peter pick
sex and religion
love (miles, pick)
my mind’s in tatters, letting in the sky;
the wide blue sky is shining through my head,
I want to tell you something, god I try,
but I just can’t remember what I said.
What could I say to move you
it seems that words cannot express
for how could they convey this
elemental tenderness?
all I wanted to say was just baby that
love is a blinding force
love is a binding force
lovers are blind, lovers are blind of course
because love is a blinding force.
all my thoughts are shattered
they go blowing off like leaves
and anytime I see you
all my words curl up and die
I’m full of dreams and whirlpools
and my heart is on my sleeve
what could I say to move you
when my head is full of sky?
you know I think I love you
and you know it’s not enough
I’ve nothing else to give you
just my stupid love
all I wanted to say is just baby that
love is a blinding force
love is a binding force
lovers are blind, lovers are blind of course
because love is a blinding force.
perfectly normal world
perfectly normal world,
shopping and travelling
a shopping spree
here in the free world
we are moving in a train
i work in a clothes-shop
i’ve never been naked
i was in an accident
the others pulled back
but I didn’t see him.
my father is a pilot
I know - I can’t imagine –
we’re going to Japan
a crash course in being
we have cornered a buddhist
we have all the things
we can force you to need them
a traditional wedding
they’ve got some religion
i hope we don’t all end up
slaughtering pigeons.
into the tunnel - I don’t remember
six weeks in a coma
hospitals have a distinctive aroma
i want to be an air-hostess
and I’m sure you will be
love song
the courting pair obey the urge
concealed in courtship ritual
exhibiting behaviour
which is entirely typical
and each responds as they have learnt
and as their instincts force them to
this endless tide of ancient urge
is all that people ever knew.
this is all it ever was,
though poets may elaborate
on deathless love and high romance
whilst dreary priests expatiate
on standards and morality
designed to bind each to his mate
in order that society
may thus ensure they replicate
what instinct and conditioning
and that morality dictate
the mortgaged life their parents led
in suburbs and in triplicate.
A stable unit for the care
of offspring programmed to repeat
the endless cycle; breed and rear and cease.
the story of all meat.
the old pair-bonding pattern holds,
the race must copulate or die
the lovers play out ancient roles
reacting to such stimuli.
exhibiting behaviour
which is entirely typical
I linger in your softest kiss
and talk of bliss perpetual,
it's just blind instinct and blind lust
made bland by courtship ritual.
things i don’t know
The things behind your eyes
would cause me such surprise
and anything you see
when you are not with me
the things I don’t know about you.
The things you used to do
when i was not with you
the things that make you smile
confuse me all the while
the things I don’t know about you.
The colour of your dreams,
your violent extremes,
what are you seeing there
when you just sit and stare?
the things I don’t know about you.
The things you feel inside
the things you try to hide
the shadows of your past
how can you change so fast?
the things I don’t know about you.
hurts my feelings
It hurts my feelings
when you want to walk the way you walk
it hurts my feelings
just to hear you talk the way you talk
but you don’t care, you don’t care,
what we don’t share anymore
I’m just an emotional idiot
I’m just a big kid who won’t grow up.
It hurts my feelings
when you got to do the things you do
it hurts my feelings
when you go and screw the men you screw
if you still care, if you still care
it gets you there anyway
I’m just the ritual sacrifice
you made the choice and I pay the price.
let you go
Well you can see, that you could come to me,
and yes it’s true that I will wait for you
so I say: anyone would love you, anyway,
but you know I’ll never want to let you go.
Be my love: what was I thinking of?
I want a pet. My love is like a threat.
Hear my prayer and you’ll never need to go out there
cos it’s true, I’ve nothing else to offer you.
I can see, that you’re afraid of me,
I can tell our lives could go to hell
so I say I might make the change now any day,
and I know
I have to try to let you go.
(we’re all living in) american radio (pick, miles)
I spoke with Elvis late last night,
he told me everything’s all right,
when I asked him was he dead
he laughed, and this is what he said
‘Otis, Muddy, Jimi, Buddy,
all our records still get played you know,
don’t you be so fuddy-duddy
tune into a music show:
we’re all living in American radio.’
Free forever for payola
switch it on and dreams appear,
free for every rock ‘n’ roller,
you can’t believe a thing you hear.
