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Solomon's Tump

by Blake

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    Includes four bonus tracks, pics and original CD artwork.
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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Original 2003/2006 14 track version of Solomon's Tump in CD format. Rockhopper Records ROCD007.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Solomon's Tump via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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1.
If you're feeling lonely there's a place where you can go You don't need a ticket all you need to do is know That it is not very far and you can find your star or catch your dream Cos things are not as they seem up at Solomon's Tump Up at Solomon's Tump Up at Solomon's Tump yeah! Up at Solomon's Tump Everything's alright It's out of sight up at Solomon's Tump! Everyone is welcome, you can welcome everyone Find a deeper meaning or just go there to have fun Cos it is not very far and you can find your star or catch your dream Cos things are not as they seem up at Solomon's Tump Up at Solomon's Tump Up at Solomon's Tump yeah! Up at Solomon's Tump Everything's alright It's out of sight up at Solomon's Tump! You can see forever in the day and in the night You can see your problems and your problems look alright Cos it is not very far and you can find your star or catch your dream Cos things are not as they seem up at Solomon's Tump Up at Solomon's Tump Up at Solomon's Tump yeah! Up at Solomon's Tump Everything's alright It's out of sight up at Solomon's Tump!
2.
Beat Myself Up It's another day, another chance to tell myself with just one glance I must remember not to beat myself up The sun is out and the sky is blue and when I reach down and put some knots in my shoes I must remember not to beat myself up Cos there's plenty of other people out there who are gonna want to do it for me And there's plenty of other people out there I know I just shouldn't trust So when I brush my teeth and when I comb my hair, when I'm looking around for something different to wear I must remember not to beat myself up And then when I get home I need to rest my head, have good things to eat and get off early to bed I must remember not to beat myself up Cos there's plenty of other people out there who are gonna want to do it for me And there's plenty of other people out there I know I just shouldn't trust So if I lose my rag or if I smoke some weed or if I get up late or if I spill my seed I must remember not to beat myself up And if I question God and I demand some proof or if I'm asked my age and I don't tell the truth I must remember not to beat myself up Cos there's plenty of other people out there who are gonna want to do it for me And there's plenty of other people out there I know I just shouldn't trust
3.
I couldn’t tell you what shape I am in I couldn’t tell you the last time I went to the gym Maybe September the last rays of sun Maybe November I really don’t care because Life goes round and round The world goes round and round I’d like to tell you about something good I’d like to tell but I don’t think you would Do you remember the last time it snowed Do you remember the way your toes froze Life goes round and round The world goes round and round Round and round round and round
4.
She Flew Away I woke up early this morning for the first time in a week I knew I had to concentrate today I didn't have too much warning, she said she wanted to speak If my hair looks good I feel OK We met up in the Strand, there was nowhere we could sit We drank our coffees standing up and I thought “Well, this is it” She flew away, she flew away She flew away, she said she really couldn't stay I had a sense of foreboding after the gig Thursday night The band threw a party and she went along My sense of self was corroding, I couldn't tell what was right I knew that she was dancing to a different song She said we'll stay good friends and she tried to make it stick I said this is the end my skin is not that thick She flew away, she flew away She flew away, she said she really couldn't stay Oh she is such a lovely girl, oh she is the beauty in my world Oh I am a diver she's my pearl
5.
Don't Let Go 03:06
Don't Let Go I'm seeking perfection in an imperfect world I'm seeking attention from an unavailable girl I'm needing ascension but I keep feeling low I'm needing redemption but I don't know where to go Only you can get me out of this hole Only you can save my fallen soul And there is nothing else that I need so don't let go Don't let go I want recognition, I'm needing respect I want your permission to let me be like the rest But I know there's something I am starting to understand I don't need anything because I'm in your hands Only you can get me out of this hole Only you can save my fallen soul And there is nothing else that I need so don't let go Don't let go
6.
7.
Humankind 02:52
Humankind Is it a bird or is it a plane? From where I'm standing they could look the same I just hope that's birdshit falling through the sky What's going on is there a party tonight? I've seen the rockets lighting up the night Man have you seen the way they fly so high? But all the machine guns They can't kill anyone Inanimate objects don't have minds Like humankind You see that monkey living up that tree It wants to live in a laboratory Wants to give it's life so you can do your hair You see that man who doesn't look like us You see that child who cannot make a fuss The world's on fire but how much do we care? But all the machine guns They can't kill anyone Inanimate objects don't have minds Like humankind And all the cynics they just laugh and sneer Choose not to listen when they bend my ear It's not sophistication to say that life is shit But there's no superhero up in the sky And there's no guru gonna tell you why We change the situation by confronting it But all the machine guns They can't kill anyone Inanimate objects don't have minds Like humankind
