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Cube It and Bent

by dwarf band

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1.
City Slipper 04:21
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CITY SLIPPER Hunting for the action, all of the roads lead home Sunk into reaction, from all of the folks I've known Glancing into parkland, all of the trees are bare Hard for me to understand, the fig leaf that I must wear Gripping insanity making me mad Mirror my vanity making me sad Well, I couldn't see how the good would turn bad Waving by the sea-side, to all of the girls down there Hoping they would open wide, smiling at me they stare Dashing down a backlane, someone I know I've seen Don't want to see the look of pain, remember what I have been Gripping insanity making me mad Mirror my vanity making me sad Well, I couldn't see how the good would turn bad Walking onto nowhere, dead-end in front of me Now I'm tearing at my hair, people will let me be Hunting for the action, all of the roads lead home Sunk into reaction, from all of the folks I've known Gripping insanity making me mad Mirror my vanity making me sad Well, I couldn't see how the good would turn bad No, I couldn't see how the good would turn bad No, I couldn't see how the good would turn bad
2.
Straitsman 03:05
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STRAITSMAN Bass Strait wind, it blows from the south Ice on the eyebrow, salt in the mouth I wonder if we'll ever see Franklin in one piece (We are the Straitsmen) White-cap leaping, crash on the bow Night is approaching, the sea is in cloud I wonder if the nightmare of darkness will ever cease (We are the Straitsmen) Straitsman, Straitsman, Straitsman, Straitsman Straitsman, Straitsman, Straitsman, Straitsman Working from daylight, spreading the net Far from the inlet, further south yet Antarctic lies sleeping, waiting to throw you something new (To throw at the Straitsmen) Heading for home now, moon on the wax Franklin in sight, the Strait at our backs The inlet a pond, so easy forgetting what we went through (We are the Straitsmen) Straitsman, Straitsman, Straitsman, Straitsman Straitsman, Straitsman, Straitsman, Straitsman Straitsman, Straitsman, Straitsman, Straitsman Together they stand, Straitsman, Straitsman Straitsman, Straitsman, Straitsman, Straitsman Straitsman, Straitsman, Straitsman, Straitsman
3.
Miscalculated 05:30
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MISCALCULATED Something doesn't add up here, near the truth, awfully near Something doesn't add up here, I look at you, through clouds I peer Something doesn't add up here, I look at you And then you turn away Something doesn't add up here, paid my fare, but awfully dear Something doesn't add up here, you flick your hair, another beer Something doesn't add up here, you flick your head And then you turn away Your story, can't be all; you bore me, yet I'm enthralled Ignore me; when I call I'm really down But something doesn't add up here, things aren't what they seem Something doesn't add up here, I search for what you mean I search for what you mea-ean Something doesn't add up here, clouded eyes but not a tear Something doesn't add up here, although I try, I am no seer Something doesn't add up here, you shift your eyes And then you turn away Something doesn't add up here, the thread of truth has disappeared Something doesn't add up here, I shout at you, but you can't hear Something doesn't add up here, I look for you But you just turn away Your story, can't be all; you bore me, yet I'm enthralled Ignore me; when I call I'm really down And something doesn't add up here, things aren't what they seem Something doesn't add up here, I search for what you mean I search for what you mean, I search for what you mean I search for what you mea-ean Something doesn't add up here, something doesn't add up here Something doesn't add up here, something doesn't add up here Something doesn't add up here (Something just doesn't add up here)
4.
Golden Rule (of Men and Zen) 04:49
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GOLDEN RULE (OF MEN AND ZEN People ask me why I am the way I really am I don't have an answer, just know that I'm a man People want a reason for the seasons that pass by I don't look for reasons, just know that I will die My golden rule, and I'll never let it go My golden rule, and I'm never going to show My gold to fools, who'd never understand My golden rule, I must make just what I can Make it while I can, I'm just a ma-an People ask me what I do to get through every day Nothing is my answer, I don't have any aim People try to justify what lies behind their acts Nothing is the simple truth, I simply give the facts My golden rule, and I'll never let it go My golden rule, and I'm never going to show My gold to fools, who'd never understand My golden rule, I must make just what I can Make it while I can, I'm just a ma-an Men and zen, fools and rules, blind faith placed in useless tools Where and when, how and why, we only can be sure we'll die In the e-end: men, and zen People tell me first they have a purpose in their life Then complain about their boredom and their endless strife People want to sail and never fail to reach their goals I just say by nature our lives are never whole My golden rule, and I'll never let it go My golden rule, and I'm never going to show My gold to fools, who'd never understand My golden rule, I must make just what I can My golden rule, and I'll never let it go My golden rule, and I'm never going to show My gold to fools, who'd never understand My golden rule, I must make just what I can My golden rule (And I'll never let it go) My golden rule (Yeah, I'll never let it go} My golden rule (I'll never let it go) My golden rule My golden rule (mm-m mm), my golden rule (yeah yeah) My golden rule (mm-m mm), my golden rule (yeah yeah)
5.
Nagasaki 04:14
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NAGASAKI Who felt the heat and the oppressive silence that day When so many people who lived there were all blown away Forty years later they're arguing trying to sway My opinion but all I can do now is quietly pray? The tree stands naked, the child will die Who stands blameless, not I? A morning so perfectly clear, you could not see the sun Such a beautiful day it was totally useless to run Is this still human behaviour what have we become In the words of co-pilot, My God: what have we done? The tree stands naked, the child will die Who stands blameless, not I? And I hope and I pray, to live another day And there won't be a party like they held for Nagasaki A world safety balanced, destructive possessions its base While talking of peace their examples are dropped into place Eloquent inverted logic revealing two-face Making their weapons, a spiral eliminates race? The tree stands naked, the child will die Who stands blameless, not I? And I hope and I pray, to live another day And I won't join a party that believes in Nagasaki
