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HOBOHEMIA

by Simon Scardanelli

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1.
A TOWN CALLED IRON STRIKE Even as the daylight comes to a west end road Where there’s nothing more to choose And a war breaks down due to lack of support In a party run by fools And the talk is all of the faces seen by candlelight Still the lights keep burning in the middle of a town called Iron Strike And as the police come a-knocking and the ladies wear ballroom gowns again And they haven’t got time unless they move along In a steady way Someone shouts out a warning and a poster on a wall starts to peel Still the lights keep burning in the middle of a town called Iron Strike And they’re rusting falling slipping and crawling home tonight And they’re rusting falling skipping and whoring all the night And then another day comes There’s a ship in the desert with a captain Who’s been drinking hard By the light of the moon in a place Now called murder park And the rats are running as the ship is sinking fast Still the lights keep burning in the middle of a town called Iron Strike And they’re rusting falling slipping and crawling home tonight And they’re rusting falling skipping and whoring all the night And they rust like steel as they’re broken on the wheel like butterflies And they rust like steel as they’re dying in the fields half hypnotised Somebody’s crying and somebody’s dying Some people are living and they’re not even trying Somebody’s crying and somebody’s dying Some people are living without even, without even trying And she’s wrapped in cigarette smoke and a thousand broken dreams And then the dawn is frozen while her lover’s chosen to be out all night long And it’s a hard sell for a living hell In Paradise Still the lights keep burning in the middle of a town called Iron Strike And they’re rusting falling slipping and crawling home tonight And they’re rusting falling skipping and whoring all the night And they rust like steel as they’re broken on the wheel like butterflies And they rust like steel as they’re dying in the fields half hypnotised And they cry like thunder Love like anger lives a lie In a town called Iron Strike Words and Music © 1990 Simon Scardanelli/Musica Scardanelli
2.
Fire For You 04:10
FIRE FOR YOU I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find myself in love with you I find it most amusing that I crave for you - I’ll be brave for you But if you want to save yourself from destruction Then maybe we should put a stop to it all You will be raised on a battlefield born like a wild beast and you’ll be loved like a lion in the winter of your heart Running through the hot sand and burning like a firebrand like an angel when you come to me and I I will be fire for you I will be fire for you And if you’re asking me to say those words for Peace and company I will be More than happy to oblige you - to excite you - to decide your fate for you But if you want to save yourself from destruction Then maybe we should put a stop to it all You will be raised on a battlefield born like a wild beast and you’ll be loved like a lion in the winter of your heart Running through the hot sand and burning like a firebrand like an angel when you come to me and I I will be fire for you I will be fire for you Words and Music 1990 Simon Scardanelli/Musica Scardanelli
3.
UNCOMMON TIMES These are uncommon times - when worlds collide and Nations fight for vanity. These are contagious times when - love divides and hate inspires insanity. Infected all around A million loved ones underground - still rising. We search for clues in vain and look for Someone else to blame... Hold on... Hold on to something... Hold on to someone... Hold on to anything at all. We climb these dizzy heights - only to fall as sure as night - but wisdom seems so hard to gain Must everything be so explained? We light the fires at night to keep the Wild beasts out of sight but - Nothing burns like hell on earth - Is nothing really what it's worth? Hold on... Hold on to something... Hold on to someone... Hold on to anything at all. Hold on... Hold on to something... Hold on to someone... Hold on to anything at all. Words and Music © 1994 Simon Scardanelli/Musica Scardanelli
4.
Why? 07:39
