We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Songs Of Love And Hats

by As I Recall It

/
1.
We sat around and talked about old movies with our ears to the ground in your parents house We talked for hours I made a cup of tea so two jasmine flowers opened up for us And I heard a voice coming from downstairs and I had to go but I was too embarrassed you said ‘second on the left’ and I stumbled inside and sat by the heater that’s where I spent the night The stars of silent cinema are always there for you And if you listen close my love, they’re trying to talk to you The stars of silent cinema are all a girl could need And if you try your best with her I’m sure that you’ll succeed The next day I awoke confused upon your sofa while your family ate breakfast with the popping of the toaster They pretended not to see me scuttle back to your room you were just the same as me lying in your bedsheets We snuck out round the back and hitchhiked to a forest where we camped out for the night just like lovers in the pictures and I never went back there
2.
Rudolph Valentino Natacha Rambova The latin lover Lapsed into coma and all the headlines scream famous actor of movieland lies dormant in a dream Rudolph Valentino Natacha Rambova The latin lover Lapsed into coma and all the headlines cried Valentino dies while throngs of mourners wait outside Can’t you feel the ocean breeze rise gently through the swaying trees and through a gap of fog with ease my ship will guide me straight to thee Can’t you feel our hearts collide?
3.
You and your friends and me and my friends Are very different people and there's no way to pretend That all of my friends versus all of your friends Would win a football match with just a goalpost at each end Oh! Sweet Girl Oh! Sweet Girl My friend you've changed and you're beautiful and I love you just the same Yeah we were pals, we're striding down to town Back then I was a pushover you pushed me around But enough of all that That silly childish crap You don't wanna be an adult, you're not ready for that Oh! Sweet Girl Oh! Sweet Girl My friend you've changed and you're beautiful and I wish you all the best
4.
The bells rang out in the little town Where he was waking up (The water's gone and the sun won't stop) The lakes ran dry and the summer sky Was slowly burning up (They were hoping for the rain to fall) La La La La La La La Look at the lonely fool La La La La La La La Look at the lonely fool The fool and the carpenter both shook hands With callouses thick and tough (They had told them that the rain would fall) The mother and the father of the great green land Were hanging from the aqueduct (Nobody knew just what had happened to them) La La La La La La La Look at the lonely fool La La La La La La La Look at the lonely fool So ring the bells Ring the bells Ring the bells Sons and fathers and fathers of sons Were gathered in the evening light (Lose yourself in the heat of the night) They prayed for rain to flow in the lakes But no answer from the great grey sky (They feel forsaken and they don't know why) La La La La La La La Look at the lonely fools La La La La La La La Look at the lonely fools So ring the bells Ring the bells Ring the bells
5.
Blue Moon 03:54
What a thing to say I don't really know the way So we're stuck between the same things We were stuck to yesterday What now should we do Through the mire and the flood Through the trees Cross the rivers to the mountain up above the Blue Moon Blue Moon Blue Moon The elders all decreed T'would be a better plan indeed Just to rest up for a while Against a wooden crooked stile Through a gap in the rain There lay pleasure and pain They were dancing in the clearing They had finally gone insane Blue Moon Blue Moon Blue Moon There it lay beneath the circle moon In a final word before the silence came Ran around for so long untrue Now I've settled my snow for a life with you Blue Moon Blue Moon Blue Moon Now she's got wits But does she have to be so self aware and condescending? We've made it now, Through the snow and bickering, I thought it'd be never ending Blue Moon Blue Moon The streets of Manhattan the writers are laughing about us, They canvas the headlines And you know it's all false Yeah you know it's all false Taking a walk down to the park Watching the lights go out in the dark One By One
6.
A righteous man Can only do What's in his heart And disconnect the brain and so he walks Down a crooked street To a tree In the slanted rain By a brook With it's flowing sound By the bank And the underpass To the house With the lights still on 3 A.M and he can't feel himself Like a dream So it seemed But I felt no peace Like drowning A puzzle-piece Through the sewer dwell Mutant offspring of the booze and moon Quiet towns And the cold cold winds That I knew Oh so very well With the coat And the stumbling Cross the road Like some feral fox back home Where I feel secure In the breast Of the everlasting night Like a dream So it seemed But I felt no peace Like drowning
7.
All Ghosts 05:05
