this blog contains lyrics, poems, words and songs written by me, jonny scott blair. all the content is copyright jonny scott blair and the words just convey meanings and feelings from life on this planet...
This song was written in New Zealand, the city of Hamilton as it happens, a few days before my flight to China. I'm writing about this now in a rare internet moment I have had recently, as it feels appropriate to print the lyrics of this song because in less than 2 days time, I'm heading east again in life...to Taiwan. I wrote the song live in the front room of the wee hostel in Hamilton. I took the last bed in the hostel, JDs Backpackers. I had arrived on a 3 hour bus journey from Taupo and when I got to the bus depot, there appeared to be no vacancies at any of the hostels, it was July 2007, their winter. Then suddenly there was one bed in JDs, but it was a fair few miles out of town. Luckily the lady who worked there, Bex picked me up and took me there in their mini-van! And from entering I realised it was a fun hostel. An old worn acoustic guitar gaped up at me on entering the lounge. I was in urgent need of a strum, having gone more than a month without a guitar, and so I penned the song "Hamilton China", a song written in Hamilton about my trip ahead to China. It was made even better when I met Yang, a local cleaner, who was from China, a man of international spirit and free talking, and it was a conversation with him about China and the fact I'd never heard of Tiananmen Square that got me strumming the line "the only reason that I've heard of China is because I bought a map and it had China on it..." and so the song progressed, written and sung in front of 4 others in JDs lounge. I later added some extra lyrics and a verse, following on from my actual experience in beijing and badaling, china!
written - 28.07.07
collection - northern range (2007 - track 5)
where - hamilton, north island, new zealand
about - my trip ahead to china
inspired by - yang xixao (from china)
performed live - JDs hostel lounge, hamilton
audience - yang, a danish guy, a guy from bristol and bex, the hostel lady
lyrics -
the only reason that ive heard of china is because i bought a map and it had china on it and i hope that we all find out freedom in china
the day before i had a plane to china i wrote this song about a plane to china and its easy to find some freedom in china
i hadnt even heard/of tiananmen square and so the forbidden garden's forbidden this man is english i can understand him where's the bar around here?
the only reason that ive heard of china is because i bought a map and it had china on it and i hope that we all find out freedom in china
the day before i had a plane to china i wrote this song about a plane to china and its easy to find some freedom in china
so much smog and you say you eat dog at the huntong's im beijing doubt yet only by luck i have peking duck my china nightclub's european
the only reason that ive heard of china is because i bought a map and it had china on it and i hope that we all find out freedom in china
the day before i had a plane to china i wrote this song about a plane to china and its easy to find some freedom in china
my china nightclub's european my china nightclub's european
standing on the sun is not as hot as i imagined at least the earths a safety net holding out a gun for the ground youre standing on makes a man no less a man
you can either stand and cry or you can hold your head up high
crime is almost gone as we fill our rights with wrongs a preacher stands reluctantly bullets pass my head fifteen people lying dead innocence is null and void
you can either stand and cry or you can hold your head up high
about - greysteel massacre, londonderry, halloween night, 1993 (dark times)
lyrics -
problem still hasn't been solved mainly due to lack of trust but who could force a man to sit beside a killer?
without some kind of fear i could not be standing here
but the rising sun's not rising tonight in its innocent yet torn apart world and the rising sun ain't rising tonight in a sky so dark i can't see the moon
and the sorrow doesn't end there everyone watches the news and where is all this leading? to another grave yard question mark?