6.
Don't Cry For Me 03:54
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DON'T CRY FOR ME I have never been so lonesome, all the while spent on my own Sometimes I think I'll slide into the floor My existence is a habit, all the while I fail to grab It seems to me my own self I deplore But don't cry for me, I have no delusion Don't cry for me, I avoid intrusion Don't cry for me, or offer your solution Don't cry for me, just leave me be (Just leave me be) I have always seen your laughing sideways looks and glancing half- Intentions, I had never thought to fake My reaction, no prediction sideways step and furtive shifting Mental state wrought solely for my sake But don't cry for me, and give me your confusion Don't cry for me, and help me paint illusions Don't cry for me, I'll find my own solutions Don't cry for me, just leave me free (Just leave me free) I have never been so lonesome, all the while spent on my own Sometimes I think I'll slide into the floor My existence is a habit, all the while I fail to grab It seems to me my own self I deplore But don't cry for me, I have no delusions Don't cry for me, I avoid intrusions Don't cry for me, or offer your solutions Don't cry for me, just leave me be (Just leave me be)
7.
You Don't Have To Go Home 03:52
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YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO HOME Tragic patience you display, will you deign to look my way I guess I should explain it, though, expect it hardly matters if you know You don't have to go home You don't have to spend another night alone (You don't have to go home) You don't have to go home We don't need to live in a mindless stone You don't have to go home Why you stay I cannot tell, should I sway you with hard-sell Instantly my prospects soared, now you've mastered looking bored Weight of silence hard to bear, you just give a vacant stare I go on rambling, you're amazed, I don't catch on 'cause I am fazed You don't have to go home You don't have to spend another night alone (You don't have to go home) You don't have to go home We don't need to live in a mindless stone You don't have to go home Irretrievably faux pas, talk was where I'd been a star Desperate for relief that's due, I couldn't say I thought you knew Slow to sink into my head, realized with loads of dread I blew my rave and so the night, you can't save me from my plight You don't have to go home You don't have to spend another night alone (You don't have to go home) You don't have to go home We don't need to live in a mindless stone You don't have to go home You don't have to go home You don't have to spend another night alone (You don't have to go home) You don't have to go home We don't need to live in a mindless stone You don't have to go home
8.
Grim Harvest 03:49
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GRIM HARVEST There's blood on the tracks, poppies grow out in the fields There's no money owing and the dream he had was real There's blood in the bank, on the door, and in the street There's no way of slowing the grim harvest he now reaps There's blood in the howl, haunting, spine-chilling sound There's no way of knowing when he's up or when he's down There's blood on his wrist, on the knife, he sharpened long There's no way of knowing who is right and who is wrong They wanted him to pay, to see the sunrise grey Insisted he would pay, exist another day Deep in their jail, they never fail Deep in their hell, no-one will tell No-one will tell, deep in their hell There's blood on the bar, on her dress and in his hair There's no way he's going to show a weakness anywhere There's blood in the car, on the wheel, and on his lip There's no way of knowing why he took his final trip They wanted him to pay, to see the sunrise grey Insisted he would pay, exist another day Deep in their jail, they never fail Deep in their hell, no-one will tell No-one will tell, deep in their hell Deep in their hell, no-one will tell No-one will tell, deep in their hell Deep in their hell, no-one will tell No-one will tell, deep in their hell
9.
Civil-Iced War 04:19
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CIVIL-ICED WAR A decade in the salt mines (of Siberia) And when you'd laid some pipelines (in Siberia) Then you regained your place But you were in disgrace, in Siberia, (in Siberia) Come and form a lobby (at the Pentagon) Power games are your new hobby (at the Pentagon) Your empire costs you less 'Til you cross the IRS, at the Pentagon (at the Pentagon) Then it's civil-iced war (civil-iced war) Refrigeration without thaw Put that man on hold, stay there in the cold In a room without a door He can contemplate his flaw This is civil-iced war (civil-iced war) A lifetime in the closet (in suburbia) You have no wish to stop it (in subservia) But when you show your hand No-one can understand, in suburbia (in subservia) You're shooting for the top (in politics) You're the pick among the crop (in politics) Your leader makes a gaffe But you must take the rap, in politics (in politics) Then it's civil-iced war (civil-iced war) Refrigeration without thaw Put that man on hold, stay there in the cold In a room without a door He can contemplate his flaw This is civil-iced war (civil-iced war)
10.
Modern Slave 06:58
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MODERN SLAVE I am a slave, to the needs of only one I never gave, a thought for anyone I never wanted to, occupy my mind with someone else I always hoped, I could fly right in the face of hell I believe I must change, weary of my ego game Try to find, a way out of the mess that I have made To see if there is anything to save To see if there is anything so brave, in me And I'll break up the shell of my selfish pride Forget about hell and the flames inside As a Door I'll break through to the other side (Break on through to the other side) But hopefully I'll stay alive (Break on through to the other side) Yeah, hopefully I'll stay alive I am a clown, who's now run out of jokes I never was down, 'til I found I had no hopes I never wanted to, occupy my mind with what I'd do I always hoped, a miracle would show my worth to you I know now you need more, you have held an open door Try to find, a way out of the trap that I have wrought To see the things that you have rightly sought All the things that you have dearly, bought with pain And I'll break the pretense of my foolish pride Return to my senses and life's delights As a Door I'll break through to the other side (Break on through to the other side) And hopefully I'll stay alive (Break on through to the other side) So hopefully I'll stay alive Yeah, hopefully I'll stay alive Yeah, hopefully I'll stay alive

