Dear Friend / An Englishman Abroad

Released       2005

Label              Dust Records

Produced     Marc Olivier

An Englishman Abroad

I’m an Englishman with a foreign tan
I dance in the rain to Viva Espain
The flag of St George and the blood of the land I’m an Englishman abroad

Its Madness to be in love with your own sex
Its Madness if you don’t object
Madness to invite friends to drive our buses
To have mango chutney with a chicken madras’s

Chips and beans, sausage and mash, cheese on toast chips and peas
Eggs and beans, fish fingers, cauliflower cheese, chicken in a basket

Its Madness to call us an island
When England and France are a tunnel apart
To think that we won a war on our feet
Today we press button to blow us all to smithereens

Musician’s

Simon Duckworth – Bass
Marc Olivier – Guitars, vocals
Daniel Rachel – Vocals
Rocco Webb – Drums, percussion

Production

Produced and musically arranged by Marc Olivier
Recorded by Mikko Gordon at Kuu Studios, London
Assistant engineer – Ross Power
Mixed by Bartrum at Bob Lamb’s Studio, Birmingham

I had been trying to write a song into the early hours without inspiration. On the point of giving up, I looked up and saw amongst my records a CD sleeve with the word, ‘Madness’ sticking out, a cover of Ian Dury’s ‘My Old Man’ This was the spark the song needed, providing an opening line and a feel. Remixed from the original 7″ vinyl single version.

 

Dear Friend

Before the door was closed
Before the mould was old
Taking time seemed so easy
Before she left the room while the flowers bloomed
Making love seemed so easy

But now the flowers in the room begin to wilt
I want you still
Dear friend, dear friend, love you till you’re old

I’m going back again
I never knew you when
Jumping from trees was a passion
I stole from apple trees
Skimmed stones across the stream
Many tears in the playground

But now the flowers in the room begin to wilt
I need you still
Dear friend, dear friend leave me till you’re old

But now the air that she used to breathe
Tastes so stale, tastes so stale

Before the door was closed
Before the mould was old
Taking time seemed so easy
Before she left the room while the flowers bloomed
Making love seemed so easy

But now the flowers in the room begin to wilt
I want you still
Dear friend, dear friend, love you till you’re old

Musicians

Simon Duckworth – Bass
Marc Olivier – Electric and acoustic guitar, string and woodwind arrangement
Daniel Rachel – Acoustic guitar, vocals
Rocco Webb – Drums, percussion

Production

Produced and musically arranged by Marc Olivier
Recorded by Marc Olivier at Plastic Studios, France / Mikko Gordon
at Kuu Studios, London
Mixed by Bartrum at Bob Lamb’s Studio, Birmingham

My girlfriend was listening to Travis a lot at the time of writing this song, she says the influence is pretty obvious, I’d rather Paul McCartney – a true genius. A very different version was also released as a limited edition 7″ single.