without my native land i could never shake your hand
but the rising sun's not rising tonight in its innocent yet torn apart world and the rising sun ain't rising tonight and in times to come it won't rise again
without a loaded gun i'm the same as anyone
but the rising sun's not rising tonight in its innocent yet torn apart world and the rising sun ain't rising tonight in a sky so dark i can't see the moon
this song is one of my favourites, envisaging a young man who is a terrorist in northern ireland, i wrote this song about not knowing the answers for the problems we have had in our wee country. there is a sense of reality to this tune, a real life reflection on terrorism. the main subject is how newspapers report us as being always wrong and they tell it "the way it isn't", hence the song's title, changed from the original of "standing on my own"
written - 2001
about - northern ireland
lyrics -
in my homeland forlorn the sun shines down upon a tattooed youth his mind a microwave of loss and feeling brave in disrepute
my eyes bore into him beneath a sky undimmed by fear and callousness
i've worked out why my feet are cold is that why i'm not getting old the winter air won't let me know the summer breeze won't let me go and i'm a faded mural
in bloodshot countryside rain does it's best to hide un-needed graves despite an empty hand a balacalavad man is suspicious another ambulance can't take much more of this pray it's a fire
i never got my fortune told what that means i'll never know the winter breeze won't let me know the summer air won't let me go and i'm a faded mural
another paper tells it the way it isn't we're front page news and when we live in peace i'll keep my memories the nights of fear
i've worked out why my feet are cold is that why i'm not getting old the winter air won't let me know the summer breeze won't let me go and i'm a faded mural
in my home town forlorn the sun shines down upon a tattooed youth
about - london trains, in particular my daily journeys to and from the mythical station of "charing cross", is this the red herring for "strand", "embankment" or "trafi's q"
lyrics -
no-one wants to talk to me i feel so statue-esque the morning breaks the ice of dawn nobody looks impressed
it's no surprise that some of us would rather close our eyes
and you'll be sleeping on your own if you don't get out at charing cross
no-one wants to look at me i'm not invisible each station fades a new crowd in conversation minimal
its obvious that most of us would rather not get up
but somehow everyone's the same when you get out at charing cross
you won't make up the time you've lost this train will stop at charing cross
you don't get back the love you lost when your train stops at charing cross
you don't know who'll be hugging you till you get off at charing cross
this song is about hiding away from the world and feeling sad and lonely and the need to hide from people with your fears. i hope a lot of people can relate to this song, the chorus of which is simply "we cloak ourselves in black to hide away from the world" and that was inspired by a teacher/lecturer at bournemouth university during 2005.
written - gradual song, 2003 - 2007. main part written november 2005
collection - twenty five your havin a laff (track 12)
lyrics -
i've found some space without any hurt resting my head away from the world
i need some time alone with my thoughts working them out away from the world
we cloak ourselves in black to hide away from the world
my little enclave away from the world
i've lost my friends no reasons why i guess i'll hide away from the world
i've hurt myself too many times but hurts don't hurt away from the world
we cloak ourselves in black to hide away from the world
my little enclave away from the world
we cloak ourselves in black to hide away from the world
you could be forgiven for thinking this is a song about pornography. it kind of is, its that era of my life when i was out in pubs, clubs and bars chatting up the girls. the song was written in july 2004. its actually not really me this song, more of a stereotype from english people i have met and known over the years.
written - bournemouth bars, 1st july 2004
collection - room card only (track 2)
lyrics -
these days you find it easier to smile because you'd found yourself you'd been away a while
another bar another beer the lady in the corner doesn't want to drink alone give the girl a bone
these days you know life moving slow because you've lost yourself you don't know where to go
another dream another lie the apple of your eye isn't worthy of the throne don't give the girl a bone
back in 2004 i was working in the heathlands hotel in bournemouth's east cliff. i worked with a half persian half german lady called hamta. she was very distinctive. one night she described herself as a "sandwich child" cos she was the middle of her siblings. i loved the term and wrote the song within days, also honing in on the conversations we had including one where she was fed up with "this english life". after a few shifts i never saw her again...
written - 3/10/2004
about - hamta, the sandwich child
inspiration - hamta from heathlands hotel
lyrics -
in montreal you lost it all strange numbers on your phone your persian rug has had enough the police follow you home
the world doesn't love you you're just a sandwich child you wouldn't drink champagne out of a tea cup
in london town the sun goes down drink put me in prison your northern heart a world apart don't buy the drugs they sell
the world doesn't need you you're just a sandwich child you wouldn't have a chandelair in your council flat
in germany paid harmony you're homeward bound at last the english life of sleepless nights the chemists help you last
the world doesn't want you you're just a sandwich child you wouldn't drive a limosine through north belfast
about - as it suggests, a form of truth and reality from life on this here planet so it is
lyrics -
the day grows old over your bones the night digs deep into your sleep and all you get is a salary a week
listen now if you've got a minute keep reaching till you find your limit if you fail it doesn't matter cos you can only go up or down on life's ladder
the time ticks past ever so fast the world spins round out of design and all you get is a memory to last
listen now if you've got a second keep reaching until fortune beckons if you fail it doesn't matter cos you can only go up or down on life's ladder on life's ladder
now you can have no excuse cos i've just told you the truth
the bug in this instance is alcohol, and my desire to come off it, and stop. its ironic now that i don't really drink. i haven't had an alcoholic drink in the UK since late February 2009. but before in my life, it was a different story. especially the day i wrote this. i had just turned 20. i didn't really have any problems or issues in life back then. it was simple. i worked to go out with my friends. i worked in tesco at springhill. on my 20th birthday i worked until 3 pm and then headed out drinking in bangor. i drank too much into the night. last thing i knew was a taxi home and pouring a pint over my mate Mike in the Windsor pub. times were bad. the next morning was the worst experience ever. i didn't have to be in work, but i woke up, now aged 20. i had left my life as a teenager behind forever. life wasn't actually that great. alcohol was a big part of my life. that morning being 20 for the first time, i went shopping with Mum, and 3 times had to leave the supermarket for the toilets to throw up, barf up, be sick. i realised right then i should give up alcohol, but i didn't, though i stopped for 2 weeks. now i'm not drinking at the moment and feel so much better. it cannot be that hard to "give up the bug."
