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One Man Live

by David Ford

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gary morley
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gary morley this track has wormed its way into my heart. a heady mix of Gothic Romanticism and Vegas show tune. Listen and you'll want to sing a long with a tipple in your hand. Tom Waits on Broadway. no higher praise is possible Favorite track: O'Sullivan's Jukebox (Live in Sheffield).
sherbet1
sherbet1 thumbnail
sherbet1 saw the tour live at minnack theatre, cornwall. Loved it
joe
evildentist
evildentist thumbnail
evildentist The live version of State Of The Union where it is just one musician,a bunch of instruments , a loop pedal and a brilliant song is one of the best things I have ever heard live and I've seen Prince. And this is David Ford's Purple Rain. It is magnificent.
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1.
She put a chill through the house at the slam of the door She said “I won’t be coming ‘round here any more” We’re creatures of destiny, we don’t get a choice Now i keep punching your number but i don’t hear your voice Why don’t you answer your telephone? Threats come up empty time and again Won’t you beat on my door and come out of the rain It drums on the tin roof and runs down the wall Now I hear nothing but ringing every time that i call Why don’t you answer your telephone? In a chaos of blue lights did judgement arrive They said i was the last one to see her alive “Get your story in check boy” he said and snapped on the cuffs All i had was the truth and the truth ain’t enough Why don’t you answer your telephone?
2.
Darling it needs to be said We are still young but our love is stone dead And cold as the sheets on the big empty bed Where I will not lay down any more Time wins at every race The wrecking ball swings at a glacial pace Creeps up upon you like the lines on your face And the aches at the end of the day Isn’t it strange? Strange but isn’t any less true I spent the best years of my life waiting on you Oh the change Change isn’t easy to see So you spent the best years of your life trying to change me. I look at the world and feel small It seems further back up every time that we fall You have no hard feelings, I have no feelings at all Still, I hope that I see you around Some day we’ll look back and see I’m not right for you, you are not meant for me If we’re made for each other we’re made imperfectly From pieces that never fit right. Darling it needs to be said We are still young but our love is stone dead And cold as the sheets on the big empty bed Where I will not lay down any more
3.
Oh Love, one of these days I’ll shake you out of my head Call out the engines and stamp out the fire Silence the voices that sing my desire Oh one of these days Oh love, one of these days I will not answer your call And there’ll be no rush at the sound of your name You can go your way and I’ll do the same Oh one of these days Oh one of these days Maybe I’ll find a way to mend these broken Pieces of what we’ve become To write off the damages done To stand with our eyes to the sun Oh love one of these days Maybe we’ll pass on the street I’ll ask how you’re doing and hope you’re alright Smile a farewell like the way old friends might No thought for the demons that come in the night Oh one of these days Oh one of these days
4.
Oh will you Pretend like you want me And I'll make you think Like I know how it feels Could I be so cruel? Well, love don't come easy I love you when you do We made it through These days that could end us And oh, will you Let me know how it feels Speak love so true Yeah well I know you don't mean it Still I love you when you do And you know There is nothing worth believing in some boy Who's only answering his bones And don't I just know it So don't tell me How I'm wrong And don't tell me 'Cause I already know Don't tell me How to run this tank empty Don't, don’t tell me Oh will you Pretend like you want me And I'll make you think Just like I know how it feels How could I be so cruel? Yeah well, love don't come easy I love you when you do And you know There is nothing worth believing in some girl Who's only answering her bones Yeah don't I just know it Don't I just know it So don't tell me How I'm wrong And don't tell me 'Cause I already know And don't tell me How to run this tank empty Don't, don’t tell me
5.
Well I've been around the block, let me tell you And my hair’s all turning to grey And everything aches just a little bit more Than it ever did back in the day Now I don't move in higher class circles I don't drive some big fancy car ‘Cause I put most of my money in O'Sullivan's jukebox And the rest went behind the bar Now at school I was a fine mathematician A precocious and a scholarly kid But I gave it all up for that sweet flowing cup And I'm glad every day that I did You know they told me that I could have been anything They said I was gonna go far Instead I put most of my money in O'Sullivan's jukebox And the rest went behind the bar You know I was always pretty handy with a football I could have been the rock of the England back four Or maybe a Hollywood actor But what the hell would I want all that for? And you know I can play the guitar like a son of a bitch I could have been a rock'n'roll star Instead I put most of my money in O'Sullivan's jukebox And the rest went behind the bar I could have got me a job in the city I could have managed financial affairs And gambled away the money of strangers While I live like a millionaire But you see, I always made friends better than I ever made profits Now I'm a wealthier fella by far ‘Cause I invested most of my money in O'Sullivan's jukebox And his sub-prime mortgage-backed collateralised debt obligation behind the bar Do you hear the bells? Well they're tolling last orders I guess all things must come to an end But if you'll have a drink with me brother Well you'll never have want of a friend And when they carry me away in a coffin Won't you light up a Cuban cigar And raise up your glass for that sweet drunken arse Who propped up old O’Sullivan's bar And raise up your glass for that sweet drunken arse Who propped up old O’Sullivan's bar.
