THE MOON IS QUIET (E G# C# F# B E)
Who would have thought? The sky is blue again. Who would have thought? The sky is blue again. Who would have thought? The sky is blue again.
The grass is green but soon the night will come. The grass is green but soon the night will come. The grass is green but soon the night will come.
The moon is quiet but I am listening. The moon is quiet but I am listening. The moon is quiet but I am listening. I am listening. I am listening.
I’M AN EGG (E A D G B E)
I’m an egg and nothing breaks my fall. Rolling on the floor, I am alive.
I’m a seed sitting in the dirt. Now I’m hurting, now I’m growing.
Now I’m walking down a dark path. Something glowing inside my chest.
I don’t know what I’m waiting for. This trip never ends.
I don’t know what I’m waiting for.
I LOVE YOU SO MUCH (E A D G B E)
I love you so much. Look at the sky now. Clouds go past, stars come out. I love you so much.
I love you so much. Lying on the grass. I’m a seed, I’m an egg.
I love you so much. I love you so much.
THE WHISTLING IS THE
TREES (E G# C# F# B E)
Come out. Now what?
Are you alone? I’ve found a place to rest.
The wind brings me here. The waves push me home.
The grass picks me up. The stars lay me down.
And I hear the whistling of the trees.
I hear the whisper of the ocean.
The whisper of the ocean.
I hear the whistling of the trees.
LACKING YOU (E A D G B E)
Those birds, lacking sky, would just walk around. Tethered to the ground.
Like leaves, lacking trees, would blow all day. Just getting further away.
Like fish, lacking sea, would just flap and flail. Shrivelling under the sun.
And I, lacking you, would break apart.
THE TIP OF THE SPEAR (D
A D G B E)
I said I didn’t know and it was the truth. I said I couldn’t go but I would follow you. I said I couldn’t hear a thing you said. I said I couldn’t see and I turned my head. I said I didn’t know and it was the truth.
I said I’d break apart and it’s how I felt. I said I think my heart has forgot itself. I said I’m not alone but I’m lonely. I said I’m not alone. I said I don’t know and it’s true.
In the heart of fear. The tip of the spear. Sometimes life is too severe.
Don’t cry no tears. I wish I was here. Sometimes the sky is too clear.
In the heart of fear. Sometimes life is too severe.
In the heart of fear. The tip of the spear.
OPENNESS (E A D G B E)
Here it comes again. Sun around my neck. I’ve missed a lot, not here.
She is hanging on. No one knows the toll it takes on us.
Let my shoulders rest. Shiny like a starry night until.
Day comes and I’m here. On the sand again.
Looking for sailing ships, empty waves, openness.
GONE BUT NOT FINISHED (E A D G B E)
When you fall down you find out what’s stopping you. Now you know what’s holding you back.
When you fall down the universe is telling you. Everyone is swimming through the same cloud.
When you fall down. Explosions of red and blue. Green and orange and purple through your ears.
When you fall I feel it, too. But I can’t hold your heart for you. Keep it safe and keep it full.
And I know it’s imminent. I tip my hat to the infinite. I might be gone but not finished. Gone but not.
Yes, I know it’s different. I don’t recognise these footprints. I might be looooooooost but not stranded.
I might be gone but not finished. Goooooooone but not finished.
Lost but not stranded. Gone but not finished.
Lost but not stranded.
I WROTE THIS SONG STANDING UP (E A D G B E)
I wrote this song standing up. Squinting my eyes in the sun.
Pacing around the backyard. Cool green under my feet.
I wrote this song standing up. Catching the wind in my throat.
Turning it into these words. And throwing them over the fence.
Into the trees. They’re singing along with me.
Singing: We wrote this song standing up. Squinting our eyes in the sun.
Pacing the around the backyard. Cool green under our feet.
We wrote this song standing up. Catching the wind in our throats.
Turning it into these words. And throwing them into the sea.
THE OCEAN IS ROUGH (BUT CLEAR) (E A D F# A# C#)
And suddenly I see a shadow. I know that figure for sure.
Crawling along the breakwall. I know I’ve been here before.
And suddenly I am singing. The afternoon is here.
Blowing across the surface. The ocean is rough but clear.
It’s harsh but fair. Floating, somehow.
I am right there.
And suddenly I can see you. Had to let go to know I love you.
The ocean is rough but clear. I know I am happy here.
Track 7 from the Yev Kassem album We Swam Out to Sea.
Thanks Nikola Jokanovic for the pic.
Check out his stuff: https://www.nikola-j.com/
@linear.wave.sampler
WE SWAM OUT TO SEA (D A D F# A D, capo 2)
All night you lied there, pretended to be sleeping. Closed tight your eyes when I reached out in the morning. Angels of light on our pillows like a trampoline. Jumping up and down but you didn’t see anything. You didn’t see anything.
Wind shook the house and I thought we might fall down. Threw the doona on the bed and said Are you ready to go now? Hair in your face but I thought I caught a brief smile. You opened your eyes and the sun shone for a little while. The sun shone for a little while.
We swam out to sea on a beautiful day. The water was warm and the fish led the way. Our friends on the shore just stood there and waved. They just stood there and waved.
White, blue and green in the sky like a billboard. Tall as a tree, it was closer than we thought. Smoke in the air but it smelt like spring had come. It caught me unaware but I wasn’t the only one. I wasn’t the only one.
We swam out to sea as the sun went down. Where rivers and streams run into the clouds. We were holding our breath as the shadows called out. The shadows called out.
