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Folk Songs

by Friends

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1.
If I hadn’t seen my family disappear When you’re at the door If I hadn’t heard your every good idea At least once before I would argue the case for you now If I didn’t know that every thousand pounds Was really a ton If I didn’t hear you putting your best friends down You’d still be the one That I’d say was profound And I’d still be around to impress Please don’t phone When you’re sitting all alone in an old folks’ home I’m not in And there’s no way I’ll begin when I just can’t win with you If it hadn’t been for all of your endless talk With zero to say After twenty years of watching the way you work I’ll call it a day ‘Cause you’re pure fantasy And it’s easy to see through the hype Don’t come round ‘Cause the kids are going to drown out the doorbell sound Keep away ‘Cause there’s no-one here today to come out to play with you If it wasn’t for a mutual friend who said You’d told them the same I would even be inclined to believe you meant The best in your way I would wait to have heard your excuse If you didn’t have to make an impression on them Then why all the fuss? ‘Cause it never really mattered to anyone And least of all us But it’s too bloody late And I won’t hesitate to cut you off Leave me out There was never any doubt of what you’re all about Just steer clear My pathological fear of you being so near Lies lies lies Did you ever see the size of my big brown eyes? Why why why Did I never ever cry when I said goodbye to you? Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
2.
Into The Sun 03:02
You climb so high to the top of the sky And you end up flying It’s cool up there with the wind in your hair And it’s easy gliding There’s no fear of falling Can I hear you calling to the ground? Into the sun See you flying into the sun Into the sun Closer to the heat of the sun And then you rest a while from a million miles On the astral highway The view’s so clear and you love it up here On a solar driveway Here the rain is frozen Here the cool breeze blows into your face Into the sun Watch you all the way to the sun Into the sun See you heading into the sun You are my blue sky eyes Watch for the trail of aeroplanes Search for the blaze of shattering stars Will you reach out I know you’re travelling far You’re out of here in the white stratosphere And you’re on your way now Light years on and the memory’s gone Of your earthbound days now I can see you soaring Can you hear me call out of the past? Into the sun See you climbing into the sun Into the sun Closer to the heat of the sun You are my blue sky eyes Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
3.
Bye Bye 03:33
I see your picture I read your letters And I remember When times were better I never promised I’d stay for ever And nor do feelings And I say bye bye Did you imagine A happy ending? It wasn’t like us To keep pretending The whole affair’s been An education And now I’ve left school And I’ll say bye bye And I say bye bye After the storm comes the quiet of the day After the rain it’s the sun I’ll send the books back That have your name in I want the clothes back That you’ve been wearing I’ll leave your keys on The kitchen table And if I see you Well I’ll say bye bye And I’ll say bye bye And I say bye bye Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
4.
I try so hard to tell you You can’t just understand The whole world kneels And eats out of your baby hands All time greatest hero You’re everybody’s friend So how come that You feel you’ve reached a sticky end? It’s hard to be cool When you’re feeling such a fool Whatever you do Don’t lock yourself away and hide ‘cause Nikky don’t cry It’s going to be alright The stars in the sky Are going to shine so bright The universe still loves you Whatever you believe I find it hard to recognise the look I see Anything that’s happened Whatever you have done You’re back among your friends Somewhere that you belong It’s easily done It was always going to come You’re bound to get burned When you mess around with grown-up kids so Nikky don’t cry It’s going to be alright You know I don’t mind We’ll sit and drink all night And if you do there’s an arm to hold you And if you do there’s a shoulder you can cry on There’s a hand to reach for If you need Nikky don’t cry Nikky don’t cry Nikky don’t cry It’s going to be alright Nikky don’t cry It’s going to be alright Nikky don’t cry It’s going to be alright Nikky don’t cry It’s going to be alright We’ll sit and drink all night I’ll stay until daylight It’s going to be alright, alright, alright, alright Nikky don’t cry It’s going to be alright Don’t want to say goodnight Don’t want to say goodnight Don’t want to say goodnight It’s going to be alright Nikky don’t cry Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
