Songs: Work (Arbeit)

notes / gigs / releases

Perhaps today's the day
When to myself I'll say
Come to work
After due consideration
Of it's proper designation
I call it work
I'm entirely self-employed
And I will not to be annoyed
In a minute in the park
By all the people and the noise
I won't let anything in the world
Get on my mind or on my nerves
And that's work

I hold my nose up in the air
Smell the sweet barbecues out there
And that's work
Backwards on a bench I'll lie
And watch the big blue sky go by
And that's work
The dogs are walking people
Bark their orders voicelessly
But I don't look or listen even though
They're here sniffing at me
Here in the womb of warmth and light
I'm trying to keep my mind quiet
And that's work

Well I feel a little itch
In my neck, but I don't twitch
And that's work
A bird is dropping me a gift
And all I do is purse my lips
And that's work
A good friend who's out for a walk
See's me and comes by for a talk
All she wants is a quick chat
So she sits down where I am sat
But I pretend she don't exist
And soon nor does her friendship
And that's work

In a sea of war I'm a boat of peace
The positive pole in a magnetic field
I'm a monument, no I'm a signal fire
And the message I'm sending is silence
Keeping silent, wrapped up, and maybe
Maybe what we're all missing the most is...
Oi! Bloody kids, mind your icecream
You've dropped it all over me
I'm trying to work here!
In the waves of warmth and light
I'm trying to keep my mind quiet
And that's work

In my dreams I'd drifted off
And I'd missed the arrival of
The television
They cluster round me in a crowd
They're frantic, flustered and too loud
They're on a mission
The presenter says "We'll see
If this dosser holds the key
Though his appearance is absurd
His silence might speak to the world
The point the camera in my face
So that they can hear me say
"Can't you be quiet?"

I keep my nose held in the air
And I'll forget the words they swear
And that's work
The dots of sunshine dance around
Until there's too many to count
My reward for work
Arms and legs are feeling light
One more sound comes from outside
On this beautiful spring day
"Udge up a bit", someone says
And later as the sun moves on
They say "It doesn't matter, carry on"
"Keep at your work"
Sweet work.
Sweet nothing.

All original lyrics and song by M. Maurenbrecher

Mr Martin Petersdorf asked me to contribute a song to 'Maurebrecher Fur Alle', a tribute to the German singer/author Manfred Maurenbrecher. He sent me a couple of tunes and suggested one called "Arbeit" for me to record. I liked the tune and, once Martin had sent me a rough literal translation of the lyrics, really liked the IDEA, so set to doing a Proper Translation, maintaining the ideas but putting it into Actual English with RHYMES and everything.

This was a HUGE job of work, but when it was done I was EXTREMELY chuffed with how it turned out, and had a lovely time recording it, big gap with sound effects and all!