written - march 2000
about - giving up alcohol, late nights, hangovers
lyrics -
like falling in love coming off the bug was easy all it took was a mind that wasn't ready
while losing the plot i almost forgot my options either come back, or admit that i'm not welcome
high in the world to low in the world high in the world then low in the world in less than 24 hours
i've had enough coming off the bug believe me flashbacks cold sweats unwanted memories
with victory in mind i'm leaving behind commitment at least i'm still aware that i'm not with it
high in the world to low in the world high in the world then low in the world in less than 24 hours
whilst touring new york in 2007, i visited the gruesome spot of 9.11, the twin towers, ground zero, the world trade centre, WTC site. it was a very sombre sad moving experience indeed. i put pen to paper almost immediately. you dont need me to tell you what the song is about.
written - 12.07.2007
about - 11.09.2001
lyrics -
what slow kamikaze in a fire to burn us out? you see the empire state so silent all your staten island lost was a crowd so open armed you saw the empire state building
so your central park so green you cant recycle if only 5th avenue was 5th and this rockafeller has rocked so out of time your subways are numbers, so you can count
all the bodies in this world you've never found out why there's no need to even try park place sunday wtc site
this smell reminds us in everyday we lose you crossed the brooklyn bridge and this museum you think its rotterdam anywhere all you can drink tonight
your circle line is a boat and no way from a to b your city always asleep we photograph French statues you claim to be your own so green i'm northern irish jade with envy
all the trains to grand central are never full up to my eyes in baseball or world trade centre wtc site and i walk away wtc site
i wrote this song in 2001 on my first trip to canada, but in fact the idea behind the song is one of the earliest memories in life i have. that is because when i was a child, i once had a dream where i walked on stepping stones to canada, from northern ireland. in reality there is no way that it can be done, as there are no stepping stones across the atlantic ocean, but i still love the idea, a dream like wisdom where it can be possible. just imagine it - walking on stepping stones to canada. then in 2001 i actually went to canada and was quite amazed by the three places i'd visited - toronto, niagara and winnipeg. walking through canada, the song came instantly and i was surprised that it totally turned out the way i wanted. written - 2001
idea formed - 1984 ish
what its about - walking all the way to canada on stepping stones
lyrics -
you might not believe me every photo shows my face the first volcanic iceberg the last developed state
on a bridge half underwater on a sky bound submarine
i may have been dreaming but i know i walked on stepping stones to canada
this place is amazing every image is for real another photo for my memory another smile in my year
walking late downtown toronto in the night club marathon
my eyes don't deceive me because i know i walked on stepping stones to canada
god's sky above me almost makes me feel at home belfast's hidden beauty shadowed on toronto's wall
walking late night time niagara in the night club marathon
you might not believe me but i know i walked on stepping stones to canada
this song is one of my favourites. i wrote it in 2004 in bournemouth just on the way to my job working by the beach, with the sun beating down and my thoughts of a fun free world, this song came instantly and worked its way into my head. i changed the title a lot, even called it "bournemouth song" and "sun beats" before realising the song itself takes us higher...
written - summer 2004
where - bournemouth
on collection - only me (2004) and twenty five yer havin a laugh (2005)
lyrics -
SUN beats down DOWN down on me every THOUSAND miles i go love love LOVE don't come for FREE that's ALL you'll need to know
rain BEATS down down down on ME every THOUSAND miles i go guns guns GUNS come shoot him down pretty GRAVES all in a row
these days take me higher higher her higher her her higher in the sun higher in the rain higher in the fun higher in the pain
rain beats DOWN down down on me every thousand MILES i go world WORLD world sleeps peacefully waiting for a wind to BLOW
time ticks TICKS ticks by so fast every thousand miles i GO memories won't EVER last that's all you need to know
these days take me higher higher her higher her her higher in the sun higher in the rain higher in the fun higher in the pain
this song is a negative for sure, something when everything goes wrong in life and you have to convince yourself that its not your fault and really....nothing is falling apart.
