Andrew

This page lists the main songs I have written and recorded over the last 45+ years.

Many other song ideas remain discarded or incomplete. They still pop into my head from time to time, and may one day be reworked and incorporated into my future recordings.

When I listen to the recordings I am taken back to a particular place and time for each song, like the 'studio' underneath the floorboards in Jim Moginie's parent's house where I recorded drums and organ in 1979, or my sequencer, keyboard and drum machine 'studio' concealed in the wardrobe of our guest bedroom in the late 1980's.

I have made no attempt to improve the original recordings, which in many cases bear witness to the constraints under which they were recorded.

I have grouped my recordings into six 'albums', with four completed, a fifth album available for any future cover songs, and recording already commenced on the first few songs for my sixth album. Click on an album name to see the details for that album.

• Bear Essentials Songs from late 2023 to today.
• Bear Witness. Songs from 2016 to mid 2023.
• Bear My Soul. Songs from 1999 to 2015.
• Bear's Greatest Hits Volume II. Songs from 1988 to 1998.
• Bear's Greatest Hits Volume I. Songs from 1977 to 1979.
• Bear's Repeating. Cover Versions from 1977 to 2018. I didn't write these, but I enjoyed recording them.

You can listen to the songs here.

Bear Essentials

I started recording this album in July 2023.
All songs written and performed by Andrew James except the lyrics for 63 which are based on Psalm 63, and the lyrics for Luxuria which are based on Proverbs 7.
The first two songs on this 'album' were written in the 1980's but revised and recorded in 2023.
New songs will be added to this album as inspiration and perspiration bear fruit.

Instruments played include electronic keyboards, acoustic electric and modelling guitars, fretted and fretless bass guitars, and drum and percussion programming.

Hover the cursor over a song name below to see the lyrics.

• 63 (1984) 63
  
  Based on Psalm 63
  written and publicly performed in or around 1984
  
  You God, are my God
  I seek you earnestly
  How I long for you
  My soul thirsts for you
  In a dry and weary land where there is no water
  
  I have seen you in the sanctuary
  And beheld your power and glory
  My soul clings to you
  I am upheld by you
  With songs of joy my lips will praise you
  
     Because your love is better than life
     I will praise you as long as I live
     In your name I will lift up my hands
     And sing in the shadow of your wings
  
  My soul is satisfied
  As with the richest food
  At night I think of you
  And meditate on you
  Because you are my help I will rejoice
  
     Because your love is better than life
     I will praise you as long as I live
     In your name I will lift up my hands
     And sing in the shadow of your wings
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1984
• Avaritia (More Records Than Madonna) (1987) Avaritia (More Records Than Madonna)
  
  A song birthed in 1987 and tweaked in 2023.
  The players have changed since then but the game is still the same.
  
  Last night I turned the radio on
  They were playing Bananarama's latest song
  Can't they find better music for us
  I was bored before the second chorus
  
  But then I heard it went straight to number one
  Written and produced by Stock, Aitken and Waterman
  I'd sing the phone book if it helped me get ahead
  So I sent them a letter, and this is what it said:
  
     Please Stock, Aitken and Waterman
     I need a hit, won't you write one for me
     Please Stock, Aitken and Waterman
     It seems to be, to be really easy
  
  Just push some buttons on your Linn drum machine
  Program some brass, add some strings to create the scene
  Spice things up with a funky bass line
  Finish with a chorus that repeats a hundred times
  
     Please Stock, Aitken and Waterman
     I need a hit, won't you write one for me
     Please Stock, Aitken and Waterman
     Something with a hook, something radio friendly
  
  The songs you manufacture are so in vogue
  Like the ones you've put together for Kylie Minogue
  It seems like you can churn them out anytime you wanna
  If I had just one I'd sell more records than Madonna
  
     Please Stock, Aitken and Waterman
     I need a hit, won't you write one for me
     Please Stock, Aitken and Waterman
     Let me sing your next one instead of Rick Astley
  
     Please Stock, Aitken and Waterman
     I need some help to become a celebrity
     Please Stock, Aitken and Waterman
     Within weeks I could be living in luxury
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1987
• Luxuria (Like An Ox To The Slaughter) (2023) Luxuria (Like An Ox To The Slaughter)
  
  A morality tale based on Proverbs 7
  
  As the sun was setting, in the village square a woman hitched up her skirt
  A young man sauntered over to her, and she began to flirt. She whispered
  “I've been so lonely while my husband's been gone
  My bed is so empty, the nights are so long
  But if I had somebody to talk to, it might ease the hurt”
  
  “I've got fine food and wine waiting in my room, ready to share
  With aloes and myrrh my sheets have been perfumed, everything's prepared
  And you - you're much too handsome to be sleeping alone
  Come let's drink deeply of love until dawn”
  Like an ox to the slaughter she led him through the alley and up her stairs
  
    Can a man scoop fire into his lap without getting serious burns?
    Can a man walk barefoot on hot coals without his feet getting hurt?
    Be wise and don't you go near her door
    Don't lust in your heart after what isn't yours
    Others have trodden this path before
    And found their stairway to the stars was a highway to the grave
  
  She was so intoxicating and he drank deep until her husband returned
  When he learned their dirty secret he went ballistic, his anger burned
  He showed no mercy when he took his revenge
  The young man lost his reputation, his job and his friends
  All this could have been avoided if he'd just learned
  A little discipline (listening to wisdom)
  A little discipline (resisting temptation)
  A little discipline (accepting correction)
  A little discipline (maintaining discretion)
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 2023
• Tristitia (Digging a hole) (2023) Tristitia (Digging a hole)
  
  
  
  Lyrics and music still being formulated - watch this space
  Initial thoughts are that this one will be heavy
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 2023

Bear Witness

Written and performed by Andrew James, except for the lyrics for Lift which are taken from Psalm 24, and the lyics for 103 which are based on Psalm 103.

