1. |
Anticipation
03:23
|
|||
|
The sky is a lonely shade of beautiful blue
There’s not a single cloud for it to talk to
The sun looks as warm as it did back home yet feels far away
And now casts a longer shadow, Its work almost done for the day
The trees give a knowing nod ‘cause they’ve been here a while
They’ve seen revolutions come and go, some worthy others futile
The scent a cherry blossom hangs in the air
With a great sense of expectation, springtime is almost here
And you can feel it coming like a heavy rain
The marrow tingles deep
And you can hear it whispered from the mouths of millions
As flowers waken from their winter sleep
And you can see it changing on the children’s faces
As pure as fresh snow
And as it’s melting back into the mountains
New life begins to grow
Away at the edge of an idle town, an old woman lay
She sighs with a sad reluctance, but knows she can’t stay
The winds beckons gently to her, it offers a gift
She’ll see the blossoms one last time, then from this life she will drift
And she can feel it coming like a heavy rain
The marrow tingles deep
And she can hear it whispered from the mouths of millions
As flowers waken from their winter sleep
And she can see it changing on the children’s faces
As pure as fresh snow
And as it’s melting back into the mountains
New life begins to grow
The moment of metamorphis most always arrives
Like a most unexpected triumph and takes us all by surprise
It’s the essence of all creation, the most natural of things
The colours that fade in winter burst forth once again in the spring
In explosions of light and wonder, in tides and in waves
We rise from our place of birth then fall back down to our earthly graves
It’s the essence of all creation, the most natural of things
As each life fulfils its inevitable end, a new one begins
And we can feel it coming like a heavy rain
The marrow tingles deep
And we can hear it whispered from the mouths of millions
As flowers waken from their winter sleep
And we can see it changing on the children’s faces
As pure as fresh snow
And as it’s melting back into the mountains
New life begins to grow
|
||||
2. |
Japanese Theme
06:17
|
|||
3. |
Different But The Same
05:22
|
|||
|
So very different, but the same
Never been to any other place that was so damn difficult to explain
So very modern, so very old
The people at times are a little shy, at others so very bold
So many contradictions, too many to name
And it’s all so very different, so much the same
So very quiet, so very loud
One moment you’re immersed in solitude, the next trampled by a crowd
It’s so very beautiful, so very stark
A future that looks so very bright, the past so very dark
So many contradictions, too many to name
And we’re all so very different, so much the same
It’s a very fine line
Between amusing and confusing
It’s hard to know sometimes
Which is which
But there’s a certain kind of elegance
You find in all the things that don’t make sense
Cause after all life’s much more interesting
When our philosophies are contradicting
So very different
So very different but the same
So very comical, so very stern
Every moment is a grand opportunity to look, to listen and learn
So very open, so very closed
There are elements of every single culture that are either ambiguous or juxtaposed
So very little time, so much to see
I get the feeling there’s still such a great deal hidden
From people like you and me
So very much to do, so little time
So many contradictions, but I really don’t mind
Quite the opposite you see
So many contradictions, too many to name
We’re all so very different, but so much the same
So much the same
So much the same
|
||||
4. |
Two Lovers In Japan
04:34
|
|||
|
Your eyes were burning bright
With the sight of something new
And from the way you looked at me
I knew that mine were burning too
Two lovers in Japan
And there was nothing we couldn’t do
Nowhere we wouldn’t go
We bathed in the sunlight
And played in the snow
Every morning we felt like children waking up at Christmas time
We savoured every breath as it went past our lips
We gave in the freedom that grabs you and grips you and holds you
And fills you with love
And we danced as if no one was watching
But watching they were,
Bemused by the strangeness of our actions
Amused and ever so slightly jealous of our attraction to all of the things
That you take for granted
When they’re right there in front of you
Sometimes all it takes is a stranger to show something old can be something new
We were blissfully lost, bouncing around, mile after mile, so much to be found
Desperate to absorb every sight and every sound
Of this truly remarkably beautiful foreign land
Your eyes were burning bright
With a look so bitter sweet
For all that begins must have an end
Our adventure was all but complete
What a truly remarkably beautiful, foreign land
The brush of time may paint grey our hair
The winds of change may blow us who knows where
But we’ll always be two lovers in Japan
|
||||
5. |
Enough Is Enough
05:20
|
|||
|
The trick with moderation
Is knowing when enough is enough
For certain kinds of people
That task can be a little tough
It’s hard to draw the line
And summon all your self-control
Especially when the senses get a taste
And then you’re on a roll
You’re on roll
But how do you know
When enough is enough?
And just how much
Yes just how much, is just enough?
The problem with addiction
Is knowing that it feels so good
So often we deny it
Feel guilty cause we’re told we should
The truth is often simple
Albeit harder to confess
The rush you get from wanting more is
Is why you keep saying yes
You keep saying yes
But how can you guess
When enough is enough?
