1. |
Trying to Wake the Dead
04:18
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I dreamed this dream for you
I wrote the words
And hummed the tune
It was like that then
And it still rings true
You're always asking me what I meant
If you don't stop talking sense
Going to have to end the suspense
I walk these streets alone
Looking for my house
My home
Here's where it used to stand
But now it's gone
I lost you somewhere along the way
For all these houses look the same
We can't go back the way we came
And when the night goes quiet
I sit awhile
I put the world on hold
Return to the fold
We were just children then
We're older now
We should know better than
Going around trying to wake the dead
Our old stomping ground
I can still hear it now
Seems much clearer to me
This time round
Oh what sleight of hand is this?
To make me long for something
I don't miss
Like an unfaithful lover's kiss
And when the night goes quiet
I sit awhile
I put the world on hold
Return to the fold
We were just children then
We're older now
We should know better than
Going around trying to wake the dead
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2. |
Railway Man
05:00
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Lord lead me not into harm's way
For I can get there on my own
Keep me warm and keep me dry
'Til I hear that lonesome whistle cry
Make the train and then set sail
Clinging to that silver rail
I've crossed this country from coast to coast
Always pulling such a weary load
'Cause I'm a railway man
And I've strayed so far from home
No matter where I am
Such a long way left to go
See the scenery shift and change
Through towns of rust, bent stalks of grain
And from my window I can see
A hollow figure staring back at me
There's someone else behind the wheel
Telling me how to think and feel
From behind a veil pulling on my strings
I've got a restless heart but it just won't sing
'Cause I'm a railway man
And I've strayed so far from home
No matter where I am
Such a long way left to go
If I had a dollar for every time
I lost my way as the rail unwinds
This copper coin don't bring me luck
It's just a souvenir from the place I'm stuck
Lay it down upon the track
A heavy head of steam and I won't look back
Come and meet me round the bend
For I'll never set foot in this town again
'Cause I'm a railway man
And I've strayed so far from home
No matter where I am
Such a long way left to go
I took the long way round
And I won't slow down no, oh
'Cause I'm a railway man
And I've strayed so far from home
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3. |
Famous Last Words
05:43
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I am not an honest man
There’s more to me than you can see
Let he who is without sin
Pass their judgement over me
I was born to modest circumstance
Though I claim a noble ancestry
A man is free to dream up his past
Suit himself and serve his own needs
I’ve lived in every country town
From Flinder's Range to Charters Towers
I drank em’ dry, I wore the women down
Fled the early morning hours
There is no rider that comes close
No brumby that I cannot tame
I’ve got the knack for breaking a horse
That’s how I got my name
I’ve always had to have the last word
These famous last words
The year 1900 I heard the call
Queen Victoria and her mighty drum
The Motherland is going to war
To take back what belongs to her
I enlisted, landed in South Africa
I fought bravely, strong and true
On horseback I led the attack
Showed them Boers a thing or two
Found fame and notoriety
Amongst the Transvaal officers
Toasted the Queen with English gentry
They mistook me for one of them
Served under Captain Percy Hunt
As finer man who ever went to war
He was killed in a morning raid
So I started hunting down Boers like they were sport
Yeah I had the last word
These famous last words
It’s a fact well known far and wide
But it's hard for me to understand
How the life of a colonial
Is worth half that of an English man
Kitchener said ‘take no prisoners’
Lay waste to the countryside
Now it’s me in the firing line
A scapegoat of a once great empire
So shoot straight you bastards
Don’t you make a mess of it
Let my death be swift and quick
I won’t think you any less for it
Keep in mind as you cock your gun
That I am not an honest man
You can strip me of all I’ve done
But in death my name will go on
Yeah I’ll have the last word
These famous last words
Yeah I’ll have the last word
These famous last words
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4. |
Half a World Away
05:06
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You’re not the type
Who should be playing with fire
I know that you’ve been burned before
You’d be a fool
If you tried to scale this wire
There are lesser lights that have tried and failed
You come hear beating at my door
But you already know the score
Asking your questions
Needing to know why
My heart lies
Half a world away
I used to kneel down and pray
At the altar of your love
Eating from the palm of your hand
But all this time
I’ve been thinking up little reasons while
You’ve been busy making other plans
It pains me to be so unkind
But there’s no room for you in mine
So I’ll take the blame
Feel the fury of your shame
So long as I’m
Half a world away
I don’t know if it’s just me
But for a long time it’s seemed
That this thing has been heading south
Long swallowed my pride
But I can’t meet your eyes
As the words tumble out of my mouth
I fell for the traveler's romance
But you know I never gave myself the chance
Well it might sound strange
But in my own silent way
I’ve been a long time
Half a world away
There are some ties
That can never be broken
No matter how far down the track
Now I might play it cool
In the company of others
But you know me better than that
Just a black figure through the fog
He’s been trailing me like a dog
Well the shadow of our love
Spans the distance between us
I can still feel it from
Half a world away
Now I’m kicking my heels
On the cobblestones
In a home away from home
Licking at my wounds
In this cold dusty room
Reaping the seeds that I’ve sewn
Soon I’ll cross the line
Daylight savings time
Well I don’t know if you’re sleeping
Or how my heart’s been keeping
You know I left it
Half a world away
No I don’t want to be remembered
As some first-time offender
Or as the one who got away
Think of me the way I out to be
Coming good
On those promises I made
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5. |
Early Hours of Morning
05:00
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In the early hours of morning
My head is heavy from the load
See my life flash before me
And I’m sinking like a stone
You’re living somewhere in my memory
And I don’t remember a thing
But I know
I’m not alone
For tonight
The world is mine
Throw these blankets from my body
Cast these shackles from my feet
Close my front door behind me
And I’ll go walking down my street
The city shines like a diamond
For a moment I feel like a king
Yes I know
I’m not alone
For tonight
The world is mine
I see no light on in your window
No sign that you even exist
If I ever came to lose you
It’s your guiding light that I’d miss
But I am not afraid of darkness
For darkness is my friend
Yes I know
I’m not alone
For tonight
The world is mine
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Greg Steps Melbourne, Australia
Greg Steps is an indie-folk singer songwriter living in Naarm/ Melbourne. Teaching himself guitar as a teenager on his dad’s Yamaha acoustic, he developed a love for singing, ultimately revealing a distinctive, homespun voice. Aided by his inherently watchful eye and vivid imagination, he has forged a body of songs that are sophisticated, poetic and timeless. ... more
Greg Steps recommends:
An awesome set of songs, good late night, driving music
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