O T H E R COOKCD645

I G E R M I N A T E L O V E R , G O

T H E E N G L I S H U T H E R A R E S T B I R D S

B E A U T I F U L G U NR E A S S U R I N G P I N C H E S

A P R I L 1 0 T HO T H E R

H A P P Y G I D D YA L I V E

I GERMINATE Until

The fire is humbled in the grateThis cup in its forgotten state, that measured tides, high tidesPhotographs the words Unspoken

As a crocus offering saffron tokenUntil the dew evaporates And while the clay bakes

I gestate

I’m here. I germinateI’m here. I germinate I will give you wanderlustA tree must, tucked into earth unblinkingSet your compass to me my twinThe rub of life has moulded every limb and shifter now has settled shape You fight to keep yourself awake

I’m here. I germinateI’m here. I germinate

Cora stay your hand and let the root keep hold in the ground I unfold

I give you until there bleeds a seam of tangerineWhere bats in a blink eclipse the moon like whipped kerchiefsIn a courtly swoon I’m here. I germinateI’m here. I germinate

Cora stay your hand and let the root keep hold in the ground Unfold

Until the last seed spills its greenThe last wreath here between deft fingers mend a ring completeUntil the sea roils sweetUntil armadas sweep the dead West Pier

I waitI’m here. I germinate

LOVER, GO.

Do I seem to you A thirsty flowerThat supposes it isRipe to bloomI’d take solace in suchA sorry showerYes, wash me please Of this dust Will you.

I might sleep for all these fragrant talesBlink belief at everyTwist as trueMake it end where I fill Empty sailsAnd I’m applaudingYou, and your song as new

Go lover goI already knowUntil you gift a word unheardGo, lover goGoGo

Not all that breaks is to mendSome things made strong by their bendNot all that’s broken we seek to Throw away only for wanting again.

Go, lover.Go

THE ENGLISH U I’ll preserve the UPreserve the English U, for youFor you because you always knew where it would be

I want to save the USafeguard the English U, for youFor you Because I need I need to find the you You wanted me to see I want to know the commaThough I neglect to honourEvery breath implied, uncertain of its need

Happenchance I am wantonMisplacing or forgotten You were always sure to tell me What to read

I am made quite otherwise it seems A criminal to grammar To apostrophe - the hammer

All that you made matter as to dreamRead to me, I’m always listening

I wish to spell correctlyTo spell is elementary And that I fail is not to disagree

I’m pretty sound with tensesWith when and which and whencesBut the order of the letters are degrees I am made quite otherwise it seems A criminal to grammar To apostrophe - the hammer

All that you made matter as to dream Read to me, I’m always listening

You kept beautiful words in soft carbon pagesAs beautiful worlds went missing in stagesScattered in sandstorms and stolen in ragesA cache of books inside your pillow cases Read to me, I’m always listening

THE RAREST BIRDS In this town Forget who you are Remembering who you were meant to beFind yourself bearing easy Mercury aside a Lurex sea Such cloth is thisIt’s thread for a party dress The lights are strung like pearls So offer your throat And if we hang then we hang in the stars Take my hand and comeBe the hostess girl Skip a grace note on your heel

To whichever hymn you please

For the rarest birds are these Navigate the city walkBy dove-grey gum constellations There the twins and there The PloughAnd nowI’m at your doorSeeing you through your windowFixing your hair for grey Pulling at your faceTrying not to frownLike thisAnd you hold up your party dress The lights on strings like pearls Let’s take on the nightAnd if we hang Then we hang in the stars Hold my hand and come Be the fairground girl You can walk the fairground town tonight Hung up by a breeze As high as you please

Hiss the kittens awayThey’ll know something some dayIt’s only the ground that they see

For the rarest birds are theseTo whichever sky they please

BEAUTIFUL GUN

You’ve got a beautiful gunYou’ve got a beautiful gunAnd I have seen someWhen all said and done You’ve got a beautiful gun

You’ve got a gun toting gait You’ve got a gun toting gaitThat’s a walk that I rateIt’s the effort you take You’ve got a gun toting gait

You got the kids on the runYou got the kids on the runYou know you used to be oneNow you’ve a powerful thumb You’ve got the kids on the run

Good Lord on the lineSays he hasn’t done religion since before your timeTake it on the seamHe doesn’t want in the team

Call it for your sideYou haven’t shared a single word since Jesus diedThis is where you’re atWhoever created that?

