A Makeshift Raft

Hello, I’m writing a book about The Lilac Time. I thought I’d be finishing up by now and I’d be here composing engaging posts about that. But it’s become another book and the first single from our next album has already been released. We hit the trail, as The Lilac Time, in 1986 and released our eponymous album in 1987. After four albums we paused, then regrouped in 1999 for our fifth Looking For A Day In The Night. The new one, released in August, is our eleventh. The book thankfully is more interesting than this. But interesting is harder and takes way longer than you thought. Songs can be hard too, but at least they’re louder. The first single from Dance Till All The Stars Come Down is called A Makeshift Raft.

A MAKESHIFT RAFT

A makeshift raft an endless sea
We only wanted to be free
But you keep on drowning me
Why don’t you choose love?

We fight a war we say no more
Then we go on as before
Will they hate forever more?
All you need is love

I love New York I love LA
Allen Ginsbergs USA
It doesn’t have to be this way
If you vote for love

You don’t like blacks you don’t like gays
The white man shoots and Jesus saves
We don’t need your dead end ways
All we need is love

Invent the sky to house the stars
Invent fingers and guitars
I’ll see you on my handlebars
Sing me songs of love

I started writing it in 2015 when three year old Alan Kurdi drowned with eleven others trying to reach Kos. I almost finished it in time for the last album, but thought Why don’t you choose love and All you need is love would metamorphose into a grand or at least worthy statement to finish each verse. But then, like Ringo before me, I realised that unquestionably all you need is love and we recorded it. You can hear it here.

Thank you for your time

Stephen

PS The book can be ordered here but it’s more interesting now.