Allen Toussaint, James Dean Bradfield, John Grant Songwriters' Circle

I'm going to share the stage with some fabulous musicians

who I didn't know before now.

But it's my own fault because I can tell that they've been here for ever.

# Make this land a better land. #

This is a strange format for me. It is intimidating, but more exciting than anything.

I did it once more, I can't believe it!

That's all right. That's all right.

I'm sandwiched in between two amazing baritone voices

so I feel like a kind of little lost Welsh choirboy between these two.

# Boys and girls. #

Those of us who write, things come all the time.

We collect wishbones and feathers all the time and make chickens.

That's so true. I always call it putting a puzzle together.

You're always getting little pieces and then when it comes time to do a record,

you start putting all those pieces together and it just happens, it just comes.

I feel really, really good about this.

Fresh music, for me, for one thing.

And it doesn't get any fresher than what's happening here.

That's great, man.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

# There's a certain girl I've been after a long, long time

# What's her name? I can't tell you

# I can't reveal her name until I get her

# What's her name? I can't tell you

# One day I wake up and say

# Just to have you, I'll be your slave

# There's a certain girl I've been after a long, long time

# I can't tell you

# There's a certain chick I've been sweet on since I met her

# What's her name? I can't tell you

# Don't ask me her name I can't reveal it until I get her

# I can't tell you

# I've tried time and time again

# But we end up as nothing but friends

# There's a certain girl I've been after a long, long time

# What's her name? I can't tell you

# There's a certain girl I've been in love with a long, long time

# What's her name? I can't tell you

# I can't reveal her name until I get her

# What's her name? I can't tell you

# I've tried time and time again

# But we end up as nothing but friends

# There's a certain girl I've been in love with a long, long time

# What's her name? I can't tell you. #

APPLAUSE

Thank you very much, thank you.

This song was... I remember Nick, Nicky Wire in the band,

the band called Manic Street Preachers,

I remember he gave me this lyric whilst we were recording in France.

And I went into the mists of my deep, deep pretension

and I decided that the lyric was a comet from the future...

..educating us about how perfect some of the past was

and illustrating what was missing from the present.

# The future teaches you to be alone

# The present to be afraid and cold

# So if I can shoot rabbits then I can shoot fascists

# Bullets for your brain today

# But we'll forget it all again

# Monuments put from pen to paper turns me into a gutless wonder

# And if you tolerate this then your children will be next

# If you tolerate this then your children will be next

# Will be next, will be next, will be next

# Gravity keeps my head down

# Or is it maybe shame

# At being so young

# And being so vain

# Holes in your head today

# But I'm a pacifist

# I've walked La Ramblas but not with real intent

# And if you tolerate this then your children will be next

# If you tolerate this then your children will be next

# Will be next, will be next, will be next

# And on the street tonight an old man plays

# With newspaper cuttings of his glory days

# And if you tolerate this then your children will be next

# If you tolerate this then your children will be next

# Will be next, will be next. #

APPLAUSE

I just want to say that it's a huge honour to be up here with these gentlemen, Allen and James.

And I want to play a song for you called Sigourney Weaver.

# When I woke up today the air was very strange

# I couldn't feel my skin and there was evil in my bones

# I tried to speak but found that I didn't have a voice

# It was a prison like the one you would find in the Twilight Zone

# And I feel just like Sigourney Weaver

# When she had to kill those aliens

# And one guy tried to get them back to the earth

# And she couldn't believe her ears

# So I was taken or I went towards what was west

# To where the ground was dead and struck out at the giant sky

# The sky was black and filled with tiny silver holes

# And it was there with a frightened voice

# That I began to cry out loud

# And I feel just like Winona Ryder

# In that movie about vampires

# And she couldn't get that accent right

# And neither could that other guy

# And I feel just like I am on Jupiter

# The one that looks like rainbow sherbet

# But it doesn't lend itself to life

# And I haven't finished yet. #

APPLAUSE

Thank you very much, everybody.

This next song I'm going to do I wrote for Lee Dorsey,

and it was later covered by many artists.

A musicologist told me it was the most covered song of all mine.

The biggest hit was by the Grateful Dead.

