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1.
Well an angel came from Birmingham with a bottle of whisky in his hand And he said “my son I’ll set you free if you will have a drink with me” So we said “Tit’s oot, for the Lads!’ and six or seven pints we had And lost responsibility were him and me then truly free? Oh Lord Jesus, aint it plain to see, that the Angel of Birmingham has come to set you free Oh Lord jesus, it aint that hard to tell, that the Angel of Birmingham will take you down to hell I said “cobber cant you see? Only love will set you free We’ll fly on love’s big air balloon and pop it on a crescent moon Then we’ll fall out of the sky and you and I will surely die And then and only then you’ll see will you and me be truly free!” He said “wait a minute son, that doesn’t sound like too much fun I’d rather go out for a drink and throw my guts up in the sink At all the pretty colours there, I will look and I will stare And then I shall be truly free by knowing what’s inside of me”
2.
3.
Say a Prayer 04:08
Verse 1 Just married and the world seemed new [SAY A PRAYER, MARYANNE] It was August 1942 [SAY A PRAYER, MARYANNE] He was the boatswain on the Cruiser Canberra The young woman’s name was Maryanne Say a prayer for a lonely sailor [SAY A PRAYER, MARYANNE] Verse 2 On the docks there were children waving [SAY A PRAYER, MARYANNE] To the boys of his majesty’s navy [SAY A PRAYER, MARYANNE] Set sail for the Solomon Islands There to fight for and airstrip at Henderson Field Say a prayer for a lonely sailor [SAY A PRAYER, MARYANNE] Verse 3 A rainy night and the wind blew somber [SAY A PRAYER, MARYANNE] They were anchored north of Manimatomba [SAY A PRAYER, MARYANNE] Round the point of Savo Island Four Jap Destroyers with their 8 inch guns ablaze Not a prayer for the Cruiser Canberra [SAY A PRAYER, MARYANNE] Instrumental Verse 4 I went down to the beach last Saturday [SAY A PRAYER, MARYANNE] Took my nephew for a swim at Manly [SAY A PRAYER, MARYANNE] On a bench there among the seagulls An old woman sat staring out to sea Say a prayer for a lonely sailor [SAY A PRAYER, MARYANNE] Say a prayer for a lonely sailor [SAY A PRAYER, MARYANNE] Say a prayer for a lonely sailor [SAY A PRAYER, MARYANNE]
4.
Bonnie Boat 03:45
5.
Seven Ways 04:52
Saturday nights and Sunday mornings These are the times when my baby needs warming Rest of the week, she’s a woman on a mission She has a job, but I’m a musician And its… its no holiday, finding 7 ways to pass the time of day. Monday night, and she’s very cross She got in another big fight with her boss I suggest listening and trying to stay calm Might have been better than breaking his arm She says…, “he got in my way”, 7 ways to pass the time of day. Tuesday night, we go to drag Bingo She wins another battery operated thingo Its very big like you see in some skin-flicks She waves it around like she’s won the Olympics I say…. “put that away”, 7 ways to pass the time of day. The place is a mess, she’s threatening leaving This often happens on Wednesday evening I’m sorry babe I know how you’re feeling Sit down I’ll make you a cup of Darjeeling And… she always stays, 7 ways to pass the time of day. Thursday her colleague is coming to dinner His name is Ross, and he’s a real winner He votes Republican even though he’s gay She asks me to put my self-help books away And I say… “whatever you say”, 7 ways to pass the time of day. Friday night, she’s feeling weary I say can I please borrow 20 bucks deary I’d like to go out drinking with Larry She says that’s fine but I’m ending this marriage But I know… love will find way, 7 ways to pass the time of day.
6.
Ding Dong 02:48
7.
Die Alone 01:54
8.
Falzibad 05:02
9.
Tension 03:35
I went out for a disco dance, in my brand new track suit pants There I saw a lovely girl called Dora I put on some funky moves, to those funky disco grooves In the hopes that thereby I might score her I didn’t mean to revolt her, dancing there like John Travolta She just sat there looking rather pensive She said she couldn’t stand to watch, my descending tracksuit crotch She just said she thought I was offensive It caused Tension, Tension, Tension, Tension, Tension, Tension, Tension, Tension, Whatever i do seems to create tension Tension, Tension, Tension, Tension, Tension, Tension, Tension, Tension, Whatever you do just don’t mention tension I took Dora to the coffee shop and talked and talked to her non stop To try to make her think that I was erudite She said ‘really, you don’t say’ and as I looked the other way she filled my coffee cup full of araldite I took a sip which was not smart and went to crap on about Descarte when all that came out of my gob was Mmm mmm I took Dora to the Dapto Dog Track got a bit forward with her on the way back she asked me to pull back up my trousers I didn’t quite know what to do I bent down for her high heel shoes and stuffed her left shoe chocka full of flowers She said ‘Freddy, I don’t care, what you do with your foot ware, just don’t stuff my clobber full of flora!’ How was I to expect that she’d be anal in that respect that’s what you get for chasing girls called Dora, you get Tension.
10.
Shhh 01:25
11.
Mr Circle 03:41
Sun go down, sun go down, Mr Circle Sing Sing taim long sun i go down Olgeta, Wanpela, mi na yu Papa Deo kolim wantaim bigpela kundu War wokim bugarap,War wokim bugarap Lukim olsem dispela war i wokim bugarap Olgeta crai crai, Olgeta crai crai Olgeta crai crai taim long war i wokim bugarap Pen wokim bel hot, Pen wokim bel hot, Lukim olsem dispela pen i wokim bel hot Bel hot wokim Paitim, Kros wokim Paitim Lukim olsem dispela Bel hot wokim Paitim Paitim wokim pen nau, Paitim wokim pen Lukim olsem dispela samting i go round nau Nius bilong pis, Nius bilong pis Olgeta tok tok long dis' Nius bilong pis Pis bilong yumi, Pis bilong yumi Pis bilong long yumi bikos bel isi bilong yumi Sun go down, sun go down, Mr Circle Sing Sing taim long sun i go down Olgeta, Wanpela, mi na yu Papa Deo kolim wantaim bigpela kundu. Translation: Mr Circle (Song for For Bougainville) Sun go down, sun go down Mr Circle sings as the sun goes down all and one, me and you, God calls us with his big bass drum War buggers things up, see how war buggers things up Everybody cries when war buggers things up Pain causes anger, pain causes anger (bel hot=hot guts) See the way that pain causes anger Anger leads to fighting, anger leads to fighting See the way that anger leads to fighting Fighting leads to pain, fighting causes pain Look how it all goes around News of the peace, News of the peace Everybody is talking of the news of the peace Peace is ours, peace is yours and mine Peace is ours, because we have peace inside (bel isi=easy guts) Sun go down, sun go down Mr Circle sings as the sun goes down all and one, me and you, God calls us with his big bass drum
12.
Sing me a song boys don't make it long For I must be travelling far You may keep my guitar Change the strings while I'm gone Turn my back on the prophets Blew a kiss at the Wandering Jew Got on my horse and set off on a course To find me a women like you The cool morning air kissed the flesh of my mare As we rode through a valley of trees A wren on the fence sang all that go hence Seem to always return on their knees By the roadside a stranger played a tune on an old tin gazoo And though there where no words his song like the birds Said beware of a women like you LIE LIE LIE LIE LIELIE LIE LIE LIELIELIELIELIELIE ! [TWICE] There was a priest who I happened to meet On the eve, of the second day He'd done the duty of youth and sought beauty and truth And a lover that way He woke up one morning to find that she'd up and slipped through And feeling God's wrath he'd taken the cloth And forgiven a women like you LIE LIE LIE LIE LIELIE LIE LIE LIELIELIELIELIELIE ! [TWICE] My search I relented in a bar room frequented By the baffled, the bent, and the broke The slow wheel of time had passed most of them by Those that hadn't been caught in the spokes And we drank from the bottle a toast to the victorious few Who had stayed on a plane between pleasure and pain For the love of a women like you LIE LIE LIE LIE LIELIE LIE LIE LIELIELIELIELIELIE ! [TWICE] My comrade ion arms with blood on the palms of his hands Stumbled in through the door All he could say were the last lines from a play Concerning the death of the Moor He'd been pierced through the breastbone And he bled from a freshly made wound As he fell on his sword his very last word Was the name of a women like you LIE LIE LIE LIE LIELIE LIE LIE LIELIELIELIELIELIE ! [TWICE] Than an old man came into the room He broke into a tune on a teak violin A melody doleful and mercy less soulful That tore us apart from within All his front teeth where missing And through the gap a lyric came through And the words that he sung Said his heart had been wrung In the hands of a women like you LIE LIE LIE LIE LIELIE LIE LIE LIELIELIELIELIELIE ! [TWICE] Tick tock goes the clock In my room by the dock Through my window I stare out to see And once and awhile a young woman will smile From the street to an old man like me Meet the boys on some evenings And we pour back a whisky or two Though we drink to forget I shall never regret Having once loved a women like you LIE LIE LIE LIE LIELIE LIE LIE LIELIELIELIELIELIE ! [FOUR TIMES]

