[rev. Mar. 5, 2010]
A long and deserved holiday
A blessed holiday
A long bright rest
The back of a caravan
In a meadow
Behind some trees
Near the sea
That meadow is full of mushrooms, flowers, bees
Other things you wouldn't understand
With no other people
Nothing, nothing to do but sit back in the motes every morning in the caravan
Food appears magically
I'm never thirsty
I go down to the little stream that runs through the field
I look at the fish
I see the birds
I see the sun in the sky
I see the horizon stretch out
It's alright here
Night comes
I'm not lonely
I light the candles
Take out my journal
I remember things
I remember things most people have forgotten
I dream, and in my dreams I leave my body
I go out, out there somewhere
I talk to my ancestors
In the morning the same thing
The warm caravan
Cup of tea
Down to the brook
One day, one day I realize I'm no longer alone
Someone else is there
I see a stranger in my meadow
I see him eating my mushrooms
I see him washing his hands in my stream
I see him at the door to my caravan
Checking if I'm at home
One day I wait inside for him to come
I see his anxious eyes staring in through the glass
Suddenly I burst out of the door
"Who are you? What are you doing here in my holiday?"
He's a young man
He's 25 or something
He looks kinda scared
"Ahh, can I come in?"
"Yeah, I guess you can."
"Thanks."
"Uhh... can I get you something to eat?"
"Eat? Eat?" he said.
"Who are you anyway?" I said, "What are you doing here?"
"Um, I'm not sure you're going to believe me."
"Try me. I've heard everything in my day, sonny."
"Uh, I was on holiday, myself."
This I could well appreciate. "Go on," I said.
"I was on holiday with my wife and my children.
We attended a concert.
Someone near me somehow affected me with something, I don't know what."
"Yeah, go on."
"Um, I started getting a terrible pain in my shoulder.
Uh, I was... I was sweating, and the outside was coming in."
"I don't understand"
"The outside was coming in. There was nothing holding it out there anymore.
The next bit's... I was up on the ceiling and I was looking down.
I was looking down at my wife and a.. a lot of other people who gathered 'round me
I didn't care. I didn't want to go back.
I couldn't understand why they were trying to do that."
He stopped for a while
The dust dense inside the caravan
The trees bent in the wind
The ripples on the stream distorted the fish
The stones groaned and babbled
"After a while on the ceiling I started to drift.
I drifted for a long time.
I saw a lot of things.
I went... I went to many, many places.
Eventually I ended up in a future."
"You mean 'a future' or 'the future'?"
"It was 'a future.' It wasn't the only future.
It was just the one I'd ended up in.
There wasn't much there. Everything was kind of used up.
I don't know how they did it really.
I was so lonely.
I found a machine and started to compose music.
I played it to some of the people in that future."
"Is that the end?
No. It's the beginning."
[rev. Aug. 31, 2015]
Kuala Lumpur, Ambassador Hotel, 1983
December, rain, night, insects, insects
Some confusion over something
Where were you
Waiting for you all my life
Where were you
Singing someone else's song
Where were you
Singing someone else's song
Kuala Lumpur, Ambassador Hotel
Footsteps sounding in me
Where were you
Kuala Lumpur
Something I can't face at all
1983, shadows, morning, empty
A something over there
A foothold female, flash, narcissary [2:39]
Probable, not possible
In your space, wondering what we ought to do
Kuala Lumpur, 1983
Traffic slows
(Knock, knock)
Energy, blinding stars
Whizzing out from a flaming center
(Knock, knock)
Sick carnival in the distance
(Who's there)
Calliope gone mad
Everything going backwards in my sight
Where were you
Singing someone else's song
Present time
Wondering what the hell to do
Kuala Lumpur, January
We scrape the resin from the cylinders of the plane
(Sometimes I feel like they're just making this all up)
We have no protection against the moisture
(It's meaningless to describe)
Present time (sometimes everyone here is crazy)
Wondering what the hell to do (the photo is sorry [5:00])
Present time (wishes they were)
Justify the ends and means
Can't you drive me down to Denpasar
Simply (can I speak to him) move me out to Malabar
Or I could swing down to Zanzibar
Just get me out of here
Get me out
I've been here too long
Oh you can help me
1983, February
February we attend the funeral of a friend (friend, friend...)
"Hello. Hello.
I'm trying to place a call to Australia."
"Hello. Hello."
"Yes, uh..."
"Which floor?"
"Yes, I'm in room..."
"Which room?"
"1313"
"Which room?"
"On the 13th floor."
"OK. Just you wait."
"I'm trying to place a call to Australia."
"Which room?"
"I'm in room 1313."
"Which floor?"
"On the 13th floor."
