One Of The Three - The James Band Archive

Category Archives: Discography

Come Home (1989)

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Come Home, a 1989 Single by James.

Summary

The first release of James’ anthemic Come Home reached 84 in the UK Singles Chart.

Track List

7″ RT245 – Come Home (Short Version) / Promised Land
12″ RTT245 – Come Home (Long Version) / Promised Land / Slow Right Down (demo) / Come Home (Short Version)
CD RTT245CD – Come Home (Long Version) / Promised Land / Slow Right Down (demo) / Come Home (Short Version)

Details

ReleaseAboutSongsListenVideosGallery
Release Name: Come Home
Artist Name:
Release Date: 20th November 1989
Format: Studio Single
Catalogue: 7" RT245; 12" RTT245; CD RTT245CD

Come Home was initially intended as the first single off the Gold Mother album which the band had recorded for Rough Trade in the summer of 1989. It was dished out to club DJs as a white-label promo by Rough Trade without revealing James as the artist in order to combat the band’s reputation as wimpy, vegan, celibate Buddhists.

James biggest UK tour to date was announced to coincide with the release. With a “Powerplay” listing on Radio 1’s Simon Mayo show ensuring daytime airplay, a hit single looked like a safe bet, especially as the release coincided with the start of the Madchester explosion.

The single was backed by Promised Land, a song inspired by the then-Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The lyrics were a direct searing attack on government policy in the middle of the Poll Tax crisis. The other track was a demo version of Slow Right Down, a powerful up-tempo track that was wasted as a b-side.

Artwork for the single was once again provided by Central Station Design.

Marketing of the single was however a disaster. Pluggers were left without copies of the single, the accompanying video failed to capture the energy of the song and was rarely aired and crucially, many record shops were left without or with insufficient copies of the single.

The single entered the charts at number 84, but was denied the momentum that might have led to a second-week improvement by an error in the charts at Music Week which meant Come Home was not listed.

Furious with the situation, James went to see Geoff Travis, MD of Rough Trade, who told them they would only ever be a minority interest with an audience of 20-30,000.  With more belief in their own potential, the band asked to be released from their contract and to be able to buy the album from Rough Trade. Travis agreed and soon after, the band signed to the Fontana arm of the Phonogram label.

Reviews

NME

“Harder, fresher and more bitter than most bands around. Should rank them up there with The Mondays”

Songs related to this release:

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Come Home – Rough Trade white label promo

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Come Home - Rough Trade white label promo, a 1989 promo by James.

Summary

White label promo sent to DJs without band name

Track List

Come Home (Short Version) / Slow Right Down (Demo Version) / Promised Land / Come Home (Long Version)

Details

ReleaseAboutSongsGallery
Release Name: Come Home - Rough Trade white label promo
Artist Name:
Release Date: 1st November 1989
Format: Promo Single
Catalogue: no catalogue number

White label promo sent to DJs without band name

Songs related to this release:

Indie Top Video Take Two (VHS)

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A 1989 Compilation (non James) VHS featuring James.

Summary

A compilation VHS by Beechwood Music.

Track List

Sit Down

Details

ReleaseAboutSongsGallery
Release Name: Indie Top Video Take Two
Artist Name:
Release Date: 1st November 1989
Format: Compilation (non James) VHS
Catalogue: MVP 9912003 (Beechwood Music)

A compilation VHS by Beechwood Music.
Tracks included:
1. The Stone Roses – She Bangs The Drum
2. The Lightning Seeds – Pure
3. Inspiral Carpets – Joe
4. The Men They Couldn’t Hang – Rain, Steam And Speed
5. Wire – Eardrum Buzz
6. Kitchens Of Distinction – The Third Time We Opened The Capsule
7. The Man From Delmonte – My Love Is Like A Gift You Can’t Return
8. James – Sit Down
9. Bradford – In Liverpool
10. The Parachute Men – Leeds Station
11. The Fuzztones – Nine Months Later
12. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – The Mercy Seat
13. The Wolfgang Press – Raintime
14. The Sugarcubes – Regina

Songs related to this release:

Come Home

Posted on

Come Home is the opening track on James’ 1990 Gold Mother album. It was released twice as a single – on Rough Trade in November 1989 and reissued in remixed form in June 1990.