written - 2001 ish
about - title suggests
lyrics -
defeat is catching up on me i feel i've lost the drive of youth my ups are equalled by my downs my lies dont ever hide the truth
the days are leaving me behind there are no hills left to climb
nothing's falling apart something's bound to go wrong every candle I light ends up going out every sky I see falls down on me
again i'm stripped of all belief and almost dragged into defeat my lows are equalled by my highs my truth dont ever hide my lies
the keys are opening no doors there are no rules any more
nothing's falling apart something's bound to go wrong every candle I light ends up going out every sky I see falls down on me
nothing's falling apart something's bound to go wrong every candle I light ends up going out every sky I see falls down on me
this song i found again recently, i wrote it about my Mum and the time i spent away from her. we always worry of losing someone close to us and this was a fear. that was 5 years agao and for the first time i've re-assessed the lyrics and i can't quite fathom them. it was written in bournemouth in 2004, for a compilation called "room card only."
written - 4th july 2004
compilation - room card only (track 3)
about - mum, muriel blair scottne
lyrics -
a cold breeze of god's air has left me unaware the more i spend away i never count the days on every street i walk i'm sinking in the lough though my dreams may be impressive i admit they're all so selfish
but now i realise i didn't have a clue and i'm praying i'm far from losing you
i should have seen it coming why was i clock watching? whenever my phone rings it could be anything? each knock on my door i hope's a salesman it was you who brought me up only your tea fills my cup
i should have known its not all good news that's why i hope i'm far from losing you
written walking home in the cold from a night club in bangor, northern ireland, year 2000. everywhere was iced up and so dead. in fact there was no sign of life...i only found out later there was already a song called ghost town by the specials.
written - winter 2000
lyrics -
each cloud that lands on my shoulder sure scares the hell out of me each day i'm not getting older it sure scares the hell out of me
footsteps in the dark surround an empty heart shadows fall upon a hidden wall nobody waits around in search of the ghost town
each sky is dark and unfriendly it sure scares the shit out of me each ghost endeavours to find me it sure scares the hell out of me
lamposts in the wind defend a devil from within noises fade until the silence waits nobody hangs around in search of the ghost town
subject matter - can be about love, defeat, the end of something, a football match or a cheesecake, favourite line is "when grown men are forced to cry, you know that its game over..."
lyrics -
the dream has gone the spirits died gaze lonely at the sky don't spare a thought for those who ought to give a reason why
you didn't think it would end so soon you weren't really watching when you see the stars fading away you know that its game over
this lifes too short the lists too long you never get things done walking home through the rain you know you'll find the sun
you should've stopped to say goodbye the moments passed away when grown men are forced to cry you know that its game over
you didn't bid your fond farewells emotioned to your brim amidst the drama of defeat you almost missed game over
its like you lost a lifelong friend each era's curtain falls you didn't need to read the news to find out its game over
nobody knows me and the pain i'm going through days have passed me by without a smile even though i've tried to explain my world to you i chose to build my house on stoney ground
i look away into a faded sunset all alone like a garden knome i step across a barricaded culture educated demon headed
In 2003 my parents and my kid brother booked a holiday to spain, a place called st. miguel on the spanish east coast fairly close to alicante. i decided to join them and took 5 days off work and booked flights. on the last day, they got an early flight and i had a day to kill. i spent the entire day as a lonely tourist in alicante, where i wandered the streets and looked out of place. i had already sweated myself out on the trip walking through la zenia, valencia and various other random spanish towns. i got chatting to ladies in alicante none of whom spoke very good english, although the song in the end was inspired by florencia, an argentinian working in a city centre bar in alicante. as mtv played a video for oasis song "don't go away" i put pen to paper and wrote "spanish towns"
written - august 2003
about - valencia, alicante and any spanish town or city really
lyrics -
i've had too many dreams today that i can't get to sleep in spanish towns i don't belong i look so out of place
i had too much to drink today it didn't go to waste in spanish towns i'm losing all my northern irish taste
in the sun i have been drinking in the bars i have been thinking all these spanish towns remind me of the war
i think i caught the sun today the sweat was dripping down i'm the outcast you don't meet in every spanish town
i almost missed the bus today i couldn't read the signs my sense of humour less aware of sense in spanish towns
through the streets i have been walking to the locals i was talking all these spanish towns look lonely as they are
in the bars i have been drinking all the beers i have been sinking all the spanish girls are smitten by my charm
i had too much to drink today i had too much to drink my ulster heart was wide awake in spanish towns i think
in the sun i had been drinking in the bars i had been thinking all the spanish towns remind me of the war
As far as i recall this was the first time ever I put lyrics to music, and that was in late summer 1996. I only ever started to learn the guitar in 1996, my Dad always had one, but until Oasis came along, I was never compelled to pick it up and blast out a few tunes. So, "New Jersey Girls" is really my first ever song, and i still love it, because of the memory, the time, how easy it was to write and how basic it is. The song itself came about on a family holiday to Florida, USA in July 1996. It was my first ever time out of Europe, and although I had just turned 16, I still felt very young. While walking through Walt Disney World on my own one day, I joined a queue for something in one of the rides, soon my siste Cathy had joined me in the queue, and behind me were two very attractive girls. They looked about my age, one of them asked me something and that was it, I was talking away to them as the queue went down. I don't remember either of their names, but remember that both were so beautiful with gorgeous voices. As the queue went down they asked who I was with (except Cathy) and where I was from. I was with my family, but they had gone somewhere else with kid brother Daniel and when I said "Northern Ireland" they asked in total US accents "wow man, where is that?". Soon we had stopped talking, joined a ride separately and said our goodbyes. Cathy might remember the conversation actually. But then on a stroke of fate, later I was enjoying an ice cream and I met them both again...these days I'd have asked for a drink, a date, a phone number, probably add as friend on facebook. Back then, that was it though. My two lovely New Jersey Girls had come and gone into the night. Of course I never saw them again, but I wrote this song that night in the hotel room. If you're out there, my two New Jersey Girls...this one's for you!
