A Walk​-​On Role

by Graham Earnshaw

supported by
DJH Oakland
DJH Oakland thumbnail
/

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $2 USD  or more

     

1.
A Man of No Importance 03:54
lyrics
buy track
A Man of No Importance I am just a man of no importance I will leave no mark on history Another face in the crowd Barely worth a glance There is no magic here, there is no mystery This is a small walk-on role in a play But I know I’m sincere When I say it’s an honor That I’m so proud to be here. What I leave behind Is next to nothing A few words, a few songs, nothing more But I still win if I can say that what I bring Leaves the world no worse off than it was before This play was in progress long before we were born Will continue long after we’re gone Mine’s a small walk-on role in the play But you know I’m sincere When I say it’s an honor Yes I’m so proud to be here. harmonica solo No matter how dimly my star might have shone I still wonder around whom The world will turn when I am gone. I am just a man of no importance I will leave no mark on history =============
2.
Walking West 03:33
info
buy track
3.
Bird In A Cage 06:33
lyrics
buy track
BIRD IN A CAGE Graham Earnshaw Swirls of mist hugged the mountainside In a forest of stoneIn a forest of stoneIn a forest of stone Round about, a dozen dragons hide Cold to the bone At the centre of the creation On the mountain of the gods Temple eaves swooped down low and wide I was almost alone, almost alone. There he was, from another world, An old peasant man He was dressed, in ragged padded clothes A deep, weathered tan He smiled and in an Oxford accent He said to me "good afternoon", Cross the gulf I asked him who he was And he slowly began, slowly began. When the world and I were younger, I bid my home goodbye Left the heartland of Confucius, for the seaport of Shanghai. But that didn't ease the hunger, so I sailed the sea in ships Felt the sun upon my shoulder, tasted salt upon my lips. Oh, the places that I went to, oh, the sights, the things I did Wonders that, if I had stayed here, would have stayed forever hid. I learned that life is full of sadness, I learned that life is but a game I learned that everyone is different, I learned that we are all the same. We're birds in a cage. Then the tides of history shifted, left me washed up on the shore And the commissars they told me, I could go to sea no more. So I came back to this village, still I wasn't left alone I was persecuted, beaten, for the foreign things that I had known. So the tide of red rolled onwards, in its wake a million drowned While the children of the Helmsman, rode the crest up to the mound. Yes, they tried their best to cow me, those petty emperors of shame On the outside they could chain me, but inside I stayed the same. A bird in a cage. For thirty years they kept me waiting, and now my life is almost gone And while I stayed here in this village, the world outside was moving on. No I wouldn't say I'm bitter, no, I'm not consumed by rage I just envy those who stayed here, they do not know we're in a cage That we're birds in a cage
4.
Dirty Old Man 02:37
lyrics
buy track
Dirty Old Man I only bought her a chocolate malt You can hardly say that the rest was my fault But they said was indecent assault Where's the justice. You think it's easy being a dirty old man Well you're wrong, yer you're wrong When the weather gets as cold as hell You can get icycles on your ding-dong bell. The Grinstead flasher is a friend of mine We often go out walking with a bottle of wine The girls all squeal, they must think we're divine But then they run away. chorus / instrumental / chorus Flashing's an art, it can give you a tan Where few other professions can But I don't like being called a dirty old man I'm not old. chorus
5.
Household Wares 03:04
lyrics
buy track
Household Wares I sell soft drinks, apples and pears Alcohol and cigarettes, and other household wares I’ve sat behind this counter since i was six I don’t get far beyond this stool, without my walking sticks Without my walking sticks. You offer to buy a pear from me, I’ll give it to you You say that you don’t want it, unless you pay me too. My reply is if you pay, the pear I will not give My courtesy trumps your pity, that’s the way I live. Yes, that’s the way i live. The sun shines on us all, it will always be The stars are no brighter, for you than for me I have no envy, you’ve got problems too At least I don’t have to pretend to be perfect Perhaps you do. I can fly, to the edge of imagination I can fly, wherever my inner eye can see I can fly, it’s a validation Of what’s beyond what you behold Let’s call it, the real me. I remember when I was 10, my mother taught me to smoke She hoped it would ease the pain, it made me cough and croak Now here I am, I’m 28, and a husband I’ll never be But when it comes to cigarettes, my best customer is me My best customer is me The sun shines on us all, it will always be The stars are no brighter, for you … I can fly, to the edge of imagination I can fly, wherever my inner eye can see I can fly, it’s a validation Of what’s beyond what you behold Let’s call it, the real me.