Come Home came about in the band’s rehearsal rooms in Denton as they were trying different arrangements of Sit Down, but were getting confused about the song they were playing. It has the same chord structure as Sit Down.

Originally previewed on a nameless white-label DJ promo to avoid the negative impact of James’ folky image, this was a big hit in indie clubs in the late summer of 1989. It only reached a disappointing 85 when released in November despite an accompanying sell-out tour. Remixed by Flood, it reached number 33 when re-released in the summer of 1990. It has seen remixes by the likes of Youth and Andy Weatherall since and still remains a staple part of most James live sets.

A Come Home shirt appeared on Top of The Pops months before James when one of Beats International wore one performing their number one “Dub Be Good To Me”.

Details

LyricsListenReleaseAvailable OnGigsGuitar Tabs
It's that time again when I lose my friends
Go walkabout, I've got the bends from pressure
I have been pulled apart and my swollen heart
Has flipped out of the pan into the fire

And I don't believe you're all I'll ever need
And I need to feel that you're not holding me
But the way I feel just makes me want to scream
Come home, come home, come home
Come home, come home, come home

After thirty years I've become my fears
I've become the kind of man I've always hated
I am in love insane with a sense of shame
That I threw stones at the condemned and now I'm slated
I may have paid for sex but I was blessed by love
In this land that's ruled by gods of lust and money

And I don't believe you're all I'll ever need
And I need to feel that you're not holding me
But the way I feel just makes me want to scream
Come home, come home, come home
Come home, come home, come home
Come home, come home, come home

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Extended Flood Mix

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Hugo Live Dub Challenge

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Live In Extraordinary Times

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Andrew Weatherall Mix / Skunk Weed Skank Mix

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Youth Pressure Dub

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Song:Come Home
Released:20th November 1989
Main Associated Album (or Single):Gold Mother
First Heard Live:London Town And Country Club 2 – 28th September 1989
Played at:
James - Come Home

Taken from the album Gold Mother

Written and performed by James

Main Riff:

e--6b(7)r---6b(7)r6b(7)r6b(7)r6b(7)r--------------------
B--8b(9)r---8b(9)r8b(9)r8b(9)r8b(9)r--------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------

Chorus Riff:

e----------------------4---------------4----------------
B--5h7p5----5h7p5----5---5----5-7-5--5---5--5-7-5-------
G--------4--------4--------4----------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------

Keyboard Riff:

e------ e------ e------
B--0--- B--2--- B------
G----1- x6 G----2- x3 G--4--- x3
D------ D------ D----4-
A------ A------ A------
E------ E------ E------

Song Structure:
Nice simple one, Larry plays the Main Riff during the verse, and plays the Chorus Riff at the end of the chorus (over which Mark plays the Keyboard Riff, which I've tabbed too). Saul plays an acoustic guitar, strumming the chords E A B throughout. (In live versions with that dancey intro, Saul instead plays the chords (on an electric) E E B.)

Lyrics/Chords:

E
It's that time again when I lose my friends

A B
Go walkabout, I've got the bends from pressure

E
I have been pulled apart and my swollen heart

A B
Has flipped out of the pan into the fire



And I don't believe you're all I'll ever need

And I need to feel that you're not holding me

But the way I feel just makes me want to scream

Come home, come home, come home

Come home, come home, come home



After thirty years I've become my fears

I've become the kind of man I've always hated

I am in love insane with a sense of shame

That I threw stones at the condemned and now I'm slated

I may have paid for sex but I was blessed by love

In this land that's ruled by gods of lust and money



And I don't believe you're all I'll ever need

And I need to feel that you're not holding me

But the way I feel just makes me want to scream

Come home, come home, come home

Come home, come home, come home

Come home, come home, come home




Transcribed by Alex Carter 2001.

alex@shandy3000.fsnet.co.uk

Sit Down (1989)

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Sit Down, a 1989 Single by James.

