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This Time I've Done It, (Album, 2005)
Luke’s epic third album took him no less than eighteen long months to complete. So really, after all that hard work, you’re pretty much obligated to like it now, let’s face it. Recorded on vintage eight-track analogue equipment in a makeshift studio by the sea, and featuring an augmented line-up of musicians (The Feelings), this was forty minutes of lush, audacious Lukepop like it had never been heard before.
Review from fRoots, 2005
To precis a forthcoming thesis, it's funny how much truly English modern music has come from places beginning in 'Ca': Syd Barrett and Robyn Hitchcock from Cambridge, Dr Feelgood and Will Birch from Canvey Island, and Caravan, Ian Dury's Kilburns and the Oysters from Canterbury. (Come on, Cannock and Caterham!) From Canterbury also hails pub pianist and songwriter extraordinaire Luke Smith, whose third album sees him with a full band, though the piano is still to the fore, not forgetting the mighty Dave the Drummer.
'The Feelings' is a very apt choice of name, too, as it's emotions and feelings that occupy most of this album - but not in a mawkish or sentimental way: Smith has a way of laying himself on the line that is quite disarming, whether it's the painful honesty and self-knowledge of I Need So Much To Be Loved, an anthem for the shy and sensitive, or the heartfelt No One Else Will Do. But of course there's much more-who else could write Awkward Teenage Girl, where the subject's rudeness and foul moods are linked to her nervous energy and edge, or fall for someone "so bitter... so dour" in She Must Have A Sensitive Side? And if the title alone of You'll Never Stop People Being Gits doesn't twang your synapses, you have no soul.
None of this would matter if it didn't sound good, and the music is a cunning blend of music hall, tea dances (Don't Make Me Think About Life) and Ronnie Lane-ish rackety folk 'n' roll (Out On My Own, complete with whistling solo). The backing vocalists add a smooth texture, while the brass Feelings alternately provide lounge-lizard sax or Tijuana Brass trumpet-sorry for another comparison, but Muswell Hillbilliesl Everyone's In Showbiz-era Ray Davies comes inescapably to mind musically, and that was pretty damn good. Even the spoken interludes fit well, as when introducing the lovely childlike (not childish) liberation of the closing track, Away For A Day. 'Englishness' in a musical context is often equated with cult eccentricity; I really hope Luke Smith doesn't just get classed this way, as he's a genuine breath of fresh air. Great stuff.
Ian Kearey -fROOTS
I Need So
Much To Be Loved
I need so
much to be loved,
It distracts me from everything else.
I have to
confess, it makes my life a mess,
And it makes me embarrass
myself.
I need so
much to be loved
That I scare them all off one by one.
I long for
affection in my direction
So much that some days I get nothing
done.
I need so much to be loved
That it stops me from having much
fun.
I crave so
much tender care
That if I ever win a girl's hand,
She'll loose her
love for me when, slowly but surely,
She finds out how needy I
am.
I ask for
more than my share.
Oh I know I bleed everyone dry.
I must have been
cursed to have such a thirst
That no one can quench it whatever they
try.
I need so much to be loved
That I end up just making love
die.
I end up just making love die.
And I
can't get to sleep
'Cos I'm too busy wandering who liked me
today,
And who didn't.
I can't stop once I start; I just pull things
apart,
'Til the day breaks, and the world wakes,
And I rise, knowing
still in my heart..
I need so
much to be loved.
It's no good me pretending I don't.
And each time
I say, "I'll act different today",
I know all too well that I
won't.
I need so
much to be loved,
And I will do as long as I live!
Oh if I could
just stop and enjoy what I've got
I'd be fine, but I can't, so I 'm
hell to be with.
What sad fate's in store
For the man who wants
more
Than anyone can give?
('..Who wants more.
..than anyone can
give?')
Awkward
teenage girl, there's magic in your scowl.
I still want you though
you're rude and your moods are foul.
Aggressive and tough; screwed up
and angry as can be.
Oh, I just can't get enough of your nervous
energy.
