1. |
Jayne and Jodie
05:17
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JAYNE AND JODIE
It’s strange how a tragedy has brought us back together
A dark sort of irony can reinvent the past
We never wanted to see our girls like this
If only we could change the course of time
Jayne and Jodie, your talents rare and fine
You left us on a cruel Autumn evening
Jayne and Jodie, your spirits bright and true
You lived for life like twin girls do
You lived for life and now we live for you
It’s strange how a light so bright can fade into the darkness
A sad kind of melody is still ringing in my ears
I never wanted to feel what I feel now
I blame it on the confidence of youth
I never wanted to feel like this x 8
I will never let you go
© Alex Vann
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2. |
Little Boy Lost
04:47
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LITTLE BOY LOST
Falling Down – Feeling like a faulty clown
Who lost his smile – when the circus left town
See him go – that Vagabond Pinnochio
Who cut his strings – ‘cos he wanted better things
Little Boy Lost – Little Boy Lost
Where is your ‘Guiding Light’? (oh where is it?)
Little Boy lost - Why did your dreams fade?
And why did you lose your way?
Here I stand – I’m frozen like the Old Tin Man
Who’s locked in time – like the rust inside his mind
On and on – I’m singing the same useless song
Like a record player – whose needle lost its point
Little Boy Lost – Little Boy Lost
Where is your Shining Knight? (oh where is he?)
Little Boy lost - Why did they “weep in vain”
And why did you lose your way?
On and on we play the game – we’re making moves to feel the same
But this hopeless pawn still dreams of being crowned
The Queen of all he can survey – he’s running down life’s motorway
And no one here can overtake
‘cos ‘Little Boy Lost’ has found his way
Little Boy Lost – Little Boy Lost
Where is your ‘Guiding Light’? (oh where is it?)
Little Boy lost - When did your dreams fade?
And when did you lose your way?
Breaking Down – Feeling like a lonely clown
Who’s lost in time – like the circus in his mind
© 2014 Alex Vann with Carl Hodson
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3. |
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LET LOVE OUT, LET LOVE IN
How do you feel – when you know nothing is real
When you close your eyes?
And how can you see, when you no longer believe
When you’re full of doubt?
When I was born
My eyes could not see
Now I am grown
I believe, I believe!
That when you let love out, you’ll let love in (won’t you let love in?)
How can you grow – when you’ve got nowhere to go
When you’re lost at sea?
And how will you know – when to let somebody go
When to set them free?
When I was younger
I was full of fear
Now I am older
I can see, I can see!
That when you let love out, you let love in
How can you find, a happiness inside
When you’ve never even been? (how can you give?)
How can you give, advice on how to live
When you never even try to give your love - give your love away?
When I was born
My eyes could not see
Now I am grown
I believe, I believe!
That when you let love out you let love...
Yes when you let love out you let love...
Oh when you let love out, you let love in
© Alex Vann with Carl Hodson
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4. |
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THE BALLAD OF CHARLIE GRIGG
Charlie is sketching again
The pen and the paper are his tools
His memory’s trapped
Behind factory gates that
He left to follow his dream
And Charlie is drawing again
He’s lost in a world of his own
His memory fades
Like the ink on the page
But there’s some things that time can’t erase
There’s “Klanky” & “Korky” and “Desperate Dan”
“Captain Whoosh” and “The Cloud”
There’s “Foxy” and “Gertie” the “Umbrella Men”
You coloured the world with your dreams
Yes, you coloured the world with your dreams
A nice home, a steady career
The children are growing up fast
How can I provide
How will we survive
On a promise that might never last?