Summary

Sit Down reached the 77, the highest UK Single Chart position to date for James.

Track List

7″ RT225 – Sit Down / Sky Is Falling
12″ RTT225 – Sit Down (extended) / Goin Away / Sound Investment / Sky Is Falling
CD RTT225CD – Sit Down (extended) / Goin Away / Sound Investment / Sky Is Falling

Details

ReleaseAboutSongsListenVideosGallery
Release Name: Sit Down
Artist Name:
Release Date: 19th June 1989
Format: Studio Single
Catalogue: 7" RT225; 12" RTT225; CD RTT225CD

Following the split from Sire, James released the number one indie album One Man Clapping with the assistance of Geoff Travis from Rough Trade. In the spring of 1989, James signed to Rough Trade and entered the studio to record Sit Down, a track written in the days of Sire which they had held back until they had escaped to a new label.

With James now a seven-piece band, the single was released in June 1989 to coincide with a short UK tour. It was released on 7″, 12″ and a small 3″ CD single with original issues of the 7″ including a free postcard. The 12″ and CD formats included an eight-minute version of Sit Down ending in a reprise of the song with a sound engineer chanting Lester Piggott over the outro. B-sides to the single included Sky Is Falling, a demo that was James contribution to BOP Records legendary Manchester North of England album, Goin Away, a two-minute track that had opened up many James shows that year and Sound Investment, a meditation on the complexity of relationships.

A video directed by Ed Barton accompanied the single. Set against a white background and Tim sporting a fetching kaftan, the video features the band performing the song, Tim hugging a sheep (which apparently urinated him at one stage) and various shady-looking individuals sitting down next to Tim. The video received a Musicians Union ban for two weeks as it featured Jim impersonating a drummer, apparently taking someone else’s job.

Artwork for the single was provided by Manchester’s Central Station Design, responsible for most Factory Records sleeves.

The single received almost universal acclaim in the music press, but Radio 1 appeared not to pick the single up so crucial airplay was lost. The single entered the charts at number 77 and went no higher, but that was better than James had achieved before.  The song had however left an indelible mark on the James audience.

Press Release

James kick off a long-term recording relationship with Rough Trade Records with the single Sit Down released on June 19th.  Sit Down looks set to build on the success of the indie chart-topping One Man Clapping live album; the b-side Sky Is Falling shows the band have lost none of their out-spoken concern for environmental issues.

The full track listing for the twelve inch version is as follows:

  • Side A : Sit Down (Extended Version)
  • Side B : Goin Away, Sound Investment and Sky Is Falling

Keyboardist Mark Hunter is welcomed aboard the line-up for a national tour – dates as follows:

  • June
    • 16th Liverpool Royal Court
    • 17th Nottingham Trent Polytechnic
    • 19th Bristol Bierkeller
    • 20th Leicester University
    • 27th Manchester Ritz
    • 28th Manchester Ritz
  • July
    • 3rd London Marquee
    • 4th London Marquee
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Walking The Ghost

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Walking The Ghost is track eight on the 1990 James album Gold Mother.

It also features on the Come Home live video and dvd.

Details

LyricsListenReleaseAvailable OnGigsGuitar Tabs
There's a knocking at my window
Not two for yes but one for no
Some spirit is unsatisfied
From watching her world spin out of control
At night she goes walking around her old home
Objecting to how it's all changed
She prefers her arrangements to the ones which we made
Walking the ghost
Walking the ghost
Walking the ghost

This baggage on my shoulders
Making me stoop, bending my frame
My neck is crocked lopsided
I will never be tall again
At night she goes walking around her old home
You can feel so much sadness locked up in her bones
I can feel so much sadness locked up in her bones
Walking my ghost
Walking my ghost
Walking my ghost
Walking my ghost

I'm sensitive to unkindness
Stab in the back burn in the ribs
I need your fingers to straighten my flesh
I hope your fingers are kind
Hope... fingers...
Walking the ghost, walking the ghost, walking the ghost
Walking the ghost, walking the ghost