Awkward
teenage girl, so brooding, so intense;
So in touch with all the angst
this old world presents;
It's getting hard to hide how scared I am to
watch you grow.
Oh, I just love your surly side. Don't loose that edge
now! Don't let it go!
Oh, my awkward teenage girl, I love you
so.
Down the
pub the other night, I looked at you and saw the light!
So many people
were struggling to be heard.
Through the din though, I could feel your
every word.
And though I couldn't explain this mix of joy and
pain,
I just knew something so deep within me stirred. Oh, and
now.
Awkward
teenage girl, I must seem weird to you.
Who am I to play the older man
obsessed by something young and true?
But just a few short years of
seeing what life can do to dreams,
Oh, and it's just unreal how brief
the thrill and the fire of youth all seems.
Sitting
here with you, life has such an urgent feel!
I just wanna say these
things while they still seem real.
And if we never kiss, just telling
you this means so much to me,
'Cos I can see you years from now -
polite and grown up, but not so free -
So before that day; before
you change, let me say.
Awkward teenage girl, right now,
You're
just as perfect as anything can be.
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The Hard
Way
No easy
road have I known.
Never taught, never shown.
I learnt the hard
way.
No bed of roses for me.
Nothing came easily.
I learnt the
hard way.
Well it
was cruel, it was hell.
But it taught me so well,
I learnt the hard
way,
Well thete was pain, there was strife,
But it set me up for
lift,
And you can bring it all on, Anyway, anyhow,
'Cos me, I learnt
the hard way, And nothing scares me now.
Well, I
wanna laugh, I wanna scream,
And I want all that's in between
Before my time's up.
I don't wanna learn it from a book.
I
wanna take a look myself, and
Then make my own mind up.
You can't
live life to the full
All wrapped up in cotton wool.
You've got to
just dive in there, every time.
So that's the life that's for me;
I
've got to do, I've got to see,
And say, "I've been there!"
And that's why I'm still.
Learning
the hard way in all I do.
Learning the hard way my whole life
through.
Never passing up, or missing out.
Oh, me, I learnt the hard
way
And I know what life's about.
Well,
there's so many things in life we could be afraid of.
This is a point I
understand.
But we'll never really know
just what our dream are
made of,
Unless we learn..Unless we learn first hand.
Well, I
wanna love, I wanna fight,
And yes, I wanna do what's right,
But
also what's wrong.
I wanna live and take some knocks,
Be on the
rocks, and then rise up again
And move on.
So here's
the score: here's the deal -
If you really wanna feel
All that
life's got,
Just take the laughs, take the strain,
Take the joy,
take the pain.
Take the whole lot, I say.
Don't just sit there and
yearn.
Oh, me, I learnt the hard way, and.
What a way to
learn
No one
else will do
Since I got to know you.
I don't need to see the
options.
I can't take a wider view.
No, the deal is done.
The
search is through.
You're the one
And no one else will
do.
No one
else can see
The things you see effortlessly.
No one else knows me
that way.
No one else has a clue.
And I could try to start with
someone new.
I could play that part, but it's just not true.
'Cos my
weary heart was black and blue
'Til you lit the spark where only
darkness grew,
And I'm blind to the others now,
'Cos no one else
will do.
Oh, I know
in the old days
Happy couples just made me feel sick.
I'd watch them
and say, "God! - If I act that way,
Someone tell me, and I'll get out
quick."
Only now do I see what the fuss was;
Why they glowed with
such maddening fire;
Why they'd cry when I wouldn't, and laugh when
they shouldn't.
These things, only love can inspire.
Oh, and
there's so many more
Girls I could be longing for,
But I'm sick of
the chase now. I mean it!
I can't believe it myself but it's
true.
And I'm proud of my love, though it's scaring me,
And it makes
me feel trapped, and it makes me feel free,
And I need you to feel it,
and I want you to see
All my pain and my fear, and all my
ecstasy,
And I must say these things to you..
'Cos no one else will
do.
You'll Never Stop People Being Gits
I hate to
say but it's plain as day -
You'll never stop people being gits.
You
might feel great but if you just wait,
Someone'll come and blow it all
to bits.
