Songs From the Last Chance Saloon

by Tony James Shevlin

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1.
It’s cold in here, must be even colder outside Another night over in which another little piece of me died The church bells are ringing out loud and clear But it would take an act of God to get me out of here Lord it still feels like it’s Saturday night Is it raining all over the world or just in my head? The chances are I’m gonna lose this fight With the demons that I take to my bed I could lose my faith in you I could lose my faith in faith itself If I choose to count the cost and I’ve lost Faith in myself From where I sit I can see them knocking back all of that beer They say things are gonna change but to me it looks like the same shit in a different year I need the money, I need the money I say to myself, by way of an alibi Get your head down boy, and grit your teeth And one more chorus of American Pie I could lose my faith in you I could lose my faith in faith itself If I choose to count the cost and I’ve lost Faith in myself In the quiet you can hear all your dreams slowly slipping away Just who the hell do you think you are that they were gonna come true anyway? Dreamer, redeemer, faith healer, scene stealer Your soul’s in the lost and found And if your faith can move mountains Then watch them all come tumbling down I could lose my faith in you I could lose my faith in faith itself If I choose to count the cost and I’ve lost Faith in myself And that’s the saddest loss of all I’m losing, I’m losing, I’m losing Faith in myself Faith in myself
2.
Nobody 04:03
It’s a natural reaction, it’s acute anxiety It’s the bruising of an ego, is that the way it has to be? It’s the wool they cover eyes with, it’s economics with the truth As the jailor, judge and jury, eat the pudding not the proof And I’m sneaking in the back door ‘cause I don’t know what to do And the man behind the counter says “excuse me, who are you? I say I’m Nobody, but I’m nobody else’s nobody Nobody – and take a look at yourself ‘Cause you’re somebody’s nobody else Well they’d stab you in the back but not before they’d steal your shirt While you’re fighting on the front line they’ll be dishing out the dirt But they cannot smear your name because they say you don’t exist You’re just a number on a file on a forgotten floppy disk I’m not looking for a handout, just give me what I’m due And the man behind the counter says “who the hell are you?” And I say I’m Nobody, but I’m nobody else’s nobody Nobody – and take a look at yourself ‘Cause you’re somebody’s nobody else What can I do here? Be true to myself Talk is cheap and thoughts are free They can’t take that away from me He’s submissive, I’m subversive but subliminally warned I’m convinced that he’s conditioned to put the con in to conform It’s the reason I’m erasing all this crap out of my life I can bite the hand that feeds but then what do I tell my wife ‘Cause the kids can’t eat an attitude of apathetic stew And the man behind the counter, he hasn’t got a clue when I say I’m Nobody, but I’m nobody else’s nobody Nobody, but I’m nobody else’s nobody No, no, no Nobody, nobody else’s nobody No, no, no, no, no Nobody – and take a look at yourself ‘Cause you’re somebody’s no… Take a look at yourself ‘Cause you’re somebody’s no… Take a look at yourself ‘Cause you’re somebody’s nobody else I’m Nobody But I want to be somebody Just not nobody Nobody
3.
There’s a spark in the dark And it’s not gonna hide and it won’t be denied if it’s true He said “try” she said “why?” “I thought I detected some glory reflected from you” Yes in the past but it won’t last It withers and fades like the plans that I made at the start Battered and bruised and worn out from use The truth would just tear it apart My heart grows cold in the fight for the high moral ground And heroes don’t grow old Like the walls of Jericho They all come tumbling down He said “So, you didn’t know?” “Boy if you did you sure kept it well hid all this time” He could tell, she felt it as well But he couldn’t redeem the lost dream at the back of her mind If you must betray trust Chemistry, alcohol, lust and desire spins the room If my courage is Dutch, it’s a little too much To drink in at the last chance saloon And my heart grows cold in the fight for the high moral ground And heroes don’t grow old Like the walls of Jericho They all come tumbling down Why tonight? Is it right? To hear it from you like a bolt from the blue isn’t fair I blame the booze, then I can’t lose And in the cold light of day you won’t see it this way and won’t care So they’ll try to just let it die, he won’t forget her some things are just better unknown And with second-hand guilt backed up to the hilt he kissed her and went home alone And my heart grows cold in the fight for the high moral ground Heroes don’t grow old Like the walls of Jericho They all come tumbling down Like the walls of Jericho They all come tumbling down Like the walls of Jericho They all come tumbling… Down
4.
