1. |
Another Shot
06:04
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"Another Shot" (for Kim)
Words & Music: May 27 - November 9, 1980
NewK (aka John Newcott)
There's spikes in the hallways, a bed of nails on the floor
My vision is blurry, and you keep screaming for more
There's just so much pounding, my head can give to this wall
I'm barely standing right now, but I'm not going to fall
Chorus:
Give me another shot from that bottle, a double whiskey
Another fistful of gin
I just don't care about the pain no more
Get me numb enough, I know I can win
You thought you had me, in the palm of your hand
Can't pay the ransom, just won't meet your demands
You know my face value, why can't you leave it at that
You think you've got all the answers, I've got the questions down pat
Tried to ignore you, it didn't do me no good
You turned me to stone, then you burned me like wood
I'm left stirring the ashes, fro some traces of flame
But the glow of the embers, is all that remains
Chorus
But I'm not easily shaken, can be persistent as hell
You have yet to discover, that you don't play it so well
Some stolen moments of bliss, just won't be good enough
I'm not some minor distraction, you can sweep under the rug
There's so much more to this struggle, then just a push and a shove
Chorus
'
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2. |
Madonna & Child
04:20
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“Madonna & Child”
(for Kathleen & Roseanna)
Words and Music by NewK (aka John Newcott)
July 1979
1st Verse:
She can’t find a handle to keep herself under
And I don’t know what I’m trying to sell
Refrain:
Well I know what I’m doing – but I don’t know if I’m doing it well
2nd Verse:
Wearing a sign that elicits false feelings
I’m afraid that it’s too early to tell
Refrain:
Well I know what I’m doing – but I don’t know if I’m doing it well
Bridge:
If there’d been a reason to have begged me to stay
The whole thing would have worked out so well
But in my blindest ambitions and to my selfish dismay
We were left with only hollow farewells
Chorus:
There’s only second motives on the firing line
And the rest is based on when it will end
Well I know it’s not fair, but it’s the grounds on which she waits to defend
She can’t control her feelings for her only child
And she’s struggling just to make her amends
Though I know she can make it
It still grieves me when she only pretends
3rd Verse:
No hint of direction in the sensitive blunders
And I wasn’t even there when she fell
(Refrain)
4th Verse:
The guilt and the shame can’t erase the contention
That I once was clearly wrapped in their spell
(Refrain)
2nd Bridge:
The Madonna and child were a moment away
From rekindling the love that escaped
But the pressures of failure were too much to bear
And it all fell together too late
(Chorus)
5th Verse:
Well it reached a condition where one only could wonder
If it ever had a chance left in hell
(Refrain)
6th Verse
The act of contrition which was left half unspoken
Was too painful and too fragile to tell
(Refrain)
Coda:
Don’t know – if I’ve been doing it well
Don’t know – if I’ve been doing it well
Don’t know
1979 Sean Francis
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3. |
Urgency
06:34
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"Urgency"
Words: May - July, 1983
Music: May 1983
NewK (aka John Newcott)
You shouldn't bite the hand that feeds you, as it gently strokes your neck
There's a story lost in telling, of your string of needless wrecks
You just push yourself down under, while continuing to reflect
On some newly found position, or some question of respect
Drink a toast to changing partners, hoist a few for bills and checks
It's just a mask you put on backwards, that no one questions or rejects
Chorus:
Urgency, that's just what I need
Give me some reason to stay
Don't cut me off or I'll bleed
Urgency, it's not a game that we play
There's only time for right now
Forever's too far away
I'm busy changing the bed, you keep sifting through sheets
It's just a file of encounters, the end result's incomplete
So used to missing your mark, that you've simply given up trying
I can't be sure from your gaze, if it's really tears that you're crying
I'll take a stab at remembering, you'll stare at me just the same
But let's just turn out the lights, there's no resisting this flame
