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Hans van Lint, Ed Wernke, Ed Roes, Clemens Steenweg, Jan Nieuwenhuis
magic (4:28) random draw (5:57) the poet (3:22) between the lines (5:24) keytar (4:31) disappear (7:48) conversation (4:08) 58 people (6:38) dreamer (4:28)
For absent friends are Edwin Roes (electric & acoustic guitars, samples & loops); Edwin Wernke (drums, drum loops); Hans van Lint (lead and backing vocals; piano, samples); Clemens Steenweg (keyboards, piano, organ, backing vocals); Jan Nieuwenhuis (bass, 12 strings; backing vocals). All songs written, arranged and produced by for absent friends. Lyrics Hans, except Poet (Clemens, Hans); Dreamer (Edwin R, Hans); and Keytar (dûh!). Drums recorded at Emiel Zwaard Studio, Delft (emielzwaardrecording.nl); Demo’s, guitars, and the rest at Moving View Studios (movingview.nl) and in home studios across the lowlands. Mixed at Moving View studios, Wassenaar. Mastered at Abbey Road Studios, London.
That it’s hydrogen atoms fusing into helium and a blast of particles doesn’t mean that a sunset isn’t beautiful it just means that we know how nature conjures up its magic and it’s front row seats for all that it’s chemical electronics several billions of neurons firing don’t mean that the love we experience isn’t real it just means that we know how nature conjures up the magic and let’s us celebrate it all the world is so much richer when you got it wrong just follow the evidence that it’s replications of variations under pressure of selection powers don’t mean that our lives have been robbed of all meaning it‘s the other way around when nature conjures up its magic and let’s us celebrate it all
That it’s hydrogen atoms fusing
into helium and
a blast of particles
doesn’t mean that
a sunset isn’t beautiful
it just means that we know how
nature conjures up its magic
and it’s front row seats for all
that it’s chemical electronics
several billions of neurons firing
don’t mean that the love we
experience isn’t real
nature conjures up the magic
and let’s us celebrate it all
the world is so much richer
when you got it wrong
just follow the evidence
that it’s replications
of variations
under pressure
of selection powers
don’t mean that our lives have
been robbed of all meaning
it‘s the other way around
when nature conjures up its magic
In all our lives the one thing that we’ve all been given is this deck of cards this pool of genes and arbitrary lines drawn in the sand around the places we call home that we mistake … for castles that we own In all our lives the one thing that we’ve all been given is this random draw amongst the mums and dads that were living and they colored who we are they took us places that we call home that we mistake for castles that we own and we don’t and I won’t sit here moaning ‘bout going out the place to choose while you’ve spent all your money losing everything you’ve got to lose It’s understood the earth beneath the lives we’re living is this pale blue dot that’s spinning round and round and round and round it goes oblivious to monkeys fighting for their rocks that they call home mistaking them for castles that they own and I can’t sit her bloating ‘bout what I think I have achieved while you’ve put all your money on promises and wolves and thieves and I won’t sit here moaning ‘bout going out the place to choose while you’ve spent all your money losing everything you’ve got to lose a few thousand miles of air that we can breathe less than one out of a hundred cups of water that we can drink this random draw is all we got
In all our lives
the one thing that
we’ve all been given
is this deck of cards
this pool of genes and
arbitrary lines
drawn in the sand
around the places we call home
that we mistake …
for castles that we own
is this random draw
amongst the mums and dads
that were living
and they colored who we are
they took us places
that we call home
that we mistake for
castles that we own
and we don’t
and I won’t sit here moaning
‘bout going out
the place to choose
while you’ve spent all your money
losing everything you’ve got to lose
It’s understood
the earth beneath
the lives we’re living
is this pale blue dot
that’s spinning round and round
and round and round it goes
oblivious to monkeys
fighting for their rocks
that they call home
mistaking them for
castles that they own
and I can’t sit her bloating
‘bout what I think I have achieved
while you’ve put all your money
on promises and
wolves and thieves
a few thousand miles
of air that we can breathe
less than one
out of a hundred cups of water
that we can drink
this random draw
is all we got
the poet is blessed with an aura like Jezus with a handshake inspiring both reverence and trust addressing our needs like a business man does the best of the best and the rest eats the dust so here it goes a poem sent down straight from the tower the poet dislikes to be pushed for a truce to settle for piece when besieged by fake news early reports really don’t look that good God bless the guns that protect kids at school so there it goes a poem sent down straight from the tower two-hundred and eighty magnificent strokes it’s bold and it’s true the hoax is Chinese there’s a brave new world waiting for you so here’s to the women free press and to science to stand-up to reason to love to polite to great-great-grandchildren to life to opt-out to hope against hope in a world gone crazy and there it goes some say it’s a fact there’s a socialist pact and a brave new world waiting for you the poet believes in a world free of lies in justice and frontiers of blue-coloured stripes impregnable values the wrongs and the rights America first given male given white so here it goes a poem sent down straight from the tower two-hundred and eighty magnificent strokes it’s bold and it’s true be careful my friend you’re missing a trend there’s a brave new world waiting for you