Some things, I've found, there's just no way round,
And
some people in life are the pits!
So cling to what's good but let it be
understood
That you'll never stop people being gits.
It might
sound bleak but if I don't speak,
You might make the same mistake as
me.
I thought - 'If I'm smart, and there's love in my heart,
The
world'll just embrace me tenderly'.
Suffice to say the truth is far
more grey,
And despite all the brilliant bits,
I had to learn fast
that perfection can't last,
'Cos you'll never stop people being
gis.
They won't
revere all the things you hold dear.
And what's close to your heart,
they'll just pull apart.
Sometimes they don't mean to.
Sometimes
they're just being thick.
But it's hard to forgive when the world where
you live
Seems determined to just make you sick.
Some say -
'to win, you've got to have thick skin,
And treat every stranger as a
foe!'
And some, once they're burnt, think their lesson's been
learnt,
And toughening up's the only way to go. But no! -
If you ask
me - Open up; be free.
Just prepare for some misses and hits.
Don't
turn life away. Just remember, I say,
That you'll never stop people
being gits.
It can't be done.
No you'll never stop people being
gits.
It's part of us.
So however
uncomfortably this sits,
And through you're mind the odd despairing
thought still flits,
Take time to see how beauty into all of this still
fits,
And then relax,
'Cos you'll never stop people being
gits.
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Me, I'm
out on my own.
Got no club that I'm in to.
Nothing to cling
to.
Just what I feel inside.
Feeling I refuse to hide.
Me, I'm
out on my own,
And that's the way it's always been.
Me, I'm
out on my own.
They gave up trying to involve me.
Years back they
told me:-
"You're not one of us you know"
So I learnt long ago -
Me I'm out on my own,
And that's the way it's always been.
I've
given up trying to get in.
At least I
get to know myself really well;
Really thoroughly.
On your own you
either curl up and die
Or begin to enjoy your own company,
And so
you see now that
Me I'm out on my own,
And I like it!
Me I'm out
on my own.
Got no gang to belong to;
Code to hold on to;
Never
fitted in with the rest.
Maybe it's for the best.
Me I'm out on my
own,
And that's the way it's always been.
I've given up trying to
get in.
Oh, I've given up trying to get in.
Return to top
This Time I've Done
It
This time
I've done it.
I can't take it back.
This time I've done it.
I let
it all out. I let it all out.
This time I've done it.
Now my future
looks black.
This time I've done it.
I'd come so far but I couldn't
go on,
So I tried to be subtle but it all went wrong.
This time
I've done it.
This time I know.
This time I've done it.
I let it
all out. I let it all out.
This time I've done it,
And I regret it
so.
This time I've done it.
I let myself slip into a mode of
attack,
And now I've done it. Now I've done it, 'cos I couldn't hold
back.
Impulse
took me over.
I couldn't fight it,
And this was rare!
Impulse
took me over,
And so I told the truth right then and there.
I didn't
care.
This time
I've done it.
This much I can see.
This time I've done it.
I let
all out. I let it all out.
This time I've done it.
What'll happen to
me?
This time I've done it.
I wish I'd held my breath and counted up
to ten,
But now I've done it and I know some day I'll do it
again.
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She Must Have A Sensitive Side
No one can
be that cold, I know it.
There's a light, deep inside, though she hates
to show it.
She talks tough. Ah, but what's behind it!
There's a
glow, I just know, and I'll look 'til I find it.
Oh, that
hidden passion! Oh, that pent-up feeling!
She can freeze me out. That
only makes her more appealing.
There's something in her eyes harsh
words can't hide.
She must have a sensitive side.
She's hard
to crack; she won't be caught out,
But there's love in her heart that's
just longing to be brought out.
No one's immune to being touched now.
She can say what she likes. I just know she cares so much
now.
She's so
bitter! She's so dour!
But I get closer with every hour.
She can't
hold out forever, though I know she's tried.
She must have a sensitive
side.
When I
catch her stolen glances it thrills me.
They're what life's all
about.
She acts so off with me sometimes, it nearly kills me>
But
still, this fire won't go out!
