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Took A Shine

by dwarf band

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1.
Like The Proverbial 04:41
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LIKE THE PROVERBIAL I worked for fifteen years, I never made it pay I never got the buzz, that made some others rave But I'm not going to play by those rules I'm not going to stay here like a fool I'm off, like a chop, on the rock'n'roll - rock, rock'n'roll I talked and talked for years, I never made it pay I never hit the mark, despite what others say But I'm not going to talk as before I'm not going to walk back through that door I'm off, like a chop, on the rock'n'roll - rock, rock'n'roll Rock, rock'n'roll, so good for your soul Once beloved dole, now rock'n'roll - rock, rock'n'roll I've thought and thought for days, I still can't make it pay Yet something's shining through, emerging from the haze And I'm not going to sleep all the time I'm not going to keep repeating rhyme I'm off, like a shot, on the rock'n'roll - rock, rock'n'roll Rock, rock'n'roll, so good for your soul Once beloved dole, now rock'n'roll - rock, rock'n'roll
2.
Glad I Knew You 04:08
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GLAD I KNEW YOU I heard today that Jerry's gone An era long has faded away His jolly face though old and grey Not in the way and cannot be replaced I want it said, he did me good Misunderstood by all who were not heads He lived like hell, the wildest rider Higher than a kite with tales to tell And I was glad to know you rider, glad you showed me, rider From dark star into medley, St. Stephen, oh so deadly Glad to be a fighter, a smokin' tokin' rider And I'm sad to see another dead is grateful I'm sad to see another dead is grateful The Fillmore just a dream A trip or two in future He stretched across the sea And reached out through the mushroom cloud to me The skull is veiled, the rose will die We didn't fly the starship has sailed A ripple spreads, the pond remains A world has gained but our man Jerry's dead And I was glad to know you rider, glad you showed me rider From dark star into medley, St. Stephen, oh so deadly Glad to be a fighter, a smokin' tokin' rider And I'm sad to see another dead is grateful I'm sad to see another dead is grateful Yeah I'm sad to see another... The King is dead (another grateful dead) The King is dead (one of the faithful dead) The King is dead (another grateful dead) The King is dead (one of the faithful dead) The King is dead (another grateful dead) The King is dead (one of the faithful dead) The King is dead (another grateful dead) The King is dead (one of the faithful dead)
3.
Took A Shine 04:31
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TOOK A SHINE At a party one night He left her talking to another guy (at a party one night) He went out walking in the moonlight (at a party one night) The other man was very keen He thought he'd get between them He took a shine to her, he took a shine to her He took a shine to her But she was not impressed ( not impressed) Later on that night They left to travel home by car (from the party that night) Stopped at a store, it wasn't far (from the party that night) The man behind the counter grinned He knew he was right in She took a shine to him, she took a shine to him She took a shine to him Slipped him her phone number (her phone number) Then the weekend came He went out drinking with the boys (when the weekend came) Lifting himself above the noise (when the weekend came) He saw his girl walk hand-in hand The store, the face, the man She took a ride with him, she took a ride with him She took a ride with him And she never returned (never returned) She never returned (never returned) And as two lovers share the shine The siren blows, it is half-time How could he miss, oblivious He missed the shine, missed the shine
4.
Save Your Skin 03:53
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SAVE YOUR SKIN British bulldog in the shelter shed, eyeing off the big white Angus Forces gathered 'cross the football field, new ways for playing dead Too bad I'm playing dead Magic mushroom floating in her head, old man, the Tolkien wizard As he nattered down the path he led, what she saw, not what he said She heard not what he said Running away, flying away One thing is certain, your skin you will save Your skin you will save, your skin you will save Fear it creeps along your skin There's no way out and you don't want in Fear it creeps along your lip Nervous twitch and inadvertent slip Backed up against a dingy bed, Inspector Moustache taps his cane Concentrate at once on every word, agree with all you think he said Freaking out inside your head Now a meeting with a long-time friend, and the silence can't be filled Grasping wildly onto any strand, any fragile single thread Of the dangled, tangled web Running away, flying away One thing is certain, your skin you will save Your skin you will save, your skin you will save Your skin you will save, your skin you will save Your skin you will save, your skin you will save Your skin you will save, your skin you will save Your skin you will save, your skin you will save
5.
Elementary (Dear Ag) 03:11
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ELEMENTARY (TALE FOR AG) I said to the silver-tail, your kind never fail Every cloud is silver-lined, you triumph every time Never seen a silver-fish, you spit into a silver dish Winner of a silver medal Quick-silver lies you peddle Brought up with a silver-spoon, too rich too soon Blessed with a silver tongue, oh yes a polished one Never eat silver-beet, or pick up silver in the street Go collect your discreet silver-fox Dig into your fur-lined silver box Silver tongue, silver-tail, all coked up and deathly pale Wonderin' when you'll get your silver bullet Silver-tail, a silver pervert, silver-plated silver-service That is how you'll get your silver bullet As the dashing young man turns to silver-grey His magical powers seem to slide away His silver tongue slips, and between his legs The silver-tail dips into the dregs The silver-tail hangs his head and begs Silver tongue, silver-tail, all coked up and deathly pale Wondering' when you'll get your silver bullet Silver-tail, a silver pervert, silver-plated silver-service That is how you'll get your silver bullet Silver tongue, silver-tail, all coked up and deathly pale Wonderin' when you'll get your silver bullet Silver-tail, a silver pervert, silver-plated silver-service That is how you'll get your silver bullet
6.
Twitchy 03:23
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TWITCHY Kaleshnikov, the AK47 Shotguns with an action made in heaven An auto 22, can blow a hole through you So just beware If your neighbours give you a hard time Fix them up with booby-traps and land-mines Firing squads can judge, all those clowns with drugs (Not booze or smokes) Hold off on that trigger You feel it, it makes you strong Hold on to that barrel He's grasping at straws All he has to keep him hanging on And if your woman's stepping out of line Talking of careers and work part-time A gun can do the talk, later she might sulk (And burn the toast) Hold off on that trigger You feel it, it makes you strong Hold on to that barrel He's grasping at straws All he has to keep him... Hold off on that trigger You feel it, it makes you strong Hold on to that barrel He's grasping at straws All he has to keep him hanging on Keeps him hanging on It keeps you hanging on Hanging on Keeps you hanging on Hanging on
