Get all 10 Nik Phillips releases available on Bandcamp and save 50%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Advance Australia Where?, China Collection, It's Real, Six Pack and Rarities, Northern Rivers Child, Four Poet Steps, Poetry and Beer, Come Back Soon Single, and 2 more.
1. |
|
|||
|
Not in This Life
They’ve lived so many places with their backs against the wall
She keeps looking out for new friends who never seem to call
She knows there’s something better waiting for them all,
But not in this life
She loved him for a lifetime, gave away her youth
But when pushing came to shove, it was hard to face the truth
She’d lost her independence, couldn’t rise above the fall
Not in this life.
Ch
What do we know about love, ain’t that much,
Why do we sell our last resistance for a human touch?
Till there’s no time left anymore,
Not in this life.
He still swaggers like he’s 18, but still can’t face the truth,
That he left his dreams behind him, so he hides beneath the roof
And lashes out in anger at the one love of his youth,
Here in this life.
They pretend that life is perfect to family and friends
While the children learn that tears and anger's at love’s end
Maybe they’ll recover and overcome their the fears,
But not in this life.
Ch
Fools rush in where angels lay their heads
Then we run into the sunset and skin our knees instead
We brush away the tears then kiss away the years.
Solo.
Well we rise to face each morning and learn to live with pain,
Then take a breath, close our eyes, then do it all again,
I’m sure that there’s a place where love will conquer all,
But not in this life.
Ch.
|
||||
2. |
Nik Phillips - Postcard
04:15
|
|
||
|
Postcard
There's a cardboard box full of memories
Tied up in ribbon and lace
Was I a victum of chance or an easy target
Or another line on your face
It hit me like a rock
I didn't see it coming
I've still got your picture, right beside this postcard
Telling me where you are telling me you've gone
I've still got your old clothes hanging in the wardrobe
And this house never felt so wrong
I've still got your old shoes standing on the back stairs
And I'm wondering did you ever really care at all
I've still got your picture right beside this postcard
And this house never felt so wrong
It's four o'clock in the morning
Kids sleeping lost in our bed
Was I a victum of chance or an easy target
Or another line on your face
It hit them like a rock
But I think they saw it coming
CH
Did you find the ghost you were chasing
For who you couldn't find words
Well I stare all alone at the phone on the wall
And there's never a lock on our door
When it hits you like a rock
I'll be here waiting
CH
|
||||
3. |
Ain't Got Noting
02:46
|
|
||
|
Ain’t Got Nothing on You
I’m standing on the corner watching girls walk by
Their jeans are hanging low and there’s danger in their eyes
But they ain’t got nothing, ain’t got nothing on you
I’m a simple kind of man who needs a little space
I make a little noise to find a little grace
But they ain’t got nothing, ain’t got nothing on you
But they ain’t got nothing, ain’t got nothing on you
Say what you ever see in a fool like me, I don’t know
Take a little time and kiss your destiny, then let it grow
Pearls are in the oyster, the moneys in the bank,
I’ve seen a lot of faces all worth a second glance
But they ain’t got nothing, ain’t got nothing on you
But they ain’t got nothing, ain’t got nothing on you
(Solo)
Say what you ever see in a fool like me, I don’t know
Take a little time and kiss your destiny, then let it grow
The night is full of fire the stars are hanging low,
The constellations gather to put on quite a show.
But they ain’t got nothing, ain’t got nothing on you
But they ain’t got nothing, ain’t got nothing on you
But they ain’t got nothing, ain’t got nothing on you
But they ain’t got nothing, ain’t got nothing on you
|
||||
4. |
Walls Fall Down
03:13
|
|
||
|
Walls Fall Down
Standing in the middle of a city bound train
Working all your life just to leave the way you came
Then the walls fall down, then the walls fall down
Mother's in the corner with a baby on her lap
Daddy's done his duty now he won't be coming back
Then the walls fall down, then the walls fall down
Walk in slow, slide in fast
Pray these memories will last
May you walk upon the wire with a smile
You see the love you prayed for craddled in her eyes
You wake up in the morning and she's seen through your disguise
Then the walls fall down, then the walls fall down
|
||||
5. |
No One Is To Blame
03:28
|
|
||
|
No One is to Blame
You can look at the menu, but you just can't eat
You can feel the cushion but you can't have a seat
You can dip your foot in the pool, but you can't have a swim
You can feel the punishment, but you can't commit the sin
And you want her, and she wants you, we want everyone
And you want her, and she wants you
No one, no one, no one ever, is to blame
You can build a mansion but you just can't live in it
You're the fastest runner, but you're not allowed to win
Some break the rules, and let you cut the cost
The insecurity is the thing that won't be lost
And you want her, and she wants you, we want everyone
And you want her, and she wants you
No one, no one, no one ever, is to blame
You can see the summit, but you can't reach it
It's the last piece of the puzzle, but you just can't make it fit
Doctor says you're cured, but you still fill the pain
Aspirations in the clouds, but your hopes go down the drain
And you want her, and she wants you, we want everyone
And you want her, and she wants you
No one ever, is to blame
No one ever, is to blame
|
||||
6. |
Amber Temples
04:27
|
|
||
|
AMBER TEMPLES
A vision of a child staring out across the car park
Folding eye’s against the sun’s reflecting glass
Of the temples that they walk into, then stumble out all born anew
The hours rolling by them oh so fast
At seven o’clock the neighbourhood vibrates to the chorus
Of children fighting sleep with TV shows
In walks a man with an idiotic grin
Grasping reality, with one more for the road
Been knocked down once, stood up twice
I believe in myself there is so much more to this life
You know it, breaks my heart to tear my eyes from you
But I’ll blow your temple down, what else can I do
Holding on, to a photograph
Of a man I wish I’d known
All his dreams and his promises all now left within the temple
Like the furniture, battered and so old
And carved above the urinal, he staked his claim to fame
“I was here, 1985”
Suburbia assimilates all those who he associates with,
With one more for the road.
A vision of a child staring out across the car park
Flashed before me as I laid him to his sleep.
And all those friends who stole our time and couldn’t bear to say goodbye
Were drinking to his memory.
|
||||
7. |
Deadman's War
04:10
|
|
||
|
Deadman’s War
A mother’s tears roll out before me
They cut like lightning through my eyes
The battlements are scarred with toys and broken little girls and boys
And terror in the eyes of ones so young
There may be no final answer
No one wins a deadman’s war
I hate it when the sun don’t shine
I’m fighting not to loose my mind
And I don’t want to go there anymore
You stand upon your point of view
It don’t justify the things you do
And I don’t want to go there anymore
Captive eyes and words of anger
Shelter in the guise of faith
While the Prince of Peace and Prophet cry at innocence again denied
You’ll never shape a world this way
Ch.
There may be no final answer
Till we all stand back and think it through again
Till the weak, oppressed and children stand under the love sent from above
Hey no one wins a deadman’s war
Ch
|
||||
8. |
My Town
03:20
|
|
||
|
My Town
Its written on the faces,
Etched behind the eyes, it’s a
Lifetime’s journey
Underneath the open sky
It’s the friends who are forever
The memory of a kiss
The holding of my children’s hands
Its Jacaranda bliss, its
Living under a southern sky
Ch
This is the life, the people in my town
This is the life, its you and its me
This is the life, its how life’s meant to be
I tell you this is the life
Do do do do this is My Town
Its memories on the corner
Of old familiar streets
Its recognising smiles
Upon the faces that you meet
It knowing that tomorrow
Will come at its own pace
Its growing with the moments
You never can replace, Its
Living under the southern sky
Ch
Its old folk not forgotten
Its babies being born
Its sporting trophies captured
Out on the front lawn
It’s a feeling of belonging
Wherever you may roam
No matter where you travel
You’ll always have a home its
Living under the southern sky
Ch
|
||||
9. |
You and Me
03:14
|
|
||
|
You and Me
You, are calling me
And I forget the canvas weighting on my mind
See the children play
There is more than gold laid on this grass each day
Voices softly spoken in the dark
Reflect the dreams we could not
Start to own or understand
But life goes on between the cracks of time
We build with pieces that we find and that’s just fine for you and me
See the morning come
We walk into the storm and pray we’ll pay our way
Helpless and alone
I reach out to your arms and follow white lines home
Echoes of the oceans eating sand
Time wears away the hardest land
But where we start to open
Moments of resistance in the heart
A small oasis in the dark, that’s just fine for you and me
There are vines where grow the sweetest fruit
Where you need no gown, you need no shoes or fancy suit
Just the place to store the find
Just a place like yours and mine
Voices softly spoken in the dark
Silent laughter from the park
These are the things that guide us
Between the cracks of time
Where we build with pieces that we find
And that’s just fine for you and me
|
||||
10. |
One More Time
03:22
|
|
||
|
One More Time
I guess it’s automatic
Though some might call it devious
But when you throw your look at me
I swear, I swear you’re just mischievous
I love the way you brush your hair
I’m crazy about the clothes you wear
You’ve got me tripping over poetry
And odes to what we’ve done
Climbing to the top I go
Let’s take a ride that never slows
And when we finally hit the ground, I say
Let’s go around one more time
Go around one more time
Go around one more. One more time
I guess it’s symptomatic
But I’ve become addicted
Love is high maintenance
So let’s spare no expense
Ch
Sometimes it’s easy,
Sometimes better than before
I could always take on more
There’s no better load to carry
|
||||
11. |
Sweet Thing
03:16
|
|
||
|
SWEET THING
Such a sweet thing, when I see the sun rise over your land
How am I suppose to guide you through things I don’t understand
Don’t walk in my footsteps, walk ahead and make your own
But know that through,
Cut fingers, kicked toes, you’re never alone
It’s such a grey day, when I see the tear well in your eyes
And all I have are these two arms and a worn out lullabye
Don’t stand in my shadow, let the sun warm a place of your own
And know that through
Cut fingers kicked toes your never alone
I’ve learnt to tumble when I fall
But all these scars I bare, hold lessons for us all
But when I look at all these things I do
I’ve never seen anyone more beautiful than you
It’s such a sweet thing, when I see the sun rise over your land
Hey everyday’s a magic box to hold within your hand
Don’t walk in my footsteps, walk ahead and make your own
But know that through
Cut fingers, kicked toes your never alone.
|
||||
12. |
Woman
04:33
|
|
||
|
Woman
I’ve been sifting through some changes
Anticipating some way overdue
She says come to bed now its getting late
But don’t wake the baby up or I’ll kill you
And I look into eyes so hungry for sleep and its
Hard to imagine a place I’d rather be
And only time can create it
This inner circle, my own open space and
Girl you’re all the woman I need
Girl you’re all the woman I need
In the middle of these glory days, well it’s
Fine just to land my feet upon
A floor where I can stand as the man that I am
And not be afraid
And when we’re talking through those tired voices
Well I hear more than you say
And it’s a lifetime’s connection
My own piece of perfection
Girl you’re all the woman I need
Girl you’re all the woman I need
Whether it’s a match made in heaven or
Carved from stone
I see in my reflection that I
Don’t stand alone
And when we’re talking through those tired voices
Well I hear more than you say
And only time can create it
This inner circle, my own open space and
Girl you’re all the woman I need
|
||||
13. |
|
|||
|
I sit alone and wait.
Blank paper stare at me
Words are not assembled
Flow easily and then not
I pause to listen
Unseen and yet heard
I hear the voices of loved ones
Some here and then not
And I know what its like to be loved
I see their faces
In my mind
It helps me find a meaning
To what I’m not
I feel a sense of comfort
Wash over me
I hear the voices of loved ones
Some here and then not
|
||||
14. |
Baby's Got New Clothes
03:19
|
|
||
|
Well he walks out if the corner store and sits down all alone
And rolls a cigarette with shaking hands
He thinks of the potential that he gave away so long ago
Sees the bus arrive and makes his stand
Pretty girls are waiting in an office on the 4th floor
Where he lives his life between the sleep
He wishes there was someway he could open up their eyes
To what he used to be when love was cheap
But he spent all his investments on a love so long ago
Now the market has down turned and he’s got nothing left to show
Because Baby’s got new clothes
And she’s been getting it from somewhere else
Because Baby’s got new clothes
And she’s been getting it from somewhere else
Well the movers and the shakers on the sidewalk down below
All look familiar to his tired eyes
And he ponders on the feeling, to be flying through the air
Then lay before them in a red disguise
But surrendering of life’s not in nature so he shakes his head
And slowly lets the hours go
Across the plains of deserts where the hunger of a man
Is quenched with beer and a topless show
And he gives his best performance walking gently through the door
Smiles up at his love they just don’t talk much anymore
|
||||
15. |
Goodbye
03:44
|
|
||
Nik Phillips QLD, Australia
About Nik:
“Nik's albums are full of depth and conviction, the product of a creative life
well-lived. Like seeds of the prodigious local Moreton Bay fig trees, these songs will germinate, grow and occupy a special place in your mind”- Ritchie Yorke
“Simply put, Nik Phillips is one of Australia’s most impressive singer-songwriters. He is one of Australia’s best kept secrets” -Glenn A Baker.
... more
If you like Songs From the 4th Floor, you may also like:
Michelle Stodart’s folk music captures hope in melancholy, addressing the transformational aspects of the most challenging times.
go to album
Stunningly beautiful songs wrought with pedal steel and nylon-string guitar that cast mesmerizing melodic shapes.
go to album
The Flowers That Bloom in Spring
by Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert
Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert offer up a stunning minimalist country record, conjuring huge emotions with little more than vocals & guitar.
go to album
Hell on Church Street
by punchbrothers
A re-envisioning of Tony Rice's classic album "Church Street Blues" from Brooklyn progressive bluegrass quartet Punch Brothers.
go to album
The St Buryan Sessions
by Sarah McQuaid
Recorded live at St Buryan Church, the latest from Sarah McQuaid is a showcase for the simple power of voice & guitar.
go to album
All The Good Times
by Starlings, TN
Members of punk act reassemble to make atmospheric and gutsy bluegrass songs about barbeque and whiskey.
go to album
Sorry I'm So Sensitive
by Bea Stewart
The second EP from Northern Irish singer-songwriter Bea Stewart runs from gentle folk to pillowy pop ballads, all perfectly executed.
go to album
