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Virtually Alive EP

by John Parkes

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  • Streaming + Download

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

    Bonus track exclusive to Bandcamp - 'Grateful' - a proper outraged protest song.
    Purchasable with gift card

      £3.50 GBP  or more

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Limited edition CD (not a CD-R - and limited by the number we got made - but hopefully we'll get some more made if we run out - having said that we might change something so yours will be provably one of the 'first pressing' if that's what you're into - and even if your're not...) In a nice matt finish recycled card sleeve just like your mother used to make (or not if your mum wasn't a CD manufacturer).

    Posted to you in an envelope. Plays in CD players and computers hopefully.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Virtually Alive EP via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      £4 GBP or more 

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 5 John Parkes releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Virtually Alive EP, Bleeding Edge / Distant Past, Don't be Seventeen EP, Illegal Songs, and Faithlessnessless. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      £11.70 GBP or more (35% OFF)

     

1.
The World’s End At a loose end where can you go? Come get four free goes with this cure for an optimist Night time I’ll bare my sick soul To an English rose, I’m a thorn and a bitter man Bring you way down low I’m sick and sad and a waste of your energy It’s the world’s end, it’s the world’s end It’s the world’s end that I’d take you to It’s the world’s end, it’s the world’s end It’s the world’s end that I celebrate Slow down I’ll bore to the bone with my constant drone Of futility and suicide You’ll feel old at twenty two and I’ve news for you It’s a long way down to here Spin tall tales of woe Where peace and love are a crime and a battlefield It’s the world’s end, it’s the world’s end It’s the world’s end that I’d take you to To the sun’s death, to the sun’s death It’s the sun’s death that I call a view Bring you way down low It’s sick and sad and a waste of your energy It’s the darkness, it’s with the darkness It’s with the darkness that I’ll poison you It’s your wits end, it’s the quicksand It’s your wits end that I’ll take you to To the sun’s death, to the sun’s death It’s the sun’s death that I call a view It’s the world’s end, it’s the world’s end It’s the world’s end that I’d take you to
2.
The Devil Takes The Devil comes for me, takes me piece by piece Takes my skin and folds it all away The Devil comes for me, he started with my teeth Now he wants my hair and knees and feet But I know I could be fighting with surgery and hooks I could be fighting with Botox and tucks I could be fighting with fishy oil and puzzle books He got into my eyes, he’s fiddling with my size He brings me stiffness in not at all a good way He’s furring up my veins, he’s pitching up the pain Jams my ankles, can’t see or touch my toes And I know I should be fighting with Omega 3 and bran Sharks’ cartilage capsules, Glucosamine not Spam I could be fighting with screenings and scans He’s slowing up my brain, chilling out my blains Growing gout and slowing down the flows He’s crumbling my joints, drying out my loins Hairing up my orifices and brows And I, I come out fighting with alcohol and smokes I come out fighting with sexually unrealistic hopes I come out fighting with magazines and naps I come out fighting with ‘what the Hell is that?’s So please God come for me, save me from my sins From the Devil, the fall and daytime TV Save me from this age, this small and lonely cage Take me where I’m young and lovely still And I know I should be planning for funerals for friends Yes I should be planning insurance with free pens Yes I should be planning to freeze my own head To freeze my own head
3.
News 02:28
News One Twitter user said ‘it’s all a disgrace’ One Twitter user writes our news A trainee intern and a cleaner run the place ‘Cause there’s no money left at all This is how we make the news, payment and content free This is how we sell the space, editorial and judgement free We’ve Wikipedia, a quick spell-check on the train We had a man up in the North Sponsored content and a wrap-around for phones Pick us up on your way home This is how we make the news, opinion and ignorance led This is where we count the clicks on adverts not knowingly read Here’s something that no-one ever said but if they had then you’d be cross This celebrity made some money, the amount will drop your jaw Here’s an actress who over forty years seems to have aged Shout your opinion and we’re bound to pick it out If you’re a bigot or a fool We don’t judge you because everyone is right Just send it in we’ll ship it out This is how we sell the news, by storms and spats and fights This is how we trade the truth for tweets and clicks and likes
