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Stay Human

by Blake

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  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Includes 13 bonus tracks including alternative mixes, demos and live recordings and original CD artwork.
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      £5 GBP  or more

     

  • Stay Human CD
    Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    10 track CD album with original artwork by Richard Kilbey. Price includes full digital album download.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Stay Human via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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1.
Shooting Star I’m a boy and you’re a girl Nothing more beautiful in this world Than our love that’s here to stay Getting stronger every day You’re a girl and I’m a boy It’s our ever present joy When we touch we are as one We are complete and we are young And our love’s a shooting star You can see it from afar It’s burning through the sky And it’s never gonna die Cos its light is there reflecting in your eyes You’re a woman and I’m a man No-one else could understand How it felt to call your name I will never feel the same And our love’s a shooting star You can see it from afar It’s burning through the sky And it’s never gonna die Cos its light is there reflecting in your eyes Travelling through space Light years from our home Chemicals and waste Broken hearts and bones Broken hearts and bones We were young and we were brave Now we’re closer to the grave Though you’ve gone I don’t despair Our star is burning bright somewhere And our love’s a shooting star You can see it from afar It’s burning through the sky Though the star’s already died But its light is still reflecting in your eyes
2.
Stay Human #1 (Song for Vittorio) Stay human you taught us Keep your hope burning bright Don’t be scared of the shadows Don’t be fooled by the night In the menacing madness In the terrible fight Walk on into the darkness Carrying your light Uh-uh-oh-oh tell me it’s not true Uh-uh-oh I still believe in you Oh you know, we’ll never let you go Bury him in the mountains Under beautiful flowers Blossoming for freedom In the darkest hours He was a friend and a brother He came across the sea He gave his life for a people So their lives could be free Uh-uh-oh-oh tell me it’s not so Uh-uh-oh the world needs to know To know, we’ll never let you go We’ll never let you go
3.
Too Dark, Too Deep Don’t go too dark too deep You can’t hold your breath forever Nobody could keep their feet On the bottom of the ocean One light is all we need to get us to the end One light is all we need to make us whole again Don’t go too dark too long Don’t get lost amongst the shadows Don’t dwell on all that went wrong When you see the night come falling One light is all we need to get us to the end One light is all we need to bring us home again Don’t go too deep too long You must take time on the surface Nobody can be that strong We all need someone to talk with One light is all we need to get us to the end One light is all we need to make us whole again One light is all we need to get us to the end One light is all we need to bring us home again
4.
Anyhow 02:20
Anyhow It’s so hard living without you It’s so hard with all this space I never thought I could doubt you Or thought that I’d be replaced Looking back I see all the things I would not do now But just ask me anything I’d do it for you anyhow I see that I could be jealous I see that I could be dumb But what we had was so precious I wish I could change what I’ve done Looking back I see all the things I would not do now But just ask me anything I’d do it for you anyhow Anyhow I wish that you were still with me I hope that wish could come true I know I could have done better I guess that you thought so too
5.
6.
Fire Fire 04:19
Fire Fire Store the volume inside your head Little children end up dead Immunisation at an early age Teach your children to turn the page Fire Fire Human beings are burning The flames are getting higher But the world just keeps on turning Turning away Fetch the engines lend a hand Pour on water on this troubled land Our indifference is complicity With those who ordered these atrocities Get your ticket for a tour of hell Keep on ringing the emergency bell Complete the jigsaw made of body parts Match the torso to the broken heart When people’s lives are valued less than land Stay human take a stand Cos we are guilty for just standing around While our humanity is razed to the ground
7.
Tell Me Why 03:43
Tell Me Why Well I guess you were too beautiful And yes, I confess, I was not suitable But I would always be around When life would bring you down I’d take you on the town And turn your head around so tell me Tell me why tell me why I never dreamt I could ever lose you Tell me why tell me why I never meant any harm to you Well I guess it wasn’t feasible And yes, more or less, I am unreasonable To be so impertinent as this But something is amiss And I cherish our last kiss And want to ask you if you’d tell me Tell me why tell me why I didn’t mean any harm to you Tell me why tell me why I’ve never been so in love with you Now I’m on my own reflecting on the past And why our love just couldn’t last When it suddenly occurred to me a thought that must be true You loved me less than I loved you Tell me why tell me why I never meant any harm to you Tell me why tell me why I’ve never been so in love with you
8.
Salvation 02:45
Salvation I've got to get away Cos I just can't stay Need a place to hide I know it's going down Need the higher ground On the other side I need Salvation Cold winds are blowing strong No it won't be long Till we feel the flood I see the tides rise fast Nothing's gonna last Drowning in our blood I need Salvation Do you know where the pure water flows? Can you tell me? Do you know where I can rest my soul?
9.
Stay Human #2 Take all that you have baby Throw it all away Take all of your love darling Give it all away Oh Lord we gotta stay human Oh Lord we pray Oh Lord we gotta stay human Oh Lord these days The child was playing baby Just yesterday His father was beside him But not today We sat and worried baby All the bills to pay Now we know better darling We have found our way
10.
That Day Will Come That day will come when the people will unite That day will come when all wrong is put to right That day will come when the light of truth shines down like the morning sun That day will come when all war will turn to peace That day will come when the captives are released That day will come when God’s love shall free our hearts from all of our pain Cos it’s the hope of every age That we live to see the day When the people will be saved and thy will be done And a new dawn will arise When his love lights up the skies And the world set before our eyes will be as one That day will come That day will come when the nations cease to fight That day will come when the darkness turns to light That day will come when no longer shall be heard a sorrowful voice That day will come when the last shall be the first That day will come when the hungry shall not thirst That day will come when God will wipe away the tears from our eyes Cos it’s the hope of every age That we live to see the day When the people will be saved and thy will be done And all those without a choice Will be singing with one voice And the whole world will rejoice and live as one That day will come