Working till your back breaks, economic heartache Breaking with convention, can’t afford a pension I spend in a day what I earn in a week I’d inherit the earth but I think they’ve got it put by for the meek My taste in life is simple, I like the best Impeccable credentials, you can put ‘em to the test Check my finances, living off advances Corporation bank loan, who the hell is Dow Jones anyway? Gimme, gimme the money, I got something to say Don’t you say you think that it’s funny I’ve got a champagne taste on a lemonade pay Champagne’s delectable, my friend is flexible I’ll take the credit, nice work if you can get it Life’s so drastic, living on plastic Cross my palm with silver, cross my heart and hope to die Gimme, gimme the money, I got something to say Don’t you say you think that it’s funny I got a champagne taste on a lemonade pay Money talks and bullshit walks But if money talks, the only thing it’s ever said to me Is how you doing? Goodbye Living out a lifestyle that’s way beyond my means Thinking ‘bout it lately, can’t afford to dream Warm up the hot rod, thinking ‘bout a bank job Make a little cash flow Hold it up or blow it away Gimme, gimme the money, I got something to say Don’t you say you think that it’s funny I got a champagne taste on a lemonade pay Gimme, gimme the money, a fast car and away Don’t you say you think that it’s funny I got a champagne taste on a lemonade pay Champagne taste - lemonade pay Champagne taste - lemonade pay Champagne taste - lemonade pay Champagne taste - lemonade pay
5.
Crazy 04:57
Crazy, so crazy But that’s alright ‘cause I like crazy, too They laughed when Columbus said the world wasn’t flat You go out in that boat boy, you’re not coming back Columbus just smiled and he turned and sailed away You see, he had this notion the world it was round There were far away places waiting to be found And he went out and discovered the good old U.S. of A. They said he was Crazy, so crazy I think I know just what’s wrong with you Yeah, you’re crazy, so crazy But that’s alright ‘cause I like crazy, too Every once in a while someone says ‘now wouldn’t it be great If we all got along, there was more love and less hate And the world could wake to a bright and better day’ But these voices are silenced as they start to sing Just ask Jesus or Ghandi or Martin Luther King If that’s being crazy, come on and lock me away Those cats, they were Crazy, so crazy I think I know just what’s wrong with you You’re crazy, so crazy But that’s alright ‘cause I like crazy, too Galileo and Edison and Fleming and Bell They were all told they were as crazy as hell But that didn’t stop them, no they wouldn’t back down So if the world looks at you like you’re a little off-key Don’t you pay them no mind, let your spirit run free ‘Cause we know that crazy – makes the world go around Come on and be Crazy, so crazy I think I know just what’s wrong with you You’re crazy, so crazy But that’s alright ‘cause I like crazy, too Yeah, that’s alright, ‘cause I like crazy, too Oh, that’s alright, ‘cause I like crazy, too.
6.
Heartaches, yeah, I’ve seen them come and go Tears, like rivers did they flow Winners and losers been around since time began If they cut me, I will bleed like any man Chances I may have missed or lost along the way Voices raised in anger when I had so much to say Times I wouldn’t walk when I maybe should’ve ran If I’m pushed around I will stand my ground I’ll do everything I can But if they cut me, I will bleed like any man They won’t be satisfied till they’ve corporate control Nobody’s leaving till they own your very soul I can cover most bets with a “well that’s rock ‘n’ roll” Biding my time for a while, I will grit my teeth and show a smile I won’t let them see what they’ve done to me Underneath this heavy load I’ve been victimised till I’m terrified and I’m ready to explode I won’t part with this bleeding heart they just don’t give a damn I’ve done all I can, I’m no Superman, not pretending that I am But if they cut me, I will bleed like any man
7.
Drive cross Chelsea Bridge Cheap plastic letters make words on a fridge Time Out – a place to go Wearing sunglasses in the snow Gunnersbury Tavern warming by the fire Brandy, no ice, taking us higher In paradise South Ealing, no-one could find me there But I got the feeling life could be so unfair They’d take it away from me Night bus Trafalgar Square Tottenham Court Rd, band playing there Indian takeaway She doesn’t mind if she’s got to pay Written on paper, the thoughts in her head Sharing the secrets of a single bed In paradise South Ealing, no-one could find me there But I got the feeling life could be so unfair They’d take it away from me Whirlwind romance, whispered melodies And all that I’m left with are the memories In paradise South Ealing, no-one could find me there But I got the feeling life could be so unfair In paradise South Ealing, no-one could find me there But I got the feeling life could be so unfair They’d take it away from me Paradise South Ealing They’ll take it away
8.
