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Lark

by Lark

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    It's a Double Album and its beautiful! Alan Davies' Artwork and Phoenix's photography that you get a taster of on the bandcamp and Lark website is extended into a gate fold package with a booklet you can touch and hold and look at and take in while you listen. Each track has its own artwork, like on the website. Go on, you know you want one..........

    Includes unlimited streaming of Lark via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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1.
Hard Life 04:54
Hard Life I know there’s some who would like to change place with me Don’t think I don’t know about all of the jealousy Take it from me, it's harder than it looks I know there’s some who think money is a dirty word They lie in bed and leave the pickings to the early bird Take it from me, it's harder than it looks It’s such a hard life I know that’s not what it seems It’s such a hard life You just don’t know what work means It’s such a full time occupation You can never call your time your own I ain't got time to worry where the money goes You can't be mean when you’re being seen at every show Take it form me, it's harder than it looks It’s such a hard life You’ve got to keep on the move It’s such a hard life You take the rough with the smooth It’s such a full time occupation And I work my fingers to the bone I’m just a simple man I do the best I can No-one can take that much from me I’m just a simple man I do the best I can No-one can take that much from me I put it down to the politics of envy I’d like to see them take the responsibility Take it from me, it's harder than it looks It’s such a hard life I know that’s not what it seems It’s such a hard life You just don’t know what work means It’s such a full time occupation You can never call your time your own It’s such a hard life You’ve got to keep on the move It’s such a hard life You take the rough with the smooth It’s such a full time occupation And I work my fingers to the bone It’s such a full time occupation And I work my fingers to the bone Tony Bevan 1980
2.
Inner Voice 05:10
Inner Voice I met some people this weekend It was like meeting long lost friends We made music all night long Laughing talking singing songs The things these people said to me Were things that I’d been thinking recently They said You may think you have the choice But you cant ignore that inner voice There’ll be times that we’ve all had When everyone will think you’re mad To take the road you want to take Even though you know its make or break And you won’t know what you should do And everyone is talking at you You listen to their good advice But you can’t ignore that inner voice x2 The inner voice will tell no lies But may be hard to recognise The inner voice may get drowned out When other voices scream and shout Instrumental Some of us we have to be Exactly as God intended and if we Play it safe to avoid the heat The ground will fall out from under our feet, what ever Life is hard you can bet You’d better take the road you won’t regret In the end you just don’t have the choice You can’t ignore that inner voice x3 Steven McDaniel 1997
3.
Since You’ve Been Around Since you’ve been around There’s been magic in the place You are the one who came along and saved me Since you’ve been around There’s a smile upon my face You are the best thing life ever gave me When you go away There are clouds across the sky I struggle every day And things never go quite right Then you come around And the sun comes out again There’s something that I’ve found That you turn my life around Things will never be the same Since you’ve been around My whole world has come alive It’s really true when I say: “I love you” When you go away There are clouds across the sky I struggle every day And things never go quite right Then you come around And the sun comes out again There’s something that I’ve found That you turn my life around Things will never be the same Since you’ve been around My whole world has come alive It’s really true when I say: “I love you” You are the only one who understands me I could be alone but I’ve got special company Before we met I was going nowhere You opened my eyes And now I knew my true direction x2 Since you’ve been around My whole world has come alive It’s really true when I say: “I love you” I love you x6 Before we met I was going nowhere You opened my eyes And now I knew my true direction x4 Steven McDaniel 24/8/1999
4.
River Runs Dry I went down to the river To see what I could see And when I looked into the water All I could see was me There were no fishes in the water They were all dead and gone No pretty birds flying round me I ask you what have we done There’s a jewel in the sky Stunning blue against the night It’s a thing of greatest beauty The impossibly rare sight But we don’s seem to care About that wonder in the sky We’re all to busy making money Before the river runs dry. Steve McDaniel 1999
5.
Fly 05:37
Fly These last few years are quite a story But after all what’s done is done And now you’re on your way to glory Your life has just begun So Fly, my little angels fly The time is right Fly, into the clear blue sky Say goodbye It’s time for you to go now Because I’ve done all I can do And its time for you to grow now The future’s down to you So Fly, my little angels fly The time is right Fly, into the clear blue sky Fly so high Solo But I’ll be here when you need me I’m just a phone call away And I’ll be thinking of you believe me Each and every day So Fly, my little angels fly The time is right Fly, into the clear blue sky Say goodbye Say goodbye Fly, my little angels fly The time is right Fly, into the clear blue sky Fly so high Fly so high Fly Steven McDaniel 1999
6.
A True Professional Hello my dear it’s nice to see you Can’t talk for long I’ve got to fly I’ve got these books to do Before I go home to my kids A true professional am I You want to talk about your troubles And how they make you want to die But, what you confide in me I must pass on, you see my dear A true professional am I Why is it me you come to see? Do you know what it does to me? I want to find the bastards who Could have done this to you Is no one there to take good care of you You want to tell me all your troubles Well my own troubles make me cry My wife she must have been Like you when she was 15, see A true professional am I Solo Why is it me you come to see? What is it that you see in me? I want to take you in my arms I guess you want that too Will no one else please take good care of you? I am not qualified to help you There’s social workers who can try But there’s some things they can’t do Can’t mention love its true, because A true professional am I A true professional am I Steven McDaniel 1993