4.
Unicorns 03:22
Unicorns Do goldfish go to Heaven? Like some parents say When you believe in angels Tell me, do unicorns eat hay? Seems you feel when you find a feather That they’re watching over you Me, I only saw a pigeon And a cat, red in claw and tooth You’re such a spiritual person ‘Cause you wear hats made by tribes You revere their ancient medicine and wisdom Keeps them safe when clearing landmines So if goldfish go to Heaven Let the hamsters go to Hell The parrots perch in Purgatory Lice liven up Limbo So let’s all go to Heaven Be like a day out at the zoo But me I’m pitching for Valhalla If I’ve got to kill – yeah it could be you And you’re such a spiritual person Hey let’s all save our body hair And as we float off to Atlantis We can stuff magic cushions with it there And you’ll never be alone In your crystal Tarot home With what you and Nostradamus know As you chase after unicorns
5.
Treatwise 03:06
Treatwise Be treatwise And gamble responsibly Enjoy a single glass of wine Occasionally And when the fun stops, stop And a sharing bag is for the whole - family Or re-seal for another day Or pass round your hipster friends Bond via small amounts (of chocolate) Be treatwise Three chunks of creamy white (a day) And fifty pence each way Don’t crash through red food traffic lights And a payday loan To help you get by For a few short days Until payday Affordable and flexible And the industry wants you to buy less The industry wants you to stay healthy And the industry wants you to stay within your means And be treatwise Eat five fruit and veg a day And hardly any fried chicken (with secret ingredients)… Be treatwise Extra strong lager is not for alcoholics And high stakes are not for addicts And the meat comes from smiling farms And the sugar and caffeine content Is written on the bottle Where we all make Informed decisions And the industry cares if you get fat The industry doesn’t want your money And the industry wants you to cut down and be… Treatwise Portion control…
6.
Take 'Em Out 02:24
Take ‘Em Out Take ‘em out, those whinging, wasting poor Starve ‘em out, those foodbank, fast-food whores Take ‘em down with iron fist and claw Kill ‘em all, send them all to war They take my share price down I like to watch them drown There’s just too many around… Take ‘em out, those free healthcare junkies Take ‘em out, those public transport monkeys Take ‘em down, those heavy industry dreamers Take ‘em down, those banker bashing lefties They offend my eyes They take up my time They don’t even try… To inherit proper money like me To go to a proper school and learn like me To break the rules and make laws for money To save it offshore like Number One, like me Take ‘em out, those solar powered scum Take ‘em out, those tidal windfarm bums Take ‘em down, those insulation runts Take ‘em down with their polar bear themed stunts They want to save the world Though such a thing’s absurd They should save themselves… From conscience to be selfish, to be free Mis-selling for a bonus, rig the market take a fee Speculate, accumulate, asset stripping tease For money-laundering tax evading heroes like me

about

VIRTUALLY ALIVE is a 6-track set of acoustic songs by this critically-acclaimed singer songwriter. The EP features something of a stripped down / ‘back to basics’ approach featuring mainly one man and his guitar – it’s virtually a live EP - geddit?!

There's video for each of the songs on the album which you can see on YouTube - one a fortnight starting on 18th September 2017. You can find the video URL with each track hopefully.

credits

released September 18, 2017

Recorded by Neil Ferguson – (producer for Chumbawamba, New Model Army, Credit to the Nation, Utah Saints, the Wedding Present and various folk luminaries) and Will Jackson (Embrace, the Music, Pigeon Detectives, Kaiser Chiefs etc.)

The EP Features drums and loops from Simon Smith, drummer with the Wedding Present, Cha Cha Cohen, Beachbuggy and others. Bass played on The Devil Takes by Alaric Lewis, bass player on projects too numerous to mention.

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John Parkes Leeds, UK

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