written - florida, usa, july 1996 (guitar added august 1996)
about - two beautiful new jersey girls
lyrics -
i don't see them anymore and as the days go on i think of my new jersey girls and where have they gone
i've seen them twice but never since where are my new jersey girls? i need your comfort now
where are my new jersey girls? where are my new jersey girls? where are my new jersey girls? i need your comfort now
i only have my memories and as the days go by i long for my new jersey girls to fall from the sky
i hear them laugh i see them smile where are my new jersey girls? i'm running out of time
where are my new jersey girls? where are my new jersey girls? where are my new jersey girls? i need your comfort now
i owe this song to an old mate called chris ragg. chris used to live in londonderry, and i often visited him there, mainly in the year 2000. i spent some time on my own on days when chris was at work. during this time i scanned the walls and streets on both sides and enjoyed the place. it is northern ireland's second biggest city, both in size and population. it has a very interesting past and has sadly been caught up in the problems between protestants and catholics, but i wanted to portray a positive image, and i hope i achieved this. the song itself wasn't even meant to be typical of northern ireland, more a universal song on seeing and experiencing a new city and enjoying its vibrancy. i like the lines "the smiles on people's faces is a welcome sight" and "you might look like a stranger but you're not in danger."
written - march 2000
about - londonderry, northern ireland's second biggest city
lyrics -
no sky falls on me as far as i can see all roads seem to lead to prosperity
the bridge links the past to the present at last the smiles on people's faces is a welcome sight
and you might look like a stranger but you're not in danger walking through the fair londonderry air
all roads lead me home an overturned traffic cone all that's left of a terrorist war zone
and the river helps me send myself to sleep upon these walls they built a past unique
and you might feel you're an outcast cos you're not in belfast walking through the fair londonderry air
the smiles on people's faces is a welcome sight
and you might look like a stranger but you're not in danger walking through the fair londonderry air
this lyric was written in 2003 - 2004 and is about all the wars and useless fights in the world, when in reality we should all be sticking together as one on this planet and enjoying life. i could easily have called the song "nobody's war" as well.
written - 2003/2004
collection - only me (track 1)
lyrics -
too many people know me i don't know who they are the enemies so friendly they'd never start the war
the rain just passes through me i guess my soul is cleansed the barricades before me divide me from the rest
but everybody's army will fight nobody's war don't be piggy in the middle don't state what class you are
the world must have an ending don't know where to begin the message i'm not sending looks like none of us will win
i thought you understood me our tragedies comic in time you will discover our comedies tragic
but everybody's victory is someone else's end don't enjoy the journey don't never shake their hand
everybody's violence caused everybody's peace don't pretend your war less never lose your friends or choose your enemies
everybody's army will fight nobody's war if you can't defend your birthright you don't know who you are
if you can't defend your birthright you don't know who you are
collection - twenty five your havin a laff (track 1)
lyrics -
we're getting old but most of us don't want to we're always told the world won't spin around you we're second best but some of us are selfish we're scared of death because life is just too precious
walking through the years of you i shed 5 million tears for you but i won't wait for you when the world stops so don't wait for me when the world stops
we're rock'n'roll guitars replaced my girlfriend we're lonely souls drenched in self importance we're full of life as if each day's a funeral the crimson sky bleeds out the pain of losing
standing at the edge of time i dreamed i own this world of mine but i'm not prepared to wait for you when the world stops so don't wait for me when the world stops
i had been to london manys a time in life, and although i enjoy the general life and hussle and bustle of it, i often hate its lack of culture, identity and totally over crowdedness. in 2006 i finally moved to london, where i lived in shepherd's bush for a while, and worked in hammersmith for a pr agency, bite communications. this was when i saw the busy-ness of it, day in and day out and wrote the song/lyric "(over) crowded london". in this lyric, i hoped to capture the various spots of london where i visited and spent my days as well as people's business and the fact that on the tube/london underground, nobody talks to each other. the city has no real appeal in many aspects, and is in fact totally over crowded, for the only reason being there are lots of jobs there so people want to live there. see this as a guided tour of the uk's capital city...
