1. News
Lou Brown's latest news
2. Story
Lou Brown's biography
3. Shows
Lou Brown's live dates
4. Media
Videos & songs by Lou Brown
5. Words
Lyrics by Lou Brown
6. Blog
Lou Brown's blog
7. Look
Lou Brown's photographs
8. Press
Lou Brown's interviews
9. Hello
Lou Brown's contacts and links
10. Store
Buy copies of Lou Brown's albums
Lou Brown: 5. Words
Calm The Rising Waters
(All lyrics by Lou Brown. © Lou Brown Music 2010)
11.23
The barman's throwing whiskey into glasses that's sending all the men
completely and utterly beserk.
And a loud-mouthed woman's chain smoking twenty cigarettes and telling all the people that she's with that her life is crap, again.
And two good people are sat talking about their supposed so-called friends that have developed giant-sized egos and forgotten that they were the ones that supported them.
And the lonely girl is desperately trying to speak to the guy sat directly on her right until the attention deficit walks in and stabs her in the back and scratches out her eyes. I observe this probably isn't the first time because she is rolling her eyes and making hands gestures that seem to imply that she isn't going to fight. I really wish that she would fight.
I left that bar at exactly 11.23. I go to see a view of the world from the cliff top that always amazes me. And I call up my friend and I say to her, "You know, life is really hard sometimes", and she sounds just like Baz Luhrmann with her meandering advice.
She says, "Don't trust too many people, or you'll spend the rest of your life in disappointment. Wear blue shoes on Tuesdays so that Mondays seem normal."
She says what she loves about me is I'm "100% supportive to my friends", and I laugh at this and say, "This hasn't got me very far from this end."
But she says, "We don't know how were going to be judged, when were taking our last breaths in the dead of night." I tell that I find strength in that concept. There is hope in that concept.
I love 11.23. They were the best 60 seconds in that day for me. I love 11.23.
Saving Lives
You ask me why I haven't written a new song in such a long time?
But the truth is there's a thousand memories all blocking inside up in my mind.
And I am scared that if I let them out, there'll be a raging roaring river with a torrent spilling out,
And I won't know how to calm the rising waters in my mind.
You ask me why I haven't shown my face around here in such a long time?
But there are knife marks in my back leaving blood along the floor, marking my paths.
And I am scared that if I say what I think then the vision from my eyes will turn to laser beams,
And he says that I saved his life. But the truth is that he saved mine.
With you, I'm not on the outside. With you, yeah yeah, I'm not on the outside.
You tell me soundly how to walk into this room with my head high.
How to bow beneath the grace of love despite the dirty look from cold eyes.
And I am strong, I won't fall, I won't cry. I will love the world around me with a simple lullaby,
And I know I'll try to calm the rising waters in my mind.
And he says that I saved his life, but the truth is that he saved mine.
The Boot Co.
I bought these boots in '96, the label said they'd last a lifetime of wandering.
But the guarantee has faded and the company has folded.
Just like were folding, our company.
It's been ten years we've been walking, but the waters getting in.
It's been a thousand miles of roaming, but the blisters are forming.
Should I rest against this wall to see if blood will gush down to my toes?
Or should I walk another seven miles to see if somehow this pain will go?
Oh, I wish I had the number, yeah, yeah, of that damn boot company
'cause I'd tell them how they've let me down, these boots are failing me.
Now the colouring has faded, from the left side to the right.
But the stains are marking maps out to the memories of my life
But Ive been holding on, holding on too damn tight.
So I bought myself some new shoes, repellent from the rain
And sure they might be comfy but the fit just ain't the same
So I'll go stepping out, stepping out barefoot again.
Oh I wish I had the number yeah, yeah of that damn boot company.
David's Not Sleeping
David's not sleeping so well tonight.
He's woken in a room only four foot wide.
It was over so quickly with a clink of the cuffs,
And a clunk of the door and a kick and a shove.
You've gotta lie in your bed. Lie in your bed.
He's caught in the road, dead in the headlights.
It was over so quickly when the hammer came down,
And the judge said, "Oh kid, I am sick of your fooling around."
You gotta lie in your bed. Lie in your bed.
And his mother screamed, "Please,
Won't you show him some mercy, some leniency?
He's only nineteen, he's my only baby."
David's not sleeping, so well tonight.
Dressed in Grey
Is it cold there? In shadows cast by pain?
He says he likes it, when my soul's close to my skin.
If eyes were windows? Would he see?
What I hope will be.
Like if he's lonely. May she come and take his hand.
And if he's needy. May she gently understand.
We are singing in notes between the space
He is laughing but time's a borrowed place.
The fields roll by now, all clothed in hay.
But he's miles away.
And if he's guilty. May her innocence withstand.
And if he's weary. May comfort lay across her palms.
'cause its all gold, dressed up in grey.
It's all the things that we wished that we'd said before they passed away.
'cause I know that your gonna go though you swear you'll stay
It is cold here in shadows past by pain.
Goodbye
The Sunday papers are dancing in the breeze.
Encircled information's all screaming at me.
I shut down my eyes and I pray that I'm blind.
This isn't the news I was hoping to find.
The headline's Goodbye. The headline's Goodbye.
He stretches his arms out and waits there for me,
And I clamber in and his breathing gets heavy.
I open my mouth to confess my mistakes.
But he doesnt hear the word I'm tryin' to say.