I can feel someone is with me now
Willing me on
Whispering advice Poking my back
Singing prophecies
Weird shadows
Words on a breeze
I'm picking up, I'm picking up
I'm picking up your message
And I'm trying to mend
With all the noise around here
With all the noise around here
I can't hear any clearer
I can't hear any clearer
I can't hear any clearer
I can't stop my head from ringing
I can't stop my head from ringing
I can't stop my head from ringing
And there's fingers in my hair
Stroking my neck
Lifting up my skin
Shifting skin, shifting skin
Shedding my skin
And I'm leaving it behind
I'm leaving it behind
And I'm walking my ghost
I am walking my ghost
I am walking my ghost
My ghost
My ghost
My ghost
My ghost
My ghost

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Song:Walking The Ghost
Released:4th June 1990
Main Associated Album (or Single):Gold Mother
First Heard Live:Bristol Bierkeller – 19th June 1989
Played at:
CHORUS

C, G, D

Government Walls

Posted on

Government Walls is track two on the 1990 James album Gold Mother (track three on the reissued version).

It was first aired in Spring 1989 and is one of James’ most direct protest songs damning the secrecy of government.

References are made to the John Stalker affair where the police officer had uncovered a shoot to kill policy of the RUC in Ireland and was silenced by an unrelated and fabricated scandal.

Details

LyricsListenReleaseAvailable OnGigsGuitar Tabs
Break down the government walls
Speak in tongues, power is money
I see our interests fall
Well behind their curtain
Break down the government walls
Infiltrate our television
Break down the government walls
Crime to be outspoken

I can hear the sound of falling masonry
As they try to plug that leak
I am tempted by their cloak of secrecy
To find out what their games are about
Ask a question and they'll talk of secret services
Secrets from the people they should serve
When they can hide their crimes in a legal disguise
Truth will not be seen nor heard

Break down the government walls
Bring them down within my lifetime
Let's see the curtain drawn
See what they're concealing
Break down the government walls
Secrecy suggests deception
Break down the government walls
Crime to be outspoken

Bring down the government walls, bring down the government walls
Bring down the government walls
Bring down, bring down, bring down
Bring down, bring down, bring down
Break down, break down, break down
Break down, break down, break down
Break down the government walls, walls

While in Ireland they shoot to kill without warning you
And lock you away for a while without trial
And if an honest cop gets to close to the truth of it
They'll set him up in style
In style

Bring down the government walls, break down the government walls
Bring down the government walls
Bring down, bring down, bring down
Bring down, bring down, bring down
Break down, break down, break down
Break down, break down, break down
Break down the government walls
Bring down my government walls
Break down the government walls

Bring down the government walls
Speak in tongues, power is money
I see our interests fall
Well behind their curtain
Break down the government walls
Infiltrate our television
Break down the government walls
Crime to be outspoken
It's a crime to be outspoken
It's a crime to be outspoken
It's a crime, it's a crime

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Song:Government Walls
Released:4th June 1990
Main Associated Album (or Single):Gold Mother
First Heard Live:Bristol Bierkeller – 19th June 1989
Played at:
James - Government Walls

Taken fromt the album Gold Mother

Written and performed by James

Riff 1:

e--------------------5-3--------------------------------
B--------------------6-5--------------------------------
G--------------------7-5--------------------------------
D----7----------7----7-5--------------------------------
A--5----5-5-5-5------5-3--------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------

Riff 2:

e-------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------
D----7----------7-----7---------------------------------
A--5----5-5-5-5-----5-----3-3-3-3/5---------------------
E-----------------------5-------------------------------

Riff 3:

e-------------------------------------------------------
B--------------------------------6-6p5------------------
G--5h6h7--5h6h7-7---5h6h7-5h6h7-------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------

Song Structure:

The song begins with Riff 1, which also crops up throughout the song, as does similar the similar Riff 2. Riff 3 makes an appearance when Tim's not singing.
During the "choruses" ("Bring down the Government Walls") Larry plays a chord of Dm occasionally hammering-on to Dsus4 .
The song never deviates from a chords progression of Dm F C.

