Family

I set out for something new,

I packed my bags,

Said I love you,

But though I left you far behind,

There was no use in me trying,

Cause all I wanted was you,

Time to set out on my own,

Another place,

Another home,

But my feet they wouldn’t move,

Except to bring me back to you,

Cause all I wanted was you,

So tell me what am I supposed to do now,

I’ve lost my chances with you,

And all my struggles seem a waste of time,

Cause all I wanted was you,

Cause from the moment I was born,

I’d never seen that much at all,

Never left where I’d come from,

Never made it on my own,

So I dreamt of the seven seas,

And all the people I could be,

And though I wanted you so bad,

I had to find out so I ran,

When all I wanted was you,

Tell me what am I supposed to do now,

I’ve lost my chances with you,

And all my struggles seem a waste of time,

Cause all I wanted was you,

I made you say goodbye to me,

And all the things that we had dreamed,

And I was to marry you,

Now it’s all I want to do,

And now I see the sun,

Rising up from the ocean,

But I’ll never see the moon,

The way we used to do,

Cause all I wanted was you,

Tell me what am I supposed to do now,

I’ve lost my chances with you,

And all my troubles now are plain to see,

All I wanted was you,

When the world has just begun,

You’re alive but you don’t know it,

The wind will pick you up to either fortune or to falls,

And there’s no one there beside you,

You don’t know where to look,

And every face is like a strangers from a Grimm tales fairy book,

Just keep your eyes wide open,

Your heart and mind as well,

You’ll find that troubles pass you if you see them coming well,

From the moment of conception,

You taught your lessons well,

You gave me good instruction in the miracles of the world,

And keep your sense of humour,

It will serve you til the end,

Cause people value lightness more than just about anything,

Forget about your failures,

Let them go,

Cause if you like your company,

You’ll never be alone,

You’re an angel,

I know it,

Just do the best that you can do,

And as the days fill up your diary,

I’ll always be here for you,

My angel,

My angel,

Well so much is going to happen,

You don’t know what’s coming next,

It doesn’t seem that fair that some get the best cards from the deck,

Keep those that keep you strong near,

And let the others go,

And always have a smile for strangers,

If they say hello,

But close your eyes now baby,

Rest your head,

You grasp my little finger like the first time that we met,

My angel,

I love you,

Just do the best that you can do,

And as the days fill up your diary,

I’ll always be here for you,

My angel,

My angel

It’s such a strange space
Just waiting here for you
I’m in the same place
Just watching over you
Never gonna leave
Never gonna stop
Always gonna fight for you no matter what
Always gonna wait
Never gonna run
Never gonna say
That we’re done
I know you hurt
I’m gonna be kind
Cause life is short
So little time
I feel your love
It fills me like the sun
I feel you pain
Like we are one
It’s never gonna change

It’s such a strange space
Just waiting here for you
I’m in the same place
Just watching over you

Never gonna leave
Or say we’re through
Only ever gonna wanna be with you
Never gonna lose touch
Never gonna lose sight
You’ve just got to reach for me
I’m by your side
It’s not an easy ride
That I’m here with you
But my arms are open wide
To fall into
You’re not a passing love
You’re not a scene
You’re deep inside of me
Your everything
And it’s never gonna change

It’s such a strange space
Just waiting here for you
And I’m in the same place
Just watching over you

It’s such a strange space
Just waiting here for you
I’m in the same place
Just watching over you

I’m a traveller on the river
I pick up songs on the way
They take me Rollin like water
Through the memories of my day
Like the time that I was swimming
To Steve Miller with my friends
When I hear The Joker
I’m back the again

Someone told me once that I’m addicted to music
But I don’t care
Give me some music and I’ll use it
Cause if I need a reason for magic everywhere
I Just listen to my music
And there’s colours in the air

And when my sister brought that tape player back for me
And I put on my headphones and pressed play on queen
I was standing in our garden
My head began to spin
And I walked up the road alone
And knew my life would begin

And when my brought back a tape of sunny boys
Well I’d hear it in the mornings as I packed away my toys
And I was ready
I was listening to all they had to say
Their words of experience
And what might come my way

I was raised when the radio was playing Duran Duran
And there was Culture Club and Violent Femmes and Drum machine bands
But my girlfriend was different
She liked Billy Brag
So lay there to The Specials, The Clash, The Cure and The Jam

And still then all my memories
Were deep within the tracks
Of Dixie and the Midnight Runners on my first school camp
I was kissing on the river to A Smooth Operator
Singing on the bus back home
One Bourban, One Scotch and One Beer

At my son’s assembly in his little new school hall
And they’re playing feeling groovy and wonder wall
And everybody’s singing and everyone belongs
They all love the music
They all love the songs

And as I close my eyes and I speed my bonnie boat
And I travel up the river into starry skies I float
See boxes on the hillside
Hear Sad Lisa in my mind
And I’m fourteen in my doorway
with Romeo and Juliet and the Telegraph Line