7.
Beautiful Places My good friends hold beauty Close to their hearts We talk of art, music and mystery And our eyes fill with wonder and tears Hearts and minds touch My good friends let me talk of my fears And I listen closely to theirs We stand away from the world And look for meaning For we know there are beautiful places x2 But you are a work of art You are mystery You stand away from the world And you see clearly And my eyes fill with wonder and tears With you I’ve found meaning I have found a beautiful beautiful place x2 But that beautiful place has been spoiled By reckless vandals The canvas torn cruelly Still the mystery is intact This work is my destiny It has been given to me The canvas must be restored lovingly The growing things nurtured to full bloom For the world needs beautiful beautiful places x3 Steven McDaniel 1994
8.
Watching for that Girl Why, why did I wait till now to fall in love? What in the world must I be thinking of? This seems so inappropriate, but she fit’s the fantasy, and she would seem to be free from preconceptions Even as a boy I had a certain feeling I was forever searching for ‘the hidden meaning’ I couldn’t quite explain, explain what fate was dealing In every situation In all deliberation I’ve been watching for that girl To share my consternation A scientific mind looks for rational solutions And disregards the facts if they don’t fit with his conclusions I cared for you its true, but did I need to marry you? In every situation In all deliberation I’ve been watching for that girl To share my consternation We, we never could see eye to eye, And we, we never have been quite sure why, We, misunderstood just what was needed, Now we must break up, I really can’t keep up the self-deception any more If I’d known then what I know now things wouldn’t be the same, But you’ll never know the pleasure if you never know the pain, You’ll never understand the moves if you’ve never played the game, In every situation In all deliberation I’ve been watching for that girl To share my consternation Why, why did I wait till now to fall in love? What in the world must I be thinking of? This seems so inappropriate, but she fit’s the fantasy, and she would seem to be free from preconceptions At this point in time I’ve tried to open up my mind, I’ve got to let things run their course to see what I will find The girls they’ll come along, I’ll write about them in my songs In every situation In all deliberation I’ve been watching for that girl To share my consternation x3 Steven McDaniel and Jonathan Presland 1994
9.
Blue Stone Lane Hold my hand Show me the way Show me the door To the black and white floor Show me the faces Of coloured delight Where songs are sung The dim crystal light The brisking of warmth The silent dull pain Where torture is calm The silver touched palm The Blue Stone Lane Where soft fantasy lies Stars of surprise Sting wipe the eyes Among strength and beauty Red bread of a king Show me this place No matter my sin Show me this place No matter my sin. Anna Driscoll 12/1/1997
10.
Love 05:41
Love There is someone who loves you And I make no demands Need no return Love does not look for love There’s someone who loves you And I see through your pain See the golden seed, the promise of flowers See the spark, the promise of fire Love sees like a child sees And I see this child of the Earth But, Cold common sense Lawful institutions Obligations, Categorisations Loves chord lies severed And, my world is finished Or may at last be about to begin For I has plumbed the depths Understood my passion, I have a new way of seeing Love sees like a child sees And I see a child of the Earth So though you may not hear it That heart continues to beat Though you may not see them These eyes continue to watch Weeping when you weep and Shining when you shine There is someone who loves you So talk out the pain, Overcome the past, Water the seed, Kindle the spark, Let the flowers grow, The fire erupt, Love sees like a child sees And I see a child of the Earth x2 There is someone who loves you And I make no demands Need no return Love does not look for love Steven McDaniel 1993
11.
Sweating Cold Minestrone Sweating Cold Minestone, x2 Fancy meeting you here in our favourite place Did I call you, did you call me, well let me explain Coincidence has been on the bottle again Coincidence has raised its ugly face I’ve lost mine you’re right, I’ve lost my bottle I mean You took it to the cleaners and I never got it back I’m glad to see you’ve still got your ugly face intact It fits in perfectly with our favourite scene You’ve got the devil in your soup and your God is swimming in acid Don’t administer to me when Satan is in front of me Sitting seductively Sweating cold minestrone x2 Like a scene from that film, Grief Encounter’s the name ‘cept we’re not on a train and the spelling has changed And you’re not whats-her-name and I’m not whats-his-name And plainly you’re not laughing, well let me explain You’ve got the devil in your soup and your God is swimming in acid Don’t administer to me when Satan is in front of me Sitting seductively x2 The kids are fine, their analyst now lives in France well good for him And how’s your Mum, still baking bread? Sorry plain forgot, she’s dead I’ve never seen you looking so wickedly cute Cos you’ve drunk too much wine and indulged in forbidden fruit You won’t give an inch I know except off your hips Here’s my lawers number, and here’s my new address You’ve got the devil in your soup and your God is swimming in acid Don’t administer to me when Satan is in front of me Sitting seductively x3 Sweating cold minestrone x3 Jonathan Presland 1995
12.