I wish you well I wish you happiness and wealth Good fortune and good health But most of all I wish you All you wish yourself It’s good to see you, it’s funny how time flies How it just slips away before you realise So many things that we have yet to say or do Hold back the tears, if not the years I wish you well I wish you happiness and wealth Good fortune and good health But most of all I wish you All you wish yourself Life ain’t been easy but the scars you kept them hid The secrets you have kept since just a little kid The bitter memories that clutter up your mind to drive you wild God bless the child I wish you well I wish you happiness and wealth Good fortune and good health But most of all I wish you All you wish yourself I still remember all the laughter that we shared And how we dried each other’s tears when no one cared And of the reasons why we ever went our separate ways at all I can’t recall And I wish you well I wish you happiness and wealth Good fortune and good health But most of all I wish you All you wish yourself And how we hurt them they will never let us know All the pain they felt the day they let us go And they’ll hide the tears they cried from the sword that pierced their hearts Love like no other God bless the mother I wish you well I wish you happiness and wealth Good fortune and good health But most of all I wish you All you wish yourself If you see the boys tell them of my deep regret And though the years pass by I never will forget But they don’t know how hard I tried to fight for them as I was put through the mill And they never will I wish you well I wish you happiness and wealth Good fortune and good health But most of all I wish you All you wish yourself Did you wonder if you should have walked a different road? Then you would not have to bare such a heavy load And yet you took the strain of the cross you had to carry You never ran God bless my old man And I wish you well I wish you happiness and wealth Good fortune and good health But most of all I wish you All you wish yourself It’s never easy when you stand against the crowd But if they drag you down then call my name out loud I hope that I’m around to catch you should you ever start to fall God bless us all And I wish you well I wish you happiness and wealth Good fortune and good health But most of all I wish you All you wish yourself Most of all I wish you All you wish yourself Most of all I wish you All you wish yourself
9.
Crying for fifteen long years That’s how long I’ve been holding back all of these tears I want you to know if my tears start to flow I’ll be crying for fifteen long years There’s a place in my head that you’ll never know Where I buried the ghosts from a long time ago But they’re always with me And as sure as a river runs free Crying for fifteen long years That’s how long I’ve been holding back all of these tears I want you to know if my tears start to flow I’ll be crying for fifteen long years It’s a dirty, dark place at the back of my mind Full of broken down dreams I thought I’d left behind And I’m drowning inside And when it reaches high tide Crying for fifteen long years That’s how long I’ve been holding back all of these tears I want you to know if my tears start to flow I’ll be crying for fifteen long years It’s all been too much, too little, too late And the sins of our fathers are lying in wait Do you sow what you reap? ‘Cause they tell me still waters run deep Crying for fifteen long years That’s how long I’ve been holding back all of these tears I want you to know if my tears start to flow I’ll be crying for fifteen long years Crying for fifteen long years That’s how long I’ve been holding back all of these tears I want you to know if my tears start to flow I’ll be crying for fifteen long years Crying for fifteen long years Crying for fifteen long years
10.
He drifted in on the evening breeze A knowing glance put the girl at ease He thought he’d stay a while, he kind of liked her smile She knew at once that he was the one She’d always known that the day would come She said “What do you do?” and “Where you headed to?” He said, “Girl that’s up to you.” We can run, run until we drop, We can run, run until we drop There ain’t no use in hanging around No reason we should stop When we can run until we drop. She told him all of the things she’d planned Of dreams she let slip through her hands The chance to get away can turn to wasted yesterdays You can sit around till the sun goes down Or you can watch it rise from a different town There must be something more, there’s a world there to explore If we just walk out that door. We can run, run until we drop, Run, run until we drop There ain’t no use in hanging around No reason we should stop When we can run until we... Break the chains Shed the load Take a chance on an open road We’ve got the radio on And the road looks clear And she said, “Let’s get out of here.” Run, run until we drop, We can run, run until we drop There ain’t no use in hanging around No reason we should stop When we can run Run until we drop