The first songs on this 'album' were written in 2016, and the final track was completed in 2023.

Instruments played include keyboards and synthesisers, acoustic electric and modelling guitars, fretted and fretless bass guitars, mandolin, drum and percussion programming.

The first sound heard in Untamed (the word "dirty") is a sound byte lifted from the Black Books episode The Cleaner.

The vocals on The Dark Room were recorded whilst battling Covid-19.
Recording of the vocals on The New Day was interrupted when I got Covid-19 a second time.

Although the theme of the 'album' may change over time, the overarching subtext for the songs is found in Psalm 104 verse 34:
    'I will sing to the Lord all my life
    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live'.

Hover the cursor over a song name below to see the lyrics.

• Lift (2016) Lift
  
  Based on Psalm 24 verses 7 - 10
  
  Lift, you gates
  Be lifted up, ancient doors
  That the King of Glory may come in
  That the King of Glory may come in
  
  Lift up your heads, you gates
  Be lifted up, ancient doors
  That the King of Glory may come in
  That the King of Glory may come in
  
  Who is this King of Glory
  The Lord, strong and mighty
  The Lord God Almighty
  He is the King of Glory
  The Lord of heaven's armies
  He is this King of Glory
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 2016
• 103 (2016) 103
  
  Based on Psalm 103
  
  Praise the Lord, my soul
  All that is within me
  Praise his name
  
  Praise the Lord, my soul
  Always remember
  What he has done
  
  He forgives all my sins (remembered no more)
  He heals all my disease (by his stripes on the cross)
  He frees me from my snares (he breaks all my chains)
  And he crowns me with love (hallelujah)
  
  Praise the Lord, my soul
  All that is within me
  Praise his name
  
  Praise the Lord, my soul
  Always remember
  What he has done
  
  He comes not to accuse
  My transgressions are removed
  He showers me with good things
  So my youth is renewed
  
  He brings justice for the oppressed (he comes with compassion)
  And enduring righteousness (to my children's children)
  His love is limitless (as high as the heavens)
  All his works - sing his praise (hallelujah, hallelujah)
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 2016
• Heartbeat of Amphitrite (2016) Heartbeat of Amphitrite
  
    The first song in my oceanic trilogy.
  
  Another padlock set in place
  The words engraved, the promise made
  Two hearts entangled for a while
  The paths converged, the trek begun
  
  Another spade left on the beach
  In father's arms is comfort found
  How quickly do the memories fade
  Like sand through little fingers falls
  
     And still the waves come crashing in
     Upon the sands they pound and foam
     Relentless pulse that knows no time
     Rhythm of the restless sea
     Heartbeat of Amphitrite
  
  Another family torn apart
  The generations pause and dwell
  Another park bench tells the tale
  Of hearts too bruised to ever mend
  
     And still the pebbles are ground smooth
     The headlands yield, the cliffs brought low
     Relentless pulse that knows no time
     Indifferent to man's ebb and flow
     Rhythm of the restless sea
     Heartbeat of Amphitrite
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 2016
• The Gate (2017) The Gate
  
  I could study all of the books in the world, but nothing would change
  I could kneel at all the shrines in the world, I'd still be the same
  I could listen to the finest advice, Live a healthy and productive life
  Be successful in the public's eyes
  But life's over so fast and none of that's going to last
  
  I could give myself to feeding the poor like Mother Theresa (but with less hair)
  I could meditate 'til I'm without thought - well that might be easier (I'm halfway there!)
  Follow the prophets and the holy men and try to be a lot like them
  Reach Nirvana or experience Zen that's all very well, but will it save me from hell
  Cause there is no-one like You, no-one like You, no-one like You
  
     You looked on your creation with compassion (1)
     Unbounded love compelled you into action
     You felt what it was like to be a man
     You were tempted as I am but never once gave in (2)
  
     Now lifted high, over all you reign
     Rescue is found in no other name (The name of Jesus) (3)
     I don't know how you make your choice for those who've never heard your voice
     But I believe it when you say You are the only way (4)
  
  I could memorise chapter and verse for the good it might do me (I could learn it)
  I could be well respected in my church, and God knows I should be (I deserve it)
  Perform miracles and heal the lame, drive out demons in Jesus name (5)
  But if I'm relying on my fame to get through that gate, it might be too late (6)
  If I never knew you, never knew you, never new you, Jesus
  
     You came not to condemn but to set free (7)
     Shackles unlocked, captives released (8)
     The things I've done won't get me into heaven (9)
     You bled and died now I'm forgiven
     There is no greater love than this (10)
  
     You said "I am the gate, believe in me (6,11)
     No-one comes to the Father but by me" (4)
     And now you sit enthroned on high
     Worthy is the lamb, we cry. Jesus my king, be glorified (12)
     Blessing and honour, glory and power and praise
     Heaven and earth are filled with your glory
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 2017
  
  
     1/      Psalm 145:8-9
     2/      Hebrews 4:15
     3/      Acts 4:12
     4/      John 14:6
     5/      Matthew 7:23
     6/      John 10:1,9
     7/      John 3:17
     8/      Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:18
     9/      Ephesians 2:9
     10/    John 15:13
     11/    John 6:29, John 8:24
     12/    Revelation 5:!2
  
• Melanoma Café (2017) Melanoma Café
  
    The second song in my oceanic trilogy.
  
