Open the Skylights

by Tom Houston

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  • Digital Album

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1.
04:24
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2.
03:30
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3.
03:31
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4.
02:47
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5.
04:46
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6.
03:39
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7.
03:38
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8.
05:26
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9.
03:43
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about

Produced in The cave by Neill MacColl 2013
with Tom Houston, Neill MacColl, Kate St John, Simon Edwards and Martyn Barker

credits

released 16 January 2013
all songs by Tom Houston except New World which is by Tom Houston and Christophe Edwards

tags

tags: acoustic open the skylights tom houston UK

license

all rights reserved

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about

Tom is a singer songwriter. Lyrical and reflective with an edge. He has worked with many bands and genres over the years. He currently fronts the iconic davesnewbike.


He draws you in with gentle yet angular acoustic guitar playing that matches his voice and ideas. Open the Skylights is out now on general release. Digitised woodfire intimacy at its best. ... more

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Track Name: New World
New world

The storm has passed the winds of change
Raven’s flying high on Beinn an Oir
The sun lies flat across the isle
And glistens brightly on the shore
And glistens brightly on the shore


And we’re leaving it all behind
We’re on the borderline
The things we haven’t seen
In my North American dream
In my North American dream

The clouds close in we leave Loch Broom
Our fragile hopes lie in the hold
We ask the piper for one more tune
the notes still linger in my soul
the notes still linger in my soul

And we’re leaving it all behind
We’re on the borderline
The things we haven’t seen
In my North American dream
In my North American dream

I work the furnace night and day
The sting of Pittsburg in my eye
And with every dollar that I make
A little something in me dies
A little something in me dies


And we’re leaving it all behind
We’re on the borderline
The things we haven’t seen
In my North American dream
In my North American dream
Track Name: Summer Flies
Summer Flies

The woman took her stockings off
she swore her skin was dry
the men were looking sideways
with a glimmer in their eye
And all the broken hearted people
turned around to cry
there’s no justice in the world
no god up in the sky

When the night comes down
when the night comes down
when the night comes down
all those summer flies are quiet now

The woman put the shower on
she turned the heat up high
the men were drinking lager
they swore their throats were dry
And the children were tucked up in bed
their minds were wondering ‘why?’
is there comfort in the world
and there answers in the sky

When the night comes down
when the night comes down
when the night comes down
all those summer flies are quiet now

When the working day is over
and the evening chores are done
and the stress of daily living
sets beneath the sun
The TV screens take in a breath
and let out with a sigh
oh the devil’s lost the detail
and we’ve burnt the apple pie

When the night comes down
when the night comes down
when the night comes down
all those summer flies are quiet now
Track Name: Lingering
Lingering

Take your soldiers
Take your kings
Fire your arrows
Fire your slings

And keep your armour
waiting

Take your husbands
Save your wives
Hide your daughters
Sharpen knives

And lead me
to the water

Past the clouds along the stream
And in the islands grab your dreams
Of forgiveness

We are the chosen few
The ghosts of causes fought and lost
and lingering

Che Guevara
Bobby Seale
Seize the time
and let it heal

In constant
revolution

Stop the bomb
save the trees
Heat your home
with the breeze

Hope
springs eternal

Past the clouds along the stream
And in the islands grab your dreams
Of forgiveness


We are the chosen few
The ghosts of causes fought and lost
and lingering

We are the chosen few
The ghosts of causes fought and lost and lingering
Forgotten

Shades of red
amongst the green
East meets west
and in between

The lovers
are hiding

Take a trip
nside your soul
Come together
become whole

The Hippies
are arriving

Past the clouds along the stream
And in the gutters lies their dreams
Of forgiveness

We are the chosen few
The ghosts of causes fought and lost
and lingering

We are the chosen few
The ghosts of causes fought and lost
and lingering
Forgotten

We are the chosen few
The ghosts of causes fought and lost and

lingering
Track Name: Out of Reach
Out of reach

There’s an ache in his heart
With the world poking through
There’s people to meet
And wonderful things still to do

But time hangs hard
the path runs so deep

there’s a smile on the street
as a stranger walks by
it’s a beautiful day
not a cloud floats in the sky

But time hangs hard
the path runs so deep

my TV set’s pink with a transparent hue
it’s a digital part
that one day just blew

and time hangs hard
the path runs so deep

there’s an ache in her heart
where things used to be
a sparkle of light
children play by the sea

and time hangs hard
the path runs so deep
yet time hangs hard
then slips out of reach
Track Name: A Certain Shade of Restless
A Certain shade of restless

