shaun belcher songwriting

complete lyrics 1996-2001

 

SONGS 2001

TEA IN THE DEVIL'S PARLOUR

1. BROKE DOWN
2. CHERRY BLOSSOM
3. RAINDOGS : SCRATCHES ON MY HEART
4. TRAIN
5. FEVER
6. DEVIL'S HOUSE
7. DON'T WANNA DIE ALONE
8. SHINY LEATHER BOOTS
9. SUGAR JAR
10. ICE TOWN

BROKE DOWN

GOT A BROKE DOWN CAR IN A BROKE DOWN PLACE
IT'S A BROKE DOWN SHED IN A BROKE DOWN STATE

GOT A BROKE DOWN HOUSE ON A BROKE DOWN STREET
GOT A BROKE DOWN TV THAT JUST DON'T WORK FOR ME

GOT A BROKE DOWN LIFE FULL OF BROKE DOWN DREAMS
GOT A BROKE DOWN TREE SURROUNDED BY BROKE DOWN LEAVES

THERE'S A BROKE DOWN TRAIN COMIN' DOWN A BROKE DOWN TRACK
COMIN' TO TAKE MY BROKE DOWN BABY BACK

THERE'S A BROKE DOWN DOOR, A BROKE DOWN KEY
I'M THROWING IT AWAY SO THAT I CAN BREAK FREE

CHERRY BLOSSOM

ON THAT SUMMER NIGHT
THE STARS WERE SHINING BRIGHT
THE CHERRY PICKER'S HANDS WERE STAINED
WITH CHERRY JUICE AT THE END OF THE DAY

AND THE BLOSSOM FELL DOWN
AND THE BLOSSOM FELL DOWN

THEY SAID IT WOULD ALL BE OVER BY THE FALL
BUT NOW THERE WAS TALK OF ANOTHER YEAR OF WAR
THE FARMS WERE DERELICT, GRASS GROWING TALL
THERE WERE CHERRIES ALL OVER THE BARN FLOOR

SHE NEVER SAW HIM AGAIN
REMEMBERED HIM ON A LADDER WITH A GRIN
SHE REMEMBERED HIM BEST THAT WAY
SURROUNDED BY CHERRY BLOSSOM AND STARLIT SPACE

FIVE YEARS LATER SHE WAS REMARRIED
TO AN ITALIAN PRISONER WHO STAYED
TO HELP PICK THE CHERRIES ON THE FARM
SHE SOMETIMES FOUND HERSELF CATCHING THE BLOSSOM

AS IT FELL DOWN
ON RED STAINED HANDS

RAINDOGS : SCRATCHES ON MY HEART
For J.B.

EVERY TIME I PICK UP THAT RECORD I FEEL THE SAME
IT'S A QUARTER PAST MIDNIGHT AND POURING WITH RAIN
AND THE LAST TRAIN HAS ALREADY BEGUN HEADING NORTH
AND I'M SAT THERE WAITING FOR YOUR CALL

WELL WE SPAN AND WE DANCED AND WE FELL
OH WE FELL INTO EACH OTHER'S ARMS
AND WE'RE FALLING STILL
RAINDOGS….SCRATCHES ON MY HEART

NOW I'VE LOST MORE THAN I EVER DREAMT
FALLEN DOWN MORE TIMES THAN I'D EVER WISHED
YOU TOOK THE SLOW TRAIN BACK TO THE COUNTRY
TOOK AN EASY LIFE WITH A HOUSE AND SOME KIDS

AND I SPAN AND I DANCED AND I FELL
FELL INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S ARMS
AND I'M STILL FALLING DOWN
THERE ARE SCRATCHES ON MY HEART
RAINDOGS…

WELL I'M GETTING UP EARLY TODAY, GONNA TAKE A TRAIN
RIDE THROUGH PINE TREES AND PLOUGHED FIELDS TO YOUR PLACE
GONNA GO SEE YOU AND HAND YOU THIS RECORD
GONNA HAND YOU THE SCRATCHES WE MADE IN THE PAST

COS WE SPAN AND WE DANCED AND WE FELL
FELL INTO OTHER PEOPLE'S ARMS
AND ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD CAN'T ERASE
THE SCRATCHES ON OUR HEARTS
RAINDOGS…..SCRATCHED ON OUR HEARTS.