Chorus
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4. |
Split Decision
05:23
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"Split Decision"
Words & Music: Jan/Feb. 1982
NewK (aka John Newcott)
His sweat is cold, his thoughts abrasive, tucked in folds around his hands
His anger flows in all directions, drops of blood fall where he stands
His nerves have reached the deeper end, it's time to finally take that plunge
Though he tries a graceful leap, it's just another desperate lunge
His fingers scratch his aching muscles, but he cannot feel the pain
It's in the pieces that he's picked up, that his memory can't retain
Chorus:
The man has been badly bruised, severely shaken and torn
But when that bell rings again, he's out there begging for more
His weight on balanced on dreams, his deepest fears and faint hopes
No matter how hard he's battered, he never clutches the ropes
The tears of all misgivings, at a time not easily shed
Have erased the hollow memories, of the wounded that he's bled
Not a scent of quiet mingling, not a thought of peace unearned
Can remove his hidden yearnings, for the past left undisturbed
Regarding no foreseen discoveries, despite his lone and callow call
His reactions have grown slower, his head and hands begin to fall
As he feels his body plummet, he grasped the smile upon his face
The secret honor in his laughter, helps him cope with his disgrace
Chorus
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5. |
Emotional Hijinks
04:46
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"Emotional Hijinks"
Words: Jan.29-31, 1981
Music: Feb. 11- March 11, 1981
Unmask my soul, remove the bandage so slowly, that no one can detect, that it was ever there at all
Cut away, very quickly, so no one suspects, that there was even a chance
That I might break down and call
Chorus:
Emotional hijinks, companionship stinks
But I haven't found a substitute, that's done the trick yet
Glassy stares and a few drinks, there'll be no surprise
If I dislike who I get
Well I'm not saying that it has to be right
Just need someone there to hold me, while I lay awake at night
Was turning cartwheels, down in my basement
Bouncing my body off these concrete walls
Please distract me, little wild one
I'm no longer looking for that coup de grace
Cause every mind has its limit
Some hearts are balanced on a cutting edge
Pat me coyly, on the back now, it's nearly time to collect
On every bet that I've hedged
Chorus
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6. |
Magical Connection
04:54
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The snakes were crawling in worn out paces
Running circles round the corners of the bed
Envelopes were sealed but stained with traces
Of premature tears for the dead
Refrain:
That was the year of the starburst
We watched the sweeping motion of the tale
That was the time of the flaming
The Fire that we thought would blaze the trail
Chorus:
It was time for a magical connection
Thought that sparks were flying all around
We'd burst in flames and spread that fury
But our worlds were passing by in leaps & bounds
The media was reeling from folklore heroes
Trying to commemorate the times
But information leaked out quickly
Through improper hands
And turned our blurring focus towards our crimes
Eyes were dancing wildly in the streams of passing cars
All headed the same lost way
Through the burning speed of that disjointed caravan
That held all hopes & fears at bay
Refrain - Chorus
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7. |
Petty Misgivings
04:42
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"Petty Misgivings"
Words & Music: November 1979
NewK (aka John Newcott)
It's these hopes of blind ambition, that are keeping me alive
Reliving all the faulty altercations
Then some semblance of belief, it passes slowly through your eyes
And dismisses all your placid reservations
Chorus:
Slide it back, take a chance now
It's got to be so near to your time
Take a stab, in the dark now
It's just your life that's lying there on that line
In some quiet little corner in the back of your mind
Lies some secret that has never been used
Crumpled up among the piles of broken promises
Where you retire when you think you're amused
All your homework's been done, every line is rehearsed
You're just waiting for the right set of cues
