High Land, Hard Rain

Words and music by roddy frame


I brought you some francs from my travelling chest
You'll spare me the thanks 'til you know i'm the best
So come hogmonay when love comes in slurs
Resolutions i'll make and you can label them 'hers'
We threw our hands up high we, nearly touched the sky,
We clicked our heels and spat and swore
We'd never let it die

Chorus:
All those boy wonders
Sold their medals when they saw this train
Now this boy wonders
When he'll feel the fall of honest rain
I came from high land where the hopefuls have to hesitate
Now this boy wonders
Why the words were never worth the wait

I'm waiting, waiting.
In pastel paper pink over grey
We wrap, wrap, wrap and chuck, chuck away
The poor excuse they peddle as their prose.

Dry your tears, tie your tongue and you're never sixteen
And i'll give you a glimpse of the hard and the clean
And my travelling chest will be open to you
And boy will you learn that you haven't a clue

I even asked my best friend but he could not explain
It hit me when i left him
I felt the rain and called it genius,
Called it genius.

Chorus repeat

Words and music by roddy frame


The moment's here
Hold it and we'll keep it clear
Just like a crush
I wonder when i feel your rush
Losing nothing but pride
I got game enough to go for a ride
And i'm riding like a buoy on a wave
Yes i'm searching for the one on a wave
But i'm cold as i'm wet
'cos i know it's no one i've ever met
So i'm leaving all my lessons today
Yes i'm throwing all my lessons away
'cos it's one half open
It's one half shut
Like a life, like a knife
But the world wouldn't cut
It's like one mouth open
One mouth shut
A kiss i could miss
Like a kick in the gut
I just get haywire
Haywire

Par for the course
We've had it till i just got hoarse
From night down to day
It doesn't change with what i say
Ooh confidence why did you desert me then
When i could've kicked i snuggled up to think again
But i'm still on the make
When you give i have to take take take
And i'm riding like a buoy on a wave
And i'm learning all my lessons today
So let that voice be untamed
Let it cry and let some names be named
We'll be wired with the force of a wave
We'll be leaving with the force of a wave
It's like
"but how can i help it, if they break then they break
When my hands are untied they're entitled to shake"
It's like
I look to leicester's left-it-lad
And the sickness was singing and the song it was sad
It should be haywire
Haywire

Words and music by roddy frame


Here come a million johnny yens again
Hard pushed, hard bitten, that's a show
They've got their tickets and they're spying out
For somewhere safe where they can go
Like a big black train they're coming through
Singing hey
We do the queen's tattoos
Singing hey
We do the queen's tattoos

Chorus
You must have seen our scene
We've been on the news
Singing hey
We do the queen's tattoos

That kind of love gets all the biggest kicks
From martin fry and mills and boone
But it's got no guts
It's got no big kicks
My love and i will kill it soon
You gotta melt your guns
They're playing our tune

Chorus

My love and i will kill it soon
You gotta melt your guns
They're playing our tune
Singing hey

Chorus

Words and music by roddy frame

From the mountain tops down to the sunny street,
A different drum is playing a different kind of beat.
It's like a mystery that never ends.
I see you crying and i want to kill your friends.

Chorus:
I hear your footsteps in the street,
It won't be long before we meet,
It's obvious.
Just count me in and count me out and
I'll be waiting for the shout,
Oblivious...

Met mo and she's okay, said no-one really changed,
Got different badges but they wear them just the same.
But down by the ballroom i recognized that flaming fountain
In those kindered caring eyes.

Chorus

I hope it haunts me 'til i'm hopeless,
I hope it hits you when you go,
And sometimes on the edge of sleeping
It rises up to let me know it's not so deep,
I'm not so slow.

Chorus

They're calling all the shots, they'll call and say they phoned,
They'll call us lonely when we're really just alone.
And like a funny film, it's kinda cute
They've bought the bullets and there's no-one left to shoot.

Chorus

Words and music by roddy frame


You said you're free, for me that says it all.
You're free to push me and i'm free to fall.
So if we weaken we can call it stress,
You've got my trust i've got your home address.
And now the only chance that we could take,
Is the chance that someone else won't make it all come true.

We're making tracks, they show our touch and go,
And now it's touch and come and you should know.
But then four years won't mean that much to me,
When i've been smothered by the sympathy you bleed.

Chorus:
Just close your eyes again
Until these things get better
You're never far away
But we could send letters.

While you were gone i reached another town,
They couldn't help me but they showed me round,
And now i've seen what you can't understand,
I'd try to lead you but i'd crush your hand.

Because the people in the village know, it doesn't matter
Where you choose to go the end's the same.

I found some blood i wasn't meant to find
I found some feelings that we'd left behind
But then some blood won't mean that much to me
When i've been smothered by the sympathy you bleed.

Chorus

Words and music by roddy frame


What do you mean by beauty lain
I hope you know the consequences
'cos beauty wounds will make us strong
With truth we'll test our old defenses
And all my friends will make amends
They're green and grey and gold and groovy
And reconciled they'll shake and smile
Smile at me as though they knew me

And judge this world through jaundiced eyes
They're sold too soon and none too wise
Their big blue god is in the sky
Orchid girl don't spend your money

They asked me what the meek would get
Pictured me afraid to answer
I told them that when thought's entombed
Then love will show it's root in cancer
The sweet disorder in your eye
Has drawn me here through graves and gardens
I'm going in you're going in here are your smokes
Your jokes you're getting soaked i'm angry and my
Fists are pocketed

We'll judge this world through jaundiced eyes
We're sold too soon and none too wise
The big blue god is in the sky
He takes the blame and never cries
But orchid girl you'd make my day
You'd blow their cloud of crap away
If you would just refuse to pay

Orchid girl you'd make my day

Words and music by roddy frame


I laughed until it got too dark.
Somewhere else her voice will bark.
Someone else will be involved.
Someone stronger still.

Chorus
I'm lost here by myself, and lost outside myself
But we were not to blame, we're not the same.

I get up to get back down,
People's voices seem to drown me out
When i am in two minds.
Who could hide a love so blind?

Chorus

I cared for you in our one dream,
A one way rush to what i'd seen.
A desert free from threats, mundane,
A tunnel for our love.

Jump to albums or tracks---high land hard rainobliviousthe boy wonderswalk out to winterthe bugle sounds againwe could send letterspillar to postreleaselost outside the tunnelback on boarddown t
Phaywireorchid girlqueen's tattoos---knifestill on firejust like the u.s.a.head is happy (heart's insane)the back door to heavenall i need is everythingbackwards and forwardsthe birth of the tru
E---lovedeep & wide & tallhow men areeverybody is a number onemore than a lawsomewhere in my heartworking in a goldmineone and oneparadisekillermont street---straystraythe crying scenege
Ta londonover my headgood morning britainhow it isthe gentle kindnotting hill bluessong for a friend---dreamlandbirdssafe in sorrowblack lucialet your love decidespanish horsesdream sweet dreams
S and clockssister annvertigovalium summerthe belle of the ball---frestoniarainy seasonsuncrazyon the avenueimperfectlydebutantebeautiful girlphenomenal worldmethod of lovesunset---the north sta
To the onethe north starhere comes t
He oceanriver of brightnessstringsbigger brighter betterautumn flowerreason for livingsister shadowhymn to grace---best of aztec camerasomewhere in my heartobliviousgood morning britainworking i
Oldminehow men arethe birth of the truepillar to postwalk out to winterall i need is everythingdeep & wide & talljumpkillermont streetthe crying scenespanish horsesreason for livingwe co
End letters