Diane

Backup:

Recent recording for Ian Semple’s show on Coast FM:

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Backup:

 

So much of her life she’s spent on wards like this
With panic locked behind her eyes and dressings on her wrists.

But last time I saw Diane, she was beating a long, long drop:
I like to think it’s not only the scum that makes it to the top.

They feed her love in millivolts, and faith in plastic spoons
Sometimes it all washes out, and she has to rush out of the room
Sometimes she hits out; mostly, she turns on herself
And in rage and desperation she seeks out the razor’s edge

But last time I saw Diane, she was beating a long, long drop:
I like to think it’s not only the scum that makes it to the top.

There’s an old man in her mirror with his own tale to tell
He has words like “communicate” and “socialize” to sell
He’s promised her that she’s learning how to crawl out of her shell
She says “He’ll get my head together, on the next cool day in hell…”

Salvation comes expensive, by the litre or the gramme
But she holds on to her anger, if that’s all that comes to hand
It’s a sword that has two edges, but she’s learning to survive
And when she’s closest to dying, anger tells her that she’s alive

But last time I saw Diane, she was beating a long, long drop:
I like to think it’s not only the scum that makes it to the top.

Now she’s going out again, to meet her life head on
Hanging with the world, as it might be by her thumbs
Most of what I’d like to say sounds trite, sounds absurd
But we’ve been lovers and we’ve been friends, and we’ve never needed those words

Next time I see Diane, she’ll still be beating the drop
I wish I could be half the person she is, if only I had half the guts

Words and music by David Harley, copyright 1982

Dead Man’s Alley

A heavily re-arranged version of the ‘Cocaine Blues’/’Honey take a whiff on me’ theme. I put it together in the 1970s, but then wrote a version I liked better. However, this suddenly popped into my head and I decided I like it after all. Not too bad a demo considering I haven’t played it since the 70s, and probably never in public.

Backup:

Dead Man’s Alley (Trad. arr. Harley)

Up dead man’s alley, going down Main
Dead man’s alley, going down Main
Dead man’s alley, going down Main
Looking for a woman that use cocaine

Drop back mama, won’t you let me be
Drop back mama, let me be
Drop back mama, and let me be
Cold turkey got his claws in me

Some say the cocaine habit is bad
Some say cocaine is bad
Some say cocaine habit is bad
Stone cold turkey worst I had

Drop back mama, won’t you let me be
Drop back mama, let me be
Drop back mama, and let me be
Cold turkey got his claws in me

Never miss your water till the well run dry
Never miss your water till the well run dry
Never miss your water till the well run dry
Never miss your man till he walk on by, walk on, walk on by

Drop back mama, won’t you let me be
Drop back mama, let me be
Drop back mama, and let me be
Cold turkey got his claws in me

Coming up State Street, running down Main
Coming up State Street, running down Main
Coming up State Street, running down Main
Looking for the man who sell cocaine

Drop back mama, won’t you let me be
Drop back mama, let me be
Drop back mama, and let me be
Cold turkey got his claws in me

David Harley

A Xmas Garland

Or a little anti-Christmas medley. The solo Strat on the section was DI-ed so the recording level on the second (miked) section where the acoustic comes in is all wrong, but hey, this was just a quick mashup with Garage Band to try out the idea. One of these days I might even record it properly. :)

The words for the second section can be found here – Make Mine A Snowball – if you’re feeling that masochistic.

David Harley