I sense
that deep in her there's yearning.
I can see it's not just me. I can
feel the tables turning.
It seems we've reached the final
chapter.
She's about to submit, and her heart's all mine to
capture.
Come what
may now, any day now,
She'll reveal the feelings that she tries to keep
at bay now!
She'll unlock the doors and fling them open wide,
And
I'll see her sensitive side!
Finally, I'll see her sensitive
side,
And I'll say.
"I knew it
was there, even when the search got tough!
Somebody just had to want to
find it enough."
Don't Make Me
Think About Life
I'm just
trying to have a good time here.
Don't make me think about life.
I'm
just trying to switch off my mind here.
Don't get real. I don't feel I
can deal with the strife.
Let's keep it light for just one
night.
Can't we just shift down a gear?
Don't get profound now.
Let's mess around now.
Don't make me think about life - Not here!
Oh please
don't ask me where I'm going.
Don't make me think about life.
Don't
ask 'cos there's no way of knowing.
Is it adventure I want or two kids
and a wife?
Don't tell me we'll find the answers.
They're not there.
I don't care how deep we dig.
No one's impressed now. Let's give it a
rest now.
Don't make me think about life - It's too big!
All that
'why are we here?' stuff does my head in, you see.
I can't face the big
scary questions.
I admit it. It's true.
I don't even know why I got
up this morning.
What do you want from me?
Don't put me through
this! Why must you do this?
I can't confront things. I'm not like
you!
Oh, maybe
on some other good night
I could talk seriously.
Ah, but my mood
must be just right.
I'd have to feel pretty brave to face
reality.
Oh, let's make a pact; let's agree now.
Let's give
ourselves both a break.
Forget all the theories, questions and
queries.
Don't make me think about life - It's more than I can
take!
Return to top
Love Is
Blind
This
feeling in me's wild.
I know. You needn't tell me.
I'm not a little
child,
But I might as well be.
This fire that ignites me,
It's
so primitive and raw!
When she's mean, it just excites me.
I don't
see it as a flaw.
No! - It's not to do with thinking!
I can't fight
it with my mind.
Surely everybody knows -
Love is blind! Love is
blind!
That
common sense which they spout -
It just does not apply here.
We're
in love and there's no way out.
We'll all live and die here.
We
don't know when the pain will come.
That's what scares
everyone.
That's what makes it tense and nervous,
And it's also half
the fun.
No one understands - come off it!
The truth is not out
there to find.
Give in to it. We all do it.
Love is blind! Love is
blind!
Oh, and
it's really no good trying to explain love,
Or the strange sensations
that it brings.
Awkwardness and grief; joy beyond belief..
These are
a few of love's favourite things.
These are a few of love's favourite
things!
Oh, and
it's all just so confusing,
And I'm a mere beginner.
I'm happy to be
loosing,
If that makes her the winner.
They said "Love? - It often
fails!"
And I just could not deny it.
They told loads of tragic
tales,
But I knew I'd got to try it.
So I'm here, and though it's
clear
Most of what they said was true,
What can I say? - Love is
blind,
And as such, I am too
I'm
packing my bags.
I'm going away for a day,
just to see what
it's like,
On my own, all alone so to speak.
I'm saying
'Goodbye'.
I'm gonna fly far from here,
Where the air is clear and I
can breathe,
On my own to get my fill. What a thrill!
I'm moving
on out,
To see what life's about;
To shout, to scream,
To live
out the dream -
Living free like I've seen on TV.
'Where ever I lay
my hat' - things like that.
Going here, going there, going
everywhere!
Without the pressure of maternal love,
And maternal
unease, and 'thank you' and please'.
I've gotta see
what's out there for me now.
I just wanna be able to say:-
"Yes!
I've been alone for a day in every way.
I went away for a day and I
liked it.
And now I say - 'Come what may I've seen that
day'."
Don't wanna be stifled.
Family life is so dull.
I'm
for the high life.
I'm for the high life with the low-lifes!
That'll
annoy Mum.
I wanna be free!
Just me.
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