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The First, the Fool

by Bellfrog

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1.
Narcissus 04:04
Have you heard the story of Narcissus? Have you heard the story of Narcissus? He died alone, never having loved anyone but his own reflection His mother visited a prophet She asked him how her son was like to go He told her not to worry unless He ever came to know himself The son was coveted around the place A golden boy, a beauty queen's wet dream He rather liked the attention he got If only to hear them scream his name He died alone, never having loved anyone but his own reflection The first time that I saw him I couldn't look away I wasted my youth holding out For a pretty boy not that way inclined The last time that I saw him He was naked by the pool He didn't dare disturb the water For fear his lover would take him for a fool, a fool, a fool
2.
Ghost Song 03:22
I took one look at this very strange feeling I took one look and bowled it over My nerves they were humming My skin it was dancing But I wasn't ready to go I took the hand of a beautiful stranger I took his hand to think it over And I found I was lost to the feeling So I let his pretty hand go I took the train to the end of the line A full moon rose to shine me over The tiniest sounds had me singing and dancing They said look at that skinny man go Joyful ghost, joyful ghost Moondrunk, mournful ghost Joyful ghost, joyful ghost Moondrunk, mournful ghost I took one look at this very strange feeling I took one look and called him over My nerves they were humming My skin it was dancing But now I was ready to go Joyful ghost, joyful ghost Moondrunk, mournful ghost Joyful ghost, joyful ghost Moondrunk, mournful ghost Joyful ghost, joyful ghost Moondrunk, mournful ghost
3.
Three Men 04:27
Here I present three men Three types of men Three points on the sphere of love Three points of view Three points of you The first the fool, in the best sense of the word A creature of his own invention He invented the colour of vowels Got used to hallucination The second the soldier, hides a fabulous opera Under layers of habit and caution He tethers himself to the promise of something worthy Or the fear of love These men I know Might seem little more than cardboard cutouts to you But even though we dream of a three-dimensional man All we have are these The third man, most of the time Has his head in his hands, his doubts in his pockets He would love to be the first man, or even the second Then at least he would be sure These men I know Might seem little more than cardboard cutouts to you But even though we dream of a three-dimensional man All we have are these These men I know Might seem little more than cardboard cutouts to you But even though we dream of a three-dimensional man All we have are these Here I've presented three men Three types of men Three points on the sphere of love Three points of view Three points of you
4.
Perhaps the greatest mummy's boy who ever lived After all she gave him special powers On her advice he had a dress made to avoid conscription But it wasn't long before he couldn't resist A full metal jacket A full metal jacket Not the film, but a breastplate of gold His best friend was a man who loved him dear They went to war together chasing a girl It wasn't long before they stormed the walls for the first time He was almost unstoppable with weapon in hand And his full metal jacket His full metal jacket Not the film, but a breastplate of gold The other guy he wasn't a natural, not a jock or a skite He always felt he had to prove himself So when his buddy had a meltdown over the latest new girl He decided to take things into his own hands In the full metal jacket The full metal jacket Before long it was riddled with holes It's not so far from love to bravery It's not so far It's not so far from love to bravery It's not so far In a full metal jacket A full metal jacket And a fool he was longing to hold
5.
Penelope 04:51
If I was your son, I'd be on my way out of here If I was your son, I'd be on a boat to somewhere else In a boat to somewhere else But I'm not your son, I'd be a terrible child I'd be proud and weak, in a boat to somewhere else In a boat to somewhere else Will you be home in a while? Will you be home in a while? When can I stop waiting for you? Will you be home in a while? How can I go, when you you said you'd be home just a little while? Yet they expect me to dance in perpetual mourning A trance of perpetual mourning Will you be home in a while? Will you be home in a while? When can I stop waiting for you? Will you be home in a while? I've unpicked my loom for you I've unpicked my loom for you I've unpicked my loom for you And I can't bear to be wrong If I had the chance to take a terrible vengeance I'd drown your boat in the midst of my anger You'd sink in my Charybdis of anger You'd sink in a boat to somewhere else In a boat to somewhere else Will you be home in a while? Will you be home in a while? When can I stop waiting for you? Will you be home in a while? I've unpicked my loom for you I've unpicked my loom for you I've unpicked my loom for you And I can't bear to be wrong
