Paul J Penton – Songwriter

Mary Celeste                             © Paul J Penton March 2008

She hides everything in a  dark swirling mist and lives in a ghostly halo,    
this girl is cloaked in mystery 
her spider-web wheel spins round and around
she drifts on a dead calm sea

her sails await a friendly wind
but none ever comes blowing

Mary Celeste
Mary Celeste
Trying to make up for the life that you missed
you sail upon a sea of regrets all alone
oh Mary Celeste

her fiery emotions are strong as the tide, you don’t want to let them down
her lofty ideas are telegraph masts
her eyes become lanterns as she tells you about them
they explode in a firework blast,

too many days asleep in the hammock
too many nights alone on the deck

Mary Celeste
Mary Celeste
Trying to make up
for the life that you missed
you sail upon a sea of regrets all alone
oh Mary Celeste

she’s a puffy white moon that floats in the stars
smoothing the tides of emotional scars
the floorboards creek to a lonely homecoming
from a party of fools where she sat and did nothing

REPEAT VERSE ONE –NO PRE CHORUS

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Buried and Dead                                © Paul J Penton 2009

Friday night and I’m out driving
the same old streets
the stores arrive in the same old way
I remember that they did
when I was a kid
behind those doors they won’t know me
Nothing’s changed since I left here
under the bridge a lot of water’s flown

and this ain’t my home
I don’t know this town

I never thought I’d come back again until this day
everything’s been buried and dead – for so long
Now I’m walking here like a ghost
that no-one can see
It’s all been dead and buried to me

I’m in a room it’s full of flowers
seems like I’ve been here for hours
she’s showing me the choices I can make
which one will I take
there’s notices to go in papers
words to send to stone engravers
do you want to say some prayers or not
well I forgot
if he ever believed

I never thought I’d come back again until this day
everything’s been buried and dead – for so long
Now I’m walking here like a ghost
that no-one can see
It’s all been dead and buried to me

We’re rolling past a statue made to honour those who died
fighting in some foreign war where they bravely gave their lives
and his medals pinned into my coat
look down where he lay
some battles you can’t win I say
as I salute a final wave

I never thought I’d come back again until this day
everything’s been buried and dead – for so long
Now I’m walking here like a ghost
that no-one can see
It’s all been dead and buried to me
buried and dead
all buried and dead

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Sunset over the bay © 2008 Paul J Penton

Sunset Over the Bay-Update 15July >

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April 22

Ford Falcon rounds the corner
as I’m waiting to cross
a defective muffler
that shouts at me as he plants his foot
to beat the traffic racing the bridge
he doesn’t know just around the bend is a ‘divvy’ van
with checkered police
eager to test his breath
like they did with mine
I was clear and free
not a drop of wine
maybe a residue from that Mount Pleasant Chardonnay
from the previous evening
but nothing to be alarmed about

A woman sits on the beach
her husband and child
playing in the wet sand
building a castle
she’s buried in a camera
I hear the pictures electronically tick over
as she relives yesterdays moments

The tide is out
wet sand on a higher part of beach glitters
where the moisture is
feet squeak along compacted sand
meditative and repetitive
putting me in a state of mind
where you can be doing one thing
and thinking of another
and you let your mind wander

sand bars made by the outgoing tide
are ripples and shades of brown
dark and light
like corrugations on well travelled dirt road
accompanied by the bells of annoyed plovers

not much seaweed here
just thin sea grass and bulbous poppers
footprints untouched by the tide
waves are triangles that collide into each other
meditate repetitive waves

SATISFY ME

I know I need to ‘get a life’ ,
but I can’t think where to start
someone said I was ‘living in the past’
another said you’ve got to ‘live from the heart’
another said ‘action’ would provide the key
I’ve tried those things but none of them seem…….
to satisfy me

Someone said I should get laid and find a loving woman
I went to bars and drove fast cars but couldn’t meet none of ‘em
I tried the papers, internet and (everyone I knew)
all the personal columns
tried coffee shops and adult courses
still I’m sailing in the doldrums
no matter who I meet I just can’t seem to make it happen
I’m the only one I know who can make me happy
I’m the only one I know
who can satisfy me

so many experts and corners criers seem to know me
my expectations aren’t too high of how it should be
I’ve seen it all on panavision
on the dreaded television
and why don’t life just seem to work
the way it does on TV
now why don’t life just seem to
satisfy me

is there a happy ending
a resolution coming [to be]
I guess Iv’e come so far to fall before I am free
I’ve got to have the latest thing now hang the expense
I know I can’t just get by with just false confidence
so put me in your trust and tell me all that you see
and let me know the things that i need …
to satisfy me

HUNDRED TIMES A DAY

What are you thinking?
You ask
a hundred times a day.
I offer no reply
just disconnection and waiting
for something to happen
no reply.
Even if you ask me
a hundred times a day.

