WE. ARE NOT. COSMONAUTS

by The Smivets

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1.
Hallelujah Tuesday 06:18
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How come a day and a half seems to take More than an entire week? Have cyber time-thieves tampered with all my clocks? If this is any indication then The prospects are looking bleak Pop your thinking back inside the box Best invest the time remaining Crafting excuses Explaining why you couldn't do the job Rather than just get on and do it Excitement reaching fever pitch Fear or desperation, can't tell which Will give me strength to get me through it So better brace yourself because However paroxysmic Monday was Your thrill-buds will be redlining soon Each hallelujah Tuesday afternoon What's the deal with missing the thing You claimed to hate the most? Isn't this supposed to be paradise? Yet I'm tapping at the window Like some Bronte sisters ghost In a kind of masochistic afterlife Was it the camaraderie Against a shared adversary Even when they might be Non-existent? Condemned to freedom's life-row Miserable even though Now I can stare aout the damned window Any time I want What am I supposed to do? Nothing to look forward to Half-heartedly howling at the moon This hallelujah Tuesday afternoon Those devils of dependancy Were just mayflies in the air Gone before they'd even taken wing It's not until you lose something You find that you didn't care There really is more to life than suffering Gone the disillusionment I found I had the whole thing back to front Damn, why did I ever leave it this late? Gave up 72% of each week As a kind of pointless punishment Endured to pay for the other 28 But every day's a weekend now Even Monday takes a bow See me dancing to a different tune Each hallelujah Tuesday afternoon So say hello to the new way I ain't gonna do what you say Hallelujah Tuesday afternoon
2.
Hover Cars 05:09
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As I looked over the wilderness Of what once was Found I couldn't finish my sentences Because Then I heard the keening of a solitary songbird A stabbing sound With that we learned That we weren't the only worms around Such luxury as this we never Imagined in our youth Would we have taken the same path Had we known the truth Well who the heck says this is excess? Who marked the scale? The desert generation Bred to fail We should have had hover cars by now And lives of untroubled leisure Robots to cater to Our every whim and pleasure We put our faith in the con that was fusion Protected the illusion A destruction of our own choosing But hey, we made money Bought all this stuff Now I can't afford the energy A victim of my own scam Poor me But affordable is just Another word for valueless And the most precious things we had Are lost to us We should have had hover cars by now And lives of untroubled leisure Robots to cater to Our every whim and pleasure We put our faith in the con that was fusion Protected the illusion A destruction of our own choosing But hey, we made money It's OK, cos we made money
3.
Tina Melaena 05:09
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Tina Melaena, guillotiner Fled her life in, erm, Argentina Wanted for the heinous misdemeanour That gave rise to her name Took ship to a strange and lawless land Where her singular skills were in high demand By a particularly sinister gang Who profited from her fame But the wicked can truly know no rest She never guessed as she slipped the West She'd been tailed by Buenos Aires' best One Juan de los Chorlitos Slyly disguised as a window cleaner Juan conspired to spy on Tina But his ticker skipped as he spied between The slats in her venetians Contriving to be her next victim Juan hatched a plan to make sure she picked him But she found her desires conflicting As she raised her slicer Strange the way these games play out They belayed the charade of cat and mouse Eloped to France and set up house Vowing to play more nicer But it couldn't last.... Tina found domestic life demeaning She hankered after her old life And fell back to guillotining Intent to end what she'd begun She started by finishing the job on Juan Severed their togetherness Juan wanted more But wound up somewhat less Then she stowed away as cabin boy aboard a privateer Where she soon subdued the crew By pursuing her career And chopping off the fingers Of all who drew too near The she led them as captain The scourge of the Spanish Main Happy as they plundered Lifting up this glad refrain: Tina Melaena, Tina Melaena Rum and bum and concertina
4.
Blindfold 04:25
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I don't know (he don't know) What to do (what to do) Always have to have (always always) Something new (something new) Serenity slipping from my weakling grip Water toture going drip drip drip I know what I want, where to go, who to be Just not this, not here, not me Then you untied the blindfold so I could see What was always in front of me What I've been looking for for so long You've been here, my love, all along Watching these compulsions fill my head When all you need is what Lennon said Something you can have until the world turns black Something you can hold that will hold you back I'm obsessed (he's obsessed) Against my will (against his will) Relentless quest (relentless lentless) For the next big thrill (next big thrill) Three for a fiver Seven for a ten Seaside novelties again and again Grubbing for more and more and more Coal scuttle fingers in the knick knack drawer