about

Urban Sea Shanties is a collection of thinking man's drinking songs. The album was awarded the National Film and Sound Archives National Folk Recording Award.

Media acclaim:

“A delightful collaboration between two of the hottest acts on the Australian Festival Scene. Switch off your finer sensibilities and tune into your base chakra”
…Andy Copeman, Daily Planet Website


“Urban Sea Shanties shanghaies the listener into a rich musical journey from the bars of Birmingham to the flooded streets of New Orleans, from the Mosques of Karachi to the Dapto Dog Track. Fred Smith’s distinctive lead vocals switch between narration and singing, creating different voices and characters from around the globe. With vocal arrangements by the Chorale’s Stephen Taberner, the Spooky Men inhabit various roles in the cast, painting a musical picture of adventurous travel exploring a wide, colourful world..”
…John Hogan, National Film and Sound Archives

Fred Smith came to prominence with his Dust of Uruzgan CD, a remarkable collection of songs he wrote working as a diplomat in southern Afghanistan. The album earned him comparisons with great Australian songwriters Eric Bogel, John Schumman, and Don Walker. He was the subject of an ABC Australian Story feature in 2013. But before that, he’d been at it for a while:

“It is about time Australia caught up with Fred Smith. This remarkable singer-songwriter – who at various times reveals influences that range from Paul Kelly via Lou Reed to Loudon Wainwright III to Leonard Cohen – keeps releasing amazingly accomplished albums”
…Bruce Elder, Sydney Morning Herald, August 2008

The Spooky Men's Chorale are a legend of the Australian Festival circuit, as well is in the UK where they annually sell out 40 date seasons. Their collaboration with Fred Smith began as a momentary lapse of reason in a festival bar that turned into a concert and then into an album.

Together they present Urban Sea Shanties in a stage show that explores the masculine psyche with a delicate buffoonery befitting the subject matter!

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released September 2, 2020

produced by Stephen Taberner

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Fred Smith Canberra, Australia

“Fred Smith is simply the best folk/country musician working in this country in 2020. Beyond writing some of the finest songs about Australians at war, he has created a repertoire that is wry, literate, witty, powerfully emotional and insightful.”(Bruce Elder, Sydney Morning Herald). ... more

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