Do I love you?
Am I, ‘in LOVE’.
How would I know?
What is it anyway;
Obsession,chemical?
Spriitual, mystical?
Obsession?
cannot say.
Even if you ask me
a hundred times a day.

The best for us
is to sep-ar-ate.
find your feet,
in all you’ve created.
Where you can know
what you want.
What’s in your heart.
Something else or me.
I’ve no answers you see,
even if you ask me a hundred times a day.

No promises
that change will come.
Reasons, there are none
don’t seem to make sense.
Step back, take in the vision.
come to understanding,
of all that’s been,
and what might be.
I don’t know which way,
even if you ask me, a hundred times a day.

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Losing faith, no more solid ground.
Belief displaced, silence the only sound.
Waiting, hoping for an answer.
How long, you gonna wait?

Save yourself
find your absolution
save yourself
don’t need no religion

So many saviours, which path do you go down?
Who do you believe in?
Is it time to do your own thinking?
What are lies and truth?
Where are they leading to?
Does any body know?
Is it all just believing?

Nothing’s come, still waiting,
Listen to the silence, every sound breath-taking.
Meanwhile, all of your power
dissolving into the earth, feel like you’re dying

Losing faith, no more solid ground.
Belief displaced, silence the only sound.
Waiting, hoping for an answer.
How long, you gonna wait?

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When you say that you don’t want me the way I do.
I don’t want to listen, ’cause I’m a lovestruck fool.

I keep hoping that you’ll see things the way I do.
Only time will tell if my dream can come true.

Sometimes, it all seems so far away,
but I’ve got to keep on believing.

Every day.
Every day.
Every day.

Waited, oh so long for this moment to come along.
Now you’re so near my heart, I just love all that’s going on.

But you don’t seem to see things the way that I do too.
I don’t seem to notice ’cause I’m a lovestruck fool.

CHORUS

When there’s something precious that you so desire.
You’ll do anything to get it around your finger.

You’ll do anything, that your heart declares.
A lovestruck fool will follow any desperate, crazy plans.

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Well it’s late in the evening, and the birds have stopped singing,
and I can’t help but thinking,
I need you.

Well my body is achin’, from the love we’re not makin’.
I can’t be mistaken
I need you

When I’m down on my feelings,
and my memory’s reeling,
I wish someone would come and steal them away.

Not an hour, not a minute, not a second goes passing
without thinking or feeling I need you.
and my body and mind, just get way out of line,
but I know I’ll be fine, I need you.

I need you but I won’t give in,
I need you but I won’t face you again.
’cause each time that I do
I get caught up in you.
And you know that it’s true, I need you.

Yeah the craving is growing, and I feel like I’m showing
all of the signs of addiction
and I know just one hit will make me satisfied,
it can’t be denied, I need you.

I need you but I won’t give in,
I need you but I won’t face you again.
’cause each time that I do
I get caught up in you.
And you know that it’s true, I need you.
I need you.
I need you.
I need you.

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I’m losing control of emotion, I feel all adrift in the ocean
being taken to sea, by the flow around me,
Taking me to my evolution.

I’m losing control of direction,
and nothing can stop me from heading
Into the abyss, into the unknown
and I’m losing control of emotion.

Now I’m beginning again
now there’s a new horizon
now there’s a new peace of mind
I’ll keep on drifting.

Your colours are many and varied
and I tried to paint the picture
but the canvas is blank, the brushes are broke
I cannot see the vision.

Sometimes I fell like a surgeon, trying to break through your skin
but I never saw, all your insides
don’t think I ever will

Someday I’ll find out the reason, why this just wasn’t easy.
Something will click, I’ll find a clue,
oh, that would please me.

Don’t make no sense how it worked out.
Now I’ve got you as my friend. Should we have never tried?
and wondered all that time………there’s a new horizon.

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