Then you untied the blindfold so I could see What was always in front of me What I've been looking for for so long You've been here, my love, all along Watching these compulsions fill my head When all you need is what Lennon said Something you can have until the world turns black Something you can hold that will hold you back Blindfolded gagged and bound Can't move can't see can't make a sound Too self obsessed to see You had already rescued me Then you untied the blindfold so I could see What was always in front of me What I've been looking for for so long You've been here, my love, all along Watching these compulsions fill my head When all you need is what Lennon said Something you can have until the world turns black Something you can hold that will hold you back Something you can have until the world turns black Something you can hold that will hold you back Something you can have until the world turns black Something you can hold that will hold you back
5.
Heading for Lockdown 05:24
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Well I saw the invader come Heralding fear and death Not with fire and gun But on the droplets of our children's breath How can we defend ourselves From an enemy we can't see? There's no vaccine, no cure, Becauses we're the disease Much as I love you all I think we're heading for lockdown No one's ever seen empty streets like these Not since the 2nd world war Pubs closed, everything cancelled There's not much fun any more Can we really beat this thing Blowing kisses by videophone? It's tricky to stand together Bunkered inside our homes Much as I love you all I think we're heading for lockdown Headed for lockdown So they're telling us not to worry But they're calling for volunteers Do they think we seasoned old campaigners Still wet behind the ears? I'm gonna crack that single malt That I've been keeping back for years When this is over When this is done Maybe then we'll carry on So I messaged my lawyer: Where do I send my claim? Things don't just happen anymore Must be someone to blame But all I got was an out-of-office Which gave me cheer: If we're in no state to litigate That's one less thing to fear And, bad as you think it is, I think we're headed for lockdown Headed for lockdown Because they're telling us not to worry But they're calling for volunteers Do they think we seasoned old campaigners Wet behind the ears? I'm gonna crack that single malt That I've been keeping back for years When this is over When this is done Maybe then we'll carry on So they're telling us not to worry But they're calling for volunteers Do they think we seasoned old campaigners Wet behind the ears? I'm gonna crack that single malt That I've been keeping back for years When this is over When this is done Maybe buy another one...
6.
The Oyster 08:52
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Look at them Look at these people What in hell are they doing? They must all know the way of things What can they be thinking? It just irritates me Like an insect tickling my skin They're doing stuff that I don't like The world is quickly sinking We cling to the familiar yet yearn for change Narrowing the focus of what's not strange No time for the ways that the strange behave As we try to retie the laces of our days Then these lunatics bomb in without a care Seemingly for motives I don't share To conjure inventions from random crashes And charm the clay from the feet of statues Is this what the dinosaurs felt When they saw that falling rock? Perhaps I should have more respect For those who hack me off Through the fogged up glass of evolution Did I glimpse my fate? Not so much a dinosaur More like what they ate We cling to the familiar yet yearn for change Narrowing the focus of what's not strange No time for the ways that the strange behave As we try to retie the laces of our days Then these lunatics bomb in without a care Seemingly for motives I don't share To conjure inventions from random crashes And charm the clay from the feet of statues In this oyster of the world It's still the grit that makes the pearl
7.
Flowers on the Bridge 05:40
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Flowers on the bridge I recall they closed the road Took another 40 minutes Kinda ruined the day Well it made the local news For a day or two anyway People move on No-one's life really changed (Well someone's did ...) So who was this lad? Did we pass one another? Someone's son? Someone's brother? Someone's insignificant other? What brought him to This disillusion? Some kind of cry for help Or a logical conclusion? And if you've ever had those thoughts Like all young men have We're not cosmonauts Don't always have a plan But it's never as bad As you fear it is We're here to help you Help you get through this Don't just become Flowers on some bridge So what now? What can we learn, what should we change? In the end it was a free choice Though maybe not the best one Don't try to face it alone There's always, always someone else We can mitigate all risks Except the worst one - yourself And if you've ever had those thoughts Like all young men have We're not cosmonauts Don't always have a plan But it's never as bad As you fear it is We're here to help you Help you get through this You've got more to give Than just flowers on some bridge If you've ever had those thoughts Like all young men have We're not cosmonauts Don't always have a plan But it's never as bad As you fear it is We're here to help you Help you get through this Please don't just become Flowers on some bridge
