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Simple Brains, Common Men

by William Curry

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1.
I woke up sunday morning with a question Am I better as a liar or a thief It’s reached the time Where a life of crime Pays more than honesty So I went and bought a shiny silver pistol And went to see the richest man in town Said I know you’ve got a lot And I want what you’ve got If you try to make a move I’ll shoot you down He said to me I’ll give you all my money But one day I’ll be coming for your head So I took a little more And shot him to the floor And said how you gunna find me when you’re dead? So I went and spent my money on tequila Cheap women and some mexacali weed And I found my wife In a den that night And I really can’t tell what she sees in me Now 16 years later we have children And I try my best to tell them everyday If you want a life Full of pain and strife Then follow all the rules and be a slave I woke one Sunday morning to the doorbell A policeman at the door wearing a frown He said it’s about your son He was carrying a gun And the officer on duty shot him down So I went and spent my money on tequila Until I didn’t have a penny to my name And I lost my wife And I lost my fight And I had no soul to save So if you ever ask yourself the question Am I better as a liar or a thief A life of crime Might save some time But it’s bound to end in grief it's bound to end So think not of money but of friends every stolen penny that you spend it's bound to end in grief
2.
Left my home behind me Never had much sense inside me Never knew that I was going on my own Drew myself a picture of a pretty maid then kissed her And it cut with me a resonating tone My story just beginning I’d spend my days a singing And carve into the history books my name As a solitary soldier With a rifle on his shoulder I realized it’s not my world to change Oh boy I realized it’s not my world to change And we’ll meet when the evenings low And we’ll rest when the dreaming dies If you know our name Then you’ll know our shame we’re the last of the old front line The thing with growing older That no one ever told ya Is you’ll never be so beautiful or brave As you were when you were younger But I suppose you never wonder About the greatest things in life much anyway so Lets ramble on through valleys get away from concrete alleys walk until there’s nothing but the sky you’ll leave old friends behind ya but they’ve got there place inside ya and I never really got to say goodbye oh boy I never really got to say goodbye Chorus
3.
I’m out for the night and I haven’t much change Will you get the next round in for me The night is still young and this prodigal son Has been once again brought to his knees I know I asked the same as you just yesterday But I’m struggling with the old currency If I had a penny for every song that I’d sung I’d do all my drinking for free Chorus: And no-o-o the holy ghost means nothing at all to me And ooooh I know I know we struggle in life to be free And no-o the holy ghost will never be more than dreams And oh oh I know that I can’t see as far as the eye can see It seems in this life we may never get far From snapped strings on the floor of an irish bar If that’s all we’re worth and if that’s all we are Then I suppose it’s no burden to me But if life was all roses and old river sides Then what use would we have for our brilliant minds That get us in trouble most of the time But allow us the strength to believe Chorus And I suppose we’ll spend pennies on meaningless trivial shit And I suppose we’ll spend hundreds on new phones and the right clothes to fit But where are the pennies we should have spent enjoying ourselves And if you’ve got millions why not share them with everyone else Because millions are pennies if there’s no one to share in your wealth Chorus
4.
Moan For Man 04:36
Come with me down to the river let us cleanse our sins Used to think there was something to believe in, in the places I’d been Walk with me please over hilltops ‘til our backs break in We bleed for the purpose of winning in the life we’re in If I dropped you out in the river would you swim back in? If I dropped you out in the river would you swim back in? Come with me out of the city let us clear our minds Your toys don’t mean nothing to no-one if they cost your time It seems for a portion of money we’ll give our lives It seems if we all just kept dancing we’d be just fine If you lost your gaze in the fire would you lose your mind? If you lost your gaze in the fire you might change your mind So go moan for man, Don’t wait for better days Soon you know the things you love might be the things you loved just yesterday Come with me down to the river let us cleanse our sins Tell stories of glory and tales of the places we’ve been It seems just a little bit funny to me We spend half our money on things we don’t really need If I dropped you down in the valley would you run to me If I dropped you down in the valley would your mind run free So go moan for man, Don’t wait for better days Soon you know the things you love might be the things you loved just yesterday So go moan for man don’t wish your days away I tend to find the things you love will burn the brightest as they fade away
5.
Humans 04:01
are we not human drawn to the night are we just slaves to the day bound by the sun and light are we not perfect in our own right none of us blessed to be kings working our entire lives so bless your aging youth as it crumbles under you are we not humans simple brains in common men are we not dragged through heaven and hell then back again are we all broken in our design are we just childhood toys lived in, loved and thrown aside if we’re not careful we’ll lose our minds living stressed duressed by the pressures of the daily grind so bless your aging youth as it crumbles under you are we not humans simple brains in common men are we not dragged through heaven and hell then back again x2 suddenly I’m falling through the dark and I’m falling through fire mortal as man through loving I was born a liar suddenly I’m falling through the air and I’m falling through clouds a driven young mind but I speak my mind far too loud so bless your aging youth as it crumbles under you are we not humans simple brains in common men are we not dragged through heaven and hell then back again x2