She said to me Don’t run be strong She needed me it’s gone it’s gone The wind spoke to me paint on the leaves I left for the sea it’s gone it’s gone All ghosts All ghosts All ghosts dead pictures All ghosts All ghosts Dead sailors All ghosts All ghosts All ghosts Where mysteries divide Windy Blow me off track Wintry Whisp in the rain Well I wanted it to be so magical Well I wanted you to be obscene But I slipped upon the grass and I fell down on my arse will I never get the god damn scene? You stood there with your fixed expression Staring bleakly at the wall And when I quit your damn production you’ll, be the first to call Well I wanted it to be original and I wanted to make Keaton green But the wind was blowing hard and the extras start to scream Will I ever get through my routine You stood there with your fixed expression Staring bleakly at the wall And when I quit your damn production you’ll, be the first to fall Well I wanted it to be a masterpiece Like the General or Modern Times But the actor’s guild all laughed when I told them of my goal cos’ it never made the final draft She said to me Don’t run be strong She needed me it’s gone it’s gone
8.
Mr. Rose 02:41
Where are you going Mr. Rose? What are they saying Mr. Rose? Why are you crying Mr. Rose? How can you love her when you stay at home? because It rains all the time Since she's been gone My brain says I'm fine but My heart can't go on All the places we went And the night that we spent On the lake near the park With a kiss after dark As the lights all went out Now there's no-one about and so I hopelessly shout I'm here, Angeline! I'm here, Angeline! I'm here, Angeline! I'm here And if you're so lonely Mr. Rose, There's no use in dreaming of your lover's ghost. Now just let me help you Mr. Rose, I don't want to hurt you but you need to know because It weighs on your mind And you stumble through life Your heart says you're fine but Your body is numb And you're cold as a stone And the things that brought joy Start to leave you alone And the memory of her That you keep in a frame Starts to fade into time With the rest of the pain I'm here, Angeline! I'm here, Angeline! I'm here, Angeline! I'm here I'm here, Angeline! I'm here, Angeline! I'm here, Angeline! I'm here
9.
Sparks 05:31
I will meet you there With your long dark hair Trailing down I will find you there Though I don't know where I don't ask You, Here We Are Here We Go Quite In Love I will meet you there With your long dark hair Flowing down I will find you there Though I don't know where I don't ask You, Here We Are Here We Go Quite In Love Give up your shackles and wait by the window and I’ll be right with you in twenty six seconds The north wind is blowing The dogs are all barking The windmills start turning and everyone’s waking Reading the paper I chanced on a headline and rode on the north line to get my position The folks back at home must have thought I went missing but when I saw London my eyes started wincing I will meet you there With your long dark hair Trailing down I will find you there Though I don't know where I don't ask You, Here We Are Here We Go Quite In Love
10.
Old Bones 01:48
It's too early, in the morning To say, I love you But I do Though My words are meaningless I could write a poem, I could sing a song to you But what good would that do? We're old bones.
11.
Where do we go? What should we do? What should we say? When we walk on the moon? Yes it’s you And it’ll all come true What would you say? Go far away, Settle our bones For the rain and the snow Yes it’s you And it’ll all come true You It's You The butchers and the bakers and the wailers and the tailors are all Watching me sink this drink Trying hard not to think Trying hard just to be with you my love Where do we go? What should we do? What should we say? When we walk on the moon? Yes it’s you And it’ll all come true What would you say? Go far away, Settle our bones For the rain and the snow Yes it’s you And it’ll all come true You It's You The butchers and the bakers and the wailers and the tailors are all Watching me sink this drink Trying hard not to think Trying hard just to be with you my love Where do we go? What would we do? What should we say? When we walk on the moon? Yes it’s you And it’ll all come true
12.
Knowing you Knowing me you’d say that I was wasting your time Knowing all that I know now I’d say that I was strung on your line Ohh It’s cold outside Ohh won’t you give a guy a break? I’ve been wasting all of my time Waiting for a lucky break Cos you don’t love me And I know better now Cos you don’t love me And I know better now Cos you don’t love me And I know better now Better now Better now
13.
The doors are locked Submerged in gloom Romantic nuances flooding the room Thinking of times Way back when The sun would shine till quarter to ten And midges and moths surrounded the Sodium bulb Swear they turned silver to gold And Allison County was in bloom When we'd sit there staring till noon But now the rain is here And darkness fills the room I haven't liked the rain Since the last time I was there Have you ever seen it rain like this? Have you ever seen the rain, Coming down like this? Have you ever seen the rain, Pouring down like this? And now I see With different eyes A vision of you in a stormier sky The love we had Was doomed to fail A final word in this downtrodden tale I wanted it so bad You wanted it too I'm losing my grip on these memories of you When Allison County was in bloom And we'd sit there singing till two But now the rain is here And sadness fills the room I've made friends with the rain Since the last time I missed you Have you ever seen it rain like this? Have you ever seen the rain, Coming down like this? Have you ever seen the rain, Coming down like this?