6.
Hand in hand we skip Down Molesworth Street It's good to be alone In a capital city It's good to steal flowers From the Parliamentary gardens While the ministers are in session Ah, look at your face - You're as beautiful as jazz, As jasmine. We chuck pebbles at the night sky Cracks appear in the moon
7.
Stars 03:59
Look around at all your stars All your shiny superficial stars With their dreamy eyes and cream guitars You have never looked so hard Are you waiting for a hero Are you hoping the stars will come near Or are you bent on their destruction Would you do anything just to take them for a ride? You might say you're no one But to me you're someone Don't ever go away from me Don't ever go away from me Have you decided on a name For your fleeting fifteen seconds' fame Would you risk it all just for a name Would you ever be the same boy to me? Don't ever go away from me Don't ever go away from me Chase them down with just a smile With your charming empty-headed smile But there's more to you than meets the eye They will never see the same boy I'll see Don't ever go away from me Don't ever go away from me Don't ever go Don't ever go You're someone to me You're someone
8.
Toe the Line 04:48
You strain to contain your introversion You strain to contain the emotion in your face Put on a mask, make a diversion You strain to contain the emotion in your face Nobody sees you as yourself Nobody sees you as yourself You came to be trained exactly as they asked for You're trained to appear precisely as you seem Take off your mask, risk a disaster You're trained to appear precisely as you seem Nobody sees you as yourself Nobody sees you as yourself Toe the line Toe the line Is this the price you pay to be everything to every man Is this price you pay for anonymity Toe the line Toe the line To escape for a minute, reveal your secrets Unburden yourself of everything you've been What would be left but an empty vessel A scar of a secret that you carried for a queen Nobody sees you as yourself Nobody sees you as yourself Toe the line Toe the line Toe the line Toe the line
9.
Laocoön 03:36
He took his two boys swimming Out every other day They were his water babies His wife was less inclined that way The truth was swallowed by the sea The truth it swallowed, swallowed, swallowed him A giant horse was offered A scam as far as he could tell He tried to warn them off it They didn't take it very well The truth was swallowed by the sea The truth it swallowed, swallowed, swallowed him Laocoön, Laocoön He couldn't foretell his doom They came out of the water Two silent messengers of fate He tried to fight it for a while Perhaps he was a little late His last words to the Trojans Before his terrifying fate I fear the Greeks despite their gifts Ignore me at your peril The truth was swallowed by the sea The truth it swallowed, swallowed, swallowed him Laocoön, Laocoön He couldn't foretell his doom Laocoön, Laocoön He couldn't foretell his doom
10.
Spurned Love 03:18
Look to the left, look to the right Don't let yourself get caught out in the light It only takes one shot, it only takes one fight But don't let yourself get caught out in the light Spurned love Spurned love You might spot him a mile away, you might spot him tonight He's weighing his options up, he knows just what he likes He thinks he's God's gift to man, and you might just be his type But don't let yourself get caught out in his light Spurned love Spurned love Achilles was beautiful, Achilles was bright He thought Troilus was his to have, when he had him in sight But Troilus had other ideas, and Troilus took flight Achiless he chased him down out into the night Spurned love Spurned love Spurned love
11.
We sit on the viaduct Dangling our toes in mid-air A truckload of turnips heads towards Auckland Followed by a carload of nuns All eating hamburgers You close your eyes Your thoughts become the night sky The mist around the moon I nudge you gently - Look, love, at the white moths An angel's wing is moulting Look, love, at the white moths An angel's wing is moulting

credits

released August 21, 2015

Lyrics and music by Alex Taylor (Bellfrog) except tracks 6 and 11 with lyrics by Iain Sharp.

Recorded live at Albany Street Studios, Dunedin, produced by Jeremy Mayall with recording assistance from Stephen Stedman.

Album cover artwork by George Hajian.

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Alex Taylor Auckland, New Zealand

Alex Taylor is a composer, songwriter and poet originally from New Zealand and currently based in San Diego, California.

Artist photo by Priscilla Northe, Striped Trees Productions.

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