Lyrics/Chords:

Dm
Break down the government walls

F C
Speak in tongues, power is money

Dm
I see our interests fall

F C
Well behind their curtain

Dm
Break down the government walls

F C
Infiltrate our television

Dm
Break down the government walls

F C
Crime to be outspoken



I can hear the sound of falling masonry

As they try to plug that leak

I am tempted by their cloak of secrecy

To find out what their games are about

Ask a question and they'll talk of secret services

Secrets from the people they should serve

When they can hide their crimes in a legal disguise

Truth will not be seen nor heard



Break down the government walls

Bring them down within my lifetime

Let's see the curtain drawn

See what they're concealing

Break down the government walls

Secrecy suggests deception

Break down the government walls

Crime to be outspoken



Bring down the government walls, bring down the government walls

Bring down the government walls

Bring down, bring down, bring down

Bring down, bring down, bring down

Break down, break down, break down

Break down, break down, break down

Break down the government walls, walls



While in Ireland they shoot to kill without warning you

And lock you away for a while without trial

And if an honest cop gets to close to the truth of it

They'll set him up in style

In style



Bring down the government walls, break down the government walls

Bring down the government walls

Bring down, bring down, bring down

Bring down, bring down, bring down

Break down, break down, break down

Break down, break down, break down

Break down the government walls

Bring down my government walls

Break down the government walls



Bring down the government walls

Speak in tongues, power is money

I see our interests fall

Well behind their curtain

Break down the government walls

Infiltrate our television

Break down the government walls

Crime to be outspoken

It's a crime to be outspoken

It's a crime to be outspoken

It's a crime, it's a crime




Transcribed by Alex Carter 2001.

alex@shandy3000.fsnet.co.uk

Sound Investment

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Sound Investment is a b-side to the 1989 James single Sit Down.

Details

LyricsReleaseAvailable OnGigsGuitar Tabs
I have friends who I can count on
They can count on me
A transaction we agreed on
It works perfectly
One day I will make a merger
When I feel the need
It will be a sound investment
My whole company

Keeping people at a distance
Takes up so much time
I get on with those who are in keeping
With these thoughts of mine
All this talk of our own emotions
I won't understand
You love playing in the ocean
I prefer dry sand
You go playing in the ocean
I prefer dry sand

I aspire to automaton
With an automatic wife
Everything would be so simple
In an automatic life
I would be devoid of all the people feelings left in me
I could be a void of feeling
Feeling just brings misery
I could be a void of feeling
In a world of misery

Don't believe in what you can't see
There's no Promised Land
Why do we get so excited
It's all been programmed
Why do you get so excited
By the rising sun
It will rise again tomorrow
When the night has gone
It will keep on rising falling
After we have gone
It will rise and fall forever
After we have gone

We have gone
After we have gone
(repeat to end)
Song:Sound Investment
Released:19th June 1989
Main Associated Album (or Single):Sit Down (1989)
First Heard Live:Never performed live
    Can't find any records of performances.
Unavailable

Gold Mother

Posted on

Gold Mother is track nine of the James album of the same name.

It is a tribute to mothers everywhere and is based on Tim’s experience of the birth of his own child Ben with James’ ex-manager Martine.

The track features backing vocals by the Inspiral Carpets who had supported James in 1989. The track was also remixed by Warp of Sheffield.

At live shows, the song would often be accompanied by a stage invasion.

