Get all 31 Richard Gorman releases available on Bandcamp and save 50%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Welcome to the Holy Land, Fretwork, Stone and Feather, The Weaving Shed, Don't Try This at Home, Man Walks into a Bar, Medication, Zeitgeist, and 23 more.
1. |
The Music Boat
03:52
|
|||
|
The Music Boat
There is no time
To tell you all
How the beauty happened
Our boat swam clear
Into the clouds
High above you and yours
Gathering falling stars
We navigate and steer
By the music of the spheres
Hitch a fiery ride
On the comet’s tail
Our sea is the clouds
The sky is our sea
Here we belong
Touching the sun
Where the circling planets dance
Where day is night
And night is day
Moon sings our lost
Cosmonaut song
Earth alights the lunar dawn
We set sail on solar winds
|
||||
2. |
Moon Castle (Poem)
00:36
|
|||
|
Moon Castle
If our stellar love should fail
aloft on solar winds I’d sail
across the vacant orrery
icebound on the comet’s tail.
If your eyes should well with tears
and, parting, realise my fears;
cold lunar skies could harmonise
my mourning music of the spheres.
If you were to leave me
there grieving would I be,
stranded in my Moon Castle
above a sunless sea.
|
||||
3. |
A Fascination With Fire
03:43
|
|||
|
A Fascination With Fire
I can see your windmill mind is turning
You’re opening yourself to catch the wind
You say it’s early days and I’m still learning
To satisfy your appetite for sin
It’s the pleasure and the pain
The pleasure and the pain
The pleasure and the pain
That keep me with you
When we make love you sometimes cry
When we make love you sometimes turn and close your eyes
Those Spanish eyes
And you don’t like to hold the same position
You tell me that there’s no such thing as shame
You’re burning like the fires of perdition
How I love to watch the dancing of your flames
It’s a fascination with fire
A fascination with fire
It’s my fascination with fire that keeps me with you
When we make love you sometimes cry
When we make love you sometimes turn and close your eyes
Those Spanish eyes
|
||||
4. |
Cordoba (Poem)
00:33
|
|||
|
Cordoba
Heaven’s sword punctures
the swollen canopy of blue
drawing sanguinous scent from figs,
cloying hoarse ochre walls.
Unpaddled now by Mudejar wheels,
the Guadalavir drifts dead with dust,
thick with rushes and feathered squabbling.
No longer serenaded by the call to prayer
she crawls wounded and weary
to the tired empty clatter of bells.
|
||||
5. |
My Woman
04:08
|
|||
|
My Woman
My woman’s walking tall she takes it all in her stride
My woman’s dressing down, won’t swap fashion for pride
Her best friend’s aren’t diamonds, she can’t be sold
She can’t be bought for pearls or a collar of gold
My woman sees beyond the ad campaigns and the hype
My woman won’t be told that millionaires are her type
I want to share in her love and her sex
I want her opinion I want her respect
I want a lover to take my heart in her hands
I want a woman who’ll make me a better man than I am
With a wide open soul and a mind of her own
And a crazy glint in her eye
Let’s walk, let’s talk, let’s work, let’s play
Let’s dance, let’s kiss, let’s take it away
My woman’s got no time for alpha males at the zoo
Don’t fret about make-up and hair she’s got much better things she can do
She serves no master, she shows the way
She measures a man by more than the size of his pay
Let’s walk, let’s talk, let’s work, let’s play
Let’s dance, let’s kiss, let’s take it away
I want a lover to take my heart in her hands
I want a woman who’ll make me a better man than I am
With a wide open soul and a mind of her own
And a crazy glint in her eye
|
||||
6. |
Banks of the Tay
05:08
|
|||
|
Banks Of the Tay
A poor traveller sang by the banks of the Tay
My wife and my bairns won’t go hungry today
He took out his rod and his line and his fly
And sang to the fishes and birds in the sky
The Laird’s man the ghillie came presently by
And through the green bushes the rod did he spy
He cried at the stranger who’d trespassed the land
And his hound fixed its gaze on the travelling man
The ghillie cried ‘Let’s see what mischief you’ve done
Oh it’s well that I carry my stick and my gun
I’ve marked out the trails and I’ve laid out my snares
And cornered you here like a fox in his lair
‘Begone you auld tinker I’m more than your match
Let out your line and take leave of your catch
No fish will you steal from my river today’
And they stood eye to eye by the banks of the Tay
By the banks of the Tay
But he sang
‘Do the fish know they swim in your river?
What care the birds of the air if they trespass your land?
Would you fatten your beasts while you starve a poor man?
I swear by the cries of my children
I won’t swallow my pride or be chased like your foxes
And run empty handed for fear of your stick and your gun’
The ghillie tried pity ‘I know how you feel
But it breaks the almighty’s commandments tae steal’
Up spoke the traveller ‘The devil take him
And all who’d say feeding your family’s a sin'
The ghillie levelled the gun and let loose the hound
And let off both barrels as they rolled on the ground
When the smoke cleared sure plenty of blood had been spilled
But the traveller stood and the hound had been killed
He took up his stick and began to advance
Crying ‘right you auld beggar you’ve had your last chance’
But the traveller danced cleverly out of his way
And up ended the ghillie straight into the Tay
And sang
‘Do the fish know they swim in your river?