Well they say behind every great man
A great woman’s not far to be found
She Stood at the door and
She gave him what for
“If you don’t try you’ll never find out”
Charlie is painting again
He’s lost in a world of his own
His memory’s trapped
Behind factory gates that
He left to follow his dream
Yes, he left to colour our dreams
© 2016 Alex Vann
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5. |
Draw A Line
03:38
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DRAW A LINE
He picks up the pen
Draws a line on the paper
His mind recreating the scene
Of people and places
He’s picking up traces
Faint hazes of things that have been
Every day - It’s all the same
The lines on his face
They tell their own story
Of a man who has loved and been loved
His missing years
They unfold on those pages
The Stages of life he has drawn
Every day - It’s all the same
Draw a line
Draw a line to the past
The future is fading fast
(It’s lost on me )
Draw a line
Draw a line on my heart
Although you are lost in the dark
Don’t forget me
(You’re more than a memory )
He’s lost in the dark
But not losing heart
There’s still a light that can burst
I take his hand
This (fragile / gentle) man
The Father and Son roles reversed
Every day - It’s all the same
Draw a line
Draw a line to the past
The future is fading fast
(It’s lost on me )
Draw a line
Draw a line on my heart
Although you are lost in the dark
Don’t forget me
(You’re more than a memory )
Who Cares for Carers?
Who knows we are there?
Every day
It’s all the same
Draw a line
Draw a line to the past
The future is fading fast
It’s lost on me
Draw a line
Draw a line on my heart
Although you are lost in the dark
Don’t forget me
Draw a line
Draw a line to the past
The future is fading fast
It’s lost on me
Draw a line
Draw a line on my heart
Although you're lost in the dark
Don’t forget me
© 2016 Alex Vann
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6. |
You Shine On
04:10
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YOU SHINE ON
Your vivid heart:
Shone brighter than the rest
Your great big smile:
You hid the pain the best
I hope you’ve found your home and I hope you’ve found some peace
I hope you’ve found your home and I hope you’ve found release
Your light is still burning strong
Your heart it goes shining on:
Shining on, Shining on
You Shine On, You Shine On
We fragile things
Life: delicate and brief
But you made your mark
And you brought out the best in me
I hope you’ve found your home and I hope you’ve found some peace
I hope you’ve found your home and I hope you’ve found release
Your light is still burning strong
Your heart it goes shining on:
Shining on, Shining on
You Shine On, You Shine On
And nobody knows what goes – when the crowds have all gone
Nobody feels what you can feel
But you went Inbetweenland, Beyond the Borders of man
And now your Lost and Found is Here
You Shine On x 4
© Alex Vann 2015 – in memory of Rich McMahon
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7. |
Rich Without Money
04:06
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RICH WITHOUT MONEY
We were rich without money, we were happy and free
Like the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea
Our sunshine was gold, and our water was wine
We were rich without money and free
Well, I can remember the battle of Vinegar Hill
In dreams that are so real you’d swear they were fighting it still
And I can remember the day
I watched your ship sailing away
I cried you an ocean and then I was gone on my way
Well, we weren’t afraid of the day or the dark or the dirt You lost all the fear in your heart when you needed the work But pride is a high price to pay For something that seldom would stay Sacrifice freedom and your spirit soon loses its way
The innocent heart of a child will never be lost On the mind of the one who knows what redemption would cost This fight will never be done ’Til ignorance is overcome The war’s only over when this bloody battle is won
© 1995 Alex Vann
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8. |
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ALL THESE CHILDISH THINGS
I'd believe you - if you told me lies
Look me in the eyes - say that you need me
I'll forgive you - when you break my heart
If I know that we can start again
I will save my soul for you
If you save your heart for me
When we're older - all these promises
Away they’ll go - all these childish things
I'll defend you - with my wooden sword
I wouldn’t hurt you, no - I will give my word
I will save my soul for you
If you save your heart for me
I will save my soul for you
If you save your – if you save your heart for me
I'll forgive you - when you tell me lies
Away they’ll go - all these childish things
All these childish things
(I do, I don’t, I do, I don’t…..)
