Ten Percent Blues, by David A. Harley

Ten Percent Blues

by David A. Harley

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Full Digital Discography

28

releases

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1.	Make It Pay 01:30	lyrics	buy track
Make It Pay (words & music by David A. Harley) Someday I’ll make it pay Cop for Nirvana my own sweet way Give my feet a holiday Sit in the sand Strike up the band One night I’ll get it right Spread my wings for a solo flight Snooze all day, blues all night Pick a few strings While my lady sings Hanging around while the deals go down I believe I’ve paid my dues But some sweet day I’ll pay my way On a sea and sunlight cruise One time it’ll work out fine I’ll lay back easy and relax my mind Trip out legally on music and wine And you... [All rights reserved]
2.	Butterfly (Over The Hill) 03:43	lyrics	buy track
Butterfly [Over The Hill]) (Words & music by David A. Harley) You can’t cage a butterfly, not unless you break its wings (x2) You can cage a songbird, but you can’t make him sing I went over the hill and I heard some flyer blow (x2) I’ve been too long in the city: time to pack my grip and go You think I’m fooling, but honey, it’s a fact You had a good old mule, but you just broke his back [All rights reserved]
3.	The Road 03:13	lyrics	buy track
The Road (words & music by David A. Harley) It's late and the driver has nothing to say One more stop ahead on an endless highway One more place to be, and nowhere to stay For the road was the ruin of me The tour bus, the tranny, the fluffed chords of fame The days in the airport, the runaway train You don't care for my songs and you don't know my name For the road was the ruin of me I was never a drifter, I'd no urge to roam But somehow the tour bus became my home The scenery fades and the scene is long gone And the road was the ruin of me The smoke and the pipe dream, the whisky, the beer There's nothing to treasure and nothing to fear There's no one here now to send out for some gear And the road was the ruin of me The call of the wild, and the song of the road The end of the game and the call of the void There's no one to meet and there's nowhere to hide The road was the ruin of me The heroes and villains, the bait and the switch The hole in my sock and the travelling itch I'll never be famous, I'll never be rich For the road was the ruin of me I drank much too deep at the wishing well I knew what I wanted but never could tell Now I've only these dreams and these few words to sell For the road was the ruin of me All that I've learned is how little I know All I've come home to is a new place to go And it's never a place that I wanted to be For the road was the ruin of me [All rights reserved]
4.	Anywhere 03:12	lyrics	buy track
Anywhere (words & music by David A. Harley) I could catch a bus to anywhere And never think of missing this old town Instead I'm sitting in a bar right here Scared to play my last go-round Last dream smashed and short of cash Nursing one last beer Hoping for a bus to anywhere Anywhere at all but here I could take a train to anywhere Shake this country dirt from off my shoes Turn my face away from nowhere Trading up to city views Had enough of you and all you put me through Pretty sure you've had enough of me Time to take a train to anywhere Anywhere I know that you won't be I could hitch a ride to anywhere And surely I won't miss this empty town Right now I'm sitting in this tired old bar All set to play my last go-round Last dream smashed and short of cash Nursing one last warm beer Maybe I can catch a ride to anywhere Anywhere at all that isn't here [All rights reserved]
5.	Ten Percent Blues 03:42	lyrics	buy track
Ten Percent Blues (Words & music by David A. Harley) Got a seat facing the engine So I don’t have to face where I’ve been Luggage on the rack, no reason to look back At all my wrecked and reckless gypsy dreams No more bright lights, no more white lines Or crashing in the back of the van No more hustling small-time gigs I guess time has beaten the band No more deadlines, no more breadlines Mr 10%, you’re on your own No more fine print, no more backstage blues This rolling stone is rolling home Got a ticket to take me to tomorrow It can’t be worse than today So driver, take me home and don’t spare the horsepower I’m on a ten year holiday No more missed chances and chickens*t advances Cold chips in the back of the van No more blown tires and fuses, no more broken promises Time has beaten the band No more deadlines, no more breadlines Mr 10%, you’re on your own No more fine print, no more backstage blues This rolling stone is rolling home No more spotlights, no more ups and downers Absolutely no stage fright No more superstar fantasies From today I’m strictly 9-5 No more infighting, no more moonlighting No more one-night stands All along while the band was beating time I guess time was beating the band No more deadlines, no more breadlines Mr 10%, you’re on your own No more fine print, no more backstage blues This rolling stone is rolling home [All rights reserved]
6.	Now How Long 03:45	lyrics	buy track
Now How Long? (Words & music by David A. Harley) Heard some lonesome whistle blow How long Lord? I guess it must be time to go How long? When you get those hard luck blues All you need is walking shoes How long Lord? Now how long? Empty pockets, empty bed How long Lord? Empty dreams in an empty head How long? When you get those walking blues Radio just plays bad news How long Lord? Now how long? When you feel those cold winds blow How long Lord? You know the way you have to go How long? Thought I heard the DJ say Got no reason left to stay How long Lord? Now how long? Standing by the railroad track How long Lord? Heading out with no way back How long? Waiting in the pouring rain Must have missed that Gospel Train How long Lord? Now how long? [All rights reserved]
7.	Blues For Davy 02:01	info	buy track
8.	Baby What A Groove 02:52	lyrics	buy track