written - 2006
collection - charing cross (track 1)
subject - as title suggests
lyrics -
people far and wide decide how much i pay for butter walking through the underground these people know its winter the man at the barrier could be a rock n roll star people are too busy to pay each other compliments
we're not at the olympics bjt everybody's running my aeroplane's in clouds above over crowded london
countries unapparent just a maze of pretty people shopping at oxford street just to be fashionable snow at monument station so white i'm invisible i clutch a coffee which i bought at lesiz q
the man reading the tube map can't pretend he's cultured the union flag will always fly over crowded london
democracy has brought this town a city drug collected thoughts at charing cross too personal to say this tower was built before all england changed trafys q a fitting sign that everything remains
this lady wouldn't know a pub if tj bernard hit her another glimpse of innocence over crowded london
posing for a photo i'm a false celebrity the sky so dark at regent's park the blackness is obscene a bus can take you anywhere i pay a man for busking at covent garden i couldn't find the garden
i stand out from the crowd because i stand out from the crowd but no-one stops to notice me over crowded london
where's the hall at whitehall? no queen at queensway i should have bought an all day travelcard the man wears blue for millwall the surrey quay's unlocked somehow those who work here wouldn't want to live here
i had some egg and bacon at piccadilly station this town should really call itself over crowded london
i notice the central line doesn't go to centre at custom house they never checked my passport half the underground is actually overground at oxford circus i couldn't find the circus
i stand out from the crowd because i stand out from the crowd but no-one stops to notice me over crowded london
** please note that the northern line ironically goes the most south. that city confuses the hell out of me.
ACOUSTIC VERSION, Bangor, Northern Ireland, September 2007:
ACOUSTIC PART VERSION, Wood Lane, London, England, August 2006:
ACOUSTIC EARLY VERSION, Bournemouth, England, March 2006:
in the year 2000, i wrote this song about being in love, even though i had never been in love at the time (and in fact it was only during 2009 that i finally fell in love). the song is about a person who goes un-noticed because of love. nothing else is important in life any more because that person has love. hence the lines where they dont need an umbrella in the rain and being camouflage in every background. this is one of my personal favourites.
written - 2000
subject - being in love
lyrics -
drugs are not on my diet without sleep i'm dayless defeat is closer than victory i pretend to enjoy your company
but i'm camouflage in every background when i stop loving you my feet don't touch the ground du da du da du oooh du da du da du
my calendar is empty same goes for my diary i press balance enquiry the cash machine ignores me
at posh awards i'm teetotal the end is never close my feet don't touch the ground du da du da du oooh du da du da du
in desert suns i've no shadow in rain - no umbrella in snow - no duffelcoat my feet don't touch the ground
but i'm camouflage in every background when i stop loving you my feet don't touch the ground du da du da du oooh du da du da du
i remember democratic unionist leader Ian Paisley walked out of a meeting with Sinn Fein in 1997 and i decided to write a song that there is "no end" to the ongoing trouble in northern ireland. this encapsulates the anger of 1997, drumcree and life in northern ireland at the time. I wrote it with michael mcclelland one night, it came very easily and was probably the first song i ever penned about northern ireland. at the time it seemed like there was "no end", but there was...
written - bangor, october 1997
subject matter - ongoing troubles in northern ireland
written by - jonny scott blair and michael mcclelland
lyrics -
its hard to tell if its day or night because everyone is kept in the dark all around us the people are sleeping despite what they think they know
papers only tell the truth tv too, so what's the use?
i've looked everywhere and there is no end the godfathers have control i've looked all around and there is no answer talking's no good without action talking's no good without action
i've looked everywhere and there is no end the godfathers have control i've looked all around and there is no answer talking's no good without action talking's no good without action smoking's no good without cancer
in this world with no heaven i'm writing the book with no end
(lyrics incomplete at present, some verses are lost)
inspired by the james bond film "the man with the golden gun", in summer 1999 i wrote this song. i was living in a small house with my parents in dundonald at the time and every week there was a james bond film on UTV. i taped them all, and took some lines or ideas maybe from "the man with the golden gun" and came up with this idea that the danger is over and we can return. i have no idea where in the film the idea came from. i only recently played the song in my bedroom for the first time in about 9 years.