  The hardy souls who brave the dawn fresh prints on sand are making
  Surf-ski rider's been and gone
  Easy pace Australian crawl
  Shoulders glisten, rise and fall behind where waves are breaking
  
  The broilers cluck and scratch for feed, in glee their secrets sharing
  Who's let themselves go to seed
  Who's just come back from overseas
  Who's having surgery on their knees, who's died, and who's retiring
  
     The world goes by. The seasons pass. The patrons dine (at the café)
     The more things change the more they stay the same. Do we ever learn?
  
  Aromas lure the patrons in. The cooking smells amazing
  The southern nomads search for spring
  The shorts and T shirts tell the tale
  That warmer weather is on sale alongside eggs and bacon
  
  Oiled bodies sprawl to catch the sun – leather in the making
  Kids with footballs having fun
  Older folk on folding chairs
  Enjoy the sun and salty air and catch up on their reading
  
     The rich get rich. The poor stay poor. The tab gets paid (at the café
     The more things change the more they stay the same. Will we ever learn?
  
  Light fades as weary parents pack. "One last dip then we're going"
  Feet rinsed, the SUV's head back
  The dusk descends, bands start to play
  The party people have their way until the booze stops flowing
  
     Disasters hit. The nations starve. Some of us grow fat (at the café)
     Trouble at the top. The leaders swap. Will it end in tears?
  
     Doomsday clocks tick. The sands run out. Coffee still smells good! (at the café)
     Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. La vie continué
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 2017
• Untamed (2020) Untamed
  
     While I was going about my business in the city I used to pass by homeless people.
     I felt uncomfortable and ill equipped to take action.
     You may think it's presumptuous of me to speak on their behalf. I would agree.
  
  Dirty
  Smelly
  Scary
  Untamed
  
  I pass by on my way to the office
  Sleeping bag hides a forgotten soul
  A hat with some coins, a plea scrawled on cardboard
  Or sometimes nothing at all
  
  Should I give him money (could be a mistake)
  I don't have any coins (you've got notes instead)
  Lots of different thoughts swirl through my head
  
  Was there a childhood that left him damaged
  Was there a family that could take no more
  Was there a history of institutions
  Did bad men or bad decisions leave him poor
  
  Should I sit beside him (that would be crazy)
  Start a conversation (but what would you say)
  My feet just keep on walking on their way
  
  Dirty
      It isn't easy when you've got no place to stay
      The city streets are just full of grime
  Smelly
      It isn't often that I get the chance to wash
      You get used to it after a time
  Scary
      They used to give me pills that drained my life away
      I might hear voices but at least I'm not numb
  Untamed
      No-one can tell me what rules I must obey
      Four walls can't hold me. I need my freedom
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 2020
• Ring The Bell (2020) Ring The Bell
  An allegory
  
     The third song in my oceanic trilogy.
  
     Inspired by observing rough weather out to sea.
     If it takes a village to raise a child, it may also take a village to save a child.
     In troubled times we have a responsibility to look out for each other.
  
     Ring the bell, rouse the town
     We need to respond to the sound
     Ring the bell, hear the chimes
     A sign of these desperate times
     Ring the bell
  
  Out to sea the wind whips up white peaks
  The spray pelts sideways, the banshee tempest shrieks
  Waterlogged boat, no chance of being saved
  Pushed closer to the rocks by every churning wave
  The watchman sees the vessel come to harm
  To the tower, raise the alarm
  
     Ring the bell, ring the bell
     Rouse the village, break slumber's deep spell
     Ring the bell, heed the call
     The rescue has need of us all
     Ring the bell
  
  Take courage men, steer the lifeboat t'ward the waves
  We need make haste if any would be saved
  Heave and strain, work the oars with all your might
  Souls in peril rely on us tonight
  Back on the shore a haven is prepared
  For those who providence has spared
  
     Ring the bell, ring the bell
     Rouse the village, break slumber's deep spell
     Ring the bell, sound the alarm
     For those who need rescue from harm
     Ring the bell
  
  The storm has spent its wrath, the seas grow calm
  Blankets warm the survivors snatched from harm
  With the dawn comes the sight of the debris
  Evidence of those claimed by the sea
  The bell will ring, but with a different song
  In memory of those whose lives are gone
  
     Ring the bell, make the sound
     Gather the people around
     Ring the bell, hear the chimes
     A sign of these desperate times
     Ring the bell, ring the bell
     It's time for the final farewell
     Ring the bell, hear the call
     In time it will toll for us all
  
     Ring the bell (for the parent who's drowning in grief)
     Ring the bell (for the carer that needs some relief)
     Ring the bell (for the wife fearful of her next beating)
     Ring the bell (for the couple that can't afford heating)
     Ring the bell (for the child who will never be cool)
     Ring the bell (for the teen who is bullied at school)
     Ring the bell (for the young mum who's had to leave home)
     Ring the bell (for the widow who's now all alone)
     Ring the bell (for the patient who's desperately ill)
     Ring the bell (for the family that can't pay the bills)
     Ring the bell (for the innocents struggling in prison)
     Ring the bell (for the addict who's battling addiction)
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 2020
• Christmas Glory (2021) Christmas Glory
  
     My wife and I used to enjoy Christmas Carols broadcasts,
     but in recent years they seem to have lost their reverence.
  