"Please you waiting. Hello. Hello."
"I'm trying to place a call to Australia."
"Yes, yes. Which room?"
"And I'm in room... hang on, hang on a minute. I..."
"Hello."
"I, I'm in room 1313, on the 13th floor."
"Please you wait. Connect."
Trying to place a call
Kuala Lumpur
Room 1313
"Hello."
(Knock knock)
Trying to place a call
"Please you wait."
Did you phone?
Can't you drive (he started singing) me (meaningless syllables) down to Denpasar
Simply move me out to Malabar
Or I could swing down to Zanzibar
Just get me out of here
Get me out
I've been here too long on my own
Everyone will see you, everyone will know
Everyone will be here, everyone will go
Everyone will free you, everyone will be
Everyone will know that everything you see
Everyone will be there, everyone will know
Everyone will see there everything you show
Everyone will be there, everything you know
Everyone will be there, everything you show
Everyone will be there, everything you know
Everyone will be there, everything you sow
Everytime I see you
Something new has occurred
Looking for the angles
"Hello. Hello."
"Hello."
Looking for a subject
Looking for a rhyme
Looking for some space
Looking for some time
Looking for some time ("Hello")
Looking for some space
Looking for a portrait
Looking for a face
Looking for a face
Looking for some rhymes
Looking for the woman
Looking for a child ("Hello")
Looking for a child of mine
Looking for my girl
Looking in the corners
Looking in the sw--
"Hello."
"Connect."
[rev. Mar. 5, 2010]
Switch
On
Uplifts
Years
Previous
Jump
Jump
We never try apparently to understand
Never focused on demand (she's in the garden)
I feel the wires (she's in the garden)
Touch that sparks
??? [2:07] anywhere you like it
Any way you like it, believe me
Yeah
That's right
That's right, yeah
Merrily (she's in the garden), that's right
Where are you (she's in the garden)
Merrily (she's in the garden), yeah
Where are you (she's in the garden)
Getting laid merrily
Getting laid merrily
I can't find you
Good evening
(She's in the garden)
(She's in the garden)
Merrily
(Interference
Incident)
Merrily
(She's in the garden) (I told you)
Got a little chick on my sleeve
He's not what you think he is
He's not what you think he is
He's just not what you think
He's just not what you think he is
He's not what you think he is (she's in the garden)
He's not what you think he is (merrily)
(She's in the garden)
He's just not what you think
He's just not what you think he is (merrily)
(She's in the garden)
Alright baby, come back soon
(She's in the garden)
Garden baby, come back soon
(She's in the garden)
Popular baby, merrily, come back soon
(She's in the garden) (I'm a not not what you think I am)
Alright baby, come back soon (I'm a, I'm a not what you think)
(She's in the garden) (I'm a not not what you think I am)
Merrily, dark it baby, come back soon (I'm a, I'm a not what you think)
(She's in the garden) (grew up in Africa)
Merrily (went to America)
Come back to me (she's in the garden) (ended up here in Antarctica)
(Playing this article)
Merrily (I'm a not not what you think I am)
Merrily (I'm a, I'm a not what you think)
(She's in the garden)
(I'm a not not what you think I am)
(I'm a, I'm a not what you think)
(She's in the garden)
[rev. Mar. 7, 2010]
I was thinking about it the other day
Memory is white (a lot of people)
Just like the future will be white (how else would we [0:17] what the future is like)
White and honeycombed (its like living at the end of the world, its like living at the end of time)
Wonderfully silent (its like living on the edge of a cliff)
Safe behind...transparent shield (we live in our cell)
In the hive, in the honeycomb, in our cell
And we said (what was his...)
Looking out at the white sea, the white sky (in the gaaaa...)
The white day comes and goes (in our albums the white come)
We don't say much (the white will be there)
What is there to say (the white passes, the white flowers)
Sometimes I walk to the edge of the sill (the white control modules)
Look down at the white waves that beat against the cliffs (the white instrument of consoles)
Mists swirling against the foot of... (the white accessories)
Long, long, long way down
The rain condenses on the perspex (what do we do all day)
We hold our hands up to the light (the girl goes to school)
Against the cold transparent glass (she likes these subjects)
And our hands leave (white painting)
Patterns (white sculpture, the history of use of white)
I lie down on my bed
Feel the rays of the white sun (the need for white)
Empty my eyes (you sit down to eat sometime)
Dazzling the chambers in my head (white dinner, white dessert, white light, white...)
I wake up from my nap and nothing has changed (white joker, joke...)
I notice the throb of power (white knight)
I hear the singing cables that connect us up (the girl has a cat)
I feel the pulse of the earth (its called snowy)
The fiery red energy that comes up from the core
And enters the soles of the feet of men, men, men, men, men...