written - august 1999
about - james bond the man with the golden gun lyrics -
it is now safe to return there are no bullets in my gun in the sun my tears have dried sends a shiver down my spine
it is now safe to return defeat is mine to burn in the rain i'm washed away flooding out the enemy
i'm still not convinced this is the final curtain i'll load up my gun until i know for certain i've been down this road too many times already so you think i'd know which way to go so you think i'd learn which way to turn
it is now safe to return all my innocence has gone reputation still intact pride forever in my heart
it is now safe to return my freedom has been earned windows smashed broken homes someone else's danger zone
i'm still not convinced this is the final curtain i'll load up my gun until i know for certain i've been down this road too many times already so you think i'd know which way to go so you think i'd learn which way to turn
The idea for this lyric actually came back in 1997 while I was studying at Belvoir Tech. We had a discussion one day on separatism and the cutlural, political and economic differences between countries and people. I considered "what if everyone was the same?" and "what if there was an 'international anthem' instead of national ones?" so could live together in peace. There are things that represent every person on the planet, such as the need for food and drink to survive, the search for love and wanting to be happy. These basic human similarities were then turned into reality when I wrote the words in October 1998. Realising it basically is "an ocean wave to death", a "mindless countdown to retirement" and that through our employers we are "slaves to money then we die." So the song became an anthem for workers worldwide and maintained its global title. I still play it in my bedroom the odd time. It was while I was working at Tesco I wrote it. I hope people can relate to it. I particularly like the chorus.
written - 1998 (completed October)
lyrics -
monday morning comes too soon and im sleeping on the moon waiting for a lame excuse to get up for orange juice
monday morning lasts too long like a fool im working on looking at my watch in shock that its only 9 o'clock
now its friday afternoon and ive nothing left to do but collect my salary i know ill spend on saturday
on the eve of a golden age im told at the end of the rainbow theres no gold
monday mornings here again and im nearly always late waiting for an alibi to defend my lack of pride
now its friday afternoon and im sleeping on the moon spending all my weekly wages on things that fill a thousand pages
even in the sun defeat is cold at the end of the rainbow theres no gold
on the eve of a golden age im told at the end of the rainbow theres no gold
Believe it or not, but I started writing this song in 1987 and finished it in 2008. Why it took 21 years I don't know...It came about following the Zeebrugge ferry disaster in March 1987. That night I remember being glued to the BBC News and couldn't quite believe the scenes, people dying from hypothermia in freezing winter water off the coast of Belgium/Netherlands. The next day at school, Sally McKee our P3 teacher got us to do a news report on it. It really interested me, as did many tragedies during the 1980s, particularly those happening around me (Enniskillen bombing, Downpatrick UDR soldiers murder) and this one was the fault of "party time" ferry company (as far as the media and UK public were concerned) Townsend Thoresen. Ironic that the boat which capsized should be called "The Herald of Free Enterprise", when the very reason it sank was pursuit of money ahead of safety. The first line of the song was written in 1987, as was the melody. The rest came last year, when I started working on ferry boats for the first time, at Wightlink and my memory was jogged and I felt I could give this song some meaning. I feel I've encapsulated the story of the disaster and at the same time, making a decent enough melody. I now work on the Condor Ferries Poole - Cherbourg/St. Malo/Guernsey/Jersey routes. Rest in peace all those innocent victims.
Written - in Bangor in 1987, and on Wightlink boat Cenred in 2008.
Lyrics -
The herald the herald of free enterprise In March 87 we saw it capsize The heavens the heavens are weighing me down The port of Zeebrugge this unknown town
The assistant bosun didn't close the bow doors But "we're so happy to welcome you onboard"
I want to know what's happening in the world A flushing range of failures a disease of sloppiness
The herald the herald of free enterprise On the wings of an angel a devil looks down A token a token for a cheap winter break A drop in the ocean we've money to make
The assistant bosun didn't close the bow doors But "we're so happy to welcome you onboard"
I want to know what's happening in the world A flushing range of failures a disease of sloppiness
Its ironic that the ships' name the herald of Free enterprise sank because the company put Pursuit of money ahead of passenger safety
Back in September 1997 i had somewhat of a creative burst. A lot of things were happening in my life, such as: - I had left school behind - I had gone on a family holiday to Florida, USA - I had started working - I was 17 and starting to go to pubs - I spent 5 days a week in my capital city of Belfast I found myself inspired by many things around me, and between September 1997 - December 1997 I wrote quite a lot of lyrics. They were all inspired by youthfulness, growing up in Northern Ireland and the contrast between my two favourite bands: the blatant optimism of oasis versus the depressing pessimism of manic street preachers. This particular lyric of mine tries to encapsulate that late teen feel, mixed with a line or two about missed a good chance to put your team 1-0 up in a football match (in a rare bite of pressure, im down on my knees again). The more I listen to this song as I've grown older, the more I understand what I meant and the more I realise it really doesn't seem like something I should have written aged 17. I could narrow it down to every line and tell you what they each mean, you can work out your Belfast grit from a line like "cry if you're not man enough, you can smile but I'm fed up."