All these childish things
(She loves me not, she loves me, she loves me not, she loves me……)
All these childish things, mmm, mmm, da da, oo
© Alex Vann 1998
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9. |
Ode To Sneyd
02:47
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ODE TO SNEYD (The Bliss of Solitude)
Oh, what would Wordsworth say
If he were here today
Watching the swans gliding on silver
In the shade of a pylon high?
We’d swim in the reservoir
As children I recall
Our little piece of Heaven on earth
Brings with it peace of mind
Well, we all have bad days
And, we all need some space
And I can escape here
Breathe in the nice fresh air
It doesn’t’ feel you are on an estate
When you’re in a state of mind
We would make boats from things
People find in bins
Then race them on the sparkling waves
As the ducks go idly by
Ooo oo oo
Ooo oo oo
So, what would Wordsworth say?
I think he would say:
“Beside the lake, and beneath the trees
Is the bliss of solitude”
Ooo oo oo
Ooo oo oo
© Alex Vann 2020
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10. |
Making A New Start
04:23
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MAKING A NEW START
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
YOU – are playing with fire
You – aint got no idea
Well you think you know it all – think you know it all
Yes you think you know it all – think you know it all
But YOU don’t know me at all
I gotta get new perspective - gotta get a different view
I gotts get a new momentum - gotta get away from you
Cos YOU don’t know me at all
No YOU don’t know me at all
Da da da – Da da da. Da da da – da da da.
O oo oo o ooo o o
YOU – are playing with my heart
YOU – say you want a new start
Well you think you’re everywhere - think you’re everywhere
Yeh you think you’re everywhere – think you’re everywhere
But YOU – are nowhere at all
No YOU – are nowhere at all
I – am making a new start
I – am making a new start – yeh!
I gotta get a new direction I wanna see a new sunrise
I gotta get a new objective going to open up my mind
Cos YOU – don’t see me at all
No YOU – don’t see me at all
Da da da da da da da da da da da
Ooo ooo ooo ooo
You got me wrong – you got me wrong – you got me wrong – you got me wrong
Ooo ooo ooo ooo
You got me wrong you got me wrong you got me wrong
Da da da da da da da da da da
© Alex Vann with Carl Hodson (2015 - 2021)
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11. |
I Did It In My Own Way
04:44
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I DID IT IN MY OWN WAY
Well people come and people go
You gotta make each moment last
Soon comes the day we have faded away
And I know - Wherever I go - Whatever they say
I’ll do it in my own way
Well, I was down and counted out
Love came along and picked me up
Now I can see through the tears in my eyes
And I know - Wherever I go - Whatever they say
I did it in my own way
Come with Me, come with me now
Because we’ve both grown up a cow - So come with me now
Take my hand, and we’ll fly far away
Cause it’s harder to stay
In world where you can’t say “I did it in my own way“
Well, passions rise, and nations fall
Hurt put a fire inside us all
We have a choice and a voice to be heard
And you know – wherever you go
Whatever they say – We did it in our own way
(..I did it in my own way)
I did it in my own way
I did it in my own way
I did it in my own way
And love will find a way
cos its harder to say
I did it in my own way
© Alex Vann 2015
This is a song about being brave and choosing a life path of your own making.
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12. |
Open Up
05:26
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OPEN UP
Open up, Like a camera lens
Open up, let down your defence
Open up, and let me see inside
Open up like an envelope
Open up, like lover’s note
Open up - don’t keep it all inside
You’re just a child in a great big zoo
No one to talk to or look after you
Don’t let them push you or pull you around
Open up
Open up, like a story book
Open up and let me take a look
Open up and let your story out
Open up, like a secret door
Open up I wanna some more
So Open Up, don’t let your secrets hide
You’re just a cog in a big machine
You’re so small sometimes you can’t be seen
Don’t let those wheels grind, grind you down -
Open up…
I call on you, to OPEN UP
I call on you to OPEN UP
I call on you, to OPEN UP
I call on you, to OPEN UP
Umpa, umpa - Stick it up your jumper!