  It's that time of year when retailers are decking
  The malls with big baubles and tinsel and flocking
  And TV gears up for the big Christmas Carols events
  Today show presenters read cringeworthy banter
  Then talent school children dance rings around Santa
  But some of the segments they feature don't even make sense
  The babes in the audience nod off to sleep
  Perhaps they're the lucky ones, don't get to see
  
  The sponsors are keen to get bang for their buck
  With Mickey and Minnie and Frozen and such
  Or a clip from a movie to bolster box office receipts
  The cast of a musical selling their show
  Singing of open fires, chestnuts and snow
  Hoping exposure puts more bums on theatre seats
  At the core of tradition and embellished fables
  The treasure of treasures was born in a stable
  
    In a food trough lies a child. His exhausted mother smiles
    The miracle long promised is now here
    From heaven to helplessness the Word has become flesh
    Though it's quiet where the newborn baby lays
    The heavens are bursting with their praise
    To God be glory, now and always
  
  A taffeta sculpture sweeps in from the wings
  Soap star under contract who thinks she can sing
  She'll need to act now to pretend she believes what she's singing
  And yet amid all of the flouncing and hype
  A few artists know what they're singing about
  This time it's personal, this time delivered with meaning
  While some folks below are dismissing the story
  The angels above keep proclaiming his glory
  
    King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the everlasting Word
    Without him nothing was made that has been made (John 1:3)
    Lamb of God, Prince of Peace, his kingdom will not cease
    And by his blood, from sin we are set free (Rev 1:5)
  
    Righteous and victorious, Emmanuel – God with us
    The radiance of the Glory of God (Hebrews 1:3)
    At his name all knees will bow. Blessing and Honour bring him now
    For God so loved the world that he gave
    All who believe in Jesus will be saved
    He is Holy and Worthy to be praised
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 2021
• The Dark Room (2022) The Dark Room
  
     Most of us have times where dark moods cloud our lives.
     I'm fortunate mine usually don't hang around very long.
  
     I waited all 2021 for a virus to temporarily give me the
     gravelly voice I could hear in my head delivering this chorus.
     Covid-19 gave me that voice in early 2022, along with a week
     in isolation to build the instrument tracks around the vocals.
  
  This heart of death, this heart of death x 2
  It stings like wasps, it smells like sulphur
  (How can I escape from this heart of death)
  It sounds like war, it looks like cancer
  (I need to be released from this heart of death)
  
    Another piece of me has hit the floor
    Can chiselling continue until there's no more
  
      Don't look left (Don't get diverted)
      Don't turn right (Don't touch the decor)
      Go straight ahead (Asylum beckons)
      You'll be alright (Behind the red door)
  
  This heart of death, this heart of death x 2
  My savage thoughts, my clouded sight
  (I need to get away from this heart of death)
  Can anybody rescue me from me tonight
  (I need to be released from this heart of death)
  
    The purple colander shoots taunts and jeers
    Cower in the corner covering my ears
    In the dark room watch my witness writhe
    Stay sequestered 'til the storm subsides
  
      Don't overthink it (Don't be defensive)
      Just sit and breathe (Hey! Stop building walls)
      With some perspective (Fortifications)
      Anguish will ease (This won't end well)
  
   Seven circuits, Deafening shout. Strongholds toppled. Allies brought out.
   Rising terror. Torches thrown. Swords unsheathed. No mercy shown.
   The blackened ruins show the cost of a battle fought but lost.
   Abandoned city in the rain. These walls will never rise again.
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 2022
• The New Day (2023) The New Day
     Recovery from The Dark Room.
     With each dawn come new opportunities.
  
  sun         light
      gilds the clouds and fills the sky with
  warm   light
      bathes the hills and wakes creation
  your       light
      conquers dark and soothes the scars of
  last         night
      I'm rescued from the shadows by your love
  
  bird       song
      greets the dawn and fills the skies with
  their     song
      In the moment my heart hears a
  new     song
      I can face the new day, I can
  be         strong
      All the earth is bursting with your
  
      Glory, Glory
         The heavens shout it, the earth is filled with your
      Glory, Glory
         Lord God Almighty, You alone are
      Holy, Holy
         Alpha and omega, beginning and the end, Jesus you are
      Holy, Holy
         Seated on the throne, only you are
      Worthy, Worthy
         Worthy Lord, to receive honour and praise, you are
      Worthy, Worthy
         Every knee will bow, every tongue confess you are
      Mighty, Mighty
         Victorious king, You are so
      Mighty, Mighty
         My Lord and my God
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 2023
• The Dark Room (reprise) (2022) The Dark Room (reprise)
  
     Just when you think you're doing OK
     the old issues try to drag you down again.
     I am loved by the King of Kings and He is mighty.
     Those old issues can just rack off!
  
  This heart of death, this heart of death x 2
  This heart of death, this heart of death
  (How can I escape from this heart of death)
  This heart of death, this heart of death
  (I need to be released from this heart of death)
  This cheerless cell, this bleak cocoon
  (Who can rescue me from this heart of death)
  Can any light breach this dungeon of doom
  (Dungeon of doom, dungeon of doom)
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 2022

Bear My Soul

Written and performed by Andrew James, except for Your Grace Still Amazes Me, written by Cissy Padgett, and the first line of Don't You Forget which comes from Save The Last Dance For Me by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman.

Recordings took place in bursts between 2001 to 2012, but most recording was undertaken or completed between 2013 and 2015.

I now use a multi-track hard disk recorder in place of the four track reel to reel tape recorder I used in my previous recordings. I can now record many tracks of audio (vocals/guitars) and many tracks of midi (keyboards/drums) and so get closer to how I want my songs to sound.

I have trialled computer based recording, but I have found dedicated standalone music equipment to be more stable and reliable and better suited to the way I record.