Moon and Bonham, Jim Morrison,
Willie Dixon and Sly Stone,
they’re all waiting in the wire
to be with you when you’re alone
we’re all living in American radio.
I was tuning through the ether,
distant voices hit a nerve
such excitement on the station
the whole nation starts to swerve,
this is life we are transmitting
as the juice begins to flow
Lennon, Bolan, Miles and Mingus,
Hank and Coltrane say it’s so.....
we’re all living in American radio.
want to see you
I’m off the pitch
I’m out of work
you are a witch
you watch me jerk
I’m like a fish
I took one look
I got one wish
and one hook
I’m tired, I ache, I hurt
I’m such a fake
you’re such a flirt
you know that I want to see you.
I’ve lost the best
I fear the worst
I’m going west
I’m going to burst
I’m out of touch
I’m out of mind
I think too much
to unwind
you watch, I twitch, it works
life’s such a bitch
I’m such a jerk
you know that I want to see you.
I’m out of place
(I’m out of bed)
I’m off the pace
I’m off my head
I’m losing face
I’m seeing red
there’s not a trace
collected
I hate, I want, I’m sick
you’re such a cunt
I’m such a prick
you know that I want to see you.
old and new dreams (live sex)
time is closing down and light is closing up
i’m enclosed in something i can’t see
closest to my heart are closeted
dreams that are not opening for me.
time’s wearing on, my heart is wearing down
dreams are wearing out which shielded it;
hearts get calloused wearing in new dreams
or wearing tattered dreams that do not fit.
she's gone wobbly (live sex)
she's gone wobbly,
her eyes have got misty
her pupils as large
as her teachers are crazy
the people she loves
their feelings are twisted
dancing on dreams
and sliding on razors
who understands ?
who can explain ?
who holds the balance
when your love's insane ?
the people she loves
the people who love her
roll on the floor
and they suffer forever
they are running away
away from each other
and the damage they did
by being together.
who understands ?
who can explain ?
who holds the balance
when your love's insane ?
the man with the beautiful views
he got the tan he got the shoes he is the man with the beautiful views when time began he got the news now he is the man with the beautiful views he never stop he never lose he is the man with the beautiful views he got the plan he got the clues seek out the man with the beautiful views if you got the cash and you got the blues go to the man with the beautiful views
don’t be a larm don’t be confuse consult the man with the beautiful views he never stop he no excuse he’s on the top with the beautiful views
don’t be a larm don’t be confuse
just
consult the man with the beautiful views you’ll see no harm, he’ll leave no bruise that gentle man with the beautiful views he got the flash he got the news he is the man with the beautiful views if you got the cash and you got the blues go to the man with the beautiful views he pay no tax he pay no dues just lip service to the beautiful views he never stop he never lose he is the man with the beautiful views.
the first several songs (1-8) were originally part of fire sermon, and were recorded on 8 track in hove (west hove, actually) around 1997-1998. they feature the bass of dave tribe. i wrote these on guitar after the collapse of brahma chop. i had never found it necessary to play guitar before that.
1) ‘love’ is co-written with richard miles, who wrote most of it, really, but not the words, tune or harmony vocals, and who plays guitar on it. he also contributed some tiny and inessential part to
7) ‘american radio’, but nothing you’d notice unless you really squinted. oh, ok, it was the bit which repeats the chorus in a different key in a nasty falsetto.
‘old and new dreams’ and ‘she’s gone wobbly’ were improvised by chris harris, guitar; wendy halsted, electric organ, and me, sax and vocals, which is to say LIVE SEX in newhaven, with regular live sex drum-buddies marc hayler (wobbly) and dave bailes (drums on dreams), [david cross played bass]. they were released as part of the 1984 tape love acts.
‘beautiful views’ was improvised onto 8 track starting with the drum part, and was part of the tape release even so from around 1986, in collaboration with sco, but not on this track.
so there.
dave tribe: bass guitar (1-8).
richard miles: guitar (1).
chris harris: guitar (9, 10).
wendy halsted: organ (9, 10).
marc hayler: drums (10).
dave bailes: drums (9).
dave cross: bass guitar (10).
peter pick: guitar, vocals, programming, alto sax, marimba.
this compilation
aural witness 2006
link to peter pick / catalogue