Long Distance (2005)

1. Long Distance (2:48)
2. New Leaf (3:43)
3. Charity (2:52)
4. Throwing It All Away (3:18)
5. Where the Silence Is (2:52)
6. Break the Silence (3:28)
7. Leaving Song (2:40)
8. Decayed (3:37)
9. Sky Lights (3:33)
10. Beeman (1:01)

Thanks to: Hannah for everlasting love and inspiration, Phil for web design and support, Jim for musical mastery and the support to make it possible and you, for wanting to listen.

All tracks written, performed and recorded by James Newton, apart from New Leaf, recorded by Jim Parker; Beeman lyrics by Chris Day. Acoustic guitar solo on New Leaf courtesy of Jim Parker.

Making the album

What started as my desire to write and record an album in the summer of 2003 took until August 2005 to finish. It took me much longer to write ten songs that I had originally anticipated, but I had them all written long before I recorded them all. When I got my new PC in August ’05 I decided enough was enough, and recorded very rough versions of them all in about two days. My bedroom was a mess, with an electric guitar and amp, acoustic guitar, two mics and a keyboard all interweaving, much as they do on the record (ho ho).

It was hard work but I enjoyed it, and even though the temptation is there to re-record them with better production and more polish, the time has come to lay them to rest, which is partly why I’m putting them online – although they’ll always have a place in my heart, these songs have had their moment, and it’s time to leave them behind and see what comes next.

What comes next?

Good question. Just as I had the title and artwork for Long Distance far in advance, my next album under the Prosody name will be called “Alight”. I don’t have any songs for it, but it might be taking a more relaxing, ambient path, as you’ll hear if you head over to the James Newton section…

Lyrics

I decided to break with my five-year silence on lyrics and post them up, mainly because some people have said they struggle to make out just what the Hell I’m singing about. Worry no more, friends!

Long Distance

Look at us now, torn apart
But together all the same somehow.
This for us is a new start
We’re closer than ever now.

You were so far away,
Something I have always wanted to say
Is when you cry look towards the time
When we’ll be together every day.

This is one journey I don’t want to end.

Where do you see this going?
Where will we go from here?
There’s never any true way of knowing,
But what we want was never so near.

Though now I’m so far away,
Things won’t always be this way.
Lift your eyes, push them up to the skies,
We share in all that beauty every day.

This is one journey I don’t want to end.
This is one journey that won’t ever end.

New Leaf

I’m in need of repair
My body is shattered,
My heart is scattered,
Here and there, don’t know where.
Inside out for too long,
Waiting for a feeling,
I’m waiting for healing,
I’m hanging on.

I’m waiting for a new life,
Strange as it sounds I want to go under the knife.
I feel like I should be terrified,
But not with you by my side.

You got under my skin,
You came in through a cut
And you sowed my skin together,
No longer under the weather.
Black and blue fade out,
Wounds are all repaired,
I’m still amazed that
Someone cared, you cared.

I’ve turned over a new leaf,
So this is what it feels like to breathe.
You bring me
You bring me relief.

I’ve turned over a new leaf,
So this is what it feels like to breathe.
You bring me
You bring me relief.

Charity

I don’t see myself as anything more than I am
Without you I can’t see all the good you see in me.
So why do you give all you have to me?
You know I love your charity.

I can’t hear myself, all my words just let me down.
But you see through my wrongs to find the good in me.
So I slide away in search of peace,
That’s where I find your charity.

And I feel our life
Is slipping away from me
And all I see
Is you
You’re drifting away.

I don’t feel like myself any time when you’re not near.
I know our day will soon come, but that won’t chase away this fear.
So why?

I feel our life
Is slipping away from me
And all I see
Is you
You’re drifting away.

You know I love your charity.
You know I love your charity.

Throwing It All Away

You came to me without warning,
You turned midnight to morning.
I was so eager to be yours,
To have someone to sail the same course.

I thought that I could do no wrong,
You were all I’d wanted for so long.
But I’m not the perfect one
Out of the two of us.

This is what I’ve waited for all my days,
So why does it feel like I’m throwing it all away?
I’m throwing it all away every day.

I’d tell you all of my mistakes
If I had the courage it takes.
But every time I get near,
I’m hit with fear and step on the brakes.

I tried to work out where I went wrong
I thought I’d find the answers in a song.
I’ll never be the perfect one
Out of the two of us.

This is what I’ve waited for all my days,
So why does it feel like I’m throwing it all away?
Throwing it all away every day.
Throwing it all away every day.

Where the Silence Is

I can’t sleep some nights,
My eyes crave images and light.
Distractions invade my mind,
Colours, thoughts and shapes of every kind.

So I go to where the darkness is.

At night my mind is full of sounds,
Rushing winds, fat rain and crying hounds.
I explore the world through the noises in my head,
Until my thoughts turn to quietness instead.

So I go to where the silence is,
And when I’m there, you’re what I miss.
So I go to where the silence is,
And when I’m there, you’re what I miss.
Where the silence is.

Break the Silence

Five hours have passed
Since I last heard
A simple “thanks”,
An empty word.
Since six o’clock
My ears have been numb,
There’s a fear here
I just can’t overcome.

My belly, chest and head
All sting.
My heart and soul
Explode and sing.

Break the silence,
Break the silence.

One word says love,
But it doesn’t say it loud enough.
This demon draws and sucks
The warmth right out of us.
This black surprise
Now has its nails in you.
We’ll fight it off together,
We’ll come through.

If you break the silence.
Break the silence.
Break the silence,
Break the silence.

Leaving Song

If there’s one thing I want,
It’s to have you in body, not in font.
I’ve built up my substitutes,
I wheel them out for comfort when it suits.

Yesterday was just another day spent waiting,
Yesterday was the day that we let fate in.

Another day age goes by,
It’s the one thing between us and our life.
Time is all we have but it’s fleeting,
It keeps us apart, stops us meeting.

Yesterday was just another day spent waiting,
This is wasted time, it’s so frustrating

Decayed

They say you don’t know
How hard it’ll hit you.
But take it from me,
There’s no escape once it’s bit you.
You move around in a place of no sound
Looking for comfort but there’s none to be found.
Got to look above to find
Someone that you love.

I wonder what you would say
If you’d not run away that day.
I wonder what you would be.
Would you be anything like me?

Even now I’m still hiding
From what I want to say.
Trying to write ten years in a three minute song,
Can’t do it, no way.
Take a deep breath.
I’ve got something to say,
And you’re not getting away this time.

I wonder what you would say
If you’d not run away that day.
I wonder what you would be.
If you’d be anything like me.

I wonder what you would say
If you’d not run away that day.
I wonder what you would be.
If you’d be anything like me.

Sky Lights

It’s an ink-black night,
And the air is thick with heat.
See the last star die,
And to the clouds admit defeat.

Hidden away for another day,
As the black rain pours over me.

Lightning crackles through the sky,
Burns its path upon my eye.
Thunder shakes me, the smell awakes
The stirring soul inside.

The bright lights in the night sky return,
Behind the clouds a million stars burn.
A million stars burn.

A grand amber sun on the horizon.
The air fills with colour
Light has won.

Beeman

Beeman, Beeman,
Does whatever a hornet can.
Stings your nose in the park,
Catches thieves in the dark.

Beeware! There goes Beeman!

Is he strong?
I’ll bet you money.
He’s got radioactive honey!
Can he fly?
Yes he does!
Take a look, overheard!

Beeware! There goes Beeman!
Beeware! There goes Beeman!