(I don't know if its real)
I feel the white cosmic light (sings to me)
Come into my fontanelle (everything's changing)
I hit... I hit... (some of our people are changing)
I hit stop on my machine
A screen comes down (some kind of interference or message in the static of radio waves)
We wait for a moment (I feel like a church)
The storm is coming (it's impossible to tell who's transmitting and who's receiving)
White lightning (it's impossible to tell what is memory)
Elementals (it's impossible to tell)
Electrical disturbance (what is going on, what is it, it is impossible to tell)
Spirits in the ether (if you are present...)
Some subtle change comes
We are engulfed
We disconnect (??? [6:24])
She lies languidly in the afterglow (as she reads)
(your heartbeat is regulated by the machine
your thoughts are ingested
we receive messages daily from the outside world
from beyond the nights)
Oh, we're safe (safe, safe, safe...)
Never forget me
Never forget me
You said you'd never forget me
You said you'd never forgive me
Now you said you'd never forget me
You (you said it) said never forget me
You said it
You said (you said it) never forget me
You said never forget me
You said never forget me
You said never forget me
You said it, never forget me
I made the future safe for you
I just need to wait for you
(I remember
I remember lagoons
I remember the walk through the rocks
I can smell the salt in the air)
Visualize a white wall (something took one of the children)
Visualize your interstices white
Visualize the sky white
Visualize a lake white
Visualize the colour white
Visualize your hair white
Visualize, memorize (??? [13:58])
By the time you've counted to ten backwards (like a holographic fire) you will be somewhere else
Somewhere else I can't come
Somewhere you must go alone
Somewhere you must go alone, somewhere white
(the ceiling turns into the starry night)
Somewhere pale (??? [14:34])
Somewhere far away (birds fly in from miles away)
Somewhere... else
Somewhere better, somewhere further, somewhere younger
Visualize younger white
Visualize white distance
Visualize stasis
Visualize... (white, white...)
Visualize rain in ??? [15:23]
Visualize patterns in clouds
Visualize the small triangular shapes on the whites
Visualize the smudges and hypocrisies in the sands [15:38]
(Upheld the black light, the chimney black night)
Pink stains spread across the horizon (night is as black as the ace of spades)
Leading into tomorrows and yesterdays (the midnight night)
The sun moves like an angry red eye (different varieties of cactii)
(the protective shadows, the distorted...)
(white dream
the contents of milk
evaporated milk
rice milk
soy milk
powder milk
sweetened milk
vanilla milk
caramel milk
butterscotch milk
safe, calm, distant)
(It's not too bad really
And you get used to it
Don't resist it
Don't anticipate it
Don't mention it to anybody
Don't try and second guess it
Don't use it for your own ends
Don't say you thought it up on your own
Don't leave me here on my own
White Christmas
White pudding
White sauce
White sundae
White nap [21:31])
White elephant
[rev. Mar. 7, 2010]
This island is full of noises
She's cold as sand, my little one
Golden brown, cold as sand
Little one
Little one
Golden hand
She's the one
Understand
What's her name
Who's to blame
What's her name
What's her name
Was she and who's to blame
What's her name
Who's to blame
What a shame
What's her name
Who's to blame
What's her name
What's her name
What a shame
Who's to blame
Not me
I was walking along
Singing a song
Doing no wrong, no not me
Found some keys
So I do what I please
Started to freeze (not me)
What's her name
What a shame
Who's to blame (not me)
It's not too bad
For a human
Turned into things
Made me see
Made me think
Made me a liar
Was dreaming out loud
Part of the crowd
Dreaming out loud was I
Orchestra
Gonna tell you that there gonna be a warm day
(I've got Beowulf waiting, can't make him wait for me)
You'll be my woman if you want
(I've got Beowulf waiting, can't make him wait for me)
I bought you flowers, did you like the thorns?
(I've got Beowulf waiting, can't keep you waiting for me)
Took you to the lake, you were tempted by the swans
(I've got Beowulf waiting)
Chew a piece of steak, did you like the horns?
(I've got Beowulf waiting)
Walking along singing my song, doing no wrong, not me
(I've got Beowulf waiting, can't make him wait for me)
Hey babe, do you wanna come along, that's right
(I've got Beowulf waiting, can't make him wait for me)
Hey little baby, I wrote you this stupid song
(I've got Beowulf waiting, can't make him wait for me)
It's all about you child, I could do you no wrong, not me
(I've got Beowulf waiting, can't make him wait for me)
Now switch off that TV baby, put down your little bong
(I've got Beowulf waiting, can't make him wait for me)
Hey baby rev up the engine, let's cruise down to Wollongong
(I've got Beowulf waiting)
I do believe we can visit that friend of yours from Hong Kong
We can get there for a song
At midnight we assembled
The long groves to the ocean
It was another time
Time of gaiety
Abandon
Just after the war
People knew they didn't have long
We were unconcerned
We consulted mediums
We contacted the people on the other side
I'm preparing such a beautiful place for you here my love
It's always Summer
I've seen Matthews
He sends his regards
[rev. Mar. 8, 2010]
Did I ever tell you about my job in the continuity department?