La Passionara You hooked me You looked me over Your mouth unfolding A smilers web conceiving my desire for you Your bed as hard as trusted nails which clawed me back Drawing bloody scenes of what we would. To be together After all these years No matter what No matter whether, it doesn’t We’re still together In Spain, there was a woman Bold and beautiful La Passionara had only to avert her eyes Which shone like jewels Fought for in the grasping sun Converting boys to sinners Or returning them home to Mother No place for toothless gringos in this human race For time is on our side Composure open wider than the flood gates in the morning tide Call be crazy if you like But I have a hazy memory of when we danced at dawns Diving for pleasures You unfurled your tentacles like widows wings Soon our lips had picked up the necessary lingo You said my moves had all the gracefulness of a flamingo With steel plated legs So I enticed you To spread your favours On grassy Dawns Not once, not twice not thrice I named you all four lawns. In Spain, there was a woman Bold and beautiful La Passionara had only to avert her eyes Which shone like jewels Fought for in the grasping sun Converting boys to sinners Or returning them home to Mother No place for toothless gringos in this human race Drunk in moon-dust We crazy paved our future based on a love of lust And a lust for love There you’ve made me say it I love the way our love has not decayed in time I love you ways like I love La Passionara La Passionara like I love you Jonathan Presland April 1993
13.
Giromancing 04:03
Giromancing The card read, Giromancing is not dead The flowers looked healthy, it must be said Yellow daffodils, not yet faded Perfect but for the plastic that had melted In the extreme heat of a one-bar fire Not very electrocute, but all that they could perspire to They were lovers, it was true But it had taken a while to come through In the YOP scheme of things it seemed an age Like the time from signing on Till the time you get paid T’will be called, the Giromance of the Century x3 She was YTS, but he was definitely CP (at least prospectively) It's hard to remember who picked up whome Who picked up what in which or what room For in the heat of it all things become blurred As blankets are ruffled emotions are stirred, into Actions speak louder than words Eyes meet across the wardrobe Hands across the ceiling touch lightly Finger-tipping a hold and screaming out “Don’t drop the bleeding thing on me toes” And then a pause Followed by a chest of drawers Beware those black silk stockings falling loose You creatures of co-habit daring your noose Till all is made safe for the inspector of disgrace Who makes that early morning call With a doleful knock at the door T’will be called, the Giromance of the Century x3 She was YTS, but he was definitely CP (at least prospectively) And for appearance’ sake One shared life is allowed to break But not to break up separate But not lured away into any false sense of Social security With nose frustrated the key-hole man Leaves our Giromancers elated Happy in their beds to conceive Their next Girocheque x2 T’will be called, the Giromance of the Century x many She was YTS, but he was definitely CP Jonathan Presland, a very long time ago.
14.
Lark 06:23
Lark Larks tongue will be the death of it yet. As bitter as old boots and as cursed as cut-throat steel It wound itself around its foe, At last that wretched foe could speak no more, Its conversation, though, had been poor Lark had been held in high esteem Declared a protected species by the queen no less Before she lost her head The president, so pleased by events, Now exposed what had been till then A secret of the queen Lark served up as delicacy To celebrate the expose The president held a soiree And what appeared on silver trays To feed the esteemed dignitaries? Not Lark, that would have been amiss Oh lark oh lucky Lark, no not so, You see, although the president’s profession was to fix minds His passion was to dismember And no expense spared to hunt down Lark, First enticed from woods then plundered from the skies Larks tongue fed through the paper shredder (Where Presidents clients disappear) No whistle blowing as Lark is pulled wing from wing And sliced from ear to ear Now the President has gone to ground And not a sound And not a sound Jonathan Presland 1995
15.
Education 04:35
Education It’s Education that you want It is indeed the font of all knowledge Who needs imagination It’s Education that you need If you’re to succeed as you go through life Get qualifications Make sure you do as you are told When you go to school We know what’s best for you Try to keep yourself under control It's the Golden Rule You’ll need to know what will be expected of you It's Education that’s the key To who you’re gonna be When you leave school And by then all your options will be gone You could be just what you want to be And we’re here to make quite sure There’s just one open door And Education is the key Creative thinking is for fools Who never learned the rules that have been set down They need our Education With Education you will find You’ll just get let behind , if you don’t buckle down We’ll teach you all you’ll ever need to know Too bad if your your mind doesn’t work the way ours do There will be nothing for you In this bright future there’s a place for a chosen few Our examinations prove what you’re made of You will be just what we want you to And we’re here to make quite sure There’s just one open door And Education lets you through The Educational debate Will simply have to wait until everyone’s Had the chance to get Education Steven McDaniel 1993
16.
Today’s the Day Today’s the day when the world’s gonna end Today’s the day when I find my best friend Today’s the day everything’s going wrong Today’s the day when I write my best song Life is a major thing every day Something always gets in your way But today’s gonna be a beautiful day Cos nothings gonna happen today, today It’s gonna happen today Today’s the day that what went round comes around Today’s the day that what was lost will be found Today’s the day we’ll be in for a surprise Today’s the day I see something in your eyes Wish you were here to share my life today But something’s gonna get in your way But today’s gonna be a beautiful day Cos nothings gonna happen today, today It’s gonna happen today Tomorrow, tomorrow’s no show Yesterday, yesterday’s got to go Today’s the only day you need to know Yes today’s gonna be a beautiful day Cos nothings gonna happen today, today It’s gonna happen today Today’s gonna be a beautiful day Cos nothing’s gonna happen today, today It’s gonna happen today It’s gonna happen today Steven McDaniel and Ricky Bishop 2003
17.
Moments 04:48
Moments The end of striving The end of future Hold only the moment The moments, the moments that make up a day My moment has come The noise ends like waking to a quiet morning Each moment a perfect picture Each life a focused purpose I can let that go now And move into what comes now The eternal moment The eternal calm Hold only the moment The moments that make up a day The moments that make up a day. Steven McDaniel 2007