What care the birds of the air if they trespass your land?
Would you fatten your beasts while you starve a poor man?
I swear by the cries of my children
I won’t swallow my pride or be chased like your foxes
And run empty handed for fear of your stick and your gun’
A poor traveller sang by the banks of the Tay
My wife and my bairns won’t go hungry today
|
||||
7. |
West (Poem)
00:36
|
|||
|
West
Again,
in my sleep,
the world weary west,
worn raw to the bone.
Again,
in my sleep,
Rannoch the long moor,
gaunt Buachaille,
Crag of the High Hind.
Again,
in my sleep,
The Seven Sisters ragged edge
And proud Ladhar Bheinn,
Stag of Kintail.
Again,
In my sleep,
Schiehallion lances the silver cloud.
|
||||
8. |
Christina
06:12
|
|||
|
Christina
She used to drift on flights of fancy
She used to lose herself in dreams
Of lovers lost and old romances
Of summer nights and bedroom scenes
And she would sit and talk for hours
Spend evenings walking by the sea
She said that you had her in your power
And her final words were these
I know that he’s done me wrong
I don’t know if it’s love or only passion
That keeps me hanging on
And I know he likes hurting me
I can feel I’m slipping into darkness and insanity
I still remember how you left her
Frightened by the crazy things she said
You would not stay to try and help her
Exorcise the demons in her head
And now she spend her time in institutions
You broke her heart they paralysed her will
Drowning in self-pity and delusions
Half alive on alcohol and pills
She used to drift on flights of fancy
She used to lose herself in dreams
Of lovers lost and old romances
And her final words were these
I know that he’s done me wrong
I don’t know if it’s love or only passion
That keeps me hanging on
And I know he likes hurting me
I can feel I’m slipping into darkness and insanity
|
||||
9. |
Angelic
04:22
|
|||
|
Angelic (For JH)
The street’s on fire, the traffic screams, the jets above us roar
We crawl in the dust and shadows with our faces to the floor
They tell us not to stand together, look out for number one
But Mashal Khan and Victor Jara they’re angelic now
There are robots in the factories and murder on our screens
Beheadings in the name of god and scientific greed
Fascists in the post-truth world pour hemlock in our ears
Szymborska and Neruda dreamed and they’re angelic now
Glaciers melt, the forests burn the sky bleeds in the sun
But spirits walk among us and they know what must be done
The heroes that they bury are seeds planted in our hearts
Daevid Allen strikes the Gong and he’s angelic now
From Dundee to Concepcion, from London to Beijing
Your halo is a light inside and those you love your wings
Let’s work to build our Paradises in the here and now
Your time is short so shine a light and be angelic now
|
||||
10. |
Opekta (Poem)
00:38
|
|||
|
Opekta
Amsterdam 1940
Opekta, Opekta,
let’s make jam.
Compel this dark harvest in yielding armfuls
or individually fingered
into the stifling cauldron.
Taper dense stupefying propane.
Pectin. Sucrose. Gelatin.
Compress, rupture and coagulate
all essential oils.
Opekta, Opekta,
let’s make jam.
|
||||
11. |
Moment of Truth
05:21
|
|||
|
Moment of Truth
With a tip of the hat, with a wink of the eye
You’re circling me
And I’m trying to read that impossible smile
As we orbit the room
And we both know the deal before a word has been said
And we measure our breath as our shadows make love
With a flick of the switch, with a slip of the tongue
Contact is made
The predatory gaze the hunt has begun
But who is the prey?
And our words are a dance so we’re watching our steps
But we want to be caught and our traps have been set
How will I know if you’ll let it all go or take me away?
How can I see if you’ll set me free or enslave me, again?
Fingers explore, skin comes alive
As our lips are sealed
A taste and a glimpse of what lies in store
Then all is revealed
And it all gets so tense, then it’s all so laid back
The moment of truth and the breathing of fire
How will I know if you’ll let it all go or take me away?
How can I see if you’ll set me free or enslave me, again?
|
||||
12. |
||||
|
Someone Else Owns You
You are mastered by cards.
You can’t leave home without a visa.
You are leashed by ties and collars.
The authors of your bondage bring you to book monthly.
You have evasive creditors and direct debtors.
Machines spit out the sum total of your worth on paper tongues.
Career and property are ladders
and you are ill equipped for the arduous climb.
Someone else owns you.
You glimpsed opportunity once
and let the moment pass
because there in the photograph
she stands beside you.
Belonging.
So as you drop the noose around your neck each morning
and surrender freedom,
you can at least afford a smile.