My, my
We had some things going back in those days I'll tell you
They needed a computer as big as a warehouse to do the job
That's something that's almost invisible these days
Back then people lived for thousands of years
The walls could admit you
No one was certain who was really responsible
But everyone was hiding just in case it was them
I tracked down some files one day
God, what a waste of time
I wasn't supposed to be there
None of us is supposed to be anywhere
I was throwing things at people in the carpark from the offices above
We got paid a fortune
Every day
Drive to work
Along the avenues
We were, we were thinking maybe you should come over tonight
We were thinking we'd like to have you over for dinner
We were talking the other night
Do you remember that actor
He said 'I know you won't believe me but the end of the world is coming soon'
He said 'Eternity, man'
I said 'Umm, what do you mean'
And he said 'Eternity, just think of that'
I said 'Yeah, but, ah, you can't really think of eternity as such'
And he said 'There's no point explaining to you, you won't believe me anyway'
One day when we walk out together
In the light of the Spring
We forget everything, we'd be together
Yeah
Every day
Drive to work
Along the avenues
Children come out
Doors open wide
Along the avenues
There was something else I meant to say
When I checked the register the other day
I thought it would be fun to, you know, look you up
Yeah, and uh, like there's no record of you at all anywhere
No one's ever fucking heard of you, man
Who are you
Where do you come from
What do you want
I don't know, no I don't know
I'm not interested
No one's ever fucking heard of you
No, no I checked with everybody
It's as if you've never existed
One day this will all blow over
I think we should check, first of all, alphabetically
See what listings they have under
You know, look through the A's and the B's and C's
I'll look through the numbers here
Maybe if I look through this whole damn book
I'll see a number and it will jog my memory
I said 'Oh, lotus-eyed one, what is the nature of humanity?'
On a black night filled with rain
Become one with the rain (every day)
Become one with the night (drive to work)
Become one (along the avenues)
Become (walk again)
Be (wandering)
But it might seem like forever
Doors open wide
I, uh, went to the shop
Children come out
I was looking for a CD
Along the avenues
And the woman in there said 'If you like that kind of thing, come in here and listen to this'
I said 'What's this?'
She said 'This is a special listening booth for people who like that kind of thing, and you like'
Ahh, I wonder when, I wonder when it'll happen again
Wonder when, happen again
So I put the headphones on and, um, she said 'Alright, yeah... check this out'
[foreign sounding words in background]
There's this piano kind of going round and round and round
And bass coming in
And some guy was talking
I thought, I thought 'That sounds like my voice on this record'
The woman comes in and says, um 'Look, this isn't really a CD shop'
I said 'What do you mean?'
She said, um 'The government's cracking down on people like you'
I said 'Why? What have I done?'
And she laughed, she said 'You know what you've done'
I said 'No... you don't mean, um...'
She said 'Don't be coy with me, sir'
I said, 'Um, so what was that I just heard?'
She said 'That was, that was Art Imitating Life, sir. It's called Mimesis'
You said you'd never forget me
I said 'Um, hang on a minute'
I said 'The pianos... it's like some kind of spiraling entity
Around and around and around and around and around
Every night and every day
In every kind of way
Years later we met again
Old adversaries
We were on the lawns of a south coast sanitarium
I said 'Tell me now'
I said 'Tell me now'
As we looked out at the sea
I said 'Tell me now'
She said 'Don't you see? It wasn't me. It was me.'
As we looked out at the sea
Wasn't you
It was me
Every day
You drive to work
Along the avenues
Children come out
Doors open wide
Along the avenues
Hello, this is a reminder from
This is a reminder from
This is a reminder from
This is a reminder from the reminder people to remind you to
To remind you t-t-to
To not forget and to remember
If you do not wish to receive these calls
Please send one million dollars to the reminder corporation
Earlier the same night
As we sat beneath the stars
Drinking our wine
Watching the moon
Listening to the nightingales
As their screams droned on in the reverb
And someone got at the pixels of the night
Turned everything ultra-black
Except the stars had a small water-coloured effect
And they gleamed opaquely through film of escalating ripples
The moon had been superimposed upon itself and thickened up a little
With an extra coat of luminosity
This made us laugh