WHAT I LEARNT ON MY HOLIDAYS

i have learnt the importance of travelling light
i have learnt to respect the mountain
to know the limitations of my ageing body
i have learnt that a pair of trekking poles suddenly doesn't seem so much of a luxury
when knees begin to seize up halfway down a mountain
i have learnt the joys of escaping the eye of the clock
that the wilderness has a transcendent power and beauty
which nurtures the human spirit
i have learnt that when battered by high winds
on a hillside in the middle of a rain squall
it is much easier to identify with modern industrial civilization and its products
a waterproof anorak and trousers and comfortable leather walking boots
i have learnt that the mountains are no place to be when the drizzle sets in
i have learnt to appreciate how tough it must be
to eke out a livelihood in remote moutainous terrain
i have learnt that an artist is a mirror for the audience
but that sometimes the mirror needs to be broken
i have learnt that life is about following one's intuition
and then putting one foot in front of the other

LUNATIC

He takes one small step, makes one giant leap
Looks back at the swirl of cloud and ocean
He places his flag, he sifts through the dust
Over his shoulder a planet in motion

He’s a lunatic, he’s got a fixation
He’s under a spell, he’s under a charm
He’s a lunatic, he’s looking for omens
Out for a walk under the stars

He gazes in awe at her celestial body
The milky white skin she slowly reveals
She’s a bright crystal ball on black velvet cushions
The guardian of sleep, the keeper of dreams

He’s a lunatic, he’s got a fixation
He’s under a spell, he’s under a charm
He’s a lunatic, he’s looking for omens
Out for a walk under the stars

His talk is of science, of divine inspiration
Mechanical marvels, ingenious schemes
Under cover of night, deep in conversation
His muse lights the way as he wanders the streets

He’s a lunatic, he’s got a fixation
He’s under a spell, he’s under a charm
He’s a lunatic, he’s looking for omens
Out for a walk under the stars

BROTHER WOLF (LIVE)

INTERNATIONAL LOVE

She came from China

On a slow boat

He swam from Java

He barely kept afloat

They were born under different stars

Spoke in different tongues

They moved in different orbits

Worshipped different gods

But when they met it was beautiful

Two cultures collided

Two cymbals clashed

International love

Hand in glove

International love

He was warm and open

She was shy and reserved

He was easy-going

She always had to be first

It was a meeting of bodies

A meeting of minds

An entente cordiale

A delicate compromise

And when they met it was beautiful

Two cultures collided

Two cymbals clashed

International love

Hand in glove

International love

They were oil and water

They were fire and ice

They would both fight their corner

They were both always right

But their days were numbered

They knew it couldn’t last

Their edifice was starting to crumble

Their light was fading fast

Cracks began to open

Fault lines appeared

They were pulling in different directions

It had to end in tears

But the memories were beautiful

When two cultures collided

When two cymbals clashed

International love

Hand in glove

International love

He came from Java

On a slow boat

She swam from China

She barely kept afloat

International love

Hand in glove

International love

BROTHER WOLF

Brother wolf – out there in the forest

Brother wolf – in no man’s land

Brother wolf – melting into shadows

Brother wolf – covering your tracks

Brother wolf – fire in your belly

Brother wolf – licking your wounds

Brother wolf – gazing at the heavens

Brother wolf – howling at the moon

Oh brother wolf you are warm in your cave

Where the snow can’t get in

Oh brother wolf you are safe in your cave

Where your enemies can’t find you

Brother wolf – following your instincts

Brother wolf – surviving on your wits

Brother wolf – stretching every sinew

Brother wolf – swift as the wind

Oh brother wolf wrapped up warm in your furs

Against the harsh winter cold

Oh brother wolf you have known it from birth

The wilderness is your home

Here comes the huntsman with his gun

He’ll try to shoot you if he can

Give him the slip

Lure him to your den

All they will find is his bones picked clean

Brother wolf – steel in your jaws

Brother wolf – iron in your sides

Brother wolf – blood on your claws

Brother wolf – death in your eyes

Oh brother wolf you are warm in your cave

Where the snow can’t get in

Oh brother wolf you are safe in your cave

Where your enemies can’t find you

Oh brother wolf wrapped up warm in your furs

Against the harsh winter cold

Oh brother wolf you have known it from birth

The wilderness is your home

LOST

Lost my bearings

Lost my way

Lost my maps

Got led astray

Lost in the forest

Lost in the wood

Lost in the storm

Lost in the flood

Lost at sea

Lost in the fog

Lost the thread

Lost the plot

Lost my grip

Lost my touch

Lost my faith

Lost my trust

Looking for a sign

Looking for a path

Looking for a star

To light my way back

Looking for a sign

Looking for a path

Looking for a star

To light my way back

CLOSE YOUR EYES

The prettiest girl I ever saw
Walked out on me this morning
She packed her bags, she spread her wings
She left me without any warning

The sweetest rain I ever tasted
Moistened my lips by and by
Its gentle caress was soft on my face
It brings a tear to me eye

I close my eyes and I can see again
I listen to the silence
Just close your eyes and you can see again
Just listen to the silence

The loveliest sun that ever set
Went down on me this evening
Its orange glow dimmed and then died
It burns a hole in my memory

I close my eyes and I can see again
I listen to the silence
Just close your eyes and you can see again
Just listen to the silence

The softest darkness that ever fell
Cradles my soul tonight
The fullest moon that ever rose
Blankets me in its melancholy lamplight

I close my eyes and I can see again
I listen to the silence
Just close your eyes and you can see again
Just listen to the silence

ORCHESTRAL MANOUVRES

we are on our way to collect h's violin from the repair workshop
it's a half-size model that my grandfather bought for my uncle
when he was a young boy during world war two
and hasn't been played for nearly seventy years
hearing of h's violin exertions
uncle john has passed this family heirloom on to us via my mother to see if it's worth fixing
we haven't been to the workshop before
and i have to consult the map carefully to work out how to get there
we drive several miles out of the city to the edge of the countryside
a wedge of worcestershire strangled by the m5 and the m42 ringroads
we pass the crown pub and turn off the main road into a country lane
it narrows rapidly and takes a sharp bend past several cottages
just as we approach another abrupt bend
an elderly couple hoves into view
as if in a dream
i find my eyes focusing on none other than my uncle and aunt
out for an evening amble through the country lanes
as is their dog-walking habit
i suddenly remember that the crown is just round the corner
from the bungalow they moved into a few years back
they are as surprised to see us as we are them
particularly when i tell them why we are in this neck of the woods
after a few minutes driving up and down the lane and asking a few locals
i discover that the entrance to the workshop is opposite the very spot
where we bumped into my uncle
chris the violin repairer tells h that she is a very lucky young lady
the violin he has repaired dates from late victorian times
it is a high quality instrument worth between five and six hundred quid
h's eyes widen - that's a lot of pocket money
i'm wondering if we should tell my uncle how much his antique is worth
perhaps he'll want it back!
but more than anything i am staggered at meeting him yards from the repair shop
a route he must take often
for these days i barely ever see him