WHY? He's still there - corner of 5th & A Just where he was three years ago When we first came to the Electric City, "How ya doin'?" - Coming out of a bar - How do you say how ya doing to a guy living in a cardboard box - without irony. We'd had a few drinks - mellow, comfortable – Walking back to our heated apartment, braving the cold wet february night. "You had a good night." he says looking up and smiling through a tangled beard - Just like - "Hey, just because I'm living in a fucking cardboard box on the street - there's no reason why you shouldn't go out and have a good time." And there's thousands like him every day But I just turn and walk away Cos if I stopped what would I say. Then there's Starving Artist - and Faith no More - That's what Dave calls them anyway. Hanging 'round the club, 5 o-clock in the morning on Avenue B - the glamour district. Painted drag queens and uptown suits slumming it downtown and o.d'ing on cocaine and voyeurism. "We went to this really wild after hours last night - got really fucked up man - what a blast! You should see some of the crazy people they get in there 'course you gotta take the Limo - you don't want to get stuck around there without wheels!" And Starving Artist says "Can you spare a dime buddy?" only it's a quarter these days. Takes a lot of quarters to buy a bag of dope. I see thousands like him every day But I just turn and walk away Cos if I stopped what would I say. An' I'm sitting in this cab - going somewhere, the guy driving's about 35 - 36 first generation immigrant - an' he's trying doesn't speak great English but hey - who does? An' we're stopped at the lights, an' a guy comes up to the window. "Hey man - Can you help me out with a quarter so I can get something to eat?" And the cabbie says - "Why? - Why? Why? - Why? You got two hands - just like me - Why don't you do somethin' for yourself?" I sit back in my seat, the lights change, and we speed off Goin' somewhere. Words and Music © 1994 Simon Scardanelli/Musica Scardanelli
5.
MY PUNISHMENT As I believe - a weakness can be strong in the blackest of my days And I should know I tried it once before In the garden of relief So there you go, berate my soul am I supposed to be alive? And if you say tomorrow I will pray for today If there's still time to save me If there's still time... I set my sights too high while you drew diamonds in the sky and all at once I understood the message here is loud and good My punishment, my punishment My punishment, my punishment The arrows that you aim at me are tipped with hate, and certainty I understand the reasons why - It's long and complicated... If you could see the hold you have on me there'd be no question I give myself to you completely - no hesitation I'm looking to survive, survive, survive I set my sights too high While you drew diamonds in the sky and all at once I understood the message here is loud and good My punishment, my punishment My punishment, my punishment Like a moth to a flame you draw me seems I'm ready to burn I set my sights too high While you drew diamonds in the sky and all at once I understood the message here is loud and good My punishment, my punishment My punishment, my punishment Words and Music © 2002 Simon Scardanelli/Musica Scardanelli
6.
FISH OUT OF WATER What do you want to be a hero for You know you'll only get yourself noticed Sticking your big head up above everyone What do you want to climb that mountain for You know you'll only slip and hurt your big toe Surely there are safer ways to have fun? Life would be easy if you'd just settle down Ah but life would be hard without digging and flying and aching and crying Like a fish out of water I'd drown. Why do you want to go to outer space You know it's cold and there's no cable TV What are you going to do on rainy afternoons? Why do you want to go so deep sea diving Maybe some big fish is gonna eat you Don't you know they've got them all in the Zoo? Life would be easy if you’d just settle down Ah but life would be hard without digging and flying and aching and crying Like a fish out of water I'd drown. Why do you want to leave your home town all your friends and family's here I think they’ll miss you Don't you think you'll get a little lonely too? Why do you wanna go adventuring it’s not as if there’s nothing here you couldn’t do Don’t you know we’ve got our own mountains too? Life would be easy if you'd just settle down Ah but life would be hard without digging and flying and aching and crying Without slipping and falling and aching and crawling - Like a fish out of water I'd drown. Words and Music © 1994 Simon Scardanelli/Musica Scardanelli
7.