6.
Carter, Henry, get your hands off me Carter, Henry, get your hands off me After all I’ve done for you, why won’t you let me be Carter, Henry, get your hands off me Cut me loose and see what I can do Cut me loose and see what I can do If you do this good thing for me, I’ll be so good to you Cut me loose and see what I can do I can see the clouds a’gatherin’ I know the mess you’re in Now turn me loose, give me the tools And let me do my thing I’m an honest citizen I ain’t out to hurt no one But from time to time, A good man finds there’s some killing to be done I got fire and I’m gonna let it shine I got fire and I’m gonna let it shine If the city burns down to the ground, well that ain’t no fault of mine I got fire and I’m gonna let it shine I can see the clouds a’gatherin’ I know the mess you’re in Now turn me loose, give me the tools And let me do my thing I’m an honest citizen I ain’t out to hurt no one But from time to time, A good man finds there’s some killing to be done I’m a loaded weapon, there ain’t no need to fear I’m a loaded weapon, there ain’t no need to fear If you don’t like the way I do, why the hell are you still here? I’m a loaded weapon, there ain’t no need to fear Carter, henry Carter, henry Get your hands off me
7.
I’ve searched the places I have been To understand this sorry state I’m in The only answers I can find Got lost with my tiny mind Somewhere so many years ago And oh my Lord I can’t believe All these crimes that are accused of me Now my memory’s all shot Don’t know if I’m guilty or if I’m not Still I’ll try to clear my name All I can do is wait and see If sweet salvation will come and rescue me From all this weary flesh and bone I Still walk this path alone Waiting for the storm I’ve heard it often said There’s only one sure thing So I’ll be braced against the storm But I’ll be hoping I will be hoping that the springtime will come Maybe the sky above will break I’m hanging on for pure survival’s sake So ashamed of what I’ve done And scared by what’s to come I’m just waiting for the storm I’ve heard it often said There’s only one sure thing So I’ll be braced against the storm But I’ll be hoping I will be hoping that the springtime will come I’ll be the one to take the fall For all these sorry sons of bitches all Clutching at the shortest straw A martyr without a cause Waiting for the storm I know all this weary flesh and bone I Still walk this path alone Just waiting for the storm
8.
Well there never was a girl like Lily She was a pretty little heartbreak machine She had a way to part a fool and his money She was a lucky little gambler’s dream And she’d promise up the world and whatever She could get a man to do anything And by the morning he’s be cleaned out and crawling on his knees But every night you’d hear some poor fool sing He said “I may not be a rich man baby But I’ll tell you what I’m gonna do I’m gonna take you out tonight in the city I’m gonna spend all of my money on you” She’d take a seat up at the bar around seven And wait for some poor sucker stumbling by And then she’d pull him in and drag him on under Then she’s drown him in those big dark eyes And with the moonlight breaking through a little crack in the sky Well he was broken and the damage was done He’d give up everything he had for a love that could never be He’d be screaming at the top of his lungs He said “I may not be a rich man baby But I’ll tell you what I’m gonna do I’m gonna take you out tonight in the city I’m gonna spend all of my money on you” One day there came into town some kind of big shot man All full of swagger like some Hollywood scene I tried to tell him stay away from Miss Lily That woman’s trouble if you know what I mean Well he just laughed and said “I think I can take care of myself” I said “well don’t pretend you haven’t been warned” They found him walking in the morning by the side of the road Yeah he was naked as the day he was born He said “I may not be a rich man baby But I’ll tell you what I’m gonna do I’m gonna take you out tonight in the city I’m gonna spend all of my money on you”
9.
I have walked in the wilderness, slept in the cold And I’ve lost more than I ever thought I would hold But I held more than I ever thought I would see A little hard luck and trouble made a man out of me When I came to this mountain I was looking for gold And I’ve lost more than I ever thought I would hold But I found me a woman and some weak iron ore Can’t think what I’d want with gold any more I’ve seen delusion, greed and misery ride So now I take everything I love and hold it inside A goldmine of treasures that can never be sold So you won’t see me cry if I lose more than I ever Thought I’d hold Now my hands have grown weary and my body is old And I’ve lost more than I ever thought I would hold But I’ve loved more than I believed any man could Show me one ounce of hard luck And I’ll show you a mountain of good Show me one ounce of hard luck I’ll show you a mountain of good.
10.