the poet is blessed
with an aura like Jezus
with a handshake inspiring
both reverence and trust
addressing our needs
like a business man does
the best of the best
and the rest eats the dust
so here it goes
a poem sent down
straight from the tower
the poet dislikes
to be pushed for a truce
to settle for piece
when besieged by fake news
early reports really
don’t look that good
God bless the guns
that protect kids at school
so there it goes
two-hundred and eighty
magnificent strokes
it’s bold and it’s true
the hoax is Chinese
there’s a brave new world
waiting for you
so here’s to the women
free press
and to science
to stand-up
to reason
to love
to polite
to great-great-grandchildren
to life
to opt-out
to hope against hope
in a world gone crazy
and there it goes
some say it’s a fact
there’s a socialist pact
and a brave new world
the poet believes
in a world free of lies
in justice and frontiers
of blue-coloured stripes
impregnable values
the wrongs and the rights
America first
given male
given white
be careful my friend
you’re missing a trend
if I ever had a chance I just didn’t take it the chance to say the words I just didn’t say them if I ever made us feel coming second place if I ever had this distance about me the air as if I could have done it without you if I ever made us feel routine everyday know that you were inside like the drum of a heartbeat in the air I breathe in the water I need just like poetry you can read between the lines if I ever gave you the kind of love you wanted if I didn’t understand but still gave you comfort if I ever did keep it treasured in your heart if the words that I’d say were too easy then too self-assured to mean anything if I ever let the doubt take over you know that you were inside like the drum of a heartbeat in the air I breath and in the water I need just like poetry you can read between the lines cause every time I thought I was lost every time I thought I saw you most of it was spots before my eyes in all my life you were there when it all was falling down every step I am losing my ground ohoh every time I thought I saw you most of it was spots before my eyes in all my life you were there when it all was falling down every time I thought I knew you I missed the tell-tale signs of our demise I was losing my ground I am losing my ground you can read it right between the lines you can read it between the lines
if I ever had a chance
I just didn’t take it
the chance to say the words
I just didn’t say them
if I ever made us feel
coming second place
if I ever had
this distance about me
the air as if I
could have done it without you
routine everyday
know that you were inside
like the drum of a heartbeat
in the air I breathe
in the water I need
just like poetry
you can read between the lines
if I ever gave you
the kind of love you wanted
if I didn’t understand
but still gave you comfort
if I ever did
keep it treasured in your heart
if the words that I’d say
were too easy then
too self-assured
to mean anything
if I ever let the doubt
take over you
in the air I breath
and in the water I need
cause every time I thought I was lost
every time I thought I saw you
most of it was spots before my eyes
in all my life
you were there
when it all was falling down
every step I am losing my ground
ohoh
every time I thought I knew you
I missed the tell-tale signs of our demise
I was losing my ground
I am losing my ground
you can read it
right between the lines
between the lines
Instrumental ....
what’s that noise from down the hall? these muffled voices calling someone where’s a telephone when you need one? the place it looks familiar but something crucial is missing here this unexpected mist that’s moving in makes me disappear where are you? are you there? why these violent sentiments I didn’t do nobody wrong where’s a loving arm when you need one? the room the shadows on the floor the walls they look unnatural this unexpected madness in the air makes me disappear where are you now? are you there? I’d like to tell you just how wonderful it was to get to know you but I don’t remember and I can see the weight it carries when I don’t recognize your faces anymore I disappear where did all my family go? I’ve got to let my parents know someone should be calling 911 that silhouette behind the door is making me uncomfortable this unexpected violence in the air make it disappear
what’s that noise
from down the hall?
these muffled voices
calling someone
where’s a telephone
when you need one?
the place it looks familiar
but something crucial
is missing here
this unexpected mist
that’s moving in
makes me disappear
where are you?
are you there?
why these violent sentiments
I didn’t do nobody wrong
where’s a loving arm
the room the shadows
on the floor
the walls they look unnatural
this unexpected madness
in the air
where are you now?
I’d like to tell you
just how wonderful it was
to get to know you
but I don’t remember
and I can see the weight it carries
when I don’t recognize
your faces anymore
I disappear
where did all my family go?