about

The songs on the Lark album span about twenty five years,each one marking a particular point in my slightly eccentric life.

Even the recording and production of the album took several years. The whole process from early creative rehearsal, a few great gigs, to the first live recordings and then onto my arrangements and production has been done in time taken out from a real life elsewhere. It’s been a labour of love!

Wonderful people brought their artistry and skill to the project:
Tim Heymerdinger (Drums) and Guy Jones (Bass) displayed their masterful musicianship and their devotion throughout the project and still do; David Wilkinson enhanced several tracks with his astonishing guitar playing and Katie Buckhaven delivered sublime vocals on Moments; Jonathan Presland's genius poetry can be heard on Sweating Cold Minestrone, La Passionara, Giromancing and Lark, Tony Bevan's brilliant lyrics on Hard Life and Anna Driscoll's beautiful words on Blue Stone Lane - her legacy; Alan Davies then created iconic artwork (directed by Tim) which perfectly complements the music and Phoenix created photographs that shows our souls - he was my best critic throughout the whole production process; Finally Nigel O’Neil (Copysound) sensitively mastered the album and packaged and duplicated the final CD's.

Steven McDaniel

credits

released September 24, 2009

Steven McDaniel: Lead Vocals, Keyboards, BV's, Recording, Programming, Production
Tim Heymerdinger: Drums, Percussion, Art Direction
Guy Jones: Fretted, Fretless and Electric Upright Basses
David Wilkinson: Guitar on 'River Runs Dry','Fly','Love','La Passionara', 'Today's the Day'
Katie Buckhaven: Vocals on 'Moments'
Phoenix: Photographs (photosbyphoenix.com)
Allan Davies: Artwork (almostlikelife.net)
Nigel O'Neil: Mastering,CD packaging and Duplication (CopySound.co.uk)

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Planet Zyz Milton Keynes, UK

Planet Zyz isn't cool. That's because I'm not cool and Planet Zyz is just where music and stuff I'm involved with gets made and put out to the Big Wide World. Cottage Industry? Well, actually a Terrace-in-Milton-Keynes industry. Every album is different to the others, and none of them quite fit in with where all the Cool Stuff is. Outsider Art? This stuff is from a different planet. ... more

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