7.
The Moon Is Blue 03:19
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THE MOON IS BLUE She gives him her love, it's a part of her Never quite sure if the feeling is returned He gives her a smile, and it's part of her Never relaxed that lessons have been learned And the look in his eyes, vast and clear-blue skies Someday he'll be free and riding on And the look in his eyes, a river roaring wild One day she will wake and he'll be gone He'll be leaving me soon, it's all he knows to do He swears he'll be true, yeah when the moon is blue She gives him her heart, and that's all of her Challenging fate and ready for the pain He gives her his best, it's enough for her Years fly past and yet he still remains And the look in his eyes, vast and clear-blue skies But eyes no longer focused on the view And the look in his eyes, one he can't deny He'll be moving when the moon is blue Once in a blue moon, he gets a spark in his eye Once in a blue moon, on a dark winter night Once in a blue moon, he gets a spark in his eye Once in a blue moon, on a dark winter night
8.
Sad End (Rodney's Song) 03:08
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SAD END (Song for Rodney) Rodney was a rustic who had come from a farm He went to boarding school where he'd come to no harm Rodney was expelled, he didn't make the grade This was the first error Rodney made Rodney's number came up in the national draft They sent him overseas to a total bloodbath Rodney hadn't asked about the price he'd pay This was the next error Rodney made Rodney didn't come home (come home) Rodney didn't come home Rodney didn't come home (come home) Rodney wasn't ready to die He found a new ally Rodney split for Chiang Mai The buddha sticks, trips and rocks The good-time King, Penang, Bangkok His every vice and wish bizarre Rodney thanked his lucky star Rodney had a system that would never fail Couriers of Rodney never went to gaol Rodney didn't notice the long, thin blade This was the last error Rodney made Rodney didn't come home (come home) Rodney didn't come home Rodney didn't come home (come home) He didn't come home again Rodney met a sad end Rodney didn't come home (come home) Rodney didn't come home Rodney didn't come home (come home) He didn't come home again Rodney met a sad end Rodney didn't come home (come home)
9.
Snowblind (Eric's Song) 03:16
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SNOW-BLIND (Eric’s Song) Take a trip, to test the snow On a ridge, a moon-walk slow From the lip, our hearth below, in the snow Keep an eye out for Eric, in the snow Keep an eye out for Eric, in the snow Keep an eye out for Eric, in the snow Crystal snow Daylight is fading, shadows grow long Sudden panic, where has Eric gone Nightmare finish, a trip gone wrong, in the snow Keep your eyes peeled for Eric, in the snow Keep your eyes peeled for Eric, in the snow Keep your eyes peeled for Eric, in the snow Crystal snow Wading in a white and awe-filled wonder Worry is unwelcome in your mind A situation for misjudgement And Eric's blind, blinded by snow He wouldn't know All heads are counted, the trip turns 'round Whoever doubted our memories were sound Black-ice gullies all the way down, deep in snow Keep your eyes now on Eric, deep in snow Keep your eyes now on Eric, deep in snow Keep your eyes now on Eric, Eric no Eric no (no no no) Keep an eye out for Eric, in the snow Keep an eye out for Eric, in the snow Keep an eye out for Eric, in the snow Keep an eye out for Eric, in the snow Keep an eye out for Eric, in the snow Keep an eye out for Eric, in the snow
10.
Made Their Day 04:04
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MADE THEIR DAY She bought her ticket at the station, departure time near noon A decade she had wasted, she couldn't leave too soon A note to her ex-lover, a man she'd married green The last straw he had loaded, and her anger split the seams He took an old tram to his office, as on any normal day Not a glimmer in his manner, of what he was to say When summoned to a meeting, with Directors, Lords and Peers He gave them both his barrels, they never thought they'd hear I'm not the one to save your bacon In fact I'd prefer to see you pay This mess is another of your making So go ahead and make my day He was the twelfth man of the faithful, the one you couldn't miss A realist and thinker, with the power of the kiss In the garden after supper, he took his boss aside I've always been straightforward, and this I will not hide I'm not the one to save your bacon In fact I'd prefer to see you pay This mess is another of your making So go ahead and make my day I said I'm not the one to save your bacon In fact I'd prefer to see you pay This mess is another of your making So go ahead and make my day
11.
Got Away 04:10
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GOT AWAY A sign stood there alone, near Byron Bay Land for sale near town, it was auction day Twenty thousand down is what you had to lay Acres on the outskirts of Byron Bay Life among the leisured, a life of play, in Byron Bay Byron Bay, the one that got away, Byron Bay In the paddock on our knees beneath the sign Fungus punching through and it was harvest time Down the hatch with honey in a sticky slime Off our scones on psylocibes in Byron Bay Life among the leisured, a life of play, in Byron Bay... It got away...Byron Bay Wasn't meant to be, wasn't meant to be, wasn't meant to be Innocence was what I planned to lose that day Life among the leisured, a life of play, in Byron Bay Back inside the tent to watch the rain in sheets Time to ponder futures, incomplete Thinking of the gold mine sitting at our feet And wealth it came to dominate our thought We were nineteen thousand, several hundred short, in Byron Bay Byron Bay, the one that got away, Byron Bay... It got away...Byron Bay Wasn't meant to be, wasn't meant to be, wasn't meant to be Wasn't meant to be, wasn't meant to be, wasn't meant to be Wasn't meant to be, wasn't meant to be, wasn't meant to be
12.
Short-Sighted 03:33
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SHORT-SIGHTED Years ago he studied holes in the ozone Altogether the weather wasn't fine Whoa they said, too early for predictions We will find solutions in good time Now we're running out of Amazon Sahara just keeps rolling on Later on he wandered in the third world Saw himself the pain and misery Borrow here and maketh in our image All we fashion in our industry Now they owe so much and nothing's changed The army still holds both the reins My-opic, my-my-my-my my-myopic, my-opic There's none so blind who will not see But I am them and they are me The problem is we can't say we, only me Then one day he ran into a woman Just the perfect blend a mystery He was too slow and indecisive She was gone before he looked to see Hesitated, missed his line Now he wears glasses all the time My-opic, my-my-my-my my-myopic, my-opic There's none so blind who will not see Blind as bats could ever be Myopic, I'm hoping; myopic, eyes open Myopic, I'm hoping; myopic, eyes open Myopic, I'm hoping; myopic, eyes open

