JULIA SANG BY THE SEA
©Trev Teasdel Weston Super Mare / Coventry August 1973


Chorus
Julia sang by the sea
Her hair blew in the breeze.
Julia felt oh so free
As she sang by the sea.


The rough and tumble waves
Calmly kissed the beach.
Julia had more than
the sweetest mermaid could teach.


Seagull weary of wing,
came just to hear her sing.
Her hair pirouetting the wind
as the eye of the day slowly dimmed.


Julia dwelled by the sea,
In a cove near the dunes.
Julia felt oh so free,
As the sun touched the sea.


Her feet sank in the sand,
The wind and the tide were her band.
Her voice rose up oh so high,
Enchanting the inky sky.


Julia sang by the sea etc..


….
Written on the beach at Weston Super Mare, visiting my friend Sue.

DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHERE WE’RE AT?
©Trev Teasdel Derby May 1972


Countless coils of worthless words
Cross opinions fencing futile
Although a million points be whet
Truth’s timid pinnacle is in exile
and confusion spins, spins much faster
Does anybody really know where we are at?


So many people wanting to be pleased
Pleasing one at another’s expense
And everyone’s a twist of their own
Trying to make some sense
And confusion spins, spins much faster.
Does anybody really know where we are at?


….


Written on visit to Derby, influenced by bands like Colosseum

I GUESS / ALL AT ONCE
©Trev Teasdel Coventry April 1971


I guess moonlight never meant much to me before
A kiss was a kiss and nothing more.
I guess the silver fountains never danced for
me before.
A girl was a girl and nothing more.
I guess a castle in the sky was just a fantasy before
and love was four letters and nothing more.


And all at once I’m the lake in which you swim.
And all at once I’m the sky in which you fly.
And suddenly you tread my woven patterns
and darkness is a pantomime of dancing stars.


I guess I never dug backstreet scenery before
My life was lived and nothing more.
I guess I never got together the together thing before
I was a passing train that passed and nothing more.
I guess I always had to walk before, now I fly,
don’t walk no more.


And all at once I’m a tune that people hum
And all at once I’m an unexpected smile on the gloomiest face.
And suddenly the moon is no longer a spy
travelling incognito.


I guess I never found nobody who became somebody to me before.
A date was a date and nothing more.
I guess my eyes were never opened as wide as this before
I looked but never saw through a slit and nothing more.
I guess i always thought that were i was was where it’s at before.
But boy you really shook my soul when you showed me there’s so much more.


And all at once I’m the sun who threw a party for the poor
and all at once I’m the sea who stood up and put a towel around her breasts.
throwing rubber dinghies to those drowning in their tears.
And suddenly I’m the mountain who ran away to space
And suddenly gravity signs his official recognition.

LANDING STRIP
©Trev Teasdel Coventry August 1970


You’re doing so well for yourself, my baby,
Said you prefer his company.
The one with the pound-note-eyes
The one with the car-key-smile.
You’re flying so high my baby,
I’ll be your landing strip when you fall
I’ll be your landing strip when you fall.


The plane trip you’re undertaken,
Is but a one way circle round the city.
You’ll see the sights froma height
You’ll be floating just like a kite.
But you’ll soon be back on the ground
Slowly at the speed of sound
I’ll be your landing strip when you fall
I’ll be your landing strip when you fall.


The path you tread seems paved with gold.
A thin vaneer round a heart that’s cold.
A skyway full of fun and glee.
But your wings’ll take you too high
You’ll be lost in the sky.
I’ll be your landing strip when you fall
I’ll be your landing strip when you fall.

THE KETTLE’S BOILING BUT THE ENGINE’S WEARY
©Trev Teasdel Coventry April 1970


The fortress gate opened like a mouth
The stars increased their light bill
by 10,000 kilowatts.
The hand of fate asks kindly to be kissed.


Chorus
But weary as a winning post
i couldn’t take the pace.
My pupils let in too much light
I lay dazzled on the floor.


The sea caressed my feet,
the water warm, the feeling sweet.
The drawbridge fell like angels in the blaze of hell.
I took the brick from within my eye,
But no matter how hard i try.


The express train had arrived
First class ticket handed.
The thorns of guidance had stung at last.
The ball was in the net.
but time like a Ferrari raced
as the sun hid inside its wardrobed face.


The swing bridge joined the shore
The sun like custard laughed
to see me hesitate far too long
and completely miss the boat.
and learn too late
that those who wish to build a fire
must put some fire in.

CRYFIELD GRANGE
©Trev Teasdel Warwick University March 1972


Cryfield Grange,
Feeling so strange,
as I wander by your woody borders
That cradles the spilling, joyous sun.


Morningside walk,
Leaves whisper and talk.
Breeze tells his tales,
of dark’s sable deeds.
I wander ‘long humanly lonely lanes.
Hold hands with peace and beauty.


Kenilworth Castle
Stonewall upholder of the sky,
Nephew of old Atlas,
His cross to bear, to be there, till he dies.


As I wander by your turrets tall,
Beneath the sun,
Refracting a single blade of light,
To light the lamps of love-light,
in the damp cells of the night.