14.
Hand In Hand 04:53
Come all you sailors and scattershot actors come join in the line for a kiss on the cheek from an old beauty queen with her taxi light makeup They dressed her in flowers she looked like a statue And studio laughter rings hard just like shell shock they sit by the fountain and wait for direction But I’ll go all the way with you If you go all the way with me And I’ll go hand in hand with you If you go hand in hand with me It rained at the fair, ferris wheel tumble drier the elephant trainer was killed in a fire And everyone cued up for pink cotton candy A good time was had for all, at the cinema Mary and Tommy were kissing in the back row While one blind old man kissed a cutout of Monroe But I’ll go all the way with you If you go all the way with me And I’ll go hand in hand with you If you go hand in hand with me The brass band played loudly at Fred Astaire’s funeral The firetrucks stopped sounding to show their respect for the old little dancer who’d died of Pneumonia at age 88 leaving all of his fortune and there was an actor who played Nosferatu so well that audience passed out in horror, and still to this day no-one knows just for certain if Max Schreck from Berlin was really a vampire But I’ll go all the way with you If you go all the way with me And I’ll go hand in hand with you If you go hand in hand with me
15.
Lately 02:39
Don’t wait at the bustop when the phone dies when you find your way Through dark trees want to be the moon dear want to guide you through dear Want to be a hymn The city lights shine on your face dear it’s like the sun dear is on the rise but we know we gotta make our own light because the city’s bright but it can’t hold you tight dear Lately I’ve been singing strange songs I’ve been singing love songs and I don’t know why Lately I’ve been showing my bad spots I’ve been hitting some bad thoughts But i’ll break through some day Don’t wait for the next train I can’t stand this waiting out in the rain Love me don’t have to say you love me just that you’re thinking of me That’s enough most days
16.
So I tried to move away from you it didn’t work I just felt blue So I threw out the pictures of you and the drawings and the silent smiles Drifting round my room Weird, just to be Anything in the end Weird, just to be Anything in the end And I know it's hard I know it's hard I know it's hard I know it's hard and let me in Let me in Weird, just to be Anything in the end Weird, just to be Anything in the end And I know it's hard I know it's hard Time goes by and leaves you still C'mon let me in Just let me in So I found a home in the fog and snow you could meet me there Oh! But I don’t care Which way the wind will blow your hair You said, Go! Run! Be free of this. but what’s the use Please step inside my shoes Weird, just to be Anything in the end Weird, just to be Anything in the end And I know it's hard I know it's hard I know it's hard I know it's hard and let me in Let me in Weird, just to be Anything in the end Weird, just to be Anything in the end And I know it's hard I know it's hard Time goes by and leaves you still C'mon let me in Just let me in
17.
The Blackout 03:43
(instrumental)
18.
Friend Song 08:00
I lost a friend and gained a lover today And she smokes too much and she laughs the loudest in whatever room she’s in I lost a friend a way back friend who didn’t seem to know my face cos people change I lost your spark twirling signals in the dark and I love theri lights I’ll hold you tight Wanna tell my friends I love them wanna tell my folks I love them Wanna tell the dead I miss them Wanna find a girl who listens Now Susie’s getting worse she’s so confused her gaze is clear her words are code And my head is tired my throat is dry my shoes untied and my hair’s a mess always a mess So I try my best and finally they all come round and see my dawn my autumn sunset My silent clouds my hugs are warm my body’s thin But I could keep you happy for a while April, you’re lying to yourself
19.
August 13th 02:15
Writing just to write, The glow of an orange desk light urged me on Amidst the quiet slow burning Of the candle of my life, Where the dark came creeping in Right through the window and I saw shadows Cast upon the curtains, and I thought that it was you for a brief moment I feel just like a movie star When I start to write these songs, In a pretty little sketchbook that I Used to use for art and so the story starts, the graphite etched upon a judging page As electrical appliances rattle Disengaged I cast it out for a hermit In a love-lorn fit of rage Remove this doubt, and slowly turn the page Across the street from me A light shone bright against the canvas night, Where I dreamt of you appearing through the window In full flight my eyes opened and I sat there and I felt just like a tree, Growing up into a sky that doesn't seem to want me and I thought of August 13th Some assignment on a beach I took a photo of a seagull In a town quite out of reach, I had seen you in a corridor. While teachers try to pry and preach This clumsy space-boy poetry, that we thought was so absurd and we poured it through a letterbox, and soft rain held our words. I dreamt of this.

