailed upon the ancient ruins and the dreams of my mind took me on wards through stupid waters and blue horizons full of jellyfish and seahorses I knew the secrets I knew the secrets I knew the secrets and I stood where you stand sail past the old waves into the new waves and I'll be swimming in the sun along the mighty riverrun I agve you my love you gave me your love and all the emptiness was gone like a breath from a window pane were you a daydream so sad and so strange wrapped up in cellophane and centuries and seahorses I knew the secrets I knew the secrets I knew the secrets and I stood where you stand sail past the old waves into the new waves and to my aching arms you'll come along the mighty riverrun basking shark on a night train in a strange dream of childhood we passed under a Victorian railway bridge the devil appeared to me floating mid air in the half carriage light terrified I could not speak as he drew a sword and soundlessly pierced my heart onward on our journey we travelled through strange straits I didn't know where I was or what was in the fates and I was writing you a letter but the ink wouldn't dry it was something about the basking shark and what it means to you and I sugar mountain strings instrumental
Words & music by David Scott, except "Jelly Shoes" & "Cherry Sky" - words & music by David Scott & Brian McAlpine and "Lord Franklin" (Trad. arranged by Scott & McAlpine). All selections published by Copyright Control, 1997. Lyrics reproduced with the kind permission of David Scott - cheers, Davie!!
