Last piano (for Leonard Cohen)​

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You’ve played your last piano,

You’ve picked your last guitar

You gave your life to poetry

To find out who you are

You expressed the loneliness

Behind the brave facade

Gave comfort to the comfortless

Whose lives were bruised and hard

 

You’ve played your last piano

You’ve picked your last guitar

You showed the world your poetry

Your pimples and your scars

You expressed the loneliness

Of pushing things too far

But I loved your sense of humour

And the way you raised the bar

Your love of words and women

Your befuddled Shangri-la

As you embraced the mystery

That grows each fragile star

 

You’ve played your last piano

You’ve picked your last guitar

Be good to yourself

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Be good to yourself, be good to yourself, be to yourself, be good

Be good to yourself, be good to yourself, be to yourself, be good

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Cos sometimes you’re falling right down in hole

Be good to yourself, be good to yourself

And sometimes you’re spinning right our of control

Be good to yourself, be good to yourself

Sometimes you’re derailed on the gravy train

Sometimes a player in a crazy game

Well look out, the ref’ll come and take your name

So be good to yourself, be good to yourself, be to yourself, be good

Ha!, Be good to yourself, be good to yourself, be to yourself, be good

 

Then sometimes you’re moving on a path that heals

Be good to yourself, be good to yourself

And sometimes you collide with someone who feels

Be good to yourself, be good to yourself

Sometimes you stop cos there’s a traffic light

Sometimes you wrong when you wanna be right

And sometimes it’s safer keeping out of sight

Be good to yourself, be good to yourself, be to yourself, be good

Ha! Be good to yourself, be good to yourself, be to yourself, be good

 

Then sometimes I wonder who the hell I am

Be good to yourself, be good to yourself

Well sometimes I’m nothing but a door that slams

Be good to yourself, be good to yourself

And sometimes a monkey locked up in a zoo

And sometimes a telephone ringing for you

And sometimes I really haven’t got a clue

So be good to yourself, be good to yourself, be to yourself, be good

 

Cos sometimes you’re falling right down in hole

Be good to yourself, be good to yourself

And sometimes you’re spinning right our of control

Be good to yourself, be good to yourself

Sometimes you’re derailed on the gravy train

Sometimes a player in a crazy game

Well look out the ref’ll come and take your name

So be good to yourself, be good to yourself, be to yourself, be good

Ha! Be good to yourself, be good to yourself, be to yourself, be good

Huh! Be good to yourself, be good to yourself, be to yourself, be good

Be good to yourself, be good to yourself, be good to your self…….be…………good

Measured disgrace

 

The moment I saw you I knew you’d be gone

Lost to my touch if I tried to hold on

There’s miles of indifference if put to your face

I stare at your beauty and measured disgrace

 

Close to each other and we’re gliding back

Into those pictures, those feelings we had

To feel you so near me but so far away

Brings a knocking of bells, of our wedding day

 

Now we’re cold in the winter and summer the same

Hoelessly thinking why is it we came

And we can’t find the words to let go of the pain

So we slip into silence – we’re in it again

We’re in it again

 

Nakedness beckons but no-one’s at home

My manhood just hangs there like a mass of foam 

My love oh my love how could it come to this

The two of us naked, we don’t even kiss

 

Now the fire in the stove that lights the room

And gives out some heat not a moment too soon

As the meat for our dinner is up on the shelf

As raw as our hearts as they reach, they reach somewhere else

 

Now we’re cold in the winter and summer the same

Hoelessly thinking why is it we came

And we can’t find the words to let go of the pain

So we slip into silence – we’re in it again

We’re in it again

Write a poem

 

When you’re sick to the teeth of the way things are going

Write a poem, write a poem, write a poem

 

When your mask keeps on slipping and your fear keeps on showing

When you’re stood on the precipice ready to jump

When you’ve come down to earth with a fucking great bump

When your soul is on fire but you can’t man the pump

Write a poem, write a poem, write a poem

 

And when you’re trapped in a war zone, make like Wilfred Owen

Write a poem, write a poem, write a poem

 

When you feel like a car crash where the wreckage needs towing

Write a poem, write a poem, write a poem

 

When your name is cowboy whos’ been dragged through the mud

When there’s a price on your head and a boot full of studs

When the crowd will go wild for the spill of your blood

Write a poem, write a poem, write a poem

 

Ah go on write a poem, you know it makes sense

Go on write a poem, there’s no need for pretence

Go on write a poem, give me something intense

You can claim that you did it in self-defence

Write a poem, write a poem, write a poem

Ah go on, write a poem, write a poem

 

And when the nightmares are real but the real’s not worth knowing

Write a poem, write a poem, write a poem

Cos there may be some hope yet, well look at Leonard Cohen

Write a poem, write a poem, write a poem

 

When you’re facing the world in the chains of defeat

When suddenly doubt walks each pavement, each street

When the world’s on your shoulder and not at your feet

Write a poem, write a poem, write a poem

 

Ah go write a poem, you know it makes sense

Go on write a poem, there’s no need for pretence

Go on write a poem, give me something intense

You can claim that you did it in self-defence

Write a poem, write a poem, write a poem

Ah go on, write a poem, write a poem

My Shadow Walks In Front of Me

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My shadow walks in front of me, and then it walks behind

Merging with the shadows and then messing up my mind

The dark inside erupts and leaves a puff of smoke

Wakes me in the night and gives me such a poke

Wakes me in the night and gives me such a poke

 

Merciless reminders of a frozen point of view

Open up my mouth and say a big fuck you

To each every shadow living in my way

Puts me on my knees  and drives me half insane

Puts me on my knees and drives me half insane

 

Standing on the diving board I walk and then I leap

Feeling superficial but I get in deep

Leap amongst the shadows where the fishes leap

And shoals and shoals of memory that you can be

And shoals and shoals of memory that you can be

 

My shadow walks in front of me, and then it walks behind

Merging with the shadows and then messing up my mind

The dark inside erupts and leaves a puff of smoke

Wakes me in the night and gives me such a poke

Wakes me in the night and gives me such a poke

 

My shadow walks in front of me, and then it walks behind

Merging with the shadows and then messing up my mind

Merging with the shadows

Of a different time

Well they’re no longer mine

My shadow walks in front of me and then it walks behind

Merging with the shadows and then messing up my mind

Merging with the shadows from a different time

Merging with the shadows, they’re no longer mine

I take a different line

I’m paying off my fine

From a different time

And they’re no longer mine

My shadow walks in front of me and then it walks behind

My shadow walks in front of me and then it walks …. Behind