Category: Seasonally Affective : A Piano Magic Retrospective 1996 – 2000

Amongst The Books, An Angel

Amongst The Books, An Angel

Amongst the books, an angel I’ve not met
And time hasn’t touched her yet
From A to M to Z she swans, as if avoiding bed

Pigtails instead of wings
I strung her harp with my heart strings
And I would ask this Spring for her
If I knew what the right words were

 

(Lyrics – GA Johnson)

Angel Pie

Angel Pie

There’s angel pie in the oven
And everything is ok, it’s alright
The point at which the seasons pass each other on the way out, way in
‘A Confederate General From Big Sur’ sat in my lap like a happy cat
I can sleep and read at the same time
And day and night are just words
I can live in the hills with my simple thrills
Racing clouds into town, if I like

 

 

 

(Words – GA Johnson)

I Am The Sub-librarian

I Am The Sub-librarian

I am the sub-librarian
Come in on the council bus –
Chalk Farm to Highgate Woods
Sportsbag of borrowed books

A steady diet of Brautigan
‘Tapestry’ on the walkman
Paranormal ill-health from dusting off the top shelf

I am the sub-librarian, counter girl, tea-maker
I am the sub-librarian, swan feeder, spectacle breaker
I am the sub-librarian

 

 

(Lyrics – GA Johnson)

 

 

 

Non-Fiction

Non-Fiction

I’ve got the snow on my side
I’ve got no doubts about that
And though this city grows wider
I always know where I’m at
I got your letter this morning
I know you mean what you say
And though the stations are closed down
I’ve got to get away

I’m somewhere off the compass
I’m somewhere lower than hell
And when you say you’re beyond this
I say, “I’ve been there as well”

 

(Lyrics – GA Johnson)

Sketch For Joanne

Sketch For Joanne

Joanne comes around with a radio and absinthe
We start the afternoon with Polish Xmas songs on shortwave
She laughs as we burn the first shot, the green flame

I love Joanne
We’ve been friends for 12 years
We used to be lovers but now a hug can be just a hug
I followed her from Derbyshire to London
She’s the sub-librarian, the swan feeder, spectacle breaker

I wanted to buy her a bicycle this Xmas but she said it was too much
She can close me down like I let no-one else do

We watch the green flame in the window
And it somehow makes me think of Amsterdam or Paris –
Rain beneath canal bridges in neon cafe light

The phone rings but it’s not for me
The answering machine catches it
And holds it and holds it and holds it

 

(Words – GA Johnson)

The Biggest Lie

The Biggest Lie

She said, “It’s ok – you’ll feel better every day
And all memory of this will fade away”
And that’s the biggest lie and I just wonder why
When love dissolves we don’t all just die

I sat by the lake when everyone had gone home
Nothing on my body but the sadness I had on
I felt death’s elbow nudging at my ribs, telling me to let go –
I don’t deserve to live

She said, “It’s ok – you’ll feel better every day
And all memory of this will fade away”
And that’s the biggest lie and I just wonder why
When love dissolves we don’t all just die

Liar

 

 

(Lyrics – GA Johnson)

The Canadian Brought Us Snow

The Canadian Brought Us Snow

The Canadian brought us snow
And Lucky Strikes for John to smoke
A Thursday night with powercuts
In mountain socks, burning books

We watched the Jetsons for too long –
Saw robots in our sleep
Naval lights from Amsterdam through the kettle steam

The Jesus glow of Calor Gas illuminates the frosted glass
The windowsill, a battle scene
Of Airfix kits and Disney Queens

Born too early, wake up too late
Minds of Chomsky but low birth weight
Sleeping beside, treat us like eggs
Box-jellyfish light; tinsel legs

 

 

 

(Lyrics – GA Johnson)

 

The Fun Of The Century

The Fun Of The Century

Could it be that you drove me into your fleet of hand-melt candy?
Could it be that you sent me falling off the roof backwards, gently?
Do not let my words depress you –
I’m here to uplift you now
(I’m here to uplift you now)

Her eyes have gone south –
Terrible lies she denies
Could it be that you broke me into a sheet of rain swept sideways?
Could it be that you wrote me a dead attempt?
It just plain scares me
Do not let my words distract you from all the fun you demand –
From the fun of the century

No more glistening wet poems in your honour,
Captain of alienation, New York, money, compassion

 

 

 

(Lyrics – GA Johnson)

There’s No Need For Us To Be Alone

There’s No Need For Us To Be Alone

I can’t believe she said that
Can’t believe it’s true
Can’t believe she’s faithful,
She is wicked through and through
She’s read too many books
She’s had too many screws
Unfortunately I have fallen don’t know what to do
When Spring turned to Summer, I swapped her for another
She drank herself stupid
Threw herself down the stairs
She put whiskey with her aspirin
My records in the dustbin
She pleaded me to take her back
I knew she would, I knew she would
Want without needing
Love without leaning
Hold without clinging
Don’t suffocate, don’t suffocate
She wore a coat too warm for summer
Socks too short for Winter
Shoes too scuffed for parties
And lipstick far too tarty
She wanted without needing
She loved without leaning
She held without clinging
But she suffocates, she suffocates
There’s no need for us to be alone anymore
There’s no need for us to be alone anymore
She wanted without needing
She loved without leaning
She held without clinging
She suffocates, she suffocates
She wanted without needing
She loved without leaning
She held without clinging
But she suffocates, she suffocates

 

(Lyrics – Darren Hayman)

Wintersport

Wintersport

A Charlie Brown snowstorm for 2.49
Snoopy drops dead in the snow
This is all that I can show for my time

With someone I don’t really know
I met you in mittens beneath London Bridge,

Killing your skateboard, angry like sea
I loved you in minutes, like people love Lucy
We spat in the snow, black coffee

A rollerskate waitress in Littlewoods cafe
A Raleigh bike builder, Pro-Plus and Park Drives
We kissed once – it was like e minor
Things could, I think not, be finer

 

 

(Lyrics – GA Johnson)