But the razor's been run round the edge of the glass
The image no longer looks quite like you
Chorus
All the intimate dreams you've worked so hard to dismiss
Will always haunt you, though it never quite shows
All the sweat on your brow, can't distort what you see
Or change the fact that you just pretend you don't know
Unfold your hand with the cards facing down
Your face is clearly showing all that you hold
The slightest flicker of hope has interrupted your eyes
No sudden bluff will get you back in control
Chorus
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8. |
Suburbia
04:02
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"Suburbia"
Words & Music: October 1979
NewK (aka John Newcott)
I'm getting so nervous that I just can't sleep
My veins are getting tighter, but my pulse is getting weak
Don't know what it is, can't stand this silence anymore
Sometimes it just seems so hopeless
And I don't know what it's for
Chorus:
SUBURBIA - burn a tattoo in my arm
I just want to raise some hell
Don;t want to cause nobody harm
SUBURBIA - I ain't looking for no fight
Just want to hear the sirens wail
And feel the burn of neon light
Well mom's okay and dad's alright
But I see through the struggles and the endless fights
It's bouncing off the ceilings, it's rumbling in the walls
Sometimes I hear the screaming echo in the bars and dancing halls
Don't want no sullen confrontation
Just a little friendly brawl
Chorus
I'm so bored with this damn lifestyle, life at home can get so drab
I feel the thunder of the subways, hear the screeching of the cabs
I'm just in need of some commotion, don't want to throw no childish fit
Well I trust my intuitions just as far as I can spit
Don't want to be fed to the lions, but come on, throw me in the pit
Chorus
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9. |
Shot From the Heart
05:16
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"Shot from the Heart"
Words & Music: Nov. 29th - Dec. 1st, 1980
NewK (aka John Newcott)
Despite all the pivots, the twists and the turns
There's no trace of any single bridge left to burn
I'm left there screaming, this blazing torch in my hand
Not a thing left to claim, not a prayer or demand
Disregarding for now, all the litanies of praise
Avoiding the shadows of every question they raise
Chorus:
I'll disappear in the night, drop the barrel of the smoking gun
There's no denying you're right, but I still haven't anywhere left to run
Running in circles, desperately shaded in grey
Not much to offer, almost nothing to say
Virtually silent in the realms of the heart
Clumsily groping for some signal to start
Misreading the cues, the chances I've pissed away
Retreating to you and over running my stay
Chorus
Gnawing at dreams in the heat of the night
Bowing to fears that never did seem quite right
Confronting my choices, finding nothing is there
Just barely missing some passing whim in the air
No need is misused, they're merely read the wrong way
My hand is face down, I've nothing more to play
Chorus
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10. |
No Warranty
04:56
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"No Warranty" (for Warren Zevon)
Words & Music: February 24, 1980
NewK (aka John Newcott)
There's a razor in my pocket, and a wrist watch up my arm
My teeth are gnashed and snarling, but there's no real cause for alarm
Because the dogs aren't barking, all the cruelty's just for show
For tomorrow I'll have nothing, not one cover left to blow
Chorus:
Ain't in no mood to be charming, ain't got the patience or the time
So just dial this local number here, and I'll mail you back your dime
All the two bit punks are itching, to blow apart the local game
But the noise of that explosion, would leave them empty just the same
And they've got all the exits covered, there's no protection on the street
There's no time to run for shelter, or to stage some false retreat
I've been strutting and cavorting, and my cage is ripe for cleaning
It's all a showcase fitting, but I don't like what I've been seeing
No change is coming through me, though I feel this certain surge
To make some mark upon this cow town, and unleash this inner urge
Chorus
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11. |
A Matter Of . . .
05:43
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A Matter Of . . .