Instruments played include keyboards and synthesisers, acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, fretted and fretless bass guitars, acoustic and electronic drums, percussion, drum and percussion programming.

Whilst I have written other songs during this period, the songs listed here are those which I thought were worth working on.
Some songs may have dark themes but that's because life isn't always easy. Throughout the seasons I have found the love of God to be unchanging and undiminished.

Hover the cursor over a song name below to see the lyrics.

• Heartburst (1999) Heartburst
  
  Tailored suit and slicked back hairdo, perfect teeth in cunning grin
  Faultless speech and presentation while the maggots writhe within
  Shows me all the glossy brochures, doesn't talk about the price
  Tells me abstinence is passé, sells the virtues of the vice
  So I took a little chance, I stole a little glance, I've nothing much to lose
  And I took a little taste, shame to let it go to waste, I can stop any time I choose
  
  Help me – what have I done. I thought that I was strong – I was wrong
  These pleasures that I've found turn to stench and such me down
  
  Feeling really far from holy, feeling filthy and ashamed
  Jesus, how can you still love me when I cause you all this pain?
  
  Lamb of God, to you I call. Obedient to death, you gave it all
  By the blood you shed for me I am forgiven, cleansed, set free
  
  Lord, all your love flowing down, pouring into my soul
  I find I'm falling in love with you again
  My tears of repentance turn to joy as you cleanse my heart, my soul
  And as you hold me close you whisper "welcome home"
  
  This grace, this power, this love, this Jesus
  Cleanses my heart, restores my soul
  His gift is free, I can do nothing to deserve it
  Drop to the floor, heartburst, in awe
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1999
• A Christmas Carol (2004) A Christmas Carol
  
  Six months feels like forever. She used to have a heart
  But when the father of her children left he wrenched her world apart
  She isn't nice to be around, she drives old friends away
  There isn't any joy for her on this Christmas day
  
  He sits for hours in silence paralysed by pain
  He feels like smashing windows but that won't bring her back again
  Her room's untouched – a shrine to love. He nursed her to the end
  The only gift he wants is the return of his best friend
  
  The years have not been kind, the dreams have not come true
  There seems to be no purpose in what they've been through
  Festive facades just feed their anger and despair
  Christmas is a painful time of year
  
  His people played the harlot, broke his heart time and time again
  He'll sacrifice his son to reconcile God and men
  The flesh is gouged out of his back, the spikes are driven in
  He drowns, abandoned by his friends, in payment for my sin
  
  The years aren't always kind, dreams don't always come true
  But Jesus went through hell to rescue me and you
  He yearns to heal our hearts, hold us in His embrace
  All grief will flee when we see his face
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 2004
• The Zealots (2011) The Zealots
  
  This song makes no judgement about the relative merits of any particular religion.
  I had been listening to passionate advocates of several faiths, and thought they sounded
  pretty similar, with their do-more, try-harder, sacrifice-more, pray-more, win-more message.
  In this song I imagined a battle of the evangelists and their worship teams.
  
  Zealot on the radio, spouting waves of passion
  Questioning my fervour, laying on the guilt
  Says I must work harder, spend more hours in prayer
  Calling for contenders to commit
  Catch workmates in a corner, press them for an answer
  Turn the talk around and capture every chance I get
  As I keep on pushing harder resistance will grow weaker
  In time they'll see the truth is what I speak
  
  Hallelujah to Allah and his messenger Muhammad (PBUH)
  His word has shown the way, teach all to obey
  Keep on taking ground for Allah
  
  Zealot on the early show, shouting words of passion
  Questions my commitment to the three week can't fail plan
  Rearrange priorities, use recommended strategies
  Satisfy prerequisites and win
  God will create the opening, I just need to be listening
  If something isn't happening I need to lift my game
  If I'm totally surrendered my friends will be attracted
  The life they see in me is what they'll want
  
  Hallelujah to the Creator and our redeemer Jesus
  He is the King, His life we bring
  Push back the darkness, to the glory of God
  
  From one driven zealot to another
  You're as passionate and earnest as each other
  You raise the book that's in your hand, trying to make me understand
  That your message is from God, unlike the other
  There is just one source of truth, you say you teach it
  There is just one way to God, you say you preach it
  You make the same appeals, you display the same zeal
  If there's just one way to heaven, who will reach it
  
  If I scour the caves and culverts of the earth for just one convert
  Will he will end up even more disturbed, dissatisfied than me
  We're so focused on the winning, can we hear the Spirit's prompting
  Maybe we don't want to hear what he might say
  Is the peace of God in hiding, has it passed all understanding
  Has condemnation replaced the dispensation of grace
  We're so busy with the doing, lose the beauty of just being
  Was it Mary's choice or Martha's Jesus praised?
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 2011
• The Dance (2012) The Dance
  
  Dedicated to my wife Janene, without whose patience and love I would
  not have known the enduring love of a bridegroom for a bride.
  
