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The Zen House

by Friends

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1.
The bells are ringing nine Yesterday is years away now Tomorrow’s looking brighter than today Come on now and join me on my way Wipe away those dreams Wake and catch the blinding morning Let the sunlight burn them all away Hear the children coming out to play Getting closer, warmer every day And when you smile like you do With summer in your eyes I don’t know why but it’s true Just never realised Float along the stream Will it widen to a river? Drifting down the river to the sea Come together, only you and me Tell me whether, say how will it be And when you smile like you do With summer in your eyes You shine a light on me too There’s nowhere left to hide And when you smile like you do With music in your words You turn the sky back to blue With songs I’ve never heard Summer sunshine in your hair Summer breezes everywhere Laughter ringing through the day Midnight singing fades away Time, time, time Slips so slowly by Where, when, why Must this moment die? The whole world may not know your name But recognise your smile Your perfect picture fills the frame So hold it now, just hold it for a while And when you smile like you do With summer in your eyes I’m flying higher with you You took me by surprise And when you smile like you do With summer in your eyes I don’t know why, it’s just true I never realised Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
2.
Wake up to the sun The child beneath my window singing St Martin’s and St John’s Their open-air alarm clocks ringing Something to remind me that I’m here Kaleidoscopes of sounds The cool canal and crowded market The creatures under ground Are crawling home from last night’s parties Laughter plays and echoes round the square Tells me to remember I was there High on Parliament Hill Through the haze above the silver skyline Lying silently still You can gaze beyond the blue horizon Everything to show that we’re alive Saved and burned and printed in my eyes The landmarks on my way The avenues and parks and gardens Around me every day Familiar friends and long departed Every time that I leave There will always be just one more journey home The café down the lane I read the news and nothing changes The sweetness after rain The scent of sun on drying pavements Nothing left to show where it has been Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
3.
Looking out from here I still enjoy the perfect view Part-remembered days And half-forgotten friends Disappointed times And disconnected lines However much I try To bring it back again Things from long ago I thought about so many times People that I met Got lost along the way I was wandering too But always there was you Even after many years There are still feelings Maybe if you’re ever near There are still feelings I’ll tell you that I’ll still be here For a while Evenings fade to night And hours grow into days I let the precious seasons slip away I still repeat the words I couldn’t say The so restrained goodbyes I thought I’d soon forget about Didn’t happen then And hasn’t happened now Often when I dream I know it’s you I’ve seen Even after many years There are still feelings Didn’t ever disappear It’s the same meaning Come around and find me here There’s a good reason Even after many years Have gone by It’s just fine I don’t mind There’s still time There’s still time Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
4.
Your Will 03:26
I don’t believe in meant-to-be And even more I don’t believe you do I’ve given up on wait-and-see I only know that this must come from you You can’t rely on circumstance And always leaving everything to chance Let it be your will Let it be, let it be your will Let it be your will Let it be, let it be your will I can’t agree with make-believe Or pick-and-choose or let’s see how it goes I’ll do without the fantasy The only guarantee is no-one knows I only hope you’re hoping for The same as me, or maybe even more Let it be your will Let it be, let it be your will Let it be your will Let it be, let it be your will Your will Your will I’m nearly through with talking now My promises and wishes and my doubts I’ve used all my persuasive power The fires and all the candles are burned out We both know what it’s all about So you decide what you can do without There’s nothing more that I can say To make it be so now I’ll back away Let it be your will Let it be, let it be your will Let it be your will Let it be, let it be your will Let it be, let it be Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
5.
Wake up to the day And the first thing that I say Did you hear the rain and thunder in the night? Turn round unaware Then I see you lying there And you’re framed inside a narrow stream of light Staring at your sleeping face Just makes me want to smile I’ll hang around this perfect place a long while Good morning gorgeous It’s good to see you there Good morning gorgeous Be with me everywhere Something that you said And it’s buzzing round my head ‘cause I never really think of things that way Then I look at you From another point of view And it’s easy to decipher what you say Something in your character I never understand We’ll keep it just the way you are and I am Good morning gorgeous I’m glad to see you there Good morning gorgeous Be with me everywhere I believe you when you say you mean it Things are never how they seem Stand and catch the news Sing the Monday morning blues And I’m running down the stairs and through the door Vanish in the crowd And I want to shout it loud That there’s nothing I can’t deal with any more You’ve taken me someotherwhere I’ve never been before Now I’ve breathed this fresher air I need more Good morning gorgeous It’s good to see you there Good morning gorgeous Be with me everywhere Good morning gorgeous It feels so good to say Good morning gorgeous Today and every day Of my life, of my life, of my life Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
6.
Nightlife 03:41
Day to day Home, away Where do you go? Can’t you say? Now and then Back again Why do you do Shall we pretend? Come and go Hide or show Take me along Yes and then no What are we You and me? Time and again How will it be? Gone all night It’s alright Out of your mind Out of my sight Lose your name Play your game See how I feel Always the same Tell me please What you see Once and for all Say it to me Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
7.
I’ve been meaning to write And couldn’t find the time I’ve been spending the nights Trying hard to find to say The things you want to hear I’ve been wanting to say And couldn’t find the words I’ve been filling the days Making plans that I’ll forget Before the time arrives Looking for the easy way Wondering what the hell I’d say To let you know I care I was thinking I’d call But never got the chance It was nothing at all Only trying to stay in touch And tell you how I am Lying awake and counting time I tell you that I’m feeling fine A pile of letters on the floor I wrote the start then nothing more I will some other day Meaning to write Meaning to write I was hoping you’d ask And didn’t make the move But the moment has passed Nothing ventured, something gained The chance to start again I’ve been meaning to write And couldn’t find the time Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
8.
Bird 02:02