6.
So come one lads lets go out a drinking We’ll have ourselves good old fashioned time We’ll probably have a few too many But it’s been a while so lets get merry And get our selves chucked out at closing time We’ll start our night of down at molly millars And make our way round town from bar to bar we wont do nothing wrong But laugh and sing along It’s a shame the men with badges went too far So four by four gather round and kick me when I’m down Who the fuck gave you the right to throw your weight around As before the law should answer to the crowd Or at the very least bring peace to our hometown I believed the lie we lived in a free country Where the people had a right to know there right We just wanted to dance But how could we stand a chance When it was the police starting the fight We tried to plead the officers for reason But they replied with force and misplaced might So much for having fun When you see the old bill come The tunnel’s end no longer holds it’s light Chorus Well I suppose we should have known we’d lose the battle But that doesn’t mean we’ll stop fighting the war But pushing us around because you smashed him to the ground We asked what for, what for for by law gather round and kick me when I’m down Who the fuck gave you the right to throw your weight around As before the law should answer to the crowd Or at the very least bring peace to our home town Or at the very least make me feel safe and sound
7.
Portsmouth 03:20
I’m falling all night in a golden paradise made of melody I’m floating all day no one looks my way no one’s speaking to me The ripples on the surface are calm they’re fooling me Pure love is flooding the wall it’s all I see It’s falling apart and It’s all I need I’m lying awake and I’m waking dreams It’s falling apart and it’s losing steam A horned equestrian enemy A race through the mind gives new thought to time maybe a little too much Rolling desert sands through your soul and your hands felt in your touch Fooling your brain that you’ve been taken away in the night Pattering and twitching and it’s not your day it’s mine It’s falling apart and It’s all I need I’m lying awake and I’m waking dreams It’s falling apart and it’s losing steam A horned equestrian enemy
8.
Late in the evening the silence is ready to break A solitary tear in the eye as your lips start to shake A simple admission that we’ve drawn this out too late A simple man with less than a simple mans faith Chorus What do you think of me now How much can you think of me now As life rolls on and the world rolls round What do you think of me now I’m sorry I’m broken and less than a person some days I’m sorry I never quite say what you want me to say Maybe my mouths earned the silence that keeps me awake Maybe my body’s not built to be loved anyway Chorus So think me a sinner and read me my sins once again And take me out dancing to show me the evil of men I wish all my melodies still made you smile and sing When my songs grow old I’m not really worth anything Chorus What do you think of me now how much can you think of me now How much can you think of me now
9.
Alone 05:02
My oh my my all alone and the cocaine masks her cries And I feel your pain
10.
Double up on the pills you take Calm the nerves that make bones shake The nights much easier when You’re not awake Hopeless romantics take a bow the players and rats will take the crown shitheads and scumbags your time is now and I suppose it’s just a shame that you can’t see the beauty in such a vast and perfect place and I suppose it’s such a shame that you can’t see the love because it’s great, so fucking great so if we make up for lost time that’s alright that’s alright and if there’s nothing on your mind that’s just fine yeah that’s just fine at last I’ve nothing left to hide it’s eased the mind I’m warm inside and if your eyes are burning bright then just let those fuckers shine the things you do they make me sick but I guess I’m just used to it it’s what they expect from me but the cell don’t fit you spin your lies so even you believe you cheat you joke and you deceive even the people as sick as me we’re gunna leave and I suppose it’s just a shame that you can’t see the beauty in such a vast and perfect place and I suppose it’s such a shame that you can’t see the love because it’s great, so fucking great so if we make up for lost time that’s alright that’s alright and if there’s nothing on your mind that’s just fine yeah that’s just fine at last I’ve nothing left to hide it’s eased the mind I’m warm inside and if your eyes are burning bright then just let those fuckers shine

about

My debut album 'Simple Brains, Common Men'. Written and recorded throughout 2014 and early 2015. Took me about 7 years of writing songs but I finally got an album out. A mix of upbeat and mellow folk with a little bit of psychedelic rock muddled in. All parts written and performed by yours truly with the exception of the piano part on 'To Hopeless Romantics' for which credit goes to Sam Gooderham of The Soft South.

credits

released January 29, 2015

William Curry - Words and Music
Sam Gooderham - Piano on 'To Hopeless Romantics'

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William Curry Manchester, UK

Will is a folk singer/songwriter based in Manchester. Contemplative and resonant his music finds its roots in folk tradition but branches out through many eclectic influences. His career has seen him through many ensembles from folk punk outfits in rowdy Irish bars to aprés ski bands performing across the alps. Will's brand of anthemic thought provoking folk champions hope and unity. ... more

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