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An Unexpected Turn

by Chris Harris

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Nick Deakin
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1.
An Unexpected Turn 06:35
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We think we know how this is going Decisive victory in sight I guess our hubris must be showing History refused to prove us right Forgone conclusion Nothing of the sort And this delusion Has got us caught Any time we claim that we've got things planned out It's clear that we have yet to learn That when the outcome is beyond all doubt Things will take an unexpected turn We're blinded when we make assumptions Don't see the challenge this presents Somehow we missed, in our presumption The broken link in this chain of events...
2.
Get Your Mother To Do It 03:06
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Make you clothes Cut your hair Cook you dinner With loving care When it comes to staying happy There's really nothing to it Got a task that you need doing? Get your mother to do it Tie your shoelaces Wipe your nose Crush your enemies Defeat your foes
3.
Hearsay 03:29
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I got it from Agnes Agnes, so I hear, got it from you Did you stop, before you passed it on To check and see if it was true? We've no idea where it came from It doesn't advertise its roots It's the lie that travels round the world While the truth is putting on its boots These days it is normal to exaggerate People lie more often than you'd think Nobody has got time to investigate And that is why we're standing on the brink... Bertrand got it from Suzy And Suzy got it from Pierre It must be catching, I feel woozy; Do you really need to share?
4.
Don't Be Like James 03:13
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James stays out of trouble James is smart that way James knows a farmer with a herd of pigs, the Chief Inspector says We're brought up believe our lives are all a mess because that's all that we deserve but James deserves success James is in the drawing room James is sipping tea The Chief Inspector wants a word with him The Chief Inspector's me (I'm supposed to do my job with courtesy and grace but there are times I wish that I could punch him in the face) James has got his fortune James cares not for fame James knows where the bodies are buried James has rigged the game
5.
Retrospeculation 04:05
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You've got to slap that bass Lay on some bright guitars Give it all some space Make your vocalist the star Modern music Seems somehow diminished I'm going to keep on acting like the eighties never finished Every sound I make and every beat I drop Is meant to get you to a state of elation Who cares if my technique is old? Go call the cops and they'll tell you it's just retrospeculation Add non-linearity To make your reverb shine You've got to work on clarity With a pair of ears like mine I still need to put together an extended twelve-inch mix that keeps this up forever 'cause that's how I get my kicks
6.
Use Psychology 04:59
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The more I tell them something The more they'll think it's true That simple repetition is all I have to do Get them to the point where they'll believe Absolutely anything I say Neuroscience these days has been weaponised Simply so that I can get my way There is no option to ignore me And now that push has come to shove I'm going to use psychology It's the fist inside the velvet glove I'll engage you with precision Let you think you've caught a break You'll hardly notice that decision was not one that you chose to make No-one objects to how I operate Although it's tantamount to theft They never notice as they take the bait What little free will they have left
7.
Just The Notes 05:08
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(Instrumental)
8.
When We Walked With Glossotherium 06:02
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We came across the Bering Strait Dodging short-faced bears Left the cold of dark Siberia (We didn't like it there) Once we started moving We kept on down the coast Not in search of Earthly paradise just where we liked the most The place we finally settled Was one we had to share With giants living on the ground Whose bones our ancestors would wear
9.
You'll Thank Me Later 03:38
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I've cancelled all your credit cards It's what I do I've finished your relationship She wasn't right for you You'll thank me later You'll thank me later You'll thank me later You'll thank me later I just told your boss you quit your job They had no clue I let your friend know they're a slob You must admit that's true You'll thank me later You'll thank me later You'll thank me later You'll thank me later I'm doing this for you I'm doing this for you I'm doing this for you I'm doing this for you You deserve what's best in life You'll thank me later You'll thank me later But you can't make cuts without a knife You'll thank me later You'll thank me later I'm doing this for you I'm doing this for you I'm doing this for you I'm doing this for you You'll thank me later You'll thank me later You'll thank me later You'll thank me later
10.
The Most Toys 05:26
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If I see something valuable I don't care what it is I just know that I want it I've always been like this Bring me the Mona Lisa (That's going to raise a smile) A first folio of Shakespeare? Just throw it on the pile! Sharing things with others is a concept I find quite unsound Since the day that I discovered There'll never be enough to go around It's not really that surprising Admire the web in which you're caught I can see you're realising too late that anybody can be bought Don't tell mne my possessions are like a millstone round my neck I'm serene in my obsession All I have to do is write a cheque
11.
Talisman 04:30
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This ring looks like an eyeball My front door bears a mark We all need something to hold on to For warding off the monsters in the dark A simple sign Of forces in play Kept so it keeps malign intent at bay Display your talisman In plain sight It will protect you Against the night As you travel on your journey Keep this token at your side So your prosperity increases And your blessings will be multiplied Don't underestimate its power For keeping frost giants at bay Ask yourself whan you last saw one I haven't seen a single one all day
12.
Slow Day 03:51
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This is the end of your rope Cancel every item that you had on your agenda It's not so easy to cope When the modern world has done its best to put you through the blender Weather's closing in and turning cold But a nice, large gin and tonic never gets old Shut the windows, forget the rain See whatever's bugging you is packed away You're allowed to take a break from the pain We're going to make this a slow day We know your boss has been a jerk Why's it never him who takes a hit for the team? He can't appreciate your work Because he doesn't understand a single word of what it means Don't end up losing track Of what to keep and what it's better to drop Remember I've got your back But it's not always the cream that ends up rising to the top
13.
You Should Read A Book 05:12
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It might be a trashy paperback Or a work of mighty prose If you're a lifetime bibliomaniac I'm sure you've lots and lots of those Each page you turn will bring new treasures And every one a fresh surprise It's one of life's abundant pleasures And it's all taking place before your eyes You should read a book And take a trip through time and space You should read a book You know you should You should read a book Make the world a better place You should read a book It'll do you good You might need to read for reference Perhaps it's simply to amuse But whatever is your preference A book has something you can use Some folk are frightened by non-fiction We mustn't let their bans succeed There should never be restrictions On what you can or cannot read
14.
People Don't Like Long Songs 00:33
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People don't like long songs Of that I have no doubt Instead it seems their hearts belong To music that can come in strong does what it does, and out Having fun? Job done.
15.
Almost Everything At Once 03:37
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(Instrumental)

about

This album collects together some of the songs I wrote and recorded during 2023's Fifty/Ninety songwriting challenge, in which participants are set the goal of writing fifty songs in the ninety days between July 4th and October 1st. It's an event I've taken part in for more than a decade now, and I reckon that my skills as a songwriter (such as they are) have improved immeasurably as a result.

The new bits of equipment I added to my setup over the summer helped matters (and inspiration) as well, of course. An Epiphone lap steel guitar, a Geddy Lee signature Fender Jazz bass, and an Eventide H90 Harmonizer all make their debuts on this album.

This year I took more time than usual over the songs I was making, and I surprised myself with how much of an improvement there was in the results I got. I don't know exactly what it was that I levelled up, but it was definitely something.

I hope you can hear that improvement, too.

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released November 30, 2023

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Chris Harris Bristol, UK

I'm still trying to get the music I record to sound like the version I can hear in my head. To do this I've ended up playing every instrument I can get my hands on. These days, I'm closer to "That Sound" than I used to be, but the journey continues.

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