I am a certain shade of restless
Cracking jokes, while feeling kind of glum
I like a special type of sweetness
That leaves a bitter taste on my tongue

So when you say you want a coffee fudge cup
You want it quick you don’t care how
I’m thinking ‘I’ve only got one box of chocolates
And it’s too late to change the wrappers now’

I used to believe in happy endings
Good times rolling round, rolling round the bend
But now things seem so complicated
I just can’t shrug and pretend

When I see you feeling guilty
And I see the shame on your brow
I’m thinking ‘I’ve only got one box of chocolates
And it’s too late to change the wrappers now’

I want to lie low
I want to reach up high
I want to climb so deep inside that I can see the world smile

I want to lie low
I want to reach up high
I want to climb so deep inside that I can hear the world cry

I am a certain shade of restless
It makes me a hard man, a hard man to please
I like the dark and I like the sparkle
What holds me back can also set me free

So when you say you want a coffee fudge cup
And you want the taste to linger on your tongue
I open up my only box of chocolates
And take off the wrappers one by one
And take off the wrappers one by one
Track Name: Sunshine Days
Sunshine days

You gave all you had to me
Laid it on the ground
It was more than I could bear to see
You all innocent and proud
proud proud

Like a child without fear

And I did not know what to say
And I couldn’t make a sound
And in that moment
You were swept away
Like a thin grey cloud
cloud cloud

And the skies were all clear

And our sunshine days are over
Our sunshine ways are through
I’m singing
La la la
La la la
La la la

Our sunshine days are over
and Our sunshine days are through
I’m singing
La la la
La la la
La la la
La la
Track Name: Miracle of Love
The Miracle of Love

There was something wonderful about the way you touched my hand
The flames and the poets helped me understand
That my life and my story
Fit me like a glove
As I watched and I moved into
The miracle of love

No sooner had I sensed it it seemed to disappear
More in expectation than in hope or fear
And although I tried to hold on
it faded up above
I looked into your face and lost
The miracle of love


And the sisters of mercy are waiting
If I don’t pull through
And after years spent meditating
I hope my love holds true
Holds true

But you were one step ahead and you reached into the past
And pulled out leonard cohen
His songs built to last
And his longing and conviction
Wrapped round every word
And we soon rediscovered
The miracle of love

and there's wonder in the sunshine
and there's wonder in the stars
there's wonder in the music
from those nylon strung guitars
and we laughed and we danced
as we soared above the world
and we laughed and we danced
in our miracle of love
Track Name: Cocooned
Cocooned

Just a small emotion
Struggling for breath
The tiniest of feelings
Hidden in the depths

So send me to the landfill
And keep me out of sight
Peck me with your seagulls
And shield me from the light

The merest of sensations
Tickling your dreams
Squirming in your bedclothes
Flickering on your screens

So send me to the landfill
And keep me out of sight
Peck me with your seagulls
And shield me from the light

I’m the butterfly of wonder and the butterfly of gold
The butterfly of angels wise before I’m old
I’m the butterfly of terror and the butterfly of shame
We’re all cocooned together and there’s no one else to blame

Invite me to your table
I wont spoil the meal
Ok …send me to the neighbours
If that’s the way you feel

Or push me to the landfill
And keep me out of sight
Peck me with your seagulls
And shield me from the light

I’m the butterfly of wonder and the butterfly of gold
The butterfly of angels wise before I’m old
I’m the butterfly of terror and the butterfly of shame
We’re all cocooned together and there’s no one else to blame



And all across our country
All over this land
Our children are not sleeping
Innocence buried in the sand

And I’m growing in the landfill
Expanding in the dark
I don’t mean to haunt you
But it’s time to kick on back

I’m the butterfly of wonder and the butterfly of gold
The butterfly of angels wise before I’m old
I’m the butterfly of terror and the butterfly of shame
We’re all cocooned together and there’s no one else to blame
Track Name: Unspoken
Unspoken

If I’m standing here a fool
With eyes wide open
It’s because you touch my heart
With words yet unspoken

See you
Seeing me
Touching like the mist rolls through the glen

And if I doubt myself
Thinking that I’ve no right to be happy
And take comfort in the night
At least she knows I’m lonely

but see you
and seeing me
touching like stars kiss the dawn

If we’re standing here like fools
With eyes wide open
It’s because we reach our hearts
With words yet unspoken

See you
Seeing me
Touching like stars kiss the dawn