# Get out my life, woman

# You don't love me no more

# Get out of my life, woman

# You don't love me no more

# Get out of my life, woman

# You don't love me no more

# Get out of my eyes, teardrops

# I've got to see my way around

# Get out of my eyes, teardrops

# I've got to see my way around

# Get out of my life, heartaches

# Nothing but heartaches by the pound

# Get off my ladder, woman

# I got to climb up to the top

# Get off my ladder, woman

# I got to climb up to the top

# Get off my ladder, woman

# There is nothing gonna make me stop

# Get out the way, woman

# I got to be movin' on

# Get out the way, woman

# I got to be movin' on

# Get out the way, woman

# I got to be long gone. #

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

This is getting harder.

LAUGHTER

This next song is kind of a big hit for us around Europe and stuff.

I like to think there's a bit of subversion there,

because essentially it's a song about suicide. So there you go.

That's kind of one of our traditions.

It's called Your Love Alone Is Not Enough.

# Your love alone is not enough, not enough

# When times get tough they get tough, they get tough

# Trade all your heroes in for ghosts, in for ghosts

# They're always the ones that love you most, love you most

# Your love alone is not enough, not enough

# It's what you felt It's what you said, what you said

# You said the sky would fall on you, fall on you

# Through all the pain your eyes stayed blue

# But your love alone won't save the world

# You knew the secret of the universe

# Despite it all you made it worse

# It left you lonely it left you cursed

# You stole the sun straight from my heart, from my heart

# With no excuses just fell apart

# No, you won't make a mess of me

# For you're as blind as a man can be

# I could have seen for miles and miles

# I could have made you feel alive

# I could have placed us in exile

# I could have shown you how to cry

# Your love alone is not enough

# Your love alone. #

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

# Your beauty is unstoppable

# Your confidence unspeakable

# I know you know I know you know that I know that you know

# I'm willing to do anything to get attention from you, dear

# Even though I don't have anything

# That I could bargain with

# This is like a well-oiled machine

# Could I please see that smile again?

# It's all that makes me feel like I am living in this world

# I see you closing all the doors

# I see the walls as they go up

# I know it's what you have to do

# I'd probably do the same thing, too, my dear

# Baby, you're where dreams go to die

# I regret the day your lovely carcass caught my eye

# Baby, you're where dreams go to die

# I've got to get away I don't want to but I have to try, oh, baby

# You have to play your part, my dear

# I've written it all down for you

# It doesn't matter if the things you say to me aren't true

# Just do it then I'll let you go

# Just say the words and say them slowly

# I promise I'll tell no-one

# Yes, I cross my heart and hope to die

# Baby, you're where dreams go to die

# I regret the day your lovely carcass caught my eye

# Baby, you're where dreams go to die

# I've got to get away I don't want to but I have to try, oh, baby

# No-o-o, baby

# Oh-h-h-h, baby

# Oh, baby-y-y

# Ple-e-ease

# Oh, baby

# You're where dreams go to die

# I regret the day your lovely carcass caught my eye

# Baby, you're where dreams go to die

# I've got to get away

# I don't want to but I have to try, oh, baby

# Oh-h-h-h, baby

# Oh-h-h-h, baby

# Oh, baby-y-y-y

# Please. #

APPLAUSE

# It's raining so hard Looks like it's gonna rain all night

# This is the time I'd love to be holding you tight

# But I guess I'll have to accept

# The fact that you're not here

# I wish this rain would hurry up And end, my dear

# This rain, it's so hard

# It's really comin' down

# Sittin' by my window Watchin' the rain fall to the ground

# This is the time I'd love to be holding you tight

# But I guess I'll Just go crazy tonight

# Yes, I guess I'll

Just go crazy tonight

# This rain, it's so hard It brings back memories

# Of the time When you were here with me

# Countin' every drop About to blow my top

# I wish this rain would Hurry up and stop

# I've got the blues so bad I can hardly catch my breath

# And the harder it rains The worse and worse it gets

# This is the time I'd love to be holding you tight

# But I guess I'll just Go crazy tonight

# Yes, I guess I'll just Go crazy tonight. #

APPLAUSE

This next song is a Richey lyric, and I think he'd been reading too many zoological...

study papers when he wrote this lyric,

but I think he was drawing parallels with his own state of mind.