  I have been waiting for so long
  But now you are her with me to share this moment (this moment)
  Clothed in the gown I bought for you
  Crowned with gold and jewels, you look amazing (amazing)
  There is no music in the room
  But if you listen well, you can hear the music in my heart
  
  It's time
  For the dance
  Oh my love, oh my joy
  I will never let you go
  Nothing else, only you
  Forever we will dance, la la la
  
  I have been courting you so long
  Each time you turned away my heart was broken (was broken)
  But with you here those memories fade
  We stand together at a new beginning (beginning)
  Don't be afraid just take my hand
  Follow my lead and soon you will be in raptures just like me
  
  It's time
  For the dance
  Oh my love, oh my joy
  I will never let you go
  Nothing else, only you
  Forever we will dance
  
  Mon amour, oh ma joie
  Je vais t#39;embrasser toujours
  Rien d'autre que tu
  Toujours nous danserons, la la la
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 2012
• Gergesa Dreaming (2013) Gergesa Dreaming
  
  Based on Matthew 8:28-34
  
  We had it good in our Eastlake town
  Life went on as it had and always will
  Everybody knew their place
  Even the madmen who lived in the caves on the hill
  
  He sailed in from the other side
  Would have been better if he hadn't come at all
  Causing trouble, making waves
  Had a reputation. People said
  He won't last long, he'll soon be gone
  
  He didn't quite make it into town
  Held up by those two madmen on the hill
  Shouting rubbish as they often did
  Strange thing is, he didn't turn and run
  
  Now here's the weird bit - the men went sane
  But some pigs went crazy, stampeded down the hill
  Left the farmers out of work with debts to pay
  What's he going to do next, we're afraid
  We made it clear, he's not welcome here
  
  The table is set. The guests all take their seats anticipating
  The bridegroom arrives. The celebration starts. The doors are closing
  You should've been here. He wanted you here
  Why didn't you come?
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 2013
• Be King (2014) Be King
  
  Down on my knees
  Overwhelmed by your presence again
  You have captured my heart
  I will never be the same
  You rescued me, your sacrifice set me free
  My Lord, I am amazed
  You deserve all my praise
  
  Be king, be Lord of my life
  Be king today
  Be king, Lord take your rightful place
  Be king and reign
  
  Here on this world
  Injustice is all about
  Disasters and wars, persecution, disease
  The oppressed and the hurting cry out
  Things are not going well with man in control
  We need a change
  The bride and the spirit say come
  Come Lord Jesus come
  
  Be king, be Lord of my life
  Be king today
  Be king, Lord take your rightful place
  Be king and reign
  
  You left your throne, you came to die
  You conquered death, now lifted high
  Born as a man, servant of all
  You made a way, tore down the walls
  
  Be king and reign, be king and reign
  Be king and reign, be king and reign
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 2014
• Don't You Forget (2014) Don't You Forget
  
  "But don't forget who's taking you home, and in whose arms you're gonna be"
  (excerpt from Save the last dance for me, by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman
  written on the day the wheelchair bound Pomus married his dancer wife
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Save_the_Last_Dance_for_Me)
  
  I need to take time to reflect
  Consider well his benefits
  He's been with me every step
  His love for me is infinite, no end to it, He won't let me fall
  
  Don't you forget (never the same again)
  He captured your heart
  Don't you forget (restored and whole again)
  He set you apart
  
  Cast your mind back many years
  It was a special time of innocence
  I was there, I saw the tears
  You can't deny its significance
  
  But that was then, this is now
  So much water under the bridge
  Life's complications have somehow
  Clouded your memory, until you can't see clearly at all
  
  Don't you forget (something incredible)
  He captured your heart
  Don't you forget (a love indelible)
  He set you apart
  
       Don't you forget his love won't fade
       And the promises he made he's going to keep
       Don't you forget he understands
       And he holds you in his hands
       Eternally (He is not a man that he should change his mind)
       Securely (Those who are His He will not lose or leave behind)
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 2014
• Ecclesiastes (2015) Ecclesiastes
  
  Solomon concluded that apart from God, "Everything is meaningless".
  Once his heart had been captured by Jesus, Paul considered all other things worthless.
  (A more correct translation of the original word used is "dung").
  
  I wrote the initial bleak section of the song in 2010 imagining it as a short grungy punk song
  but as it offered nothing positive, I chose not to record it at that time.
  The song stayed in my head, however, and so I added the final choruses in 2015.
  What the world offers may be crap but what Jesus offers is treasure beyond measure.
  
  I turned on the TV but it was crap
  I bought a book to read but it was crap
  Switched on the radio but it was crap
  There's nowhere I can go that isn't crap
  
       Crap, crap, everything is crap
       Crap, crap, everything is crap
       Crap, crap, everything is crap
       Crap, crap, everything is crap
  
  A cottage by the sea but it was crap
  Postgraduate degree but it was crap
  My face on magazines but it was crap
  Riding in limousines but it was crap
  
  I saw the wicked rise and it was crap
  I saw the righteous die and it was crap
  Life isn't what it seems – it's all crap
  And in the heart of me – it's all crap
  
       Crap, crap, everything is crap
       Crap, crap, everything is crap
       Crap, crap, everything is crap
       Crap, crap, everything is crap
       Except for Jesus
  
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
       In him, I'm a new creation
       By his stripes I have been healed
       I am not condemned, I'm clothed in his righteousness
       He placed his spirit in my heart, I have been sealed
  
       From his love I can't be separated
       He knows me, yet he still calls me 'friend'
       I'm seated with him in high places
       Where the praise of God Almighty never ends
  
       You are worthy, you alone are holy
       Rich in mercy, in love and faithfulness
       The whole earth is full of your glory
       Every knee will bow, every tongue confess
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 2010, 2015
  
  References
  Chorus 1: Ecclesiastes 1:14
  Chorus 2: Philippians 3:8
  Chorus 3: 2 Corinthiahs 5:17; 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 8:1; John 5:24; Isaiah 61:10; 2 Corinthians 1:22
  Chorus 4: Romans 8:39; John 15:15; Ephesians 2:6; Revelation 4:8
  Chorus 5: Revelation 4:8,11; Ephesians 2:4; Psalm 86:15; Lamentations 3:22,23; Isaiah 6:3; Philippians 2:10,11
  
