One Of The Three - The James Band Archive

Tag Archives: song-sometimes

Bath Moles Club – 21st March 1993

Posted on

When James went into Real World Studios to record Laid, the plan was to make three albums – the studio album, the improvised album that became Wah Wah and also to record a live album at an intimate show during the sessions. They chose Bath’s Moles Club, where they’d recorded One Man Clapping five years earlier to do this.  However, the band and label were reportedly not happy with the quality of the recording so the idea was shelved.

Setlist

Out To Get You / Pressure’s On / Say Something / Ring The Bells / Skindiving / Chain Mail / Maria / Next Lover / Sometimes / Laid / Sound / Tomorrow / Johnny Yen / Top Of The World / Sit Down

Support

n/a

Review

n/a

Sometimes (Lester Piggott)

Posted on

Sometimes is track two on the 1993 James Laid album and was released as the first single from the album.

The amusing sub-title is a reference to the racing beat of the song and carries on the band’s obsession with the tax-dodging jockey which first surfaced at the end of the original Sit Down.

Tim often tells the story of Brian Eno being in tears the first time they played it live in the studio and how he told them it was one of the highlights of his musical life.

The Top Of The Pops performance live from Pittsburgh saw all five members apart from Tim miming playing guitars whilst a mystery female dancer span around the room.

There are a number of live versions of the song released – a Radio 1 session version of the track recorded on the day of album release appeared on one of the Laid cd singles and the 2001 album reissue, a version recorded at Woodstock 94 appeared on the festival’s soundtrack cd and video and there are live versions on the 2002 Getting Away With It Live cd and dvd, the Live In 2008 cd and the Living In Extraordinary Times CD, vinyl and DVD.

Details

LyricsListenReleaseAvailable OnGigsGuitar Tabs
There's a storm outside, and the gap between crack and thunder
Crack and thunder, is closing in, is closing in
The rain floods gutters, and makes a great sound on concrete
On a flat roof, there's a boy leaning against the wall of rain
Aerial held high, calling ""come on thunder, come on thunder""
Sometimes, when I look deep in your eyes, I swear I can see your soul
Sometimes, when I look deep in your eyes, I swear I can see your soul
It's a monsoon, and the rain lifts lids off cars
Spinning buses like toys, stripping them to chrome
Across the bay, the waves are turning into something else
Picking up fishing boats and spewing them on the shore

The boy is hit, lit up against the sky, like a sign, like a neon sign
And then he crumples, drops into the gutter, cut strings, legs twitching
The flood, swells his clothes, and delivers him on, delivers him on

Sometimes, when I look deep in your eyes
I swear I can see your soul
Sometimes, when I look deep in your eyes
I swear I can see your soul

There's four new colours in the rainbow
An old man's taking Polaroids
But all he captures is endless rain, endless rain
He says listen, takes my head and puts my ear to his
And I swear I can hear the sea

Sometimes, when I look in your eyes I can see your soul
(I can reach your soul)
(I can touch your soul)
(I can hear your soul)
Sometimes

Open in Spotify

BBC Session 1993

Open in Spotify

Live In Extraordinary Times

Open in Spotify

Orchestral Version

Open in Spotify

Live At The Acropolis

Open in Spotify

Song:Sometimes (Lester Piggott)
Released:30th August 1993
Main Associated Album (or Single):Laid
First Heard Live:Bath Moles Club – 21st March 1993
Played at:
James - Sometimes

Taken from the album Laid

Written and performed by James

=====================================================================
Note: Capo at the 2nd fret. All notes/chords given relative to capo.
=====================================================================

Solo:

e-------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------------- x2
D-0-0-0--0-0-0-0----------------------------------------
A-----------------3--2-2-2-2--3-2-0-2-0-----------------
E---------------------------------------3--3~-----------

e-------------------------------------------------------
B------------------------------------0-0-0--------------
G-----------------------0-0-0--2-2-2--------------------
D--0-0-0-0-0--2-2-2-2-2---------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------

e------------------ e--------------------3~-----
B--3--0-0-----0-0-- B--------------------3~-----
G----------0------- x2 G---0----------------0~-----
D------------------ D------2-2--0--------0~-----
A------------------ A-------------3-2----2~-----
E------------------ E-----------------3--3~-----

(~ = vibrato)

Song Structure:

Two acoustic guitars in this song, and I think both play the same chords. The verse is just a single, quickly strummed, chord of G, the chorus G Em C. In live versions they sometimes play G Em C progression in the verse at certain points, or maybe only one guitar does and the others stick to G. Now there are 3 guitarists it's just complete madness! But whatever you do, keep up the pace!
To play the solo above play it as written, i.e. first bit twice, second bit once, third bit twice and fourth bit once. This particular solo was played by Adrian at the MTV 5 Night Stand gig, and is different to the once on the record which just repeats the first bit three times. If you listen very carefully you can just make it out in the background. Oh, and the chord for the solo is G.

Lyrics/Chords:

G
There's a storm outside, and the gap between crack and thunder

Crack and thunder, is closing in, is closing in

The rain floods gutters, and makes a great sound on concrete

On a flat roof, there's a boy leaning against the wall of rain

Aerial held high, calling "come on thunder, come on thunder"

Em
Sometimes,

C
When I look deep in your eyes,

G
I swear I can see your soul

Em
Sometimes,

C
When I look deep in your eyes,

G
I swear I can see your soul


It's a monsoon, and the rain lifts lids off cars

Spinning buses like toys, stripping them to chrome

Across the bay, the waves are turning into something else

Picking up fishing boats and spewing them on the shore



The boy is hit, lit up against the sky, like a sign, like a neon sign

And then he crumples, drops into the gutter, cut strings, legs twitching

The flood, swells his clothes, and delivers him on, delivers him on



Sometimes,

When I look deep in your eyes

I swear I can see your soul

Sometimes,

When I look deep in your eyes

I swear I can see your soul

----------------------------------------------------
[Solo goes here, incase you can't here where it is] ----------------------------------------------------

There's four new colours in the rainbow

An old man's taking polaroids

But all he captures is endless rain, endless rain

He says listen, takes my head and puts my ear to his

And I swear I can hear the sea



Sometimes,

When I look in your eyes

I can see your soul

[Repeat to fade]


Transcribed by Alex Carter 2001.

alex@shandy3000.fsnet.co.uk