6.
Highway 318 03:54
lyrics
buy track
If you ever plan to travel west Take my road, the highway that's the best Cast your fate on Highway 318 It winds from Shanghai to Chengdu There's a lot of crazy places to pass through Cast your fate on Highway 318 Now go go through Suzhou On through Changzhou Yichang city looks less than pretty Oh see the Three Gorges Dabieshan and Huzhou Nanchong and Yuexi Don't forget Huangpi Tongling, Nanling, Chongqing and Wanzhou Won't you get hip to this timely tip When you make that cross-China trip Cast your fate on Highway 318
7.
The Beans 03:36
lyrics
buy track
What do you mean, there’s no more coffee Do I have to do it all What is the point, no I don’t drink tea Whatever happened to your famous total recall. I have this image of you lying there And nothing getting done No, please don’t tell me that I’m right That would simply spoil the fun. It’s not about the beans You’re right about that You’re just venting You’ve got you’re line down pat You chose a bad day, to pull this kind of trick We’ve discussed this all before What amazes me is how it doesn’t stick I must have told you a thousand times or more. It drives me crazy, the coffee’s typical Why not be in control Make lists, don’t forget, do it now These are the virtues that you know that I extol. It’s not about the beans You’re right about that You’re just venting, only venting You’ve got you’re line down pat Wu wei, No way Wu wei, Anyway Wu wei, What can I say Wu wei, Okay Wu wei, Your way Wu wei, Anyway Wu wei, What can I say Wu wei, But okay. I concede sometimes I’m too intense My patience wears thin fast There’s no doubt that I’m over-stressed But I really want this last. You should have learned by now, this is a phase I need to get it off my chest The coffee’s still problem, but yes I agree Let’s put it aside, get on with the rest. It’s not about the beans You’re right about that You’re just venting, simply venting You’ve got you’re line down pat It’s not about the beans You’re right about that You’re just venting, always venting You’ve got you’re line down pat
8.
Room With A View 03:36
lyrics
buy track
Room With A View I want a room with a view in it I want a room with a view of you No need for windows or TV in it A view of only you would do It doesn't have to be luxurious It can be ugly, and spartan too I'm not particularly curious Just want a room with a view of you. I want a room with a view Not of the sky so blue I want a room with a view Not of a sea of bamboo I want a room with a view Not of Xanadu I want a room with a view Of you. Not of the mountains in Peru Not of the subject most taboo Not of a beach near Cebu Not of a blue kazoo in kalamazoo. I want a room with a view in it I want a room with a view of you I don't CARE what ELSE there IS in it There's nothing THAT could improve on you. I need a room with a view in it I want that room that contains just we two No need to even have a light in it I can use my haaaands, to feel the view I want a room with a view Not of Katmandu I want a room with a view Not of the sun shining through I want a room with a view Not of Timbuktu I want a room with a view I want a room with a view I want a room with a view Of you.

credits

released June 8, 2018

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Graham Earnshaw image

Graham Earnshaw China

Graham Earnshaw is a businessman, writer & musician and publisher of Earnshaw Books. He has recorded a number of albums of his own songs, of which there are many. He fronted the best rock band in China 1979-1984, helped revive live music in Shanghai’s in the mid-1990s, and continues to write and perform whenever anyone will let him. He plays the guitar, the harmonica and the fool. ... more

contact / help

Contact Graham Earnshaw

Streaming and
Download help

Report this album or account

If you like Graham Earnshaw, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Seafood Sam joins the show to discuss his newest album, " Standing On Giant Shoulders".
listen now