Sweet dreams all met with derision This train, it was armed for collision It's a shame, it's a shame, it's a shame So clap your hands in the sparkle and glitter Shake your heads at the twisted and bitter Man, they don't know how lucky they are And foot down for the alienation Look on as your love, it gets lost in translation To a language that nobody understands But there are smiles as they erode and corrupt you Of the great expectations you could never live up to We are lost, we are lost, we are lost So get your coats 'cause the righteous are leaving 'Cause they can't work out what the hell to believe in It's a shame, it's a shame, it's a shame There’s no abandon, no heartfelt desire And no love could be worth getting fired For real, it's surreal, it's so real So paint over the cracks and then cover What you thought was the worst ever pain with another And the first one, it always comes free And how they love you so cold and so vicious With friends like these, well who needs politicians The first one, its always comes free And they’ll swear to you that heroin takes like ice cream Clever men know all that and all this And they will talk and they will talk and they don't fucking listen It's a shame, it's a shame, it's a shame It's no life but God, it's a living Ah come on Jesus Christ, come back, all is forgiven We are lost, we are lost, we are lost And have no fear of the state of the nation Let the facts have no bearing on public relations It's a shame, it's a shame, it's a shame and… What a model of Christian behavior Preach on with that message of go fuck thy neighbour We are lost, we are lost, we are lost So you’ll take your step by the crowd of fanatics While they kill in the name of applied mathematics And you hate the system even though you invented it And go kill your brothers and claim self defence of it and… Picking up all the secrets and the tricks to be One of the guys who the shit never sticks to And you take you seats for the final calamity Don't you look serious, hell, what can the matter be? And another day and the rot’s getting faster Well, all these machines started killing their master It's a shame, it's a shame, it's a shame
11.
Stephen, the flags are half-mast at the station There’s a cloud hanging over this town The wind blows apology, the sun looks ashamed As he hides out behind Portadown And out there are children still raised on old anger To believe there’s a reason to fight But a piece of land’s only a piece of land And you will not come home tonight Stephen, the uniformed visitors came Unexpectedly late yesterday I opened the door to a man and a woman And I knew what they’d come here to say And I’ve never seen any darkness so deep As the moment when I clicked off the light But a piece of land’s only a piece of land and you will not come home tonight Stephen, the paper’s been filled with your picture It seems the whole world knows your name And would you believe there was Martin Mcguinness Out condemning these bastards to blame I’ve never seen so much orange and green Come together on a thin strip of white Still a piece of land’s only a piece of land and you will not come home tonight No, a piece of land’s only a piece of land And you will not come home tonight
12.
Well some people, they claim they never had a fair roll of the dice They could be right But that’s not me, see I was lucky and I had everything just fall in my plate Call it fate if you want to But for all the elaborate setup and manoeuvre Being wheeled into position to deliver some saccharine punch to the guts Of a world screaming out for whatever the hell they think it is that I’ve got Every time I was given the chance to stand on my own two feet Oh I fell Yeah and every time I was given a chance to stand on my own two feet Oh I fell yeah Every time opportunity knocked on my door, I just sent it on straight down to hell ‘Cause every time I was given a chance to stand on my own two feet, I fell Well some people, they imagine the disappointment must tear me apart And break my heart And presume that I’m disgusted by all the injustice I’ve seen But that’s not me and I’ll tell you That I bear no resentment to millionaire pub singers Barely literate poets and guitar store gunslingers And I smile so politely at the well-meaning ignorance Of people who tell me I’m going to make it some day Every time I was given the chance to stand on my own two feet Oh I fell Yeah and every time I was given a chance to stand on my own two feet Oh I fell yeah Every time opportunity knocked on my door, I just sent it on straight down to hell ‘Cause every time I was given a chance to stand on my own two feet, I fell Well the sun’s going down on what’s left of today And the tide drags what’s left of this moment away And so I kick through the dirt and the red autumn leaves And what I had and what I lost and what I still believe And I have no regrets for the time that I’ve spent Barely paying my dues and barely paying the rent For a simple pursuit of more honest a life I don’t cheat on my taxes, I don’t cheat on my wife Now the fire’s burning out and the walls closing in And I’m dragged by the gravity into the sin Of obedient service of some twisted machine Blowing smoke in the faces of each little scene Sent to form a distraction just to buy up some time Misdirected by swagger and beats and by rhyme Telling tales of a life you might one day attain If you just keep your focus relentlessly trained On the things you can get and not who you can be Nor the innocent dream of the sky and the sea And the word and the truth and the spirit of man And a history that promises one day we can With a love for your brother and your sister and yourself Get there one day together in good cheer and good health But it comes at a cost, yeah there’s a price that you pay For a sweet, bold tomorrow you’ve got to give up today It’s a sacrifice way beyond mortals like me For an age that never was and never could ever be So I don’t dwell on the past, I don’t rue my mistakes And I’m proud that I never had whatever it takes Now I’m stood on the deck of this leaky old boat With just the shirt on my back and the song in my throat And I’m the luckiest boy on the face of the earth ‘Cause I know about love and I know what it’s worth So I’m not giving up and I’m not giving in Though I know it’s a fight that I’m not going to win And I’ll still scream in the face of more powerful men I choose this motherfucker and I’d choose it again ‘Cause every time I was given the chance to stand on my own two feet Oh I fell Yeah and every time I was given a chance to stand on my own two feet Oh I fell yeah Every time opportunity knocked on my door, I just sent it on straight down to hell ‘Cause every time I was given a chance to stand on my own two feet, I fell