TRAIN

THERE'S A BIG BLACK TRAIN A COMING
DOWN THE CRYSTAL RAILS TONIGHT
THERE'S A BIG BLACK TRAIN A COMING
IT'S GOING TO BLOT OUT THE LIGHT

THERE'S A TOWN FULL OF CHANDELIERS
THAT ARE TINKLING IN THE WIND
THERE ARE OPEN WINDOWS, BABIES A CRYING
THERE'S A HINT OF A STORM IN THE WIND

AND A BIG BLACK TRAIN IS COMING
THROUGH THE FOREST TONIGHT
A BIG BLACK TRAIN IS SLIDING
INTO A STATION FULL OF LIGHTS

AND ON THE MOUNTAINS THEY'RE LIGHTING
FRESH FIRES FOR EVERY SOUL
AND WHEN THEY GO BACK IN THE MORNING
THEY FIND THOSE ASHES HAVE GROWN COLD

'COS THE BIG BLACK TRAIN HAS TAKEN
THE WEAKEST AND THE SICK
TAKEN THEM OFF TO THE DEVIL OR JESUS
DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY DID

THERE'S A BIG BLACK TRAIN A COMING
IT'S GOT A SEAT FOR YOU AND ME
JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT TICKET YOU BOUGHT
WHEN IT PULLS UP ON YOUR STREET

FEVER

WELL THERE'S FORTY MILES OF DOWNLAND AND WE'RE SLIPPING IN THE SETTING SUN
THE MASTER'S YOUNGEST CAUGHT THE FEVER, NOW WE'RE TAKING HIM TO DOCTOR GUNN
BUT HE LIVES OUT BY WINCHESTER AND THESE TRACKS ARE TURNED TO MUD
IF WE DON'T GET THERE BY SUNSET
HE'LL DIE RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF US

YEAH IT'S FORTY MILES TO SALVATION
FORTY MILES TO THE SUN
FORTY MILES TO THE GRAVEYARD
OR FORTY MILES TO THE PARLOUR OF DOCTOR GUNN

WELL WE DID WHAT WE COULD AT THE FARMHOUSE
WE STRIPPED HIM DOWN AND WE BLED HIS LUNGS
BUT THE FEVER RATTLING HIS BODY IS JUST GETTING WORSE
WE'RE HEADED FOR WINCHESTER AND THE PARLOUR OF DOCTOR GUNN

OUR VILLAGE BEEN STRUCK BY THE FEVER
TEN TIMES IN AS MANY YEARS
THERE AIN'T A PERSON AMONGST US
AINT LOST SOMEONE THEY HELD DEAR

NOW THERE'S A RUMOUR GOING AROUND THE VALLEY
THAT THOSE WELL OFF PEOPLE HAVE FOUND A CURE
BUT THAT THEY ARE ONLY TREATING THE WEALTHY
AND THAT THERE AIN'T ENOUGH TO CURE US ALL

WELL WE ENDED UP STUMBLING WITH THAT BOY IN OUR ARMS
WHEN THE AXLE OF THE WAGON FELL RIGHT APART
HE DIED RIGHT THERE IN MY ARMS GREW STIFF AS I CARRIED HIM BACK
DON'T SEEM TO BE ANY JUSTICE IN THIS WORLD
NOR WILL THERE BE IN THE NEXT I 'M SURE
OUR KIND ARE ALWAYS FORTY MILES FROM SALVATION
ON A ROAD THAT'S FOREVER CURSED

THE DEVIL'S HOUSE

I LIVE IN A HOUSE ON TOP OF A HILL
I'VE BEEN HERE FOR YEARS AND I'M HERE STILL
AND I WATCH YOU EVERY DAY YOU GO BY
EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE

AND THE RAIN POURS DOWN LIKE TEARS
FROM THE COAL BLACK CLOUDS MY DEAR
ON TO THE DEVIL' HOUSE

WELL YOU DO THINGS THAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND
YOUR FEEL CONFUSED BUT YOU WORK AND PLAN
THEN ALONG COMES A GIRL WITH A PRETTY SMILE
AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT YOU'RE ALREADY MINE

COS I BEEN WATCHING YOU ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE

MAN WITH NO NAME

HE CAME TO MY DOOR YESTERDAY
HE SAID KIND SIR CAN YOU SHOW ME THE WAY
HE WAS DRENCHED TO THE BONE, LOOKED LIKE DEATH
SAID HE'D SPENT TWENTY YEARS LOOKIN' BUT HADN'T FOUND IT YET