THE BALLAD OF GENEVIEVE In the crazy world of a desperate man Were the cries of the living dead, As he called to the spirits of the demon souls That were living inside his head. Based on all known facts and information It was the middle of the day but nobody saw I guess nobody paid attention. So he sneaked out of town on the back of a horse - Well the back of a bus to be correct And from the look on his face he was going to a place Where papers are never checked. It was 4:34 when Mrs Moore came out of her house in a panic. And the little ones cried and trembled inside In the face of deeds Satanic. "Based on heresay and certain facts and information - We have reason to believe that he's taken Genevieve To Hell and her Damnation. We have reason to believe that he's taken Genevieve To Hell and her Damnation. Of all the Flowers in the Garden There isn't any so Sweet, The purest Poison in the Desert Will bring a good man down and down and down and down..... It was a hell of a do when the wire came through To Officer Cusack's desk, The disappearence of a girl - a jewel - a real pearl Guaranteed to make the National Press. With his job on the line he decided to assign His best man, Mac McGuiness - Who's tenacity was known - like a wild dog at a bone He'd sink his teeth into the case until he'd finished. Well it was well after dark when he saw the trailer park and the circle of fire burning. And though his heart stood still - he was certain of his will and how they'd celebrate his returning. Then he spied Genevieve with the flames at her sleeves - Though now he'd swear it was all an illusion, and as he stepped into the ring he was certain that he'd bring The case to it's full conclusion. And as he stepped into the ring he was certain that he'd bring The case to it's full conclusion. Of all the Flowers in the Garden There isn't any so Sweet, The purest Poison in the Desert Will spin good man round and around and around and around..... Now the story can be told - full of intrigue though it's old Of how McGuiness never solved the case. He returned a broken man - missing fingers from one hand and with a petrified grin across his face. "Based on facts and my thorough investigation - I have reason to believe that your daughter Genevieve Is the cause of this Damnation. I have reason to believe that your daughter Genevieve Is the cause of this Damnation. Of all the Flowers in the Garden there isn't any so Sweet, The purest Poison in the Desert Will bring a good man down and down and down and down.... Words and Music © 1994 Simon Scardanelli/Musica Scardanelli
8.
IF YOU COULD SEE ME NOW Well there’s some things you never learn to give and some things you never learn to take I don’t mind if it teaches me a lesson Well if I was hard of hearing ooh and I was short of breath I would still find time I would find a way to listen Well if you could see me now And if you could hear me now Come on back And make a new arrangement Well if you would listen now And find your way somehow To come on back And make a new arrangement Maybe I’m right that must mean I’m wrong Or maybe I just misunderstood Heavy is the head that never turns your way Well if I was hard of hearing Oh and if I was short of breath I would still find time I would find a way to listen Well if you could see me now And if you could hear me now Come on back And make a new arrangement Well if you would listen now And find your way somehow To come on back And make a new arrangement Words and Music Simon Scardanelli/Shark © 1988 & 2000 Musica Scardanelli/Sharkadelic Music/Bug Music

about

"Pretty much stripped back to acoustic strummed basics and Scardanelli's slightly nasal tones there's plenty here to engage and enfold with songs that pitch into downbeat takes on politics, love and social issues, be it be the depressing urban vision of ‘A Town Called Iron Strike’ where he sounds like an anti-Martyn Joseph, the angry homeless-lined streets of the largely spoken ‘Why?’, or the despairing folk blues ‘My Punishment’ which evokes the early work of Roy Harper.

On the dramatic speak-sing fable ‘The Ballad of Genevieve’, Chris DeBurgh collides with Nick Cave, while the soaring cry for reconciliation and redemption of the dramatic ‘If You Could See Me Now’ provides a hopeful contrast to the pessimistic view of humanity encompassed in ‘Uncommon Times’. It's good to have him back, even if he's unlikely to send you out into the night feeling overwhelmed by the joys of life."
Mike Davies, Birmingham101.com

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released January 1, 2005

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Simon Scardanelli Merléac, France

Simon Scardanelli is an English singer, songwriter & composer now based in Central Brittany, France.

Currently working on his next album - a folk-opera which he will launch in early 2023.

A great live performer who has toured extensively, available for solo acoustic & amplified concerts as well as in trio with accordion & percussion..
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