Because bankers and bosses may yank at your chain
but someone else owns you.
|
||||
13. |
Going Down with the Ship
03:47
|
|||
|
Going Down with the Ship
The headlines are screaming the sky’s falling down
One by one by one by one the stars are going out
But I don’t mind that’s just fine by me
The meteor is coming, the comet’s on its way
There’s fire from the mountains they’re waking today
Take it easy and let it be
Here comes the big wave to waste the sunset strip
I’m going down with the ship
Thor slays the serpent and strikes Ragnarok
The big hand creeps forward to strike 12 o’clock
And I’m watching the big tree fall
The last bell has sounded its Armageddon
So I set my controls for the heart of the sun
And sing my goodbye to it all
The ocean rises and I’m waiting for the flood
The boiling of the blood
Cut loose the lifeboats, it’s been quite a trip
I’m going down with the ship
I’ve had my chances, haven’t we all
Loves and romances, my pride and fall
No sunsets on empire the proud captain said
Steer straight for that iceberg, full steam ahead
The rockets ignite and the missiles explode
The stops signs are up it’s the end of the road
But I smiling as I drive over the edge
Our goose has been cooked and it’s starting to burn
The turkeys have voted for Christmas to come
But I’ve got no time for regrets
We’re down to zero, look out she’s gonna blow
But I’m laughing as I go
Here comes the big one, kiss the Apocalypse
I’m going down with the ship
|
||||
14. |
Slippery and Restless
03:53
|
|||
|
Slippery and Restless
I want to head for the West Side I want to step back out on the street
I want the bars and the music the love, the hate and the heat
I hear the sirens and they’re calling to me
I see the lamppost winking at me
The rain drum’s her fingers and the shadows won’t let me be
So it’s one for the money, two for the show
Three to get ready but I ain’t got no place to go
My guitar’s slippery and restless, my piano’s holdings the keys
My heart stops dead ‘cos there’s somewhere else I should be
I need the dirt, the stink and perfume
The tall tales heartache and lies
But I’m frozen here with this empty look in my eyes
And it’s one for the money, two for the show
Three to get ready but I ain’t got no place to go
There’s a beer glass tonight that needs filling there’s an empty stool at the bar
There’s a hard luck story waiting for me to arrive
The moon she can’t hear my footsteps and the stars are wondering why
I said kiss you once if you love me but you kissed me once for goodbye
So it’s one for the money, two for the show
Three to get ready but I ain’t got no place to go
|
||||
15. |
Hoy - Waters of the Wild
08:15
|
|||
|
Hoy
Stromness to Scrabster, Dawn Ferry - 28th December ’03
‘Dawn’ whispers an unseen sun.
It is light before it is light.
Horizon delivers her child
in bloody afterbirth.
She midwives the expectant sea
who, through day long night,
held patiently to her skyborne birthright.
Now loaded depths
breach uncovering foam
and well upward bright raiment of air.
Blue release blue.
Still the day
my love.
Still the day.
Waters of the Wild
Catch your breath and hold it
There is no other love like this
The love that binds the ocean and the sky
A love to draw the salt and sorrow from your eye
What birds whisper to the air
The wind sings through the trees
And with no more understanding than a child
You come before the waters of the wild
A thousand men in uniform, a hundred flags to fly
A thousand metal needles thread the clouds
We worship gods and emperors, we build our dreams on sand
To be swallowed by the waters
Swallowed by the waters
Look out across the waves of steel
Upon the thunderous sea
No human heart can match the ocean swell
No man has any greater tale to tell
Immaculate the heavens blue
Immaculate the sun
Immaculate, the silver moon and stars
Outshine our gaudy treasures from afar
Raise steeples to your petty gods, raise towers to your greed
In the shadow of the mountains they remain
Take all your pomp and circumstance, gather all your pride
And kneel before the waters
Kneel before the waters of the wild
|
||||
Richard Gorman Dundee, UK
Instructions for use:
1 Acquire Albums 2 Acquire whisky 3 Ensure no interruptions for the next hour 4 Dim Lights 5 Turn it up
Drink and repeat as required.
If you like Richard Gorman, you may also like:
Little Anchor
by Bev Lee Harling
The first solo release in over a decade from Bev Lee Harling is a personal travelogue filled with euphoric compositions.
go to album
Dirty Dragonfly
by Bev Lee Harling
featured on Bandcamp Radio Jun 15, 2021
go to album
Gorgeous synth-soaked electropop with cover art to match from Glasgow's C Duncan.
go to album
The Edge of the Land
by Katie Spencer
Spencer's indie folk sophomore album was recorded live in the studio over the course of two days.
go to album
Veneer (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
by José González
featured on Bandcamp Radio Aug 29, 2023
go to album
Our Blood Is Red
by Luke James Williams
Emotive acoustic balladry from this UK musician with heart on sleeve and hushed arrangements.
go to album
El Invento (Remix EP)
by José González
featured on Bandcamp Radio Mar 15, 2022
go to album