You’ve got nothing to loseYou have nothing to loseYou pick and you chooseYour scars in the newsYou’ve got a gun and the blues

REASSURING PINCHES

If you can’t find me hereMirror catch my breathDeep in the thick of stillAll the thirsty beasts come down to drinkWater buffers your skinStone forbids me to come inI taste a ballet in this stormEven as the paper fallsIt dances

And we’re big catsPacing fencesWild catsCounting inchesHungry seeing hungryFeed on reassuring pinches

Play something that will singWear a porch-face frownLet sun colour us inWhen just the hand remembers now Water buffers our skinSo truly we are untouchingPaper leaps its ballet in a stormWhichever way we fallWe’re dancing

OT

HE

R

APRIL 10th

FogLike boiled wool.Felt-tightRolled in as though a bale of hay introducedAnd there grew up a wall of concrete greyCutting brief the promenadeAnd swallowing whole companion dogs

Ahead a pavilion measured in stepsLevitatesJustBeneath the pressAnd bears the weight on its rigid knees

QuadrupedBipedFloating harbour for the gulls at easeNo room left but these Empty yards thatGather inCrew-neck closeAudience-earlyArrived for a keener view

The beach huts thrust proud theirPink and purple chestsThe old guardFearing less Squat broadAnd make limp protest

Behind now exists notAnd this way turns only one page at a time

Today I have hope where you have noneHunkered down in bell-jar space madeStrange this hour in this lightI wonder if you have ever touched meIn some other seaAgainst my yesterday skin Skimmed me brieflyNeither knowing we’d be here bothMoon towingTo and froing

A room is changed dependent on the door by which we enter

You met windows of many aspectsI, the walls and hooks for coats to hangYours the garden song andMine the rumbling thrum of the rail yardAll terminals arrived at

Words like fall-outAsh where there was noneAlready in the blood

Some people we don’t mean to loseThey snag on branches and separate in market squaresAnd then the trains this way and thatScan barcode faces into something grey

OTHER

I don’t know precisely which dayColoured me otherPerchance it may have been a slow bleedSo I cut out whichever shape I needI don’t sue for rescue, I’m as free as I have ever been

Don’t want another rock to hang about my neckYou see bejeweled I see bedecked in dead stars

And nothing touching me

I am glad for open windowsI call the birds that do not comeYou Beak and Dead-Eyed, welcomeBones bleach of the cityAnd when I’m done, I’m done. I’m doneKeep eternal for your worry

I don’t want to look upon another word this hard so lightly thrownI say disarm, I hear disown, It sounds familiar

I don’t want another rock to hang about my neckYou see bejeweledI see bedecked in dead starsI don’t want to look upon another word this dearSo lightly spentAnd what says hereMeans came and went It sounds familiar

Nothing’s touching me.

HAPPY GIDDY

Drear little ghoulAre you out to play?With your game in pieces?Jiminy Cricket staying home todayImitate the species

And I don’t meanThe waltz on the pavement ROFL It’s mob entertainment

Find your life onlineEmoji man kindHappy giddy?Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah

Catch a time line on your telephoneLive there for a minuteSomeone’s talking Someone’s taking somebody homeBut there’s nothing in it.

And I don’t meanThe sim in your cityCast your netAt somebody pretty

Drear little djinnWill you shift your shape?All the world is a glimmerIf they won’t come for the Incident tapeDiarise the dinner

Follow all is fineVirtual party time Happy giddy?Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah YeahFind your life onlineEmoji man kindHappy giddy?Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah

ALIVE

There are days Come be aliveHere and take up by my sideWe decideLet there be no triggers firedPut your hands down

Oh, this is how we learn to existLet nothing beginAnd we find ourselves squared up in the ringBut this is a fightI don’t care to winCut you, oh and I bleedRaise the flag and We can give in

And I want youI still want you

Cease fire I’m on sideHear the thunderclap of quietCalm in sightLet’s have no alarms tonightWe can stand down

Oh, like the bird on the wireWe could steal away But while there’s peace enough to sit out the rainI’ll watch my mouth You corner your painWe can cover one another Weave like the willow again

And I want youI still want you

Alison Moyet: Lyrics and vocalsGuy Sigsworth: Strings, synthesisers, piano, harpsichord, guitar, bass, sound designProgramming: Chris Elms and Jake Miller(tracks 1-4, 6-10) / Jake Miller (track 5)Track 3: Additional BVs by Caitlin BallardTrack 5: Additional guitar / slide guitar by Jake MillerTrack 9: Additional guitar by Chris Elms and Jake Miller

Produced by: Guy Sigsworth

Mixed by: Chris Elms (tracks 1-4, 6-10) and Jake Miller (tracks 5, 8)Engineered by: Chris Elms & Jake Miller(tracks 1-4, 6-10) / Jake Miller (tracks 5, 8)Mastering by: Tim Debney at Fluid Mastering

Album recorded at: Frou Frou Central, Tileyard Road, London N7 9AH

Written by:Tracks 1, 5, 7, 9, 10: Alison Moyet / Guy SigsworthTrack 2: Alison Moyet / Guy Sigsworth / Lydia KayeTrack 3: Alison Moyet / Guy Sigsworth / Richard WaltersTrack 4: Alison Moyet / John Garden / Sean McGheeTrack 6: Alison Moyet / Guy Sigsworth / John Garden / Sean McGheeTrack 8: Alison Moyet / Joe Duddell

Alison Moyet / Guy Sigsworth / Richard Walters / John Garden / Sean McGhee / Joe Duddell all Copyright Control. Lydia Kaye published by Asongs Ltd.

Released by Cooking Vinyl; Marcus Knight, Anette Collins, Rob Collins, Rachel Stoewer, Tash Noble and Sam Difford

Digital manager: Steve Coats-Dennis

Photography by Steve Gullick

Alison Moyet is represented by Richard Griffiths, Harry Magee and Georgie Gibbon for Modest! Management.