Music: September 9 - Oct. 16th, 1982
Words: January 3-5, 1981
The fates pace on the sidelines, tossing slogans in the air
He can taste how bad they want him, yet he can only sit and stare
At some woman in the bleachers, who winks an eye, throws back her hair
And shoots out some kind of signal, like perhaps some day she'll care
He keeps chasing aimless faces, through the bustle and the noise
Some twisted logic rests assures him, deep down he knows there's been, deep down he knows there's been, no choice
Chorus:
Just rollin' stones across the water, in hopes that they'll remain bone dry
Some quiet tear just squeezes tightly, from the corner, the corner of one eye
As it falls it stains the promises, of all the thin edged lies
Though the cards are stacked against him, it's not yet time for him, time for him to die
He's racing through a field of roses, dodging bits of broken glass '
Too busy missing thorns and splinters, to notice who he might have passed
When he's finally reached the finish line, there's no one waiting there
All this running under cover, is so much dust tossed in the air
And when it's finally settled, everything still looks the same
Though they slyly change the rules some, there's just no way to beat,
just no way to beat, to beat the game
Chorus
His bodies' turned to slabs of marble, his head is full of harder rocks
It's not that no ones breaking hearts these days, they're just making stronger locks
His knees have finally buckled under, his mind has warped around the edge
He's just a suicide commando, who's lost his nerve perched on that ledge
So he grips the building tighter, till the brick cuts through his bones
His blood trickles slow and sadly, but nothing's changed he's still, nothing's changed he's still, he's still alone
Chorus
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12. |
Broken Spokes
06:39
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"Broken Spokes"
Words & Music: May 14 - 25, 1980
NewK (aka John Newcott)
Well these wheels just keep on grinding, no idea what I'll be finding
But I know I'm tearing holes into this paper
Been on the streets just walking, don't know what it is I'm stalking
Might have some answers if you check a little later
Well, I've been looking for some action, got no chance of satisfaction
I'm not asking for no signs or inspirations
Just need some friendly stimulation
No false hope or dedication, just some help to get me through these situations
Chorus:
Well just point me towards the center, some place I can safely enter
And lose myself in what I choose to see
With no distractions or diversions, or unnecessary burdens
Just indulge myself in who I want to be
A time to lay back and recover, a new defense, perhaps a lover
Find a sanctuary somewhere in this wasteland
Though I fond some bright solution, not a source of more confusion
In this glowing pair of half familiar eyes
Some resounding hollow sadness, in these awkward sighs & whispers
Made rejection seem no less a dark surprise
And I'm reaching out for something, to hold on to while I fumble
For a stronger grip on these much finer lines
Chorus
I was floored by the decision, no sudden rewrites or revisions
Just a throw out in the cold, but you'll be fine
This is no usual depression, or some fanciful regression
But the time to find what stuff I'm really made of
So I plunge headlong into it, take the beatings, count the wounded
There's some faint dispatch arriving through the airwaves
A moment here to count a blessing, another fall, a painful lesson
But in strength I stand awaiting what comes after
Chorus
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13. |
The Rendezvous
06:53
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"The Rendezvous"
Words: June 12th - 18th, 1980
Music: July 1st - 16th, 1980
NewK (aka John Newcott)
The smoke from both drawn barrels, helps to hide this veil of tears
Some faint signal in the darkness, seems to cut through all our fears
There's a crack in your reflection, through the gun rack on the wall
And it cuts through my defenses, you can have me, but that's all
A shot rings out in silence, not a drop of blood is shed
There's just the movement of the shadows, and the creaking of the bed
It's not a question of intentions, but some strong longing for your trust
A loose connection in these gropings, a strange expression of this lust
Chorus:
The heat of your fingers, a pull of the shade
The gravest of errors, in the whispers we trade
It's over again, so I'll just call for your car
I'll slip between strangers in some random bar
My mind is all clouded, your heart's on your sleeve
If there's truth in this matter, it's too much to believe
But the endings elusive, and the game just goes on
It just plays itself out, but the feelings all gone
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NewK Jersey City, New Jersey
Started writing music at age 13. In the early 70's, "opened" as a singer/songwriter for: Vince Bell; Guy Clark; Lightning
Hopkins; Willis Alan Ramsey.
Played in various jazz & rock bands, while working in multiple capacities in the theater. Writes both song form & instrumental works. In addition to my own work in the studio, Co-Produced the last 3 recordings by jazz pianist Michael Wolff.
... more
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