about

Written: August 2015-August 2018
Recorded: June 2018- September 2018

Thank you to my family and friends and everyone that helped in the making of this album...

I started writing the songs that would eventually find their way onto this double set in mid to late 2015 at the age of 14 years old, the first of which being 'Allison County'. For about 3 years the song grew a reputation as being one of my more requested songs in live performances (this was mostly my mum) and so I eventually decided to complete it with a long awaited second verse. In those three years between verses I wrote many other songs, I made albums and EPs and I changed my band name 3 times. I went from being a shy 14 year old boy to a strange and confused 17 year old teenager. I felt that the experiences I had gained throughout those years were too special not to try and put into words and song, so I did just that. This is an album about growing up, learning about the world, learning about yourself, silent movies, love, loss, a first job, bad experiences, good experiences, frustration, optimism, pessimism, great people, old friends, odd socks and me. Now I hope you can see why it has taken me and my musician friends 3 years and 19 songs to attempt to capture those experiences for you.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the record

Alex Pester

credits

released October 3, 2018

Alex Pester- Writer, Producer, Artwork, Photography, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Celeste, Piano, Drums on tracks; 2,4,5,9,10,14,16,17 (Partial),18 Bass, Synths, Harmonica, Tape Loops, Percussion, Mellotron
Will Wasem- Upright Bass, Assorted Guitars, Violin, Flute, Clarinet, Banjo, Bowed Banjo, Harmonium, Synths on 'Sparks', Autoharp, Mellotron, Background Vocals, Choral Arrangements, Bowed Bass, Harpsichord, Other Assorted Plinky Things, Piano on 'Lately' and 'Know Better Now'
Nik Pester- Drums on tracks 3,6,11,17 Spoons on track 3
Nathan Pester- Whistle on track 3
Matt Kirby- Violin on 'Rudolph Valentino'
Sam Green- Bass knowledge input on section 2 of 'Rudolph Valentino'
Isaac Johnson- Portrait photos in bonus material

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

As I Recall It Barnstaple, UK

Welcome to the bedroom of Alex Pester, in which many songs float about.

Also found at
alexpester.bandcamp.com/releases

contact / help

Contact As I Recall It

Streaming and
Download help

Report this album or account

If you like As I Recall It, you may also like: