The Wisdom Line (2019)

Red (2000 Miles Away From The Fair)

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Awash with the blood

that falls from the tree 

we burn with the fire the earth and the seed

the fuel on our bodies and dust in the air

2000 miles away from the fair

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Red is the powder 

covers me completely

like a thick woven blanket in the chill of the night

the interior silence you learn as you go 

2000 miles away from the show

2000 miles away from the show

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The country is old the story is long

The desert wind howls a sad and uncomfortable song

head up to the peak take in all that is there

2000 miles away from the fair your 

2000 miles away from the fair

Cry Beloved Cry

Can you see it through your blinds cry cry cry

Middle. 

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The wisdom you hear 

Bounces off the rock walls

Carries  cross the mountains and down to the stream

where the lay of the land it mirrors the sky

2000 miles away from the lies 

2000 miles away from the fair

2000 miles away from the fair

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Rogue Wave

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The boats are on the harbour

and the fires upon the shore

the distant lights they call

we swim the troubled ocean 

and wait for the rogue wave 

to come wash us away ,come wash us away

we rush with rage insane 

from the cliff down to the sea

the song will come right back to me

loosely hold your worries

Throw them to the wind

all we can do is try follow our heart try follow our heart

Middle oohs

The singing wails the whole night through

it's got another week to go measured honest true

loosely hold your worries

Throw them to the wind

all we can do is try follow our heart try follow our heart

People Come And Go

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He waits outside the station 

She must have missed her train

he don’t mind the waiting round 

Even in the dark and rain

Just to get outside the house  

Walk the flooded back brick lanes

to peep into the neighbour’s backyard

sees other people's lives without pretence.

and people come and go

talking on their mobile phones

they always seem to know, what's going on  

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Still we’ve all got our blinkers on

we gaze down at our feet,

dodging sprinklers as we go

60 miles of gated streets

and whatever happens out there you must shelter carefully

or the junkies they will rob you,

if they haven’t nodded off to sleep just yet

and people come and go

talking on their mobile phones

they always seem to know, what's going on  

Bridge Us men lead lives full of rage and quiet desperation,

Some women they just daydream for a life they’ll never get

Hide away inside the revamped castle where you stay

Fall back into the arms of the one you love

At the end of every single day

Everyone needs saving

Some need it more than most

Rough sleeping on the pavement

middle cello solo

People come and go

talking on their mobile phones

they always seem to know, just what would they know

what's going on what's going on what's going on?

what's going on

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HEMDYN TOWN

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From habit, from experience ingrained over a lifetime lived in that building.

I opened the door and sat on the bluestone front step right as the seasonally adjusted sun found its way down into the chasm of Georgian architect’s design and rested on the step with me

The sun and I communed there as was our daily custom barring clouds.

Our summer fierceness abated, the sting mostly gone from us both.

The very left and right two inches of the step remained closest in image to the fresh cut blue stone, eroded only gently by zephyred breezes and what little rain every makes it down to street level.

The rest, the middle of the step, was burnished smooth and curved cancavaciously like the back of an elderly horse by a couple of centuries in and egress.

Out to work, into work, more out for food, into cook, out carousing, into sleep.

Until now, on this present day, it perfectly cradled and comforted my diminishing old man arse.

Across a laneway a young man.His step doesn’t fit his arse so well yet, but if he sticks at it… upstairs his mother continues to buy cotton and bolts of cloth and the machine whirs into the wee small hours still.

We both look up the lane, the small industry gone.

Nothing left but the industry of service.

Beautiful teenagers pouring over priced coffee for minimum wage.

Only our two buildings left

Where ghosts are welcome.

Book of Revelation

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Come along and join the Revival,

Pull the canvas, come see the show

Take a little peek of what we’re all made of

I bet you’re curious to know

Yeah I bet you’re curious to know

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Come sing at the Revival Meltdown

I could lay my hands down on you

And if your friend is ill,Ill do it to them too

I'll heal you both is what is grieving you

I'll heal you both is what is grieving you

Trip on the Book of revelation

The Splendid Vision coming true

Trip on the Book of Revelation

it's been a revelation to me and you

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We put on a Big Band Jesus Rock Show