8.
Beautiful Person There’s a part of paradise waiting for you You can tell it in my face I speak the truth I know it sounds silly but I can tell you’re gonna go You are the most beautiful person I know I'm bowled over every time I see you smile I get goose bumps just from watching you awhile I know it sounds silly but I just had to let you know You are the most beautiful person I know I can see it in your eyes before you speak I can feel it in your breath when you're asleep I know it sounds silly but let me say before you go You are the most beautiful person I know You are the most beautiful person I know You are the most beautiful person I know
9.
Lost the Plot You used to have it but then you lost it You used to have it but you lost the plot You were on fire, you had desire Now you're a liar cos you lost the plot I put my trust in you You showed me something new But what good did it do Now I have lost my faith in you You did an ad, that's really bad It makes me sad to see you lost the plot It isn't funny, you just want money It isn't sunny now you lost the plot No indication, no stipulation No vindication you just lost the plot Why did you do it, who made you do it You know you blew it when you lost the plot I put my trust in you You showed me something new But what good did it do Now I have lost my faith in you You were the best, unlike the rest My head is messed now that you've lost the plot You were my idol, you were my Bible I'm suicidal now you've lost the plot I put my trust in you You showed me something new But what good did it do Now I have lost my faith in you
10.
Slipping Away You saw me standing alone But you were not on your own I crossed the street just to save your face He wasn't much to look at You could do better than that But what does it matter now he's in my place There's something burning inside It's something I can't hide Won't you come around I won't ask you to stay I take back all that I said It's just that everything's dead Won't you come around, can't make it through the day Feel like I'm slipping away So tell me what does he do He's only fun cos he's new You'll be crawling back when things get slow Was it the things that he said Or is he better in bed I taught you things he'll never know Don't wanna be your good friend Just want to try it again Don't you remember what we had I know it's hard but I've changed I got my head re-arranged I never meant to make you sad
11.
Let It Go 03:01
Let It Go Slowly going out of my head Quickly get back into bed I was really onto something I was really onto something Yeah we were really onto something But I had to let it go I had to let it go I had to let it go Baby the next time around Maybe I'll keep my feet on the ground I was really onto something I was really onto something Yeah we were really onto something But I had to let it go I had to let it go I had to let it go
12.
Throwing My Life Away There's a flat in the centre of town In a building that should be pulled down But it's all I've got, it's all I can afford I'd like to buy a house away from the rest Instead I'm making do with fourteenth best But that's capitalism, what a sorry world I've been working all the day To pay the bills I have to pay I really want a holiday I'm throwing my life away My bank charges are more than malicious The manager has just got back from Mauritius On the back of what he bloody stole from me My landlord says he wants his rent on time If it's a day late he goes out of his mind But after all he's only got twelve properties I've been working all the day To pay the bills I have to pay I really want a holiday I'm throwing my life away My boss he earns a one and six zeros Puts Mussolini down as one of his heroes He thinks the world revolves around his arse He's got four cars but only uses one Last year he bought a brand new Golf for his son But he's only ten he'll have to drive it on the grass I've been working all the day To pay the bills I have to pay I really want a holiday I'm throwing my life away
13.
Silver Sun 06:13
Silver Sun Was it real or was I dreaming The veils of night were left undone Did I sleep, were my eyes deceiving Was it the moon or a silver sun This is a funny part of town Things round here take much longer to go down Silver sun shine on everyone Silver sun shine on everyone He pulled into the station He saw the tank was getting low Everybody was standing, waiting Gazing down to the valley below This is a funny part of town Things round here take much longer to go down Silver sun shine on everyone Silver sun shine on everyone Her hair was diamonds blazing Her dress shone rays of northern lights I saw her ship there waiting I watched it vanish in the night This is a funny part of town Things round here take much longer to go down Silver sun shine on everyone Silver sun shine on everyone
14.
Leave A Light On I decided long ago that I would let you in and show you everything And I'm determined that you know just what is happening underneath my skin I leave a light on I leave a light on for you For you You could say that we were wrong to want the world for free but we thought maybe And they can say it's just a song a simple melody but it was you and me I leave a light on I leave a light on for you For you Don't know why the story had to end We were lovers now we're just good friends Can it ever be the same again? I leave a light on I leave a light on for you For you