HE WAS WALKIN IN THE DRIVIN RAIN
THE MAN WITH NO NAME

HE CAME FROM A CITY FAR AWAY
WHERE HE SAID THE STREETS WERE NOT NAMED
HE GAVE ME A BAG OF SILVER COINS
SAID GIVE ALL THE KIDS NEW TOYS

THEN HE WENT ON HIS WAY INTO THE NIGHT
I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE HIM AGAIN IN MY LIFE
BUT YESTERDAY ALL THE FLAGS WERE UNFURLED
I SAW HIM BURIED WITH A BRASS BAND AND A WEEPING GIRL
THAT MAN WITH NO NAME

THE SUGAR JAR

WE'RE TIRED AND ALONE AND IN A PLACE YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO GO
WE'RE BOTH STUCK IN THE SUGAR ON THE EDGE OF A JAR
BOTH BEEN CIRCLING IT FOR YEARS AND HERE WE ARE
IT WON'T TAKE MUCH BEFORE WE'RE BOTH FLOATIN
FLOATIN IN THE SUGAR JAR
THAT'S WHERE WE ARE
IN THE SUGAR JAR

WELL SOME OF MY FRIENDS HAVE DIED, SOME OF 'EM ARE STILL ALIVE
DOESN'T MATTER WHAT AGE YOU ARE SOME TIME YOU'LL END UP TAKING A TASTE OF THE SUGAR JAR

SOME PEOPLE LIVE ON AIR
SOME PEOPLE HAVE A MILLION STAIRS
SOME PEOPLE LIVE THEIR LIFE LIKE IT WAS A WINE
BUT THEIR HANDS ARE TIED AND THEIR POCKETS LINED
DOESN'T MATTER WHAT AGE THEY ARE THEY ALL LIKE A TASTE
OF THE SUGAR JAR

DON'T WANNA DIE ALONE

DON'T WANNA DIE ALONE IN SOME SILLY FLAT
WITH THE MILK GONE SOUR, NEWSPAPERS IN A STACK
DON'T WANNA SPEND MY LAST YEARS GATHERING DUST
WATCHING THE CONDENSATION GATHERING ON THE WINDOW SASH

DON'T WANNA LOVE YOU GIRL
DON'T WANT YOU TO GO
DON'T WANNA DIE ALONE

DON'T WANNA BURY MY DREAMS OUT IN A FIELD
IN A BISCUIT TIN THAT WILL RUST IN THE RAIN
WANT TO BURN AND SCREAM AND SHINE
TAKE YOU ALL THE PLACES I DREAM ABOUT AT NIGHT

DON'T…

DON'T WANNA SPEND MY EVENINGS ALL ALONE
LISTENING TO THE CARS GOING DOWN THIS EMPTY ROAD
SO TAKE MY HAND AND WATCH MY HEART SHINE
BELIEVE ME AND I'LL SPILL STARS IN YOUR OPEN EYES

ICE TOWN

SUITS AND SMILES IN STATION WAGONS
ARE SKIDDING ON THE STREETS OF MY HOMETOWN
THEY'RE CELEBRATING ANOTHER HARVEST BOOM
ANOTHER CROP OF POOR PEOPLE LOOKING FOR ROOMS
AND OUT ON THE STREET
THE ICE IS INCHES THICK
AND NOBODY GIVES A DAMN
IT'S JUST THE WAY THINGS ALWAYS ARE
IN ICE TOWN, IN ICE TOWN

IT'S NOT POLITICS, NOT CORRUPTION, JUST HUMAN NATURE
SAYS THE MAN AT THE BAR NEXT TO THE GIRL IN FURS
AS HE PAWS THE AIR FOR ATTENTION AND SLOWLY TURNS
AND STARES OUT THE WINDOW AT THE BEGGAR THAT BURNS
OUT ON THE STREET
WHERE THE ICE IS INCHES THICK
IN ICE TOWN

IN THE NEW COUNCIL OFFICES THEY'RE BUSY GREASING PALMS
WITH THE KICKBACKS THAT THE REFUGEE CRISIS PAYS
WHIST THE COUNCILLOR'S WIFE TOTTERS AROUND THE MALL
LOOKING FOR SOME NEW DRESS FOR THE COUNTRY CLUB BALL
AND ON THE STREET THE ICE SPARKLES LIKE A DIAMOND HALO
ROUND THE BODY OF A DRUNK WHO FELL OVER ONE LAST TIME
IN ICE TOWN
EVERYTHING STAYS THE SAME
ICE TOWN

DOWN, DOWN, DOWN IN ICE TOWN.

 

© SHAUN BELCHER 2001