And just how much
Yes just how much, is just enough?
Just how much, just how much is enough?
What if your addiction is addiction itself?
Could there be a cure for that?
What if your affliction is the friction between
What you think and what you feel?
When your angels and demons go to war
It isn’t always clear who or what they are fighting for
And oh, how do you know?
How do you know?
When enough is enough?
The more you get, the more you want
We’re so quick to forget all we have and dwell on what we do not
That’s a fundamental flaw of the human condition
But I can’t bring myself to apologise for being dissatisfied
That’s what drives my ambition
That’s the price of admission to the show
Yes, it’s on with the show
But how do you know
When enough is enough?
And just how much
Yes just how much, is just enough?
|
||||
6. |
Here We Are
03:15
|
|||
7. |
I Met With The Bomb
06:06
|
|||
|
Just listen to the rain as it falls
Feel it on your skin
Take a minute from your day just to pause and ponder
How it might have been
On that morning back in 1945
Around 8:15
Fires burning, acid falling from the skies
Those left alive scarred deep within
You can hear the voices of the victims
This is what they say
“I met with the bomb
And it took my breath way
We didn’t last long
Weather or not we died that day”
Don’t turn to God for an explanation
For it had nothing to do with him
Don’t then focus your attention on the devil
He was not the one behind the sin
No question of karma, or misfortune
Should be blamed for the plan
Look no further than your neighbour for an answer
For it was the work of man
You can hear the voices of the victims
This is what they say
“I met with the bomb
And it took my breath way
We didn’t last long
Weather or not we died that day”
As the dust begins to settle
And the smoke begins to clear
Those who’ve suffered show themselves to be our saviours
They will not be ruled by anger, they refuse to live in fear
It is one thing to acknowledge what was done
Quite another to accept
They have chosen to forgive and carry on
In their names and that of love, lest we forget
|
||||
8. |
In Every Country
04:05
|
|||
|
Love feels the same in every country
In every city, town and village
Across the world
A laugh sounds the same in any language
And it means the same thing everywhere you go
The most infectious kind of joy
Is the kind that people cannot help but show
A heart beats the same in every person
In every woman, man and child
Across the world
We see the same seven colours in every rainbow
Arching ever so elegantly out across the sky
It’s a sight so beautiful
I can’t help but stop to stare and wonder why
We don’t all just focus on the time we have
Instead of, quite ironically, fighting wars over
What happens when we die
Love feels the same in every suburb
In every socio-economic class
Around the world
We all look the same beneath our clothing
No matter where it’s made or who we are or where we’re from
Though we may come in different shapes and sizes, they’re all disguises
To hide the fact that we belong
We’re all but the same beneath the surface
‘Cause when you peel back all the layers
You see all that’s left is love
When you peel back all the layers
You see all that’s left is love…
All that’s left is love
|
||||
9. |
And The Clouds Broke
03:06
|
|||
|
And the clouds broke…
Revealing an ancient crater
Breathing, heaving and smouldering calmly
Atop the mighty Mount Aso
(Aso San to those who know)
With others I gaze deep below
Pointing in flurries of awe and wonderment
And the clouds broke…
Just as they had done on August 9,
At 11:02 am
Bombs aboard the Boxcar
Almost out of fuel
About to abort
And the clouds broke…
Revealing the town of Nagasaki
Nestled amongst surrounding mountains
Home to wives and children
Of soldiers abroad
Weary from fighting a losing battle
Unaware that despite their despondence
Though beaten and broken
Everything was about to get worse
Forever
And the clouds broke…
As the pilot made up his fractured mind
Carried out his orders
Executioner on high
The Grim Reaper in uniform
Tortured in the knowledge
From that day forth
What might have been
What could have changed
If on that day
The clouds had not broke
|
||||
10. |
Farewell
03:04
|
|||
If you like Ben Romalis, you may also like:
Burbling beneath the hazy beauty of the debut solo record from Lush co-founder Emma Anderson is razor-sharp wit and a heart full of rage.
go to album
On this harmonically rich LP, the Scottish singer-songwriter contrasts gorgeous soprano harmonies with strident folk-rock instrumentation.
go to album
Between The Blades
by Libby Rodenbough
Libby Rodenbough brings a warm, intimate touch to traditional country-folk songwriting on her latest LP.
go to album
Delicate and personal folk-pop from Castle Theater: honest observations and reflections presented as thoughtful, well-written miniatures.
go to album
The Canadian artist explores uncertainty on her latest album.
go to album
Friends of the Future
by Lena Douglas
featured on Bandcamp Radio Jun 7, 2022
go to album
Slap Back Baby
by Fabian Simon & The Moon Machine
Paying homage to the beginnings of pop music, this album has emotional depth while still feeling light.
go to album