about

This album is collection of songs I had written over the years that I had never been fully satisfied with the recorded results. I wanted to record the songs the way I had always heard them, without having to pander to members of the various bands I was in at the time. am so happy with the results...

credits

released May 15, 2014

Produced by Tony James Shevlin
Co-produced and engineered by Ian Crow
Mastered by Peter Maher
Recorded at Amblin’ Man Studios, Otley, Suffolk
Artwork by Sam Devito
All songs written by Tony James Shevlin except:
Breathe - Martin Wardley / Tony James Shevlin
Used to Be – Scott Stilwell / Tony James Shevlin
Wind the Clock - Chris Neil /Kim Richey / Tony James Shevlin
2020 Vision - Shane Kirk / Tony James Shevlin


Breathe – Tony James Shevlin: acoustic guitars, bass, lead and backing vocals; Jan Rowe: violin; Jules Shevlin: backing vocals
Must've Been Good – Tony James Shevlin: acoustic guitars, electric guitar, bass, lead and vocal; Dirk Forsdyke: percussion; Jules Shevlin: backing vocals
Used to Be - Tony James Shevlin: acoustic guitars, dobro, bass, lead and backing vocals, Jan Rowe: violin; Ian Crow: banjo and percussion; Jules Shevlin: backing vocals
Wind the Clock - Tony James Shevlin: acoustic guitars, electric guitar, bass, lead and backing vocals; Jan Rowe: violin; Jules Shevlin: backing vocals
Waiting on You - Tony James Shevlin: acoustic guitars, electric guitar, bass, lead and backing vocals; Jan Rowe: violin; Helen Mulley: flute; Jules Shevlin: backing vocals; Ian Crow: percussion
2020 Vision - Tony James Shevlin: acoustic guitars, electric guitars, bass, lead and backing vocals; Shane Kirk: dobro and backing vocals; Jan Rowe: violin; Ian Crow: percussion
Final Fall From Grace – Tony James Shevlin: lead vocal; Jan Rowe: violins and viola; Hattie Bennett: cello; Ian Crow: percussion
Nothing Happened Again Today - Tony James Shevlin: acoustic guitars, bass, Nashville guitar; tenor ukulele; lead and backing vocals; Adam Whyatt: organ; Dirk Forsdyke: percussion
When This is Over - Tony James Shevlin: acoustic guitars, bass, lead and backing vocals; Hattie Bennett: cello
Perfectly Imperfect - Tony James Shevlin: acoustic guitars, electric guitar, bass, lead and backing vocals; Ian Crow: electric guitar and melodica; Dirk Forsdyke: drums
Take Me There - Tony James Shevlin: acoustic guitars, bass, lead vocal; Ian Crow: electric guitars
Long Way Round – Tony James Shevlin: lead and backing vocals; Adam Whyatt: piano; Ian Crow: backing vocals

© and (P) Tony James Shevlin 2023
www.tonyjamesshevlin.com

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Tony James Shevlin England, UK

Tony James Shevlin is an Anglo-Irish singer-songwriter who's been a professional musician for most of his adult life and has performed all over the world, from Europe to Russia, Africa, America, the Middle East and Australia. Along the way he’s had songs used by Amnesty International, The Troggs, and REM. ... more

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