Airport lounge,
Hate’s on the scrounge.
Love rears its fists to fear
But will not strike him here.
Wander ‘cross carpets of love.

OO EE BABY
©Trev Teasdel Coventry 1974


Oo-ee baby – you got me on the latch
You’ve got the key
Come on release the catch.


Oo-ee baby – I was cold as ice
Hot shot lady
Come on you do entice.


Chorus
One day you’ll be with me
My love is going free
One day you’ll be with me
My love is going free.


Oo-ee baby – I’m burning with desire
Be my lady
And let the flames burn higher.


Oo-ee baby – I’d be filled with shame
If you knew the thoughts
That are driving me insane.


Oo-ee baby – I was timid as can be
Then you came along
And made a change in me.


Oo-ee baby – there’s a sparkle in your eye
If you’re not teasing
Hold me thigh to thigh.


Oo-ee baby – my voice is trembling
You are a song
I’d dearly like to sing.


…
Saw an advert in Melody Maker – a music publisher looking for songs to fill an album. I went down to Greek Street, up the stairs to the office. He liked my lyrics and suggested I came back with a band. He also urged me to write chart material in the style of bands like Sweet. I wasn’t trying to write commercial material and wrote this attempt for fun afterwards.

FROM THE CRADLE TO THE ROCKING CHAIR
©Trev Teasdel Coventry December 1973


We’re on our way
From the cradle to the rocking chair.
We leap out of the cradle
And rock on to the rocking chair.
We’re tracked by time
Time trys to keep us in line.
Keep us in line
but it’s not easy to rhyme each line of your life.


The pens of the earth
Are tracing and recording our fate.
The pens of the earth
Like graphs of our sorrow and mirth.
And it’s hard graft
From the cradle to the rocking chair.
And it’s a fast race
From the cradle to the rocking chair.


I don’t know how to compete
There’s so many clocks that you have to beat.
The tempo of life is set to a rock n roll beat.
I look around me, I feel incomplete.
I can’t tap my feet to the rhythm of the drumbeat.
I’m shaking in my seat because everywhere i look
Feel I must compete – must compete.


I’m tuned too high
Now I’m all tense and taunt.
I’m tuned to a high pitch.
Pluck me and I will twang.
But if you suddenly tune me lower
To a pace that’s sweet and slower.
I’d feel so lost..keep falling off.


We we’re rocking in the cradle
When we were young.
Then rocking to the beat of a rock n roll song
When life slows down
We’ll be swinging to Sinatra and like.
Till we rock once more
Rocking in our rocking chair.
Waiting for that chariot (that chariot so sweet).
To swing so low through the air.
When we passed from the cradle to the rocking chair.

IF I COULD HOLD YOUR HAND
©Trev Teasdel Coventry 1973


Night..are you here so soon?
The sun is now a moon.
A shady light brightens up our night.
Sets a tranquil mood in which to brood.


A guitar plays…A song is sung.
All our trials in the cloakroom hung.
The wind outside on the wall it beats
The salty sea of  fear it sleeps.


Chorus
If I could hold your hand
If we could understand
What it takes to be a woman or a man.


In odd corners of odd day
When all our cares are swept away
And we sit and sing a song..float away
Into tranquillity.


When we reach out to a friend
With hearts that really care,
When we learn to share
The love we hold inside
Don’t let it hide
Don’t keep it all inside.

THE ONE SEED
©Trev Teasdel Coventry September 1972

How does it feel not to be wanted?
Oh I forgot, you wouldn’t know.
To be cast from your shores
Like a stone to the river
With absolutely no where to go.
Like an ‘address unknown‘ letter
Being sent to and fro.
Like wind blown ticket
On the sidewalk of the city.
Oh God, My God what have we done?
Are we not of the one seed?
Are we not of the one need?
To be wanted, to be loved. Oh God how we need.

How does it feel to bear all the blame?
Oh I forgot, you wouldn’t know.
To sell your newspapers
and star in your slogans
and still have no where to go.
It seems all we bring to you is ‘trouble‘.
The depth of our sorrow you’ll never show.
Humbly we beg to ask you one question
Are not all men brothers of the one seed?
Are we not all of the one need?
To be wanted, to be loved. Oh God how we need.

How does it feel to be crossed off the list?
To be ruled out in the margin.
To be a name, a body and no soul.
To just not exist.
To be passed around like some unsalable bargin.
To be expected to stand stagnant.
For them to say “This is” “Always“
When all the time we are moving.
And now is now and has no fixed properties.
Oh God, my God what have we done?
Are we not all of the one seed?
Are we not all of the one need?
To be wanted, to be loved. Oh God how we need.

How does it grieve to be classified?
To be void as a vessel.
To be hated / created, just to be a myth.
To see the sea of love curdle.
To meet with scowls and disapproval.
To be an onlooker.
Does not the cage contain the animal?
Oh God, My God what have we done?
Are we not all of the one need?
Are we not all of the one Seed?
To be wanted, to be loved. Oh God how we need.