5.
Stay for a while Don’t think of leaving No thought of time When you are with me All I know is how I feel All I feel is such confusion Keeping hold or fear of losing Here and now is all that’s real Just for the hour We are together Make this a day To be remembered We may never meet again This was chance that has no meaning Returns to haunt me when I’m dreaming I know it happened there and then Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
6.
The child puts the fallen leaves into a secret book Names everything he sees with just a loving look The evenings he is dreaming of the seasons When the colours come again The man spends his summer days collecting butterflies He dreams letting each away just in the breath before it dies Frozen in a moment when it’s going Down in circles in the jar Flattened in a pattern like a map of Veins and colours where they are All the world’s own creatures suddenly mine All the world’s best secrets finally mine Pass every summer lost in wonder Years playing in a secret garden here All the world’s own creatures suddenly mine All the world’s best secrets finally mine One by one the years invisibly by One by one the golden butterflies die Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
7.
Hesitant smile Faraway eyes Silently cry Where do you belong? Sensitive child Where did you hide? Waiting the time Knowing you were strong Write your message To the future now High as the sky Deep as the sea You can reach for the stars Over you and me Bright as the sun Dark as the shade I can see in your eyes The love in you today Paint your picture In your image now Leave your old defences Far behind Beautiful child No need to change Nothing was wrong Only strange Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
8.
Hey Jo 03:07
Hey Jo, you’re a real find Hey Jo, good friend of mine Hey Jo, you’d be a big catch for some lucky so-and-so Hey Jo, you’re the best thing Hey Jo, I love it when we sing Hey Jo, I know that sometime soon you’ll make someone’s day Hey Jo, you’re a magic charm Hey Jo, you’re a bright star Hey Jo, the world’s a better place with you around And when you’re feeling down and out again Will you remember what I said? Will you believe that it will end? Just try and keep in touch till then Let it come to you Hey Jo, the way it’s bound to do Hey Jo, don’t give yourself away so easily Hey Jo, you know they love you here Hey Jo, don’t ever disappear Hey Jo, the world and his son don’t know what they’re missing And Jo, in your heart of hearts you know There’ll be a place where you can go ‘Cause all your friends have told you so Just stick around and take it slow Hey Jo, you’re just so much fun Hey Jo, we are the lucky ones Hey Jo, don’t ever give up hope Of finding someone like you Hey Jo, you know you make me smile Hey Jo, let’s hang around a while Hey Jo, you can’t imagine how You make a difference to my life Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
9.
Weary Eyes 01:59
Rest your weary eyes And lean on me tonight I’ll hold you till you fall asleep So give up trying to fight Clear your troubled mind And give yourself some peace Just till morning leave the worries You’ve brought home to keep Let your feelings go And cry yourself to sleep You can’t win every war So why not recognise defeat And when you wake you’ll still be here And you can make another chance There’ll always be another day And all your pain will pass away Just trust in time Look out at the stars Then look down from above Feel your place in time and space And does it mean so much? Hard as it may seem Tomorrow always comes The darkness doesn’t end until The morning has begun Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
10.
Sky High 03:37
Thrown away my plans Given up the fight Stare towards the great outdoors For any sign of light Morning comes too soon What to do till then? Up and down the dead end town And round and round again Beaten by the dark Face another night Suddenly I clearly see I’m shattered by the light All around I hear the sound Of orchestras of noise Sky high, feeling sky high Sky high, feeling sky high Can’t explain what happened to The clouded mood I’d grown into before today Said all my goodbyes Used up my excuses Can I then begin again And have my first success? Sky high, feeling sky high Sky high, reaching sky high Everything that’s gone before Was nothing to compare to what I see right now Sky high, climbing sky high Sky high, flying sky high Everything that’s gone before Was nothing to compare to what I All that happened here before No longer matters Only to prepare me for Whatever happens now Sky high, feeling sky high Sky high, reaching sky high Sky high, climbing sky high Sky high, flying sky high Everything that’s gone before Was nothing to compare to what I feel right now Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