• Your Grace Still Amazes Me (2008) Your Grace Still Amazes Me
  
  Written by Cissy Padgett
  
  My faithful father, enduring friend
  Your tender mercy's like a river with no end
  It overwhelms me, covers my sin
  Each time I come into your presence
  I stand in wonder once again
  
  Your grace still amazes me
  Your love is still a mystery
  Each day I fall on my knees
  'cause your grace still amazes me
  Your grace still amazes me
  
  O patient saviour, you make me whole
  You are the author and the healer of my soul
  What can I give you? Lord, what can I say
  I know there's no way to repay you
  Only to offer you my praise
  
  Your grace still amazes me
  Your love is still a mystery
  Each day I fall on my knees
  'cause your grace still amazes me
  Your grace still amazes me
  
  It's deeper, it's wider, it's stronger, it's higher
  It's deeper, it's wider, it's stronger, it's higher
  Than anything my eyes can see
  
  Your grace still amazes me
  Your love is still a mystery
  Each day I fall on my knees
  'cause your grace still amazes me
  Your grace still amazes me
  
  

Bear's Greatest Hits Volume II

(The big synth years)

Written and performed by Andrew James, except for Spring & Autumn, written by Andrew James based on musical themes by Peter Beveridge, and Valerie, written by Steve Winwood and Will Jennings.

Backing tracks were sequenced between 1987 and 1993 in my "studio in a wardrobe".
With my Atari computer and Cubase software controlling multiple synthesisers I could record complete backing tracks for songs whilst my young children were asleep.
I recorded vocals and guitar for the first three songs at the time, but didn't record vocals on the other songs until 2013.

The exception is She Sings which was written in 1998 but the recording was not completed until 2015.

One of my favourite songs from this period isn't included in this list, because after I wrote and recorded it I found I had unknowingly 'borrowed' the main guitar part from a Richard Clapton song.

Hover the cursor over a song name below to see the lyrics.

• Can She Be The One (1988) Can She Be The One
  
  I had expected to stay alone
  Wasn't eager to take the chance again
  Hoping I could be proven wrong
  But not expecting to be more than a friend
  Driving home alone, feeling something's wrong
  Something's got to change, someone's got to make a move
  
  Can she be the one, the one who brings me healing
  Can she be the one, the one who starts the thaw
  Can she be the one, who opens up my eyes to what's in store
  
  She began a new spring in me
  The explorer looks over foreign land
  And the valley was lush and green
  Unfamiliar yet beckoning to this man
  Walking into rooms, looking for those eyes
  Just to see the spark, lights up the whole world for me
  
  Can she be the one I've waited all these years for
  Can she be the one who sets this prisoner free
  Can she be the one to share my dreams and hopes with, can it be she
  
  The flashing of eyes, The touching of hands
  The sharing of secrets, The making of plans
  You know that I love you, It's seen in my eyes
  And I make that promise, For the rest of our lives
  
  Yes she is the one, the one who brings me healing
  Yes she is the one, the one who starts the thaw
  Yes she is the one who opens up these eyes
  Yes she is the one who shows me what's in store
  
  Yes she is the one I've waited all these years for
  Yes she is the one who sets this prisoner free
  Yes she is the one to share my dreams and hopes with
  Yes she is the one who shows me what will be
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1988
• Joseph's Song (1988) Joseph's Song
  
  Mary gets all the attention. It's about time Joseph had his own song.
  
  I couldn't hold my hope inside. I wanted you to be my bride
  And when you smiled and answered yes my joy and love I can't express
  But this news throws me to the floor. Imagination runs wild
  I cannot take you home like this expecting someone else's child
  
  Mary my song, I'd waited so long. Couldn't you have waited for me
  Now here I stand a broken man. Through shattered dreams I turn and watch you leave
  
  I wallowed deep in misery. How could she do this thing to me
  But things aren't always as they seem. An angel showed me in a dream
  I learned that you have done no wrong. There's been no man in your live
  I don't care what the neighbours think. Come home with me as my wife
  
  Mary my song, I've waited so long. I'll wait a little longer for you
  Overshadowed by the most high and now his promise grows within you
  Mary my song, I've waited so long. I'll wait a little longer for you
  These times are strange, heralding change. Could it be my dreams are coming true
  
  This child you bring will be the King. The promised messiah
  On him we can depend. His kingdom will not end. God with us, Emmanuel
  
  Mary my song, I've waited so long. I'll wait a little longer for you
  Overshadowed by the most high and now his promise grows within you
  Mary my song, I've waited so long. I'll wait a little longer for you
  These times are strange, heralding change. Could it be my dreams are coming true
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1988
• You (1988) You
  
  Listen friend don't bother coming round here again, don't give me booklets to read
  The spiritual crutch that you're trying to sell is something I don't need
  I've learnt a lot from experience, life offers more bad times than fun
  If this Jesus guy cared life wouldn't be this hard –
  You've got to look out for no 1, So you can tell him...
  
  You, you've got a lot to answer for. Why is there suffering pain and war
  I reckon you could do so much more, but you don't care
  
  I've read of plastic preachers with their credit card smiles asking for cash on TV
  In public it's the practicing of peace, love and joy, in private it's debauchery
  When a person's behaviour contradicts their words how can you believe a word they say
  If that's the change that Jesus makes then count me out
  I don't want to end up that waySo you can tell God...
  