The strangest thing of all was that the title and song idea came from a Salt cylinder in the kitchen where I studied at Belvoir in South Belfast, it said "rarebit" on it, and while describing a football match it turned into a "rare bit of pressure." "Bite" just sounded better.
Written - Belvoir Park/The Number 13 Bus, Belfast, Northern Ireland, October 1997
Subject Matter - Everything a 17 year old thought of
lyrics -
hope lies flat on a poisoned surface everybody's feeling nervous find yourself a moment of peace in a war drenched society
cry if you're not man enough you can smile but I'm fed up
in a rare bite of pressure i'm down on my knees again and just for good measure i'm forfeiting love for fame
cold feet might as well be warm feet on paracodol sunday mornings find yourself a minute of wealth in a state of downward health
troubles tastes all dangerous don't avoid the obvious
in a rare bite of pressure i'm losing my way again my infinite pleasure is closing its door again
in a rare bite of pressure i'm down on my knees again despite all my effort looks kill in the face again
danger tastes all troublesome fortune is a contagion
i want to do better but this rare bite of pressure is begging to differ
I wrote this lyric back in 2001 for a good friend of mine at the time, who had just split up with his girlfriend. I felt for him, as I knew he had spent a lot of time and effort on this girl, yet it was all in vain as he was now "out of love." I played it to him once, just after the break up. As life takes us in different ways, I sadly have only seen him twice in the last 6 years, however one of these was in the Errigle Inn in Belfast for his 30th birthday. Bob, its for you...
Written - Late 2001
Lyrics -
You've fallen down a waterfall I don't know what you dream You make me laugh you make me cry Someone else might scream
You poured your heart out to a girl who couldn't fill your heart You took her to the end of time; she left you at the start
You've fallen in and out of love Too much was not enough
I bet it broke your heart my friend I bet it cut you deep You spent your awake on someone else's sleep
You stalled your dreams all for this girl who couldn't fulfill your dreams You took her to the end of time; she left you at the start
You've fallen in and out of love Too much was not enough
You spent your lifetime You were someone else's lifeline You spent time that wasn't yours On time forever hers
And in And out of love And in And out of love Too much was not enough
You've fallen down a waterfall I don't know what you dream
this is a lyric and song that i wrote in 2007 during my second visit to the polish capital of warszawa. i went to the top of the palace of culture and science and i wanted to encapsulate the fact that the stalin empire and communism was once the life here, and now the people "have their life back" is a sort of post communist way. the song for me is also a way of thanking my polish friends rafal, artur, piotr o and piotr p for their hospitality during this visit to poland.
written - the lolek bar, warszawa, august 2007
written by - jonny scott blair and rafal kowalczyk
collection - northern range (track 1)
about - warszawa, the palace of culture and science, the people there, the fall of communism and the happy go lucky spirit evident for all to see
lyrics -
yesterday i was a dog for a girl waking up in a different world showing them the best of you showing them the worst of you
warsaw skies they wont rain on you warsaw skies they wont rain on you
yesterday's african party up on stage; false celebrity showing them the best of you showing them the worst of you
warsaw skies they wont rain on you warsaw skies they wont rain on you
this your present from stalin's reign and you have your life again and your passion speaks a world to me and your passion speaks a world of you
warsaw skies they wont rain on you warsaw skies didnt rain on me
looking out for the lolek bar a foreign dream can it stretch this far and you bow to the friends youve made and you bow to the friends youve made
warsaw skies they wont rain on you warsaw skies they wont rain on you
acoustic version, bangor, northern ireland, september 2007:
hi all, i'm jonny scott blair. welcome to my new blog. i have been writing lyrics, poems and songs for as long as i can remember. i have turned a lot of these into guitar based songs. on this new blog i plan to release a lyric a day from now on. these lyrics could be: - a short poem - a song i've recorded - a song i've wrote - a short lyric - an idea - a story it is basically a creative blog from my mind.
it is 100% copyright jonny scott blair 1980 - 2009. the lyrics are all mine as are the songs. i have creativity i want to get out of me. so have a read or a listen.
i cannot play guitar or sing well, it is the idea, the lyric and the creativity that counts for me.
anything and everything inspires me from meeting a new person, reading a book, buying a bar of chocolate or washing my hands. we can get happiness and inspiration from the simplest actions sometimes.
I'm Jonny Scott Blair. I was born in 1980 in Newtownards, Northern Ireland. But I'm a perpetual backpacker these days since leaving home 14 years ago. I've been to all 7 continents and over 150 countries, inspiring others to travel the world. I now live and work in beautiful Poland and am coping with long term depression.