11.
House on the hill, silence around Nobody there for years and House on the hill, faraway bell Counting the time in thousand thousands Cool and still Nothing but the air and Light to fill Everything that goes around it House on the hill, standing alone Only a pebble garden here Open the screen And let the sun flood inside it Stand in a dream And float in space and in time in House on the hill, empty inside Only the life it’s seen there House on the hill, nobody knows Only the ancient gardeners here Everything is clear Our belonging here Suddenly I see Far beyond of me House on the hill, this is the place Somebody thought for years and House on the hill, climbing the steps Into the clouds around it here Green of the trees Among the white of the stones here Cool of the breeze Against the hard bamboo cane here House on the hill, silence around Nobody there for years and House on the hill, faraway bell Counting the time in thousand thousands See right through To the other side and Feel I feel Everything there is to feel here House on the hill, standing alone Only a pebble garden here Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
12.
Believe Me 03:32
Believe me when I say Believe me every night Believe me every day All I do is sit and think about you Believe me this is real Believe me what I know Believe me what I feel Can’t get through another day without you Can you see what you do to me? I’m semi-crazy Let it be, come on and set me free From always maybe Tie me down and walk around And pleasure me without a sound Believe me you’re the one Believe me there you go Believe me here it comes Could I be the only thing that you need? Believe me from the heart Believe me let it end Believe me make it start Misery is eating deep inside me Tell me now what I need to do I want to know so Show me how I get to be with you Get up and go to Fantasies of you and me Could become reality Believe me turn around Believe me coming up Believe me going down Nothing seems as good as in my daydreams Am I so untouchable? Are you so unreachable from down here? Follow you till you hear a sound Then disappear Invisible I see you all around I’m getting near Let my mind go wandering Up and down your body and Believe me that I ache Believe me when I sleep Believe me when I wake Every day I speak the words that I’d say Is it so impossible? Is it so unthinkable what I want? Believe me in my bed Believe me on my back Believe me in my head All I do is fantasise about you All I do is lie and dream about you All I do is sit and think about you Believe me Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
13.
Running 02:39
Through the empty streets Reach the edge of town Far as I can see Blue and green and brown Here today and on my way On and on again Never turning round Run up all the hills Down the other side Cross the swaying fields And out into the wild World’s moved on while I’ve been waiting Turned while I was hesitating Keep on running on Beating out the time And high on the hill The glory of the green And my eyes want to tell The wonders that I’ve seen In the view from the top of the world Road ahead that ever ends Get around another bend, begin again Horizon getting close all the time Will I recognise my destination Beat the time that I’ve been racing? Climb the rock I climb Down the mountainside And back to the breeze And face towards the sun Through the cool of the trees And the haze around the dawn And I run on again and I run Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
14.
As I write Through the night rain I want to fill one more page with my love Till the light Till the bright day When poppy fields will run red with our blood And if I never make it home Please remember The precious days that we’ve all known together If I die Let me lie here Don’t come and search for a hero in vain How can I So deny fear That I could walk through the fire once again? Whatever fate the morning brings I accept it When we have gone the world still sings So let be Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
15.
On Saturday 04:34