Boiling tea will burn your tongue and you’ll spit it out but left to sit, for just a moment, is all it needs. It’s all it needs. It’s all I need.
Don’t pull the curtains I want to see the moon tonight. And let my dreams soak in the heavenly glow of light. I was always certain that fullness was everything. But that sliver in the sky makes me reconsider everything. I have to reconsider everything.
We swam out to sea on a wide open night. The stars led the way as they sung in the sky. The currents were strong, we hardly had to try. We hardly have to try.
AND THE STARS CAME OUT (E A D G B E)
He put his hand on his heart / and the clouds moved away
He laid on the grass / and the sky split / a wave crashing on the sand
He whispered Goodnight / and the stars came out / and the stars came out
and the stars came out / and the stars came out
I MEAN REALLY (E
A D G B E)
Where are you going?
What do you know now?
I want to slow down.
I want to slow down.
I cannot help it.
Do you need it?
Do I mean it?
I mean really.
All the way home.
I sit and wonder.
Where are you going?
What do you know now?
I want to slow down.
I cannot help it.
Do you need it?
Do I mean it?
I mean really. I mean really.
Where are you going?
Where are you going?
AS SUDDENLY AS IT STARTED (D G D G A E, capo 2)
As suddenly as it started it receded. All I heard was blood rushing then it went silent.
With our backs to the sun. Bobbing up and down. Waiting for the next one.
And as suddenly as it started I was leaving. I felt something strong. Only briefly.
Dripping on the sand. Disappearing. I couldn’t look back then.
I couldn’t reach out but I would now.
I cannot return; you wouldn’t be there anyway.
As suddenly as you came.
EVERY STAR IS IN THE SKY TONIGHT (D G D G A D, capo 2)
I am here again. Sitting like a stool. Hanging out to dry.
Dripping on my head. Short around the ears. Shoulders holding on.
And today I can feel.
The bones under my skin. The blood on the footpath. The damage we have done.
My toes are open wide. My head is somewhere else.
And all these things. I whispered in a dream. Like rain falling by my side.
I felt it in the night. But the day broke my heart. In the backyard I saw.
A shadow on the fence. Two figures running home.
Not looking back. I can see every light turning on. Like sleeping on the lawn.
And every star is in the sky tonight. In the sky tonight.
ONE AFTERNOON (E A D G A D)
One afternoon. I noticed a sky so blue. And I knew what to do. So I said goodbye to you.
And walked down the street. Something was pulling me. I was sad to leave.
But I knew I must. In my heart I need to trust. And there isn’t much else we need to do.
It’s just one afternoon. It’s just one afternoon.
IT DOESN’T FEEL GOOD (D
A D G B E)
It didn’t feel good. I didn’t think it would. I’m not stuck. I’m just tired.
It couldn’t be helped. I couldn’t do it by myself. I’m not deep. You’re just far away.
I won’t say it won’t happen again. But I hope it won’t.
I’m not stuck. It’s not all bad. It doesn’t feel good.
THAT HEAVY LIFTING (E
A D G B E)
When the rain came down on us I almost cried. I looked you in the eye and you just laughed. Before the world caught up to us I was sure as the ocean deep. Before the dark clouds opened and let us go.
I was sure as the colour green when we ran. I felt the world fading away behind our backs. And then the sun caught up to us because everything has to end a. She said:
I’ve kept you warm enough and that heavy lifting is bad for your back.
That heavy lifting won’t get you far.
That heavy lifting is no substitute for lack of understanding.
So we closed our eyes and turned our chins towards the sky.
THE SUN WAS UP AND I WALKED
TOWARDS IT (E A D G B E)
So, I pressed on. Clapping my hands together to remove the wet blades of grass stuck to my palms. The sun was up and I walked towards it.
And once I started moving I didn’t feel so bad. Heaviness falling off me and sinking into the earth. The first few steps like walking in sand but soon I had my own momentum. It felt like being pulled gently by the hand. The sun was up again and I walked towards it.
IT MUST HAVE RAINED (E
A D G B E, capo 1)
It must have rained. It must be night. I’ll just rest here.
You must be late. I must be tired. It’s just what I see.
Light between the trees. The road is cold and damp. Morning comes so easily.
I must be lost. You must be, too. We must be home.
Already, I think I can see. I think I can believe.
Lying on the grass. I can close my eyes. Waiting for the sun to rise.
It must have rained. You must be tired.
But I can’t explain. I can’t expect. I’ll just rest.
We must be safe. We must be blessed. It must have rained.
LET ME BREAK ME (I’LL
KNOW WHEN I’M READY) (E A D G B E)
A large gasp, a rough patch. It’s hard to know. But it’s no good to pretend.
Subtle, I’m ruffled. I might lie down but I’m just resting. I’ll know when I’m ready.
I’m not worth ten cents. My leaves are green and I change like whispers.
Crawling up my neck. I might let go but I’m just waiting. I’ll know when I’m ready.
I’ll know when I’m ready.
Holding onto arms of a clock watching the world spin.
Watching the world spinning.
Stop me. Save me. Hold me. Tell me.
Let me break me. I’ll know when I’m ready.
I’ll know when I’m ready. When I’m ready.
I’ll know when I’m ready. When I’m ready.
WAITING FOR MY BOY TO COME BACK TO ME (E A D G B E, capo 1) When will my boy come back to me? I don’t know if I’ll ever go back to sleep. ...
