N a t u r a l H i s t o r y
I write this at the end of what has been an exciting and eventful year. Twelve months ago I was busking as normal on the South Bank in London, having just released the Imperfectionist album. The first two weeks of November had been a total washout, so although it was blowing a gale I was grateful for a dry day. There I was, playing away, with a big breeze block on the mic stand to stop it flying into the Thames. A man jogging past stopped to listen, it was the author Robin Sharma and the next thing I know I'm on a flight to Toronto to play at his Titan Summit event. Good times. Suitably inspired, on my return to London I decided a change of scenery would be the best thing for writing album two. I had just finished reading a book about David Bowie moving to Berlin and I thought it could be a great adventure to take a trip in those giant footsteps. I set a leaving date for two months away and started getting organised. Shortly before I left, the original inspiration for my move very sadly passed away and on my last night in the UK I played the drums for my brother's band at a tribute gig in Aberdeen.
*Downloads are in high quality FLAC and 320kbps MP3 files*
The next day I was on the ferry to Amsterdam, en route to Berlin. I had bought an old VW Golf with 189,000 miles on the clock to make the journey. I called my folks when I arrived and I don't think I've ever heard them so happy (my Mum was terrified I'd break down in the middle of nowhere). Exciting times! I started writing straight away. The songs on Imperfectionist were written over a period of 8 years, I didn't want this one to take so long. The music as normal started flowing quite easily, the lyrics took a bit longer.
I was playing in Moritzplatz UBahn station one day and got talking to a girl called Leonie Muller. At the time she had given up her flat in Cologne and was essentially living on trains, taking long journeys overnight to visit family and friends across Europe. I was quite taken by her story and before long Home Sweet Home was the first new song in the bag, then it was just a case of keeping the ball rolling.
Many hours have been spent wandering through this beautiful city, headphones on, working things out, exorcising a few ghosts along the way and letting the creative juices bubble. Six months later and the difficult second album Natural History is complete. I hope you enjoy it.
Scott McMahon 23/10/2016
Lyrics
Hellfire
I'm not the enemy that's bringing you down. I'm not the enemy that's bringing you down. You take the words I say and twist them around, looking for meaning when there's none to be found. You stretch the truth so thin I don't know where to begin.
You know the history, stop brushing the bones. You know the history, stop brushing the bones. She was only a friend, when I needed you most. Still you insist on resurrecting a ghost. We'd have this living thing down to an art if you could just stop falling apart. The hellfire you shoot from your eyes, you can aim it at the back of my head. I'm not the enemy that's bringing you down.
Now it's your movie you've got nothing to say. Now it's your movie you've got nothing to say. I'm waiting patiently for reasons to stay. I pity anyone who gets in your way. We'd have this living thing down to an art if you could just stop falling apart. The hellfire you shoot from your eyes, you can aim it at the back of my head.
Well here is the news - we've got nothing to lose. My head is full of offers that I had to refuse. The cracks are growing as she's ready to blow, I can feel the burning in my frozen soul. The hellfire you shoot from your eyes, you can aim it at the back of my head.
Talent Show
I'm in the queue for the talent show, oh yeah. Me and my new friends. I've seen the others and I know I'm gonna be a star, yeah yeah. In my brand new clothes, take that with my new guitar. And I'm waiting. I traded all my dreams to make it. My friends say my voice is amazing. I'm in the queue for the talent show. And I'm waiting. I traded all my dreams to make it. Been singing in the mirror for ages. I'm in the queue for the talent show.
Under the lights I'll be singing my heart out, yeah. All the judges know. I'm singing about love in a great big shiny car, yeah yeah. I can see it now, yeah the crowd will be going wild when they see my smile. Got a hard luck story that would make a statue cry.
And I'm waiting. So I'm waiting. And I'm waiting. I'm waiting in
the talent show.
And I made it. I traded all my dreams to make it. The crowd is going crazy. I'm singing in the talent show. And I made it. I traded all my dreams to make it. The judges give a standing ovation. I'm winning in the talent show. I'm winning in the talent show.
Home Sweet Home
Home sweet home is easy, I've got a restless soul. I fell asleep in Paris and I woke up in Cologne. I might be here tomorrow, but maybe I'll be gone, cos I put my faith in destiny and I answer when she calls. Life has had its ups and downs and I've crossed some stormy seas, but now I glide on railway tracks I smooth out every crease. In the dim and distant past, the wolves were at my door. Their howling kept me up at night, they don't howl anymore.
I turned that nightmare into a dream. Just look down the aisle, the stranger with the smile, that's me. Yeah yeah.
Watching from my window, a tractor in a field, with a cloud of seagulls just behind all fighting for the lead. But the farmer doesn't notice, he's following his line. I wonder what he's singing now to help him pass the time. Home sweet home for a restless soul, well I fell asleep in Paris and woke up in Cologne. Home sweet home for a restless soul, you just put your faith in destiny and answer when she calls. She's calling, oh lord. Home sweet home for a restless soul, you just put your faith in destiny and answer when she calls.
Mr Sunshine
I was living in a time where the sky stayed black in the morning. I was looking for the light but I couldn't shake free of the shade. Every time I left the house in the daytime, I would always get caught in a storm. Til I found how to turn the darkness into the dawn.
Call up Mr Sunshine, he'll take all your cares away. Call up Mr Sunshine if you've got a cloudy day. Anytime you feel the rain come down, you know he's never far away. Call up Mr Sunshine, it'll be ok.