We fall down,we get up again

and then we shake in spurts convulse around a little bit

I bet your curious to know

Yeah I bet you’re curious to know

Trip on the Book of Revelation

it's a revelation to me and you

Trip on the Book of Revelation

And the apocalyptic horses too

Trip on the Book of revelation

The Splendid Vision coming true

Trip on the Book of Revelation

it's a revelation to me and you

The Wisdom Line

Instrumental

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She’s Upped And Gone 

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Well she has upped and gone

we’re pretty sure that she will not return

She's gone to where she rooms

on the corner of Royal Parade

yeh we know how the story ends

We've seen it all before 

we've seen it all before

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She finds beauty in the simple

and wisdom in the plain

She's burnt her little fingers

On the candle flame

just one more lover to see her through to the end

she just wants another lover to see her through to the end

just one more

middle section

in her late night room

To watch the late shift workers rolling home

yeh we know how the story ends

We've seen it all before 

we've seen it all before

we've seen it all before

Permanent Water with Frank Yamma 

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Matthew Pinia spoken word

Head across the state border to the salt basin

Think back to the time when the Last came in

salt in the meat,starved them of water

Chained to the fence with those callipers on

Yeh they had callipers on then they let them all go

Followed them right up to the water hole

to find the Permanent water close to the grinding stone 

drank the permanent water travelled all alone

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Parallel sand dunes, take the Up Down track

Close in on the horizon to the great blind  lake

This is the conjuring place The Last of the rainmakers-

Gather up the dark clouds, they know how to dance

Yeh they know how to dance, its best to watch and follow

Throw away what you know and the just walk behind

Up to the Permanent Water

Close to the Grinding Stones

The Permanent Water.

drink it all alone 

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Hide in the hollow pocket with a kerosene lamp

unfamiliar world for my desperate heart

yeh it's a desperate heart, footsteps in the fire

a settler country with a flawed campaign

oh yeh a flawed campaign Still water is like diamonds

too far too hot too hopeless leave it all behind

Cept for the permanent water

close to the Grinding Stones

Leave the Permanent Water and travel all alone

Goodbye Jerusalem – (And so it goes)

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Well there'll be no asylum 

for all of the lost souls,

Who stare across the reef line

They’re kept behind the wire

We better keep our rage alight,

Go fight them on the shore,

but even when we’ve had no sleep 

we can't be bothered anymore. no.

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Mine ears have seen the marching bands

and I've seen them light the fuse

best we hide out in the tawdry hollow

away from trending news

the Riverboat is sinking 

and were just singing to the choir 

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yeah so it goes 

Goodbye Jerusalem 

Goodbye Jerusalem

Surely we could be much better than we really be

We’re showered in wealth but all too often 

Our hearts are stone and half empty

Were settlers in a country

Of sublime beauty and grace

It really should be so damn perfect here.

And so it goes 

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Well there’s abundant fountains

an elixir there for your pain

And a place where people get along 

Of course depending on the day

The carnival is closing down

And were still preaching to the choir

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yeah so it goes 

Goodbye Jerusalem  Goodbye Jerusalem, off you go now

and so it goes Goodbye Jerusalem Goodbye Jerusalem

Low Bar

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The dust off the tram tracks The rush to get home,

The traffics backed up to the toll freeway zone

Nobody's crossing the north/south divide

I've lived here the most of my life

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The football is over the drunk crowds on fire

The wild seagulls swirl round the lights and the spire

Rough sleepers are said to be staging for frees

its the best place but that’s a low bar

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When you get what you want, you don't want it no more

Home’s where they have to let you in the door

When you look up there's more city lights than there’s stars

it's the best town but thats a low bar.

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when Merri creek floods

Makes a loud swirling sound (gurgling)

It leaves rubbish at the tree line

When the May rain falls down

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Smug designer houses, bush fire skies,

Artisans jokers and bands in the bars,

Lawns and accessories and two family cars,

its the best place but thats a low bar

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When you get what you want,you don't want it no more

Home’s where they have to let you in the door

When you look up there's more city lights than theres stars

it's the best town but thats a low barI wouldn't move far

it's the best place I wouldn't move far

bilas at the end

The Abyss

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I'll tell you nothing for your comfort 

I'll tell you nought for your desire

Save that the Big Sky it grows darker yet

And the sea levels rise higher

I don’t want to hear noises outside my door

The mad barking mutts the dark ages war

I don’t want to hear my neighbours shouting no more

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If you look in the Abyss 

It looks right back at you 

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I'll tell you something just in passing

You can use it in your trial,

Don’t stand accused of burying your head 

in the great Australian silence

To earn a crooked buck, You'll walk many a mile

And hang with the bankers and dealers a while

I don’t want to hear that dog whistling l no more

If you look in the Abyss It looks right back at you

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In times of great darkness the only thing left

is to believe in the warmth of our hearts once again

let's all play make believe yeh that's what we’ll do 

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If you look in the Abyss It looks right back at you