about

I was dumped by my fiancé for a soldier in 2002 and this unfortunate event led to a fantastically fertile period of songwriting and, eventually, the Solomon's Tump LP. It was recorded on a borrowed Tascam analogue four track machine in my bedsit in Cheltenham in 2003. The master tapes were transferred to CD by Mike Hill at Attic Studios in Bishop's Cleeve. I initially gave the first copies away to my friends. I used the moniker Bernard Blake, after an old chap I knew from work. My mate Paul, who had recently joined my band Karma Truffle, had just started going out with the head of an indie label, somewhat fortuitously. His girlfriend heard it and asked me to sign with her record company. Obviously, I did, but I persuaded her to sign Karma Truffle, rather than just me. We ended up cutting our debut EP, 'She's Not All That' with the label, which included the track 'Let It Go' from Solomon's Tump and two others I had recently written. The Solomon's Tump album itself was shelved until after Karmatruffle split up, when I decided to give it a proper release via CD Baby in 2006. I re-recorded three of the tracks (‘Beautiful Person’, ‘Round and Round’ and ‘Lost The Plot’) as I thought the originals weren’t quite up to scratch, and I left off my version of ‘Humankind’ as Karmatruffle had recorded a much better version on our debut LP 'What You Do Comes Back To You'. Solomon's Tump is exceedingly lo-fi and rough around the edges (as I say, it was recorded in my bedsit) but I'm fond of it. I had to record the drum parts for all the songs in one three hour session I'd booked at a rehearsal room in Cheltenham. I seem to remember finishing the drums on 'Silver Sun' with a minute to spare. I didn't have time to re-do anything. If you download the whole album you'll find five bonus tracks, including the songs that were excised from the original release.

NB With the release of the Solomon's Tump 20th Anniversary Remaster, this version of Solomon's Tump is no longer available on any streaming platforms.

credits

released September 8, 2006

Produced by Blake.
Blake: vocals, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, percussion.
Recorded at home, except for the drums recorded at Lansdown Studios, Cheltenham, on a Tascam analogue 4 track machine.
Transferred to CD by Mike Hill at Attic Studios, Bishops Cleeve.
This album, in all its imperfection, is for Hayley.
Thanks to: Sarah, Magda & Dom, Phil & Mike from Vinyl Vault, Shaun, Dean & Amanda, Karmatruffle.
Inspiration: Danny Kirwan, Nick Saloman, Ed Hamell, Charles Bukowski and Bill Hicks.
"At seventy I realised that instead of being a lunatic, I was a moron." Ezra Pound.

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Blake England, UK

UK 60s-tinged/ lo-fi /indie pop
/psychedelic rock /jangle /power pop /singer-songwriter and DIY musician. Proudly signed to the Subjangle record label. Mailing list sign up (receive a free download of my song 'Vinyl Junkie'): eepurl.com/dV04f ... more

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