Baby, What A Groove (words & music by David A. Harley) The landlady called today and asked me what I had to say she said “What are all these parties night and day and where’s the rent you’re due to pay?” I said “I’m sorry I can’t talk now I’ve got to get some gin But don’t you worry about me ‘Cause baby what a groove I’m in” My banker wrote me just to say I’m way out in the red But since they stopped my council grant [Remember those? -DH] There’s nothing to be said I hope Dad lays a little bread on me To keep my funds in equity Now I’ve got 25 hippies living off me But baby what a groove we’re in My tutor told me only yesterday “Your work’s not up to scratch: We don’t expect you to work all the time But you’ve not done a patch It’s all these parties I can see No wonder you’ve no study time free And I’ll have you kicked out if you don’t invite me ‘Cause baby what a groove you’re in” The doctor told me just the other day “Son, you’re getting in much too deep You see your trouble is, basically, Too much bed and too little sleep Too many fags and too much booze” I said “I know it’s not the life you’d choose But I’d rather be dead than have the 9-to-5 blues ‘Cause baby what a groove I’m in' [All rights reserved]
9.	Another Bangor Day 04:12	lyrics	buy track
Another Bangor Day (words & music by David A. Harley) A dusty sunbeam brushed my face And splashed the bedroom wall As I rubbed my eyes and answered The landlady’s morning call. I hoped to get a line from you But I don’t know what you’d say Still I comb the static from my head On another Bangor day. And over breakfast coffee I watch the new day born Into the slate-grey boredom Of another Bangor dawn And it seems to me I had a dream In waking from a dream But the thought slips through my fingers As I pass the egg and beans. And talking sociology At lunchtime in the Globe Janey said she liked me But there is this bloke at home And I shrugged and let her tell me She was sorry just the same But I shouldn’t bring on substitutes This early in the game. Six weeks since I saw you And another day half-gone And autumn blunts my memory As another term rolls on And there’s still a space left in my life Where you once used to be But even that nostalgia Isn’t all it used to be. [All rights reserved]
10.	Long Cigarettes, Cheap Red Wine 04:22	lyrics	buy track
Long Cigarettes, Cheap Red Wine (words & music by David A. Harley) You sing your songs / the stage is bare There isn’t / anyone out there From time to time / it just seems that way And I run out / of songs to play Forget the musak / and the beer The open mouths / the grudging cheers There isn’t / any better way To freeload / your life away Back in / 1969 I lost someone / I thought was mine That’s the price / I had to pay When I ran out / of songs to play Goodbye old friend / I have to leave Just to prove / that I’m still free I’ll see you / in a year or so And buy the round / you say I owe The long cigarettes / the cheap red wine The melodies / you say are mine And if you find / somewhere to be I hope / you’ll save a place for me [All rights reserved]
11.	Moonstruck 01:30	lyrics	buy track
Moonstruck (words & music by David A. Harley) Mirror-eyed and misty and veering into black Tiptoe across the flagstones falling through the cracks I’ve lain too long in midnight and I can’t find my way back I was leaving close on midnight but I couldn’t find the door Creeping round the moonlight littered on your bedroom floor I’ve lain too long in midnight and I can’t find my way home I’m frozen to your mattress and my mind is playing dead I can’t reach across the moonbeams to the wordgames in your head I’ve lain too long in midnight and I can’t recall a thing I said All rights reserved
12.	Angel [demo version] 02:15	lyrics	buy track
Angel (Words & music by David A. Harley) Tell me something that troubles me: When you look at me, what do you see To take a chance on a three-time loser like me? You talk of trusting and sometimes I do But what makes an angel like you Waste time on a broken-down hero like me? I can’t believe you’d want to keep going bail For a shop-soiled knight errant with trouble on his trail [break] It makes no sense that you’d want to keep going bail For an ex-crusader with a hellhound on this tail Anyway when I see you again I’ll be praying just the same That you still have time for a three-time loser like me [All rights reserved]
13.	East River 03:07	info	buy track
14.	Empty Sunday [demo version] 02:09	lyrics	buy track
Empty Sunday (David A. Harley) Empty Sunday / Raining down on me x2 You’re gonna drive me back / To the arms of my used-to-be Empty Sunday / Sure can’t feel no pain Just those blues pouring down / Like those 99 showers of rain Empty Sunday / What d’ya come here for? There’s no-one but the rain / Knocking on my door
15.	Bootup Blues 02:49	lyrics
When I woke up this morning My laptop wouldn’t boot at all I said I woke up this morning And tossed my Tosh against the wall My baby took the mains adapter And the battery’s screwed beyond recall Well she left me for some guy With a 99GHz overclocked PC And now she’s interfacing With his RS232C (he’s a serial womanizer) She said my hard disk was too small To satisfy Her new spreadsheet I wouldn’t treat an iPad The way that woman treated me She fragmented my hard disk And ran off with my Angry Birds DVD Left me nothing but this boot sector virus And a copy of Wordstar version 3.3 Dah-diddy-dah-diddy-dah-diddy-dah…

about

You might regard this album title as an over-extended pun. Not only does it include more blues/American-influenced material than my previous albums (though I'm not sure how to quantify the exact percentage), but it also draws some inspiration (if that's the right word) from life on the road. Though in fact my own time as a professional musician was extremely short, and no agent was getting very fat on ten percent of my income at that time. And at this time of my life, I don't think I'll be spending much time playing live again, let alone living in a tour bus.

If I ever belonged to a particular 'school' of songwriter, it was probably that very English group that included people like Bill Caddick, Peter Bond, Bernie Parry et al. (Whatever happened to Al?) Still, looking back (as I have been a lot recently) to the songs I've written in the last 50-60 years, I suspect that there is enough material there for at least one more album with a fair amount of Americana influence.

Wheal Alice Music WAM21-7

credits

released May 19, 2021

All songs, guitars and vocals by David A. Harley

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about

David A. Harley England, UK

David Harley is a former professional musician, administrator, IT security editor, author and researcher, and former much else that is even less impressive. He now lives in Cornwall. More info at whealalice.com