Dirty fingers, greasy hair Get your shirt off, the money’s there Keep your body working Take your mind away Hell begins on Monday And it’s heaven every Saturday Empty pockets, you’ve had enough Sweat your guts out for nothing much Cash in hand on Thursday Send your money home Count the notes you’re keeping And the evenings that you spend alone It doesn’t matter what the hell you do Can’t get ahead of what’s in front of you On Saturday we’ll all go out to play On Saturday we’ll pray for sunshine On Saturday we’ll blow it all away On Saturday one crazy night-time Yeah yeah, yeah yeah Yeah yeah, yeah yeah There’ll be a day I know you know We’ll break away Get up and go Stacking bricks up from there to here Pay your debts off in seven years Living for the weekend Doing it for the pay I’m coming home for Christmas I’ll stay till New Year’s Day The interest on the interest I’ve paid so many times Once a week I’m crazy The other days I’m fine Building up the pressure Always feels the same Waiting for the pleasure And living through the pain On Saturday we’ll all go out to play On Saturday we’ll pray for sunshine On Saturday we’ll blow it all away On Saturday one crazy night-time On Saturday we’ll all go out to play On Saturday we’ll pray for sunshine On Saturday we’ll drink our minds away On Saturday to Sunday night-time Yeah yeah, yeah yeah Yeah yeah, yeah yeah On Saturday we’ll all go out to play Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
16.
Visions 09:19
Turn your face into the sun Until your eyes no longer see One alone with everyone In visions of eternity Turn round again Until the flower opens I will sit and stare Until the colours change again Here and everywhere Where the water glistens in the light There I have seen all I know Turn your face into the sun Until your eyes no longer see One alone with everyone In visions of eternity Turn round again What are we, the centre of a world Or just a piece of dust in empty space? Where I lie beneath the sky at night I know exactly where I am And understand my place The smallest spot in time Until the clouds have broken I’ll sit and pray for rain Until the trees are green again Another year gone by Where the river widens to the sea There I have seen all I know Turn your face into the sun Until your eyes no longer see One alone with everyone In visions of eternity Turn round again Does there need to be a reason for The image of the glory all around? What there is is there Whatever we may choose to call it Beauty or some other human sound Let the grass be my bed And the sky is my sheet And a stone for my head And my clothes at my feet And I have climbed the mountain And breathed the cool thin air And I have been down to the sea And dived for coral Where the gardens come alive each day There I have felt all I feel Turn your face into the sun Until your eyes no longer see One alone with everyone In visions of eternity Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd
17.
Another Day 05:11
Another day is one more step along the road from here Another day has come and gone without our being aware Another day is one more step away from how we feel today Another day of waiting for the pain to disappear Another day of knowing that our lives won’t be the same Another day of waiting for the sun to dry the rain We call your name and never hear the answer that we want to hear Another day of trying to keep alive the candle’s flame Another day of saying what I’d what I’d say if you were here Another day of turning round and thinking you’ll appear, so near Another day of realising time if frozen here Another day the only comfort one another’s tears Another day of taking flowers we’ve grown with love to where you lie Another day of wishing you’d held on another year Another day is one more step along the road from here Another day has come and gone without our being aware Another day is one more step away from how we feel today Another day of waiting for the pain to disappear Written by William Jones Published by Summerhouse Music Ltd

about

The sixth Friends album sees the band switch off the electricity and present a largely acoustic and stripped-down set of 17 songs. Focussing on male/female vocals, acoustic guitar and percussion, augmented by occasional brass, string quartet and bass, the songs range from one-minute wonders such as Stay For A While to the nine-minute millennial anthem Visions. Stylistically Folk Songs covers classic Friends indiepop as well as classical and folk influences, but these are emphatically not folk songs – the title alludes to the songs' subject matter, largely people and places, and their mainly unplugged treatment.

From the blissed-out pastoral pop of Into the Sun to the urban angst of On Saturday, clocking in at just over an hour, Folk Songs is pure essence of Friends, with some of the band's most personal and direct material ever recorded.

credits

released July 4, 2011

William Jones: voice, acoustic, electric, 12-string acoustic and Spanish guitar, keyboards
Katherine Dow Blyton: voice
Al Wood: trumpet
Julian Gregory: violin
Clare Dixon: violin
Tania Maxwell: viola
Peter Dixon: cello
Jon Kirby: keyboards
Keith Peberdy: bass
Kevin Walker: double bass
Martin Parker: drums, percussion

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Friends City Of London, UK

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