about

THE dwarf band / KELLAWAY SAGA (continued from 'Nothing To Wear')

Took A Shine saw Alf finally take responsibility for the ‘incidental’ elements of song-writing (you know, the intros, solos and endings) and also saw a swing to more diverse arrangements. The advent of fully structured, demonstrable, 'complete' songs coincided with John taking some time away from the recording process. A core of more rock-oriented songs and quirky ballads was thus assembled, as the dwarf band operated in duo (actually solo) mode. Consequently, the album has rare examples of Ken taking over acoustic duties (as well as all others) on a song or three.

A holidaying Alf then sustained a throat injury, which looked for a time to have cut short an album in the making. But recovery came eventually and, by demoting the key of a few contending songs by a semitone or three, the last tracks made it onto tape. (The key changes proved to be fairly permanent and some would say the world was henceforth mercifully spared Alf’s attempts to soar vocally).

Meanwhile, John returned into play to put some trademark harmonies and Matonesque flourishes across the album. The final sweep of Took A Shine is a range of songs reflecting relationships, travel and life-shaping influences, deriving from a fortunately rich well of experience.

credits

released November 1, 1996

Songs and vocals: Alf Davies

Backing vocals, lead vocals on 'Sufficient Cause', acoustic 6 & 12 string Matons, mandolin: John Dean

Acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, bass, backing vocals, engineering & arrangements, all aspects of production: Ken Stephenson

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The Kellaways Melbourne, Australia

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