Umpa, umpa - Stick it up your jumper!
No matter who you are
No matter where you go
No matter what you do – OPEN UP
No matter what you’ve seen
No matter what they say
No matter who you are – OPEN UP
I call on you, to OPEN UP
I call on you to OPEN UP
© 1997 Alex Vann
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13. |
Shirley Jean
03:29
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SHIRLEY JEAN
Shirley Jean -Where have you been?
I’ve been thinking ‘bout you
A photograph - a stolen laugh
All roads lead back to you
Another innocence lost
Another puzzle left undone
It’s hard to find words you should say
So I will put you in my song
And let your music play on and on
Who can know - how your garden grows
When you let nobody in?
Here Comes The Sun - for everyone
The Sound of Silence is deafening
You lived in a world of you own
Making - an escape from the past
Your friends were the books that you read
And symphonies, sonatas and songs
So let your music play on and on
And how the mighty can fall
Even though we were holding you up
You never could suffer a fool
And now your suffering has gone
So let your music play on and on
Da, da, da, da da da da da,
Da, da da, da da da, da, da
Shirley Jean - where have you been?
I’ve been lost without you
Shirley Jean - what have you seen
I’ve been looking for you
I’ve been dreaming of you
And I don't know what to do
© 2020 Alex Vann
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14. |
Infinite Universe
05:21
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INFINITE UNIVERSE
Most of the Universe is made up of dark energy
(Everyone has their own unique point of view)
We’re at the centre of all that we know and can see
(I’m busy being me so you can be you)
But what do you do when the planets start to fall
Like heaven couldn’t cope without a sense of…
Hope is all we know is real.
All we know is how we feel
An ocean is just a collection of separate drops
(Nobody told you that there would be days like these)
The minute you realise a dream the second it stops
(‘Normal’ is nothing so don’t try so hard to please)
So what do you do when the heavens open up
Like teardrops from the sky. And no one asking ..
Why we ever came to be.
Why are you different from me?
Most of the people are beautiful radiant souls
But nobody knows of your story when no one’s been told
And what do you do when the walls start to fall
And your world comes crashing down?
Your memories all a…
…round and round we seem to go where it stops does anyone know?
And what were we thinking of - when we chose power and progress over love?
And what are we fighting for - did we forget what we have at our core?
And how can we feel so strong - when we can see the world has gone so wrong?
And what do you do when the planets start to fall
Like heaven couldn’t cope without a sense of…
Hope is all we know is real.
All we know is how we feel
…round and round we seem to go / round and round we seem to go
In an Infinite Universe. In an Infinite Universe
In an Infinite Universe (the faster you travel the deeper in space you can go)
In an Infinite Universe (the faster you travel the deeper in space you can go)
In an Infinite Universe.
In an Infinite Universe.
In an Infinite Universe
© Alex Vann 2016
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Alex Vann Wolverhampton, UK
Alex Vann is a Wolverhampton musician and artist with many years’ experience in bands and as a solo artist. He started
writing songs at 15 and has a highly distinctive acoustic guitar style, impassioned vocals and is also an accomplished pianist.
He has a knack for writing catchy choruses and his music has been used on television, films and radio.
... more
Alex Vann recommends:
Dan Whitehouse
by Dan Whitehouse
It is inventive and beautiful
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TAPE RECORDERS CHANGED EVERYTHING
by cult of wedge
Cult of Wedge always pushing boundaries, sometimes back in time
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The Ragged Rhythm of Rain
by Under A Banner
It is real music by real people
go to albumIf you like Alex Vann, you may also like:
A Year at Home
by Oliver Future
Woozy psych-pop from Austin’s Oliver Future with richly textured arrangements and blissful vocal harmonies.
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The Canadian trio's knack for writing bangers plots a steady course through the maelstrom.
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featured on Bandcamp Radio Apr 12, 2024
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