about

THE dwarf band / KELLAWAY SAGA

Songwriter Alf had amassed 10 years of lyrics, but could not play an instrument, when he purchased a Casio keyboard. With single finger major chords, two finger minors and the extremely demanding three finger 7ths, he placed the tunes in his head behind the words. Thirty-five songs spewed forth in one long weekend, warbled into a cassette recorder with Casio plodding along roughly in time. Nine of the 35 formed the basis of Cube, It and Bent. Not long after, Ken offered his dwarf studio (located on the corner of Cubitt and Bent streets) and recording commenced. In 9 nights, at 1 song each, the album was completed.

Cube It & Bent provided the foundation for the early Kellaways recording process. John (Deano) organised the various bits and pieces - Alf was not big on intros, instrumentals, endings or clever chord variations - and laid down an acoustic track. Alf did a rough vocal, Ken did the rest. The final vocal followed and Ken and John did the harmonies. In honour of the studio, the band was christened dwarf band, small in number and ambition. A 10th song (Golden Rule) was added 3 years later, because the album seemed small in number too.

As with all the following 8 albums comprising the saga, the cover art was 'done' by Alf the Scavenger and fairly faithfully reproduces the cassette or CD cover of the original 'release'.

Read on chronologically for the tale of a band that never really was (for nine albums).

credits

released December 31, 1990

Songs and vocals: Alf Davies

Backing vocals, acoustic 6 & 12 string Matons, mandolin: John Dean

All other instruments, engineering & arrangements, all
aspects of production: Ken Stephenson

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The Kellaways Melbourne, Australia

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