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Still Life

by Chris Cleverley

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Still Life paints a vivid, apocalyptic picture of a world drained of vitality and essence, as nations fixated on progress, growth and conflict hasten the deterioration of our natural world. It’s an anthem for those tired of screaming into the void about this kind of thing.

lyrics

This is just life imitating art,
So you can call me a total mess
And tear out my heart.
But junk bond empires burst apart,
So you can bring out your dead,
And load them on a cart.

The last tree stands in a purifying tank,
Centre of Times Square.
In the remnants of the billboard screens,
A dead American dream.
Faint scream from the crossroads of the world,
As the sunset sinks behind
A hollowed-out skyline

This is just life imitating art,
So you can call me a sorry mess
And pray for my sorry heart.
But junk bond futures are doomed to implode,
So you can bring out your dead and leave them for the carrion crows.

The last dove sealed in formaldehyde,
I’m old enough to remember how it was;
To swallow the acidic taste of my pride.
The cold wars, the grain stores,
The rain showers, the dust clouds,
The crowds bursting through the barricades.

This is just life.
This still life.

But don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I’m any less to blame
Than him, than her;
Wide eyes, screaming into a void for an answer.
So it’s back into the sea, for the next hundred, million years,
‘Til the universe sees fit for us
To crawl back out again on our knees.

This is just life imitating art,
So shoot me in the head
Before it gets a chance to start.
Trade my future, carve it apart,
And you can drain out the blood,
Left in my beating heart.

credits

released September 23, 2022
Music and lyrics by Chris Cleverley
Engineered, produced and mixed by John Patrick Elliott.
Mastered by Tim Debney at Fluid Mastering.

Chris Cleverley - Vocals, Electric Guitars, Piano, Synths
John Patrick Elliott - Piano, Programming
Graham Coe - Cello
Rob Pemberton - Drums
Lukas Drinkwater - Bass
Kathy Pilkington - Vocals

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Chris Cleverley Birmingham, UK

Chris Cleverley was born under a solstice moon, in an aura of honeysuckle mysticism. He is among a new wave of pioneering artists carving an uncharted path through the UK acoustic landscape. Inspired by the Lo-FI Indie greats Elliott Smith & Sufjan Stevens, his ambient Dream-Folk songwriting pushes the boundaries and shatters the expectations of 21st Century acoustic music. ... more

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