# You have your very own number

# They dress your cage in its nature

# Once you roared Now you just grunt lame

# Pace around pathetic pound games

# Wanna get out Won't miss your scents around

# To carry your own dead To swing your tired tricks

# Wanna get out Here you're bred dead quick

# For the outside

# The small black flowers That grow in the sky

# They drag sticks along your walls

# Harvest your ovaries Dead mothers crawl

# Here comes warden Christ, temple, elder

# Environment not yours You see through it all

# Wanna get out Won't miss you scents around

# To carry your own dead To swing your tired tricks

# Wanna get out Here you're bred dead quick

# For the outside

# The small black flowers That grow in the sky

# Here chewing your tail is joy. #

APPLAUSE

I'm going to mix it up here a little bit.

# Well, I got out of bed this morning

# I noticed that it didn't have a right side

# And my head feels like it's filled to the top

# With pop rocks and cyanide

# There's an earthquake coming And you think you know

# Where it's starting, but it started there long ago

# I need a mongoose baby, and some calgon to take me up outta here

# Some days just chicken bones

# You'd better step off now You'd better leave me alone

# Cos I'm about to explode like a Wonderbread bomb

# I don't care what I know Because I can't be wrong

# Some days it's just chicken bones

# You better step off now You better leave me alone

# Cos I'm about to explode Just like a Wonderbread bomb

# And I don't care what I know Because I can't be wrong

# Yes, I know why you need it Cos your car broke down

# And you want to take the next bus Out of this town

# But if anybody's getting on the bus, Doc, it's gonna be me

# I know I don't need What you got for me

# But maybe I do, theoretically

# You better watch out, sugar

# Cos I'm about to get My Old Spice on

# Some days it's just chicken bones

# You better step off now You better leave me alone

# Cos I'm about to explode just like a Wonderbread bomb

# And I don't care what I know Because I can't be wrong

# Some days it's just chicken bones

# I'm all jacked up on DC At my place alone

# And I don't care what you think About my attitude

# Because I can't be bothered With the likes of you

# Some days it's just chicken bones

# You better step off now You better leave me alone

# Cos I'm about to explode Just like a Wonderbread bomb

# And I don't care what I know Because I can't be wrong

# Some days it's just chicken bones

# I'm all jacked up on DC At my place alone

# And I don't care what you think About my attitude

# Because I can't be bothered With the likes of you

APPLAUSE

# Working in the coalmine Going down, down, down

# Working in the coalmine About to slip down

# Working in the coalmine Going down, down, down

# Working in the coalmine About to slip down

# It's 5 o'clock in the morning

# I'm already up and gone

# Lord, I'm so tired

# How long can this go on?

# Just working in the coalmine Going down, down, down

# Working in the coalmine About to slip down

# Working in the coalmine Going down, down, down

# Working in the coalmine About to slip down

# Of course, I make a little money

# Haulin' coal by the ton

# When Saturday rolls around

# I'm too tired for having fun, too tired for fun, just

# Working in the coalmine Going down, down, down

# Working in the coalmine About to slip down

# Working in the coalmine Going down, down, down

# Working in the coalmine About to slip down. #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

I wrote that a long time ago, before anyone here was born.

And I was flipping channels one night, and I caught Tom Jones,

when he had his TV show,

and he had some ladies in bikinis with pick-axes,

and they were workin' in a coalmine!

LAUGHTER

And I said, "Go on, Tom, with your bad self!"

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

# Do not listen to a word I say

# Just listen to what I can keep silent

# The only way to gain approval

# Is by exploiting the very thing that cheapens me

# And I

# Stare at the sky

# And it leaves me blind

# And I

# Close my eyes

# And this is yesterday

# Someone somewhere soon will take care of you

# I repent

# I'm sorry everything is falling apart

# And houses as ruins and gardens as weeds

# Why do anything when you can forget everything?

# And I

# Stare at the sky

# And it leaves me blind

# And I

# I close my eyes

# And this is yesterday. #

APPLAUSE

# My love is the rarest jewel

# And he grounds me with his love

# My love, he is rich like caramel

# And he moves me from above

# Sees me with tiger eyes, and that's where I make my home

# His heart is a shield which protects me from the vilest foe

# His smile's an elixir which heals the wounds of my darkest years

# When my love is quiet

# I consider him and he drives away my fears

# My love, he reveals himself with tenderness and grace

# My love has constructed with his arms

# For me, the safest place

# His laughter destroys my doubts

# And lifts me up so high

# His voice, it is soothing

# Like a warm breeze on a summer night

# When he envelops me, I give myself to him

# And my soul takes flight. #

APPLAUSE

Thank you very much.

