Rust to Dust (in process)

Definitely a work in progress (hence the change of title, and shortly, audio)… 

August 2024 – words changed slightly since the most recent recording.

Words and music (c) David Harley

I landed badly from a leap of Faith
And Faith no longer talks to me
Though I tried rewriting history
Her story won’t let me be

Cash to ashes, rust to dust
Go for broke and end up bust
The devil drives, where needing must
Dream of love, and fall in lust

Maybe I don’t have the jealousy gene
Maybe Jean’s just not the one
To paint my world a lighter blue
And continue what’s begun

Cash to ashes, rust to dust
Go for broke and end up bust
The devil drives, where needing must
Dream of love, and fall in lust

I was happy with the crumbs from her table
Having no dough of my own
But lately I’ve been begging for Mercy
Only Mercy doesn’t want to know

Cash to ashes, rust to dust
Go for broke and end up bust
The devil drives, where needing must
Dream of love, and fall in lust

(backup)

Effigies

This is very much a work in progress: a single verse and a tune that may well change over time. The verse will almost certainly not be expanded, but it will probably constitute just one section of a larger piece with quite a lot of instrumental music, though the verse may be left a capella.

For a rather different approach to a similar visualisation, see Philip Larkin’s An Arundel Tomb.

I’m not sure if it’s coincidental that while I was posting this LinkedIn suggested that I might be interested in a post as Obituaries Editor for a medical journal…

Effigies

Once more they lie together
Not an atom’s width apart
Where none disturb their slumber
For there is no beating heart

Backup:

Who do you think you are?

[There is also a version in the can with a much more Chicago blues feel, recorded with Dave Higgen. Hopefully, there’ll be a full album by Xmas.]

Nothing to do with the Spice Girls or reality TV: I’ve had the basic idea for this kicking around for at least 30 years, but I finally put the words into something resembling a final version. This is a single take recording: I’ll hopefully come back to it when I’ve learned it properly, but this is Harley in country blues mode, so it’s never likely to be particularly polished… The guitar is a D’Angelico archtop, but it doesn’t sound particularly jazzy because, since it was done in one take, the acoustic sound is mixed in with the DI-d electric sound. I rather like it, but your mileage may vary.

Words and music, such as it is, by me.

Backup:

I came home last night, just about the break of day
She’s got her suitcase packed, just about to make her getaway

She said, well now baby, who do you think you are
You stayed out all night, don’t know what you came back for

Five long years my baby walked the line
Now she’s gone, long gone, since she found out I was playing double time

She said, well now baby, who do you think you are
You stayed out all night, don’t know what you came back for

Down at the courthouse, fell down on my knees
Said I love you babe, won’t you forgive me please?

She said, well now baby, who do you think you are
You stayed out all night, don’t know what you came back for

Wrote her a letter, wrote it on my knees
Babe I learned my lesson, won’t you come back please?

She wrote back,
Well now baby, who do you think you are
Got my eyes wide open, don’t know what I’d come back for

David Harley