It’s easy to get sad and sentimental,

When we know this time is at an end,

We spent our moments in the water,

learning how to dive and how to swim,

The kids got hosed down by their Grand Pa,

They all through flowers on my brothers bride,

Granny fed them in the evenings,

My sister baked the cake in a home made tin,

And with love,

We may be going now family,

We may not know when the next time will be,

But we go with love,

The water in the hills keeps my Old Man’s garden green,

They grew the flowers underneath the lemon trees,

We came together by the blue Wisteria,

We drank champagne to toast my new sister,

The kids got stories from their Grand Pa,

And Granny made their beds with a soft white down,

The plates were out on the verandah,

Their was music as the sun went down,

On us,

We may be going now family,

We may not know when the next time will be,

But we go with love,

Oh you could hear the bell ring,

Oh you could hear the violin,

Oh harmonica on the wind,

Oh you could hear our hearts sing,

With love,

We may be going now family,

We may not know when the next time will be,

But we go with love,

I jump towards you in the darkness,

I call out to you standing empty,

I long to hold you clutching forwards,

I know you’ll catch me falling backwards,

I built my hopes and plans around you,

I sold my friends so I could see you,

I count the hours until I’m near you,

In everything I see,

I see you,

I think of you at home in bed,

And who you’ve got there now instead,

And each time I hear from you the distance gets further,

The pauses get longer,

The goodbyes get shorter,

And I’m running back to the depths that I knew,

But my hearts still there,

Waiting,

Believing it’s true,

And what can I tell it,

For I know it would die,

If I told it that all that we’d shared was a lie,

I’m running back to where I started from,

To the shadows where I’d watch you down the streets you’d walk along,

Where I knew you’d never see me if you ever pasted me by,

To the moment just before I lay there shaking by your side,

I’m just a pusher man,

I hit you with my love,

Hooked you on a make believe,

That I was enough,

I knelt down to you,

I kissed your feet,

I built a world for you,

As your retreat,

I kept your castle safe and warm,

I never asked where you’d come from,

I want you,

I crave for you,

I’d die to be your lover,

But the truth is I’m a friend of yours,

Not your knight in shining armour

And I’m running back to the depths that I knew,

But my hearts still there,

Waiting,

Believing it’s true,

And what can I tell it,

For I know it would die,

If I told it that all that we’d shared was a lie,

I’m running back to where I started from,

To the shadows where I’d watch you down the streets you’d walk along,

Where I knew you’d never see me if you ever pasted me by,

To the moment just before I lay there shaking by your side,

Would you like a glass of white,

I took my time,

I thought you’d be late,

I stayed home today,

I fixed up the room,

I hung up the shade that you asked me to,

Modern times,

You jump too soon,

Light can strike you off your feet,

It’s up to you,

Cause I’ve found that it doesn’t really matter to me,

What you do,

Yeh I’ve cried,

Now it doesn’t really matter to me

Thanks for the time,

I needed the space,

I think we’ll be fine,

There’s a tear on your face,

And I’ve thought it through,

And some people say,

That they’ve been here too and it works anyway,

It’s alright,

Don’t cry,

It’s nothing new anyway,

It’s up to you,

Cause I’ve found that it doesn’t really matter to me,

What you do,

Yeh I’ve cried,

Now it doesn’t really matter to me

up to you

Well I hear it in the background,
Every morning it’s the same,
The voices of the callers on the radio again,
And it seems so many people with a sad and sorry view,
Are finding confirmation in the papers and the news,
Well I listen to them talking and it really makes me mad,
Cause their views are often ugly about what they all should have,
And I start to get a feeling and it’s one of deep frustration,
In the narrowness I hear that is shadowing our nation,
Oh well it’s sad it’s come to this,
Oh I feel I’ve been caught sleeping,
Oh and things have gone amiss,
Oh I can’t believe what I’m hearing,
Well their at it everyday,
Trying to polorize opinions,
You’re either this or that,
And there’s no room for intuition,
But just a short time back our pride was built on understanding,
It seems we were highjacked,
And now I’m left here wondering,
Oh just how did things come to this,
Oh I feel I’ve been caught sleeping,
Oh and things have gone amiss,
Oh I can’t believe what I’m hearing,
Can we really now decide what is or isn’t unAustralian,
And has there ever been a time where there’s so much alienation,
And are we happy just to take based on the pillars of the dollar,
At the cost of trying to build a land of principle ond honour,
Why do we let cruel policies that come from fear and hatred,
Try to harden all our hearts when love has always been so sacred,
And the spirit that we’ve worked for whilst we try to right the wrongs,
And forge a land based on respect where we all can belong,
Oh well it’s sad it’s come to this,
Oh I feel I’ve been caught sleeping,
Oh and things have gone amiss,
Oh I can’t believe what I’m reading,
While we destroy lives with separation and mandatory detention,
There’s a movement growing strong now and it really needs attention,
From the elders of our land despite a history of suffering,
Give their statement from the heart with understanding love and offering,
And with the courage and the tears that have born each powerful word,
Of the Makarrata Commission,
it’s time now to be heard,
While we suffer through mediocracy,
With no vision or recognition,
Will it be unanswered and unreceived,
This gift towards reconciliation,
Oh well it’s sad it’s come to this,
Oh I feel I’ve been caught sleeping,
Oh and things have gone amiss,
I can't believe what I'm reading,
A chance to trek across our great land together now begins,
And it’s waiting to be received but may not come again,
But you won’t hear it in the news except with fear on talk back stations,
And the saddest thing is you won’t hear it from the leaders of our nation,
And the media hacks of all trades just follow ratings and the polls,
With nothing but spin to play while our self respect dissolves,
And opportunities for a better land are squandered and are lost,
And dreams cashed in for broken hearts while our children count the cost,
Oh well it’s sad it’s come to this,
Oh I feel I’ve been caught sleeping,
Oh and things have gone amiss,
Oh but now I’m finally seeing,
Some one’s been misleading,
Oh but now I’m finally seeing,
Some one’s been misleading.