about

'Stay Human' is inspired by the life of the Italian reporter and peace activist Vittorio Arrigoni, who was murdered in the Gaza Strip in April 2011 by a Palestinian terrorist group. Arrigoni was one of the few foreign journalists present in Gaza during the Israeli military offensive Operation Cast Lead, December 2008 to January 2009. He published a book, Restiamo Umani (Stay Human), a collection of his reportage from this period. Arrigoni coined the term ‘stay human’ as a call to the world not to let our humanity be diminished by allowing human rights abuses to go unchallenged. The album was funded with the support of friends and fans via the Pledge Music website. The profits from the Stay Human campaign went to the Greenbelt Festival, where I premiered the songs from the record live in August 2011. Through this album I hope to raise awareness of Vittorio Arrigoni's life and mission; a beautiful man whose integrity and humanity has moved me deeply. I really hope you will enjoy it.

Sleeve notes:

What is it about music that draws us so intimately to it? I’ll tell you what it is – it’s about magic and it's about vibrations. If the art is strong enough, it can resonate with your everyday thoughts and feelings, hopes and desires. Often, music acts as a soundtrack to one’s passage through time, chiming with life’s twists and turns like no other medium can.

It was during a recent meander through the Wiltshire countryside I was made aware of Bernard Blake’s new album, Stay Human. To my receptive ears, it’s a glorious collection that reflects the artist’s wide range of talents and moreover, the qualities I talk of above. While Blake pays due homage to his influences, it’s his integrity that’s stamps itself over the 10 tracks contained on this long playing disc. In a world dominated by “me, myself and I” - it’s a rare beacon of light in a selfish landscape.

Take “Fire Fire” for instance, a swipe at inactivity and impassiveness that never once borders on sanctimonious. “Salvation” too is a raucous cry from the heart awash with emotion and yearning harmonies. “Too Dark Too Deep” blends gentle harmonies and mournful lyrics calling for illumination over barren lands and forgotten souls. Less challenging is “Shooting Star”, a breezy, beat-ridden 4 minutes that belies its pop sensibility with honest emotion. Similarly, “Anyhow” revels in shimmering guitars and yearning sentiments with a tight succinctness .

While not a concept as such, the unifying theme of the album is in tribute to murdered peace activist Vittorio Arrigoni, the 36-year-old reporter who died in Palestine during April 2011. The triumvirate of songs ‘Stay Human’ and the haunting chant that close the disc are a respectful tribute to the Italian’s humanitarian efforts that were cut down so cruelly. Somewhat appropriately, the album's finale is the optimistic “That Day Will Come” – a wish for the world to rejoice in harmony and peace.

All in all, it’s a fabulous piece of work, and like many who will undoubtedly fall for its charms, I shall return to it more than once.

Simon Wells, Sussex. November 2011
Author of 'Butterfly on a Wheel: The Great Rolling Stones Drugs Bust'


Watch Stay Human recording sessions video here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gG6fK2pkeY

credits

released April 15, 2012

All songs written by Julian Pugsley © Rockhopper Records 2011

Produced by Andy Rowland at Gatehouse Studios, Swindon

Blake: vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, bass, harmonica, percussion, stylophone
Helen Bousfield: bass, concertina, flute
Richard Bousfield: electric guitar
Joe Brown: vocals, bass, keyboards
Amy Evans: vocals, keyboards
Eddie Giddings: acoustic guitar, mandolin
Jon Godfrey: drums, percussion
Paul Kench: electric guitar
Richard Kilbey: slide guitar, banjo, mandolin
Andy Rowland: keyboards, programming
Chris Scrivens: drums
Claire Horton, Jill Perrett and Liz Weldon : backing vocals on 'That Day Will Come'

Thanks to: all the above for generously donating your time and skill to this project, Jenny Ann Pereira and everyone who pledged their support via Pledge Music, Rob Dady, Terry Sheppard and Simon Wells at 208 Records for believing, Benji Rogers and the team at Pledge Music, Paul Northup, Eleanor Mottram and Tom Davies at Greenbelt, Mary Tapping at Sarum Link, Roger at Rover Music, Liz Weldon, Jill Perrett and Claire Horton for the backing vocal arrangement on ‘That Day Will Come' and, lastly, and most importantly, to Sarah and Daisy for putting up with me through it all.

Special thanks to Andy Rowland - couldn't have done it without you! www.gatehousestudios.co.uk

This album is dedicated to Vittorio Arrigoni 1975-2011 - a winner, remembered for his dreams.

“Vittorio is not a ‘hero’, he’s not a martyr, he is just a boy, like many of you, a boy whose intentions were to claim, with his own life, that human rights are universal and they must be respected and preserved everywhere all over the world; a boy who knew that injustice must be revealed and documented so that no-one, living a safe life, could ever say: I was not there, I didn’t know…stay human, peace be upon you.” Egidia Beretta Arrigoni, mother of Vittorio Arrigoni

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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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