about

These songs were recorded in October 2019 at various locations around the UK.

The recordings capture what was the most stupendously over-complicated live show I have ever attempted, and I’m someone who rarely passes up the opportunity to make things more complicated than they need to be.

Every couple of years or so, I find myself taken by the urge to add a little more paint to my unfinished masterpiece. It’s a project that began around 2002 when I acquired my first loop pedal. These helpful little boxes allow solo performers such as myself to create more interesting musical arrangements than would otherwise be possible with just a single instrument and one pair of hands. Essentially they record little snippets of sound and play them back over and over. Then by adding the right parts at the right times, you can build a whole lot of noise without having to spend any time around other musicians. Looping soon became a major part of my live performances and much of whatever success I have had sprang from my early adoption and elaborate employment of this technique.

But I was never satisfied with the technology available. There has never been a machine that does all the things I need. I want to fill the stage with instruments, loop them all together, have them stay in time, be able to bring different parts in and out during the song, without sacrificing sound quality and without using computers. Once there’s a computer on stage, it becomes the smartest member of the band and the temptation is to let it handle more and more of the difficult and complicated work until eventually you wind up somewhere along the road to karaoke.

So I have taken it upon myself to go about modifying existing machines and building new ones. Every time I think I can go no further, I wake in the night struck by the notion that some obsolete piece of ‘90s technology might be re-purposed to allow me to play bass parts using my feet, thereby expanding the list of viable looper songs. And then I’m back in again, hunched over a soldering iron so that I might make the sound of a full band all by myself. These recordings represent my nearest attempt.
So far.

All the instruments you hear were played and looped. There are occasional samples dropped in. These are played using foot pedals. Yes, that feels a little close to cheating but I’ve kindly allowed myself not to worry too much about that.

And of course, there are some songs that don’t utilise any of Dr Frankenstein’s cupboard of musical curiosities. Because the thing to remember is, much as I enjoy the challenge of creating this circus of stage chicanery, the songs are always the most important thing, and all other work must be in their service.

credits

released May 1, 2020

Recording engineer: Iain White

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David Ford Eastbourne, UK

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