I’ve got to let
my parents know
someone should
be calling 911
that silhouette
behind the door
is making me
uncomfortable
this unexpected
violence in the air
make it disappear
in a conversation that we never had we were talking about our childhood that outside our lives were worlds apart and inside so much felt so alike and the truth was something flexible and it seemed we laughed and talked for weeks on end about the stuff you made from scraps and shambles worth all the money ever spent and I could see you so much clearer than I ever did before in a conversation that we never had we were talking of boys becoming men of all the first times and the last times how they shaped our lives our confidence there were silences they were comfortable some things are better left unsaid but we could read between the lines we knew exactly what the other meant and I could hear you so much louder than I ever did before in a conversation we never had we looked back at 1981 when I lost my faith in what is good and what is right and you felt you lost your family and I asked you how and why and you told me you were sorry and so did I so did I so am I in a conversation we never had I told you how much I love you how much I’d miss you when you leave how much of you I find in me and I could see you I’d see you I see you so much clearer now than I ever did before you stopped breathing
in a conversation
that we never had
we were talking about our childhood
that outside
our lives were worlds apart
and inside
so much felt so alike
and the truth was
something flexible
and it seemed we laughed
and talked for weeks on end
about the stuff you made
from scraps and shambles
worth all the money ever spent
and I could see you
so much clearer than
I ever did before
we were talking
of boys becoming men
of all the first times
and the last times
how they shaped our lives
our confidence
there were silences
they were comfortable
some things
are better left unsaid
but we could read
we knew exactly
what the other meant
and I could hear you
so much louder than
we never had
we looked back at 1981
when I lost my faith
in what is good
and what is right
and you felt you lost your family
and I asked you how and why
and you told me you were sorry
and so did I
so did I
so am I
I told you how much I love you
how much I’d miss you
when you leave
how much of you I find in me
I’d see you
I see you
so much clearer now
than I ever did before
you stopped breathing
58 people on a tram staring rumbling in their pockets work and calls and busy tunes they fit inside a wafer can 58 people on a tram look like me and look at me weary gaze and vague expressions climbing up the food chain 58 people on a tram hasty I love you’s silent hums and it’s us and them man to man this is here this is now completely lost inside a crowd this is here this is now let me out 58 suits no 59 or 60 something I’ve lost my count chasing numbers like sharks in the shallows waiting for the kill 58 people on a tram skip their breakfast without a blink and it’s us and them man to man this is here this is now completely lost inside a crowd this is here this is now let me out and let me see you again let me feel you again 58 people on a tram don’t have a clue just where I am close your eyes and I’m home again this is here this is now completely lost inside a crowd this is here this is now let me out
58 people on a tram
staring rumbling
in their pockets
work and calls and busy tunes
they fit inside a wafer can
look like me
and look at me
weary gaze and vague expressions
climbing up the food chain
hasty I love you’s
silent hums
and it’s us and them
man to man
this is here
this is now
completely lost
inside a crowd
let me out
58 suits no 59 or 60 something
I’ve lost my count
chasing numbers
like sharks in the shallows
waiting for the kill
skip their breakfast
without a blink
and let me
see you again
let me
feel you again
don’t have a clue
just where I am
close your eyes
and I’m home again
I used to dream flying across water and land leaving my footprints in the sand everywhere I'd been that I was the one who decided where the wind would blow making the sunshine, rain or snow and paint colours into trees (in every colour that I please) there’s enough fire to light enough of this dream to life there’s enough space and time and strings to pull us through these waters if I was the one who decided where the wind would blow making the sunshine, rain or snow everywhere I'd been I flew to deserts carrying clouds upon my back and a rainbow caught up in my sack to turn sand into green (some of the brightest that I’ve seen) there’s enough air to breathe for all of this life to live there’s enough space and time and strings to pull us through these waters there’s enough fire to spark enough of this dream to life there’s enough space and time and strings to pull us through these waters there’s enough air to breathe there’s enough fire to light there’s enough space and time and strings there’s enough for us all there’s enough air there’s enough for us all
I used to dream
flying across water and land
leaving my footprints in the sand
everywhere I'd been
that I was the one
who decided where the wind would blow
making the sunshine, rain or snow
and paint colours into trees
(in every colour that I please)
there’s enough fire to light
enough of this dream to life
there’s enough space and time and strings
to pull us through these waters
if I was the one
I flew to deserts
carrying clouds upon my back
and a rainbow caught up in my sack
to turn sand into green
(some of the brightest that I’ve seen)
there’s enough air to breathe
for all of this life to live
there’s enough fire to spark
there’s enough for us all
there’s enough air