Goodbye, Goodbye.
Bring me to my fire, and fetch me my blanket, my book,
To drown out this music, stop my hands playing strings wrapped on wood.
Stop my hands playing strings wrapped on wood.
The piano is silent but so deafening.
I scour the ground for the things I believed.
I look to the sky and I beg them to wait,
But they're in formation all flying away.
Goodbye.
The Kettle
As I open the door, she brushes hair from my eyes,
And we sit at the table in the failing sunlight,
And she doesn't complain at the stain my tears make on her pine.
And as I'm telling the tale, recalling all of the times
That he uttered a word, or his hand brushed mine.
And she doesn't complain when I start to repeat it again.
I cry, "He's always laughing, he's the cruellest man I've ever seen.
Mate, he hounded my heart, now he's left me apart at the seams."
And she's tapping the kettle again and I know I'm safe.
And I don't need to ask to stay.
The bottom bunks turned out in that hotel kinda way.
And I know I don't need to lie,
When she asks, Are you alright?
Mate, he hounded my heart, now he's left me apart at the seams. "
I cry, "He's always laughing, he's the cruellest man I've ever seen."
As she's tapping the kettle again, then I know I'm safe.
You Gave Me Life
As we try to find the line, between what is wrong and right,
I have stories cross my eyes that my father told me late into the night.
You gave me life and I forgot to say,
That you give me life everyday.
As we try cross the path between what is dangerous and safe,
I have music in my ears from the lullabies that my mother sang to me.
That you give life everyday.
I'm running backwards into my future but I'm stumbling on my past.
I've asked my guardian angel to help me but he said that he's got scars,
And we all laughed but we never fell apart.
Come Lay Your Hands
Come lay your hands, down by your side,
Where I can reach out, put your hands in mine.
I'm not after your body, just want your company.
Call out my name, come rain or shine,
And we can go walking in the evening time.
I'm not after your sweet kiss, just want your company.
I don't need no show man, no big romance.
I'm not seeking diamonds or no picket fence.
I don't need no glory, no screaming crowds.
I don't want no gold ring, just want you around.
May I rest my head, here on your knee,
And we can get talking about the things weve seen.
I'm not after I love you, just want your company.
I don't need no hot tubs in hotel rooms.
I'm not seeking nightclubs or a dance with you.
I don't need no slow-mo, no lights down low.
No candles burning, just want you to know.
Jimmy Joe
The devil's in the café sipping on soda and lime,
And God does the quick step out on Highway 49.
Little Jimmy Joe's in the garage feeling so low, so low,
'cause pretty Mary Jane said Jimmy had to go, go, go.
Old guitar's all stained out by the light,
The rusty strings gave his heart a glint of fire.
He thinks I gotta be like the guy up on MTV,
And he hollers to the devil, won't you come and rescue me.
And the devil sings, "Give me your soul son,
And I'll grant you fingers just like a-lightning."
Now Jimmy Joe is pushing bones, he's nearly ninety three.
He's toured around the world with all the greatest company.
But he knows that he's made himself a terrible mistake,
'cause nobody will save him when he's burning at his stake.
So God travels up on a clapped-out 50cc,
Saying, "Come on boy, oh won't you take chance on me?
'cause I could give you peace and show you faith."
He says, "Old man, you're not cool enough for my place."
No Place Left To Go
As he's boarding his train and she sails on her boat,
And the rain's coming round like an old winter coat,
And his shoes, all worn at the heels.
And they meet at the end of an old-fashioned pier,
Where there's plaques under feet saying folk have been here,
And her shoes, all worn at the heels.
He says, "There's no place left to go."
She says, "There's no place left to go."
And there's cracks in the sky that's all mottled and grey,
And the sun's streaming down in the wind and the spray,
And she knows she's dancing again.
And the weeks turn to days till she flies to the sun,
And her heart starts to ache as the race starts to run,
And the wind's singing high,
And his jeans riding low.
He says, "I'll take your hand."
But she crawls on alone.
Love let her go, but he'll bring her home.
Now they've turned to the age when the ink starts to run,
And they look to the place where they started to learn,
And they know their love still goes on.
So they walk through the crowds with the noise and the haze,
And they link with their arms in the ageless of ways,
And their shoes, all worn at the heels.
Dancing With You
You tell me stories of the house we used to live in.
How the roof is hanging concave from the weight of the life we were living.
You tell me how they bend and how they sway,
But I'm not sure that walls should move that way.
I'm not convinced we'll fit inside this space like we used to,
When I was dancing with you.
You tell me how the door is hanging low now.
How it's slower to open and groans at the sight of your face.
I'm not convinced well fit inside this space like we used to,
When I was dancing with you. When I was dancing with you.
Now the windows are like tears from the cries our eyes should be making.
Isn't it strange how these cracks reveal our age.
10ft of Steel
Is it too late for conversations?
Is it too far to signs with directions?
I'll say I'm sorry if you say I'm sorry as well,
But we sit at a table divided by 10ft of steel.
Is it too cold to reach out our hands?
Is it too hard to break down these doors?
Are you alright?
Your smile don't seem so bright.
Have you lost your way?
Did somebody let you down today?
I'll say I'm sorry if you say I'm sorry as well
But we sit at a table divided by 10ft of steel
Your smile dont seem so bright.
I'll say I'm sorry if you say I'm sorry as well.
Buy the albums: 1. Store 2. iTunes