Do you travel back in time til you miss yourself in the future? Are you looking for the signs that you walked right by in the dark? With a little bit of inspiration, you can dig yourself out of the hole, shed a little light on your heart, mind, body and soul.
Call up Mr Sunshine, he'll take all your cares away. Call up Mr Sunshine if you've got a cloudy day. Anytime you feel the rain come down, you know he's never far away. Call up Mr Sunshine, it'll be ok.
What Goes Up, Must Come Down
Well I was doing just fine, for a time. Flying blind through the bumps and the grinds til the realisation kicked in from the side. What goes up, must come down. What goes up, must come down. If it goes around, then it comes around, yeah. What goes up, must come down.
You know I found the love, the one that hits your heart, but you know it didn't get too far, it never does. She opened up and she let me in and I limped along on adrenaline. My foot was permanently in my mouth, I was gasping for breath through the bulletholes. What goes up, must come down. What goes up, must come down. If it goes around, then it comes around. What goes up, must come down. I said I'd never make that mistake again.
Well time takes its toll on a bitter old soul, when you know you'll never get back home. Then you feel your skin is creeping and crawling over you. When you fill your head with all the things that she never said, you know it's gonna come around again, again, again and again and again.
Cos what goes up, must come down.
Teach Me
Won't you teach me how to dance, how you dance the swing. I wanna feel it again. From the moonlight smile to the effortless style, beginning, middle and end. Won't you teach me how you dance the swing, I wanna feel it again.
Won't you teach me how to kiss, how you kiss goodnight, I wanna feel it again. I didn't sleep for a week when you touched my cheek, I didn't want it to end. Won't you teach me how you kiss goodnight, I wanna feel it again.
Teach me your moves and make them slow, so I can follow. Spin me round again, spin me round again again, like you spin inside my head.
Won't you teach me how to dance, how you dance the swing, I wanna feel it again. From the moonlight smile to the effortless style, beginning, middle and end. Won't you teach me how you dance the swing, I wanna feel it again.
Good News
I get the picture, I've seen it before. You'll get the picture when I'm out of the door. It's fine, I don't mind, you're still lighting my life, but maybe girl you should take your own advice. Cos you know, you can go, there's no gun at your head. You've always got something that just has to be said. So just give me the good news baby, don't say anymore. You don't need to remind me, you've hammered it home. Just give me the good news and leave it alone.
I know the story and I know how it ends. I'll walk for hours and you'll dance with your friends. It's fine, I don't mind, you're still lighting my life, but maybe girl you should take your own advice. Cos you know, you can go, there's no gun at your head. You've always got something that just has to be said. Just give me the good news baby, don't say anymore. The future's decided, you've made up your mind, you've said it all a million times. Just give me the good news baby, don't say anymore. You don't need to remind me, you've hammered it home, just give me the good news and leave it alone.
Maybe we're just wasting our time, there's trouble brewing every day. Why should we keep on patching the holes when we could sweep it up and throw it away?
Just give me the good news baby, don't say anymore. The future's decided, you've made up your mind, you've said it all a million times. Just give me the good news baby, don't say anymore. You don't need to remind me, you've hammered it home, just give me the good news and leave it alone. Just leave it alone, just leave it alone.
The Last Thing on Your Mind
Party's over, Casanova. It's time to say goodnight. You stole my thunder, pulled me under and swept me out of sight. No promise you can make would make amends, I know I just can't watch myself pretend. Don't say the sun might shine tomorrow, or the grass is green between the lines. Don't say the rain won't last forever, when you know it's the last thing on your mind.
So you've become a different person, I've never seen that face. Another side that you've been hiding has come to take your place. No promise you can make would make amends, I know I just can't watch myself pretend. Don't say the sun might shine tomorrow, or the grass is green between the lines. Don't say the rain won't last forever, when you know it's the last thing on your mind.
I'm Not Dancing Anymore
The circus came to town. I ripped up my hand me downs. I couldn't hear the screaming for the cheers. But this waistcoat's very tight, this hat don't fit me right and the cymbals keep my fingers from my ears. Your stamping feet beat out the rhythm. Round and round your arm grinds out the tune. The snakes upon your head all snap in empty space when your stony stare can't find me in the room.
I'm not dancing anymore, I'm not dancing anymore, I'm not dancing anymore for you. I'm not dancing anymore, I'm not dancing anymore, I'm not dancing anymore for you.
Always the absent friend, you're on the losing end of all those little games you played to win. True wisdom's hard to find, so these words I'll leave behind - every day your future can begin. Your stamping feet beat out the rhythm. Round and round your arm grinds out the tune. The snakes upon your head all snap in empty space when your stony stare can't find me in the room.
I'm not dancing anymore, I'm not dancing anymore, I'm not dancing anymore for you. I'm not dancing anymore, I'm not dancing anymore, I'm not dancing anymore for you.
Slow Motion
She stretched right out in my mind, like an empire. But secretly she prepared for the fall. Soon the itching and shaking her head was taking over the show, til there was nothing but the weight in the air to paper over the holes.
She's leaving in slow motion with pieces of my broken heart. I watch in slow motion as every promise falls apart.
She spun the weight of the world on her finger. I had to run to keep up with her crawl. When a mind needs to travel alone, you have to lighten the load. Now I'm reaching at nothing and one scene in my head repeats to have and to hold.
She's leaving in slow motion with pieces of my broken heart. I watch in slow motion as every promise falls apart, everything just falls apart, it falls apart.