I watched you as you landed On the branch above my door And suddenly the warm air Wasn’t quiet any more You held my gaze, I looked away Like staring at the sun And now instead of nothing there was one And every summer morning At the same time you return And all our conversations There’s so many things to learn I tried to mend your broken wing The time you couldn’t fly Just sat and counted clouds and days go by You glide and swoop and soar away Dive deep and climb so high Your colours painting circles in the sky And now in late September All our time has gone You’ve caught the southern breezes heading home The tree woke up from winter And the leaves are green again I scan the blue sky hoping That I’ll recognise a friend And every day I listen For the song you used to sing And every year I’m waiting for next spring Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
9.
Remember Me 02:21
I call you on your wedding day To offer my congratulations Could be my last chance to say Through all the background celebrations I wish you all the best and tell you Whatever happens next Remember me I heard about your sudden rise I followed all the fame and glory A world I barely recognise The classic rags to riches story The truth was something else completely Whatever happens next Remember me, remember me We never planned beyond tomorrow You would lead and I would follow there, everywhere Always saw a happy ending We really ought to keep in touch till then I called when I was passing by To share some ancient reminiscence They showed me where you chose to lie When all the noise and glare had finished I offer my respects and whisper Whatever happens next Remember me, remember me Remember me, remember me Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
10.
Fine Again 04:53
Round, round, up and down Dead-eyed kids, dead-end town “Find that idiot child Special needs, simple smile The knives, hoods, sticks and the stones Alright, there’ll be some broken bones All those films that I’ve seen We’ll make him squeal, we’ll make him scream” Here, there, back again Bitter hearts, bitter end Who said everything would turn out fine again? Who said anything about a quiet weekend? Who believes in rock and roll In gods and everlasting souls? What about the life that would be mine, my friend? And so who speaks poison words Overdone, overheard? Look and you will find Dirty thoughts, toxic minds “All you look just the same Your different face, your funny names Blah, blah, the things you say Are all around me, keep away” Breathe and you’ll inhale Filthy air, something stale Thirty-six inch screen Or land of broken dreams You’re going to be a star Or stay right where you are A world of opportunity Win the game show you’ll be free Your family had a black and white TV You know we don’t read the news Narrow streets, normal views Just a bit of fun Keep it quick, and get it done “Hey, lads, here’s my scheme I’ve planned it all, I’ve had a dream You all know what I mean We’ll wipe the whole place pure and clean” No more days to lose It’s time to act, it’s time to choose Another neighbourhood The boys and girls come out to play So tell me something good And what you learned at school today I read about a world With seven wonders, long ago A voice I’d never heard A king who had a dream of hope here So when did it come true? Was that about me too? So all of this was new? And then what did he do? Who’s the guilty man? Bloody deed, bloody hands We know who you are Where you live and park your car You see weak or strong And never pay, no right and wrong You talk of family Of free speech and democracy “We’ll work out a few good lies Our story straight, our alibis” Who said everything would turn out fine again? Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
11.
Go Home 02:20
Go home, go home It’s the end of the day Let go, let go And it all blows away Lie down, lie down In the peace of the night Be calm, be calm With the cool and the quiet No more, no more It’s the end of the line It’s gone, it’s gone And you’ve run out of time Go home, go home It’s the end of the day Let go, let go And it all blows away Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
12.
Other Bird 02:14
I watched you as you landed On the branch above my door And suddenly the warm air Wasn’t quiet any more You held my gaze, I looked away Like staring at the sun And now instead of nothing there was one And every summer morning At the same time you return And all our conversations There’s so many things to learn I tried to mend your broken wing The time you couldn’t fly Just sat and counted clouds and days go by You glide and swoop and soar away Dive deep and climb so high Your colours painting circles in the sky And now in late September All our time has gone You’ve caught the southern breezes heading home The tree woke up from winter And the leaves are green again I scan the blue sky hoping That I’ll recognise a friend And every day I listen For the song you used to sing And every year I’m waiting for next spring Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
13.
Driftwood 01:19
14.
Come here today From near and from far away Journeying hard From wherever you are It’s closer now And it can’t be long Though it’s years too soon That our hero will be gone “Come to me” (who’s saying?) “Come to me” (who’s saying?) All that he hears Is a call from the darkness outside Yeah yeah yeah yeah You know we’ve all been there All known grief But nothing like this It’s the end of time And then there’ll be Nothing, nothing, nothing But emptiness drowning us “Come to me” (are you saying?) “Come to me” (are you saying?) Hang on, hang on For a day more and then one more day Get together, whenever it comes Whenever it comes, get together Get together, whenever it comes Whenever it comes, get together Get together Get together again, get together again Get together again, get together again Get together, get together Get together, get together No no no no Don’t leave us alone now Be there at the end Family and friends For the only man With no enemies It’s time now, it’s time And time we should be there “Come to me” (are you saying?) “Come to me” (are you saying?) The call goes round The word goes around once again Get together, whenever it comes Whenever it comes, get together Get together, whenever it comes Whenever it comes, get together Get together Get together again, get together again Get together again, get together again All that he hears Is a call from the darkness outside Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
15.
I broke down By a long and open road From the city heights Out to the east I was found Lying by a stony path In the fading light And dying heat High on the hillside Under the trees They tended my fever Showed me the way To be free From the distant life That I don’t need And I lay On a wooden floor Listened to the silence Needed nothing more So I stayed And then after many years They set me on my way Towards the sun Towards the sun Towards the sun Towards the sun Towards the sun Towards the sun Towards the sun Towards the sun Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
16.
The Road 01:25
Down the road where your favourite memories go Down the road where the wandering river flows Down the road where the shadows of autumn grow Down the road where the summers are made of gold Down the road where your favourite memories go Down the road where the wandering river flows Down the road where the shadows of autumn grow Down the road where the summers are made of gold Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd

about

The Zen House, the tenth studio album by London band Friends, is out now.

The ultra-acoustic album kicks off with the glorious pop sunshine of When You Smile, and features 16 songs in stripped-down arrangements which showcase the voice and acoustic guitar playing of songwriter William Jones, percussion of Martin Parker and double bass of Edwin Pearson.

The album has a close, intimate feel, and many of the tracks were recorded ‘live’ in the studio in single takes. Two of the tracks are enhanced by sumptuous string quartet arrangements, and the songs span a range of moods and styles, from the lazy, jazz-tinged feel of London. Sunday Morning, to the raw, emotional bareness of Still Feelings and Your Will, the elegiac regret of Remember Me, and the mystical weirdness of the title track. The sparsity of the arrangements puts all the focus on the quality of songwriting and playing and, from the reaction at the Japanese concerts, Friends do not disappoint.

The Zen House shows a band that are still stretching themselves musically, seeking variety and contrast after 25 years of playing and recording, and determined never to stand still.

credits

released May 23, 2011

William Jones: voice, acoustic, electric, acoustic 12-string and Spanish guitars
Andrew Price: violin
Bob Wild: violin
Nick Howson: viola
Elise Towler: cello
Jon Kirby: keyboards
Edwin Pearson: bass, double bass
Martin Parker: drums, percussion

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Friends City Of London, UK

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