8.
Hard Work 04:23
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Never been afraid of hard work At least in small doses But this stress and strain you cause Giving me the neurosis Lord I love you babe But Jesus you're hard work Always keep the damned receipt In wit the gift wrap Ain't never bought you one single present I didn't end up taking back Lord help me I love you babe But my life you're hard work Getting sick of second guessing Like wishing I was dead Get the impression that you're messing Messing with my head Yes it's just passive aggression Though nothing's ever said to my face Treat me mean to keep me keen And firmly in my place Then one time I asked you What you wanted for your special day "Oh nothing" you replied I bought you exactly what you asked for And you were still not satisfied Lord I love you babe But Jesus you're hard work Getting sick of second guessing Like wishing I was dead Get the impression that you're messing Messing with my head Yes it's just passive aggression Though nothing's ever said to my face Treat me mean to keep me keen And firmly in my place Getting sick of second guessing Like wishing I was dead Get the impression that you're messing Messing with my head Yes it's just passive aggression Though nothing's ever said to my face Treat me mean to keep me keen And firmly in my place Treat me mean to keep me keen And firmly in my place Firmly in my place Firmly in my place
9.
Parce Domine 10:54
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Parce Domine Parce populo tuo Ne in aeternum Irascaris nobis Beneath a winter windmill sky The arched back black cat spits As the painted parade of lost and damned Bids a rousing farewell to its wits Troupes of nuns and can-can girls Watch the insane descent begin And poor Pierrot takes his final round As a shadowy moth-winged angel cups his chin Cups his chin Cups his chin Cups his chin Parce Domine Parce populo tuo Ne in aeternum Irascaris nobis Parce Domine Parce populo tuo Ne in aeternum Irascaris nobis A century and the madness Has descended further still We squander scant resource Protecting Lemmings against their will When they've all denied the problem Because they didn't much like the remedy Partying on regardless of The consequent calamity Undeterred by irony They joined a foo's crusade Seeking compensation For the chaos they themselves had made Buoyed by crying Tok-Face followers Angry and aggrieved But would that be any comfort For the ones they'd leave berieved? Berieved Ah ah Ah ah Ah ah Parce Domine Spare Lord Spare your people Be not angry with us Forever Spare Lord Spare your people Be not angry with us Forever So how will this vision of 2020 Be written in the stars? Recovery from these wounds Will leave deep and unequal scars Think humans have no predators? Let this lend lucidity Oh, and no-one's discovered a vaccine yet For stupidity Spare Lord Spare your people Be not angry with us Forever Spare Lord Spare your people Be not angry with us Forever Parce Domine Parce populo tuo Ne in aeternum Irascaris nobis Beneath a winter windmill sky The arched back black cat spits As the painted parade of lost and damned Bids a rousing farewell to its wits
10.
Desert Breeze Glider 06:35
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No more Looking over our shoulder No more Precipice to peer over We can do what we want now Doors have opened wide We can live how we want now Tentatively step outside Free as the desert breeze That blows where he chooses For these scant years that remain to us Everybody wins, no-one loses We solved the game That no-one's meant to understand Let's cut our engines now And just glide into land No more No more keeping score No more Eyes cast down to the floor We can be who we want now Breathe the open air We can go where we want now Live if we dare Free as the desert breeze That blows where he chooses For these scant years that remain to us Everybody wins, no-one loses We solved the game That no-one's meant to understand Let's cut our engines now And just glide into land Slow down No point sprinting for the tape Not now We've made our escape We can do what we want now Feels like we can fly We can live how we want now Gliders in the sky Free as the desert breeze That blows where he chooses For these scant years that remain to us Everybody wins, no-one loses We solved the game That no-one's meant to understand Let's cut our engines now And just glide into land Glide into land

about

New release for 2022, these songs were written over the course of 18 months between 2019 and 2021.
No it's not a lockdown album (yawn) although a couple of songs do touch on Covid. Mostly it's just random stuff that occurred at the time
A bit proggier perhaps than some of my previous efforts but that's just how the songs fell out this time rather than any grand design.
Anyway hope you'll listen and hopefully enjoy it.

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released December 14, 2022

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The Smivets Uttoxeter, UK

The Smivets are Steve Smith, a songwriter, guitarist, singer and musical dabbler from Staffordshire, UK.
Leaning heavily towards the music of the 70s, there's a cavalier disregard for any rules of genre. One minute it might be hard rock, the next pop, or prog-rock or punk or anything, but all with depth - they'll take your heart if you let them.
Press play - you never know what you'll get. ... more

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