# Southern Night

# Have you ever felt a southern night?

# Free as a breeze, not to mention the trees

# Whistlin' tunes that you know and love so

# Southern skies

# Just as good even when closed your eyes

# I apologise

# To anyone who can truly say

# That he has found a better way, hey, hey, hey

# Feel so good

# Feel so good it's frightening

# Wished I could

# Stop this world from fighting

# La da da

# La da da da da da

# La da da da, da da da

# La da da, la da da, la da da

# Southern skies

# Have you ever noticed Southern skies

# Its precious beauty lies

# Deep beyond the eyes

# And it goes rushin' through your soul

# Like the stories told of old

# Old man

# He and his dog They walk the old land

# Every flower touched his cold hand

# As he slowly walked by

# The weeping willow would cry

# For joy

# It'd cry for joy

# Mysteries

# Like this and many others In the trees

# They all blow in the night

# In the southern sky

# In the southern sky. #

APPLAUSE AND CHEERS

Thank you!

# Libraries gave us power

# Then work came and made us free

# What price now

# For a shallow piece of dignity

# I wish I had a bottle

# Right here in my dirty face

# To wear the scars

# To show from where I came

# We don't talk about love

# We only wanna get drunk

# And we are not allowed to spend

# As we are told that this is the end

# A design for life

# A design for life

# A design for life

# A design for life

# I wish I had a bottle

# Right here in my pretty face

# To wear the scars

# To show from where I came

# We don't talk about love

# We only wanna get drunk

# And we are not allowed to spend

# As we are told that this is the end

# A design for life

# A design for life

# A design for life

# A design for life

# We don't talk about love

# We only wanna get drunk

# And we are not allowed to spend

# As we are told

# That this is the end

# A design for life

# A design for life

# A design for life

# A design for... #

APPLAUSE AND CHEERS

# You are a drug to me

# I never ever thought it otherwise

# And I love the lies you've told to me

# While looking me directly in my eyes

# This is not ecstasy

# But it's better than cocaine

# And you know that I will miss you when you're gone

# But I'm not equipped to play this game

# You know your words They don't mean

# Anything to me

# They only serve to fatten up the prey

# And when it's time to take them to the slaughterhouse

# You slice their throats Continue on your way

# This is not Jeopardy

# And it's not your high school prom

# And you know that I will miss you when you're gone

# But I'm not equipped

# To be your mo-o-o-o-o

# O-o-om

# You are a drug to me

# I never ever thought it otherwise

# And I love the lies you've told to me

# While looking me directly in my eyes. #

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'd like to say...

we don't get a chance to do this very often.

HE PLAYS PIANO

AUDIENCE CLAPS IN RHYTHM

# Now's the time for all good men

# To get together with one another

# Iron out their problems and iron out their quarrels

# And try to live as brothers

# And try to find peace within

# Without stepping on one another

# Do respect the women of the world

# Just remember we all had mothers

# Make this land a better land

# Than the world in which we live

# Help each man be a better man

# With the kindness that you give

-# And I know we can make it

-I know that we can

# I know darn well we can work it out

ALL: # Yes you can, I know we can can Yes I can can

# Why can't we? If we wanna, yes we can can

# I know we can make it a world

# I know we can make it if we try

ALL: # Yes you can, I know we can can Yes we can, great gosh almighty

# Yes we can, I know we can can

# Take care of all the children

-# Children

-Children of the world

-Oh-oh

# Cos they're our strongest hope for the future

-# The little bitty boys and girls

-# Ooh

ALL: # We gotta make this land a better land

# Than the world in which we live

# And help each man be a better man

# With the kindness that you give

-# And I know we can make it

-I know we can make it

# I know darn well we can work it out

ALL: Yes we can, I know we can can

# Yes we can can Well can we if we wanna

# Yes we can can I know we can make it work

# I know we can make it if we try

ALL: # Yes we can, I know we can can Yes we can, great gosh almighty

# Yes we can, I know we can can

ALL: # Yes I can, I know we can can Yes I can can

# Why can't we if we wanna? Yes I can can

ALL: # Yes you can, I know we can can Yes we can, great gosh almighty

# Yes I can, I know we can can

ALL: # Yes I can, I know we can can Yes we can can

# Why can't we if we wanna Yes I can can

ALL: # Yes I can, I know we can can Yes we can

# Great gosh almighty

# Yes we can, I know we can

# Yes we can. #

APPLAUSE AND CHEERS

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