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Weathervane

by Ben Calvert

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Steve Watts
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Matthew Cumiskey
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1.
Weathervane 02:44
lyrics
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Step off the greying train to windy platform of the station Swinging sign says you're back in the town of affirmation Here it's bound to be much better You've been changing like the weather Spinning like a weathervane Soft rain at your feet take you back and to the old church Sun on suitcase shine, you'll be better in your own world Here it's bound to be much better You've been uncertain like the weather Spinning like a weathervane Thundering. Sheltering. Stained glass window shines of glory Kneeling stranger prays her story Four shops, one's for food, one's for hair and one's for papers The last is up for grabs, there's a hungry undertaker Here it's bound to be much better You've been changing like the weather Always check the weather Spinning like a weathervane
2.
Bottle of Wine 01:41
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Sunshine - So much better when you're outside I'll be playing around with you and a bottle of wine With you, be much better off without you I'll be playing around with her and a bottle of wine And in your dark dress, we will get married There'll be carriage for you and me I'll be playing around with her and a bottle of wine I'll be playing around with her and a bottle of wine I'll be playing around with her and a bottle of wine
3.
The Traction of The Days 02:26
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You used to love all your powders And you 'd take them by the gram while you're waiting for your man I'd love to indulge in your poison Like to take a line of two, like some new punk sniffing glue But the traction of the days makes a meal and makes a maze of modern man Remember when the fields were golden? When Spring was at it's start, you were open with your heart I'd love to love you in the evening Like to take you by the hand Try to help you understand That the traction of the days makes a meal and makes a maze of modern man Oh the cold night is fleeting There'll be bells in the morning The traction of the days makes a meal and makes a maze of modern man
4.
The Minus Touch 04:04
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I'm swiping left and right in a town I now call home I'm on the iPad cause its way bigger than my phone The picture of Bill Murray with the pink haired girl beside I'd be in Heaven if the pixels never lied I'd be in Stoke-on-Trent now, dying by your side Oh who will help me to rewind this Minus Touch? It was all over before it could ever begin Sat in a station bar while drowning in pink gin The picture of Robert Smith with his Chinese panda eyes "Get in loser: We're going crying in this golf cart - Take a ride" Oh who will help me to rewind this Minus Touch? In my bed, T-shirts on Could you learn how to feel or has it been too long? Oh who will help me to rewind this Minus Touch?
5.
Fountain House 00:47
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Wo xichuan chi la de
6.
Put Yourself Back Strong Where You Belong 02:03
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May the god you believe in love you back just a little May they keep your defences strong Gotta build your low walls a-higher Put yourself back strong where you belong When the night is cold - there can be fire When the day is deep - there can be light Gotta keep your seven candles burning Put yourself back strong where you belong Now there are angels and there are devils In every soul in every street Gotta keep those red men a-runnin' Put yourself back strong where you belong May the ones that you trust in keep your door alive with knockin' They will help to build your spirit strong Gotta keep your own number rolling And put yourself back strong where you belong

about

In late February Ben Calvert found himself very ill indeed. This would be the perfect time to put the finishing touches to his latest collection of songs 'Inside/Outside'. This EP explores being on the inside or outside of the body, the mind, society and buildings. Pretty dark stuff.

It soon became apparent that for a while, everyone would be spending lots and lots of time inside.

The drag of the 'Inside Days' has had a strange tendency to produce more uplifting art. And the Weathervane EP is one of those pieces. Recorded at home in Stafford, from March to August, it sees Ben in an optimistic mood.

Weathervane is a welcome home, a reassuring hug of a song in a sea of uncertainty. Bottle of Wine is a cheeky little sunshine number. Tasting notes: Dry and light-bodied with a bitter aftertaste of fickle hearts.

The Traction of The Days scratches it's head at the quick-quick-slow passing of time. The Minus Touch is a prayer for a dating-app curse to be broken, with a bass line that sounds like a crying computer.

Then there's an instrumental tribute to Ben's favourite Chinese take-away that he's never been to.

Rounding off the EP is Put Yourself Back Strong Where You Belong, a life-affirming spirit-lifter with piano and Soul organ. It's so reminiscent of blur's Tender that Ben's had to wait 20 odd years before releasing it. (EMI - we have lawyers standing by.) ;)

credits

released September 3, 2020

All songs written, arranged, programmed, played, sung and mixed by Ben Calvert
Mastered by Pete Maher

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Ben Calvert & The Swifts Birmingham, UK

Influenced by British folk, early 90s Indie and US Psychedelia, Ben’s post-folk sound has melody, stories, and lyrics at its heart.

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