Details

LyricsListenReleaseAvailable OnGigsGuitar Tabs
Heart of gold, heart of gold, heart of gold
One body in my mother's belly (in my mother's body)
Chinese dolls, box in boxes (box in boxes)
How do you sail the ship from the bottle?
How do you sail the ship from the bottle?
Heart of gold heart of gold heart of gold
Gold, gold, gold mother, gold, gold, gold mother
Gold, gold, gold mother, gold, gold, gold mother

I can see the head now
Between her legs now
Purple headed alien
Water logged old man
In the blood silence
Passed onto keepers
In the blood silence
Silence, silence
Silence, blood silence, blood silence

Heart of gold, heart of gold, heart of gold, heart of gold, heart of gold

Cry for me mother, cry for me my mother
Cry for me mother, cry for me my mother
My feet and hands won't work
My feet and hands won't work
In my baby's body
My brand new baby's body
My brand new baby's body
I'll suck my fingers red
I'll suck my fingers red
In my baby's body
In my brand new baby's body
In my brand new baby's body
In my brand new baby's body
Body, body, body, body
Mother, mother
In my brand new baby's body (repeat twice)
My body, my body, my body, my body

I can see the head now
Between her legs now
Purple headed alien
Water logged old man
In the blood silence
In the blood silence
Silence
Silence
Silence
Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up

In the bright lights and harsh sounds, there's a man
In green ceremonial robes and mask, dipping a straw through your nose
Mouthwash of meconium lungs full of meconium
Heart full of meconium
Meconium, meconium, meconium, meconium

Chinese dolls in boxes (repeat twice)
I'll go out the same way I came in (repeat twice)
Chinese dolls in boxes, chinese dolls box in boxes
Box in boxes
I'll suck, I'll suck
I'll suck my fingers red, I'll suck my fingers red
I'll suck my baby's body
Baby's body, baby's body, baby's body
My baby's body

Heart of gold (x16)
Mother, mother
Gold mother (x7)
Smother, smother
Mother (x6)
Bend, hold, push, kick (x8)

And everything you touch is a being
And everything you love is a woman
And everything you touch (no man can bear a child)
Turns to gold
As precious as
As rich as
As dear as
As strong as
As hard as
Gold
Mother
Past the boundaries of all pain
You journey to the edge of death in search of a child
Gold mother there's only one
She's my mother courage
Mother courage (x4)
Gold mother and she's mine
She's all mine
Shut up let's hear it
Shut up (x9)

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Warp Remix

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Song:Gold Mother
Released:4th June 1990
Main Associated Album (or Single):Gold Mother
First Heard Live:Nottingham Trent Poly – 17th June 1989
Played at:
Unavailable

Promised Land

Posted on

Promised Land is a b-side from the 1989 James single Come Home. A live acoustic version also appeared on a US radio promo CD called A Certain Damage 44 in 1992.

It was a very direct attack on the Conservative then-Prime Minster Margaret Thatcher. Tim wrote the lyrics on the way to the studio when the band were recording Sit Down in Sheffield at the time of the Hillsborough football tragedy where Mrs Thatcher was using visiting the survivors as photo-opportunities.

Given the unrest with the government and the opposition to the poll tax, the song was rapturously received every time it was played, the reaction often prompting the band to stop the show for several minutes and causing Larry to cry on a couple of occasions.

Details

LyricsReleaseAvailable OnGigsGuitar Tabs
I'll settle down and watch some television
Watch the news
Confronted by an ugly politician
And her ugly views
I don't belong here
I don't belong here
In your promised land
In your promised land

She is at the scene of every disaster
Shaking hands
Circling the corpses like a vulture
Coming into land
I don't belong
Here, I don't belong
Here, in your promised land
In your promised land

Never tell the truth
Look them in the eye
Soften up the voice
Justify a lie
Smother us in blue
Smother us in rust
Images are true
Images we trust

Promise us a home
Sell us what we own
Give the dog a bone
Dog a, dog a bone
You are the one
Ever so strong
Never be wrong
Never be wrong

The people of my country are divided
By her greed
Money is directed to ambition
Not to need
Now the scum is really floating to the surface
Of the sea
Everything she touches is infected
Including me

I don't belong here
I don't belong here
In your promised land
Song:Promised Land
Released:20th November 1989
Main Associated Album (or Single):Come Home (1989)
First Heard Live:Nottingham Trent Poly – 17th June 1989
Played at:
Unavailable