  You, you've got a lot to answer for. Why is there suffering pain and war
  I reckon you could do so much more, Yeah
  And you, you send your followers round the twist. They even have their doubts you exist
  You're just irrelevant, obsolete - yeah you're dead
  
  I ran out of the subway gasping for breath, my tormenters were closing in
  The helicopter shuddered and the engine screamed as we plummeted out of the sky
  The tunnel had collapsed, now there was no escape, the fumes were making senses spin
  Desperation gripped me like a heart attack, the judge had sentenced me to die
  
  I'd tried it all but all I'd got was death despair and doubt
  And then I looked into your eyes, and your love swept the garbage out
  When I cried out to You
  
  You called me to you with tearful eyes. The truth then hit me, I realised
  You had been waiting so patiently for me and You
  You don't remember what used to be. All that you want is to be with me
  You held back nothing you went through hell for me and You
  You poured your loving into my soul. I don't deserve it - You made me whole
  I never knew someone cared for me the way you do
  You are the fire that burns in me. You are the wind that sets me free
  You are the life that lets me be complete in You
  You're alive in me, I'm alive in You
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1988
• Spring and Autumn (1988) Spring and Autumn
  
  Imagining how it would feel to lose a partner
  
  Splashing through the shallows, strolling on the beach
  Scribing our initials in the sand
  Recognising pictures clouds make in the sky
  Watching as the pelicans glide by
  Now I have plans for the future. The time for decision draws near
  I can still recall that special day
  When all my doubts and fears melted away
  
  Back in our room after the show
  Thankful to be over that mountain, sharing the glow
  Two hearts together, so much to give
  Looking forward to a life together
  As long as I live I will promise to love you
  See the promise coming true
  
  Thinking of out courtship, thinking of our youth
  Thinking of those magic times we shared
  Drowning in old photos, trying not to cry
  Raging at the heavens, asking why
  Now I, I wait for the angels. My heart hasn't beaten for years
  People come to pass the time of day
  They do the best they can then go away
  
  I sit on the deck and wait for the dawn
  I've made it through another night without you. I feel so alone
  I wish I could call you, see you turn and spark
  Now memories are all I have to cling to
  Though it breaks my heart every time I think of you
  But that's all I have of you
  Oh my God, how I love you
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1988
• Free (1990) Free
  
  Written for a friend who had just left an unhealthy relationship
  
  You borrow my money, you take all my time, there's none left for me
  You're suspicious and angry, possessive and jealous. What's it like to be free?
  Losing to football, and mates, the car, and the bottle
  Here stands a woman with needs that just aren't being met
  
  Tossing and turning, the last few nights have been rough
  Although I may love you, maybe this time love's not quite enough
  Building up courage to tell you I've made a decision
  The better I know you the more I'm convinced that I'm right
  
  It's not going to work, I'm not your little girl
  I'm not going to sit on the sidelines and smile as you conquer the world
  It's not going to work, I've got to breathe
  What you're expecting of me is not what I'm prepared to give
  
  You want a girl that will hang on your words
  Someone who supports you whatever the cause
  Who will stay home and wait while you drink with your mates and be happy
  I am a woman with dreams of my own
  I must be free to have time left for me
  I'm not prepared to live my life through somebody else
  
  Crushing your hopes with a handful of words wasn't easy
  Turn to the window and watch this bird fly free
  
  It's not going to work, I'm not your little girl
  I'm not going to sit on the sidelines and smile as you conquer the world
  It's not going to work, I've got to breathe
  What you're expecting of me is not what I'm prepared to give
  It's not going to work
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1990
• Found By Love (1991) Found By Love
  
  Flogging and suffocation borne
  Flesh and tendon torn in agony
  You wore the sewer of my sin
  To birth new life within the heart of me
  Buried in the water with the darkness left behind
  Rose again a lighter man
  Resolved to serve my saviour for all time
  
  I lost my heart again
  Found somebody who loves me as I am
  Lost these chains that bind, and found freedom
  I lost my guilt and shame
  Found a reason to praise Your name
  I'm so glad that I was found by love
  
  My friend weighs heavy on my mind
  He has yet to find new life in you
  Jesus, the spirit in me yearns
  How I wish he'd turn, and be made new
  Lord I pray that on that day he's on the winning team
  Grant me opportunity
  To help him see the truth in what I sing
  
  I lift my heart to you
  Jesus, you had the strength to see it through
  Bound the enemy, and loosed my chains
  I lost my guilt and shame
  Found a reason to praise Your name
  I'm so glad that I was found by love
  
  I lost my heart again
  Found somebody who loves me as I am
  Lost these chains that bind, and found freedom
  I lost my guilt and shame
  Found a reason to praise You, praise Your name
  I'm so glad that I was found by love
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1991
• Your Solution (1992) Your Solution
  
  I started writing this song after my next door neighbour went AWOL for two weeks,
  and then came back one afternoon to pick up his clothes and say goodbye to his kids.
  
  She breaks down in the doorway as she sees him drive away
  How's she going to feed her children now
  Eleven years of marriage packed inside a black sports bag
  Fighting back the tears he wonders where he'll spend the night
  Alarmed by the intensity of pain he feels inside
  
  People who are lost, people who are lonely
  People who are being torn apart
  People who are hurt, people who are broken
  Help me Lord to see that your solution could begin with me
  
  She shivers in the alley from the bitter winter wind
  She's broken free this time, but for how long
  Seven years of nightmares and it hasn't ended yet
  Why did father have to be so twisted and so vile
  Who can she turn to when she learns she's carrying his child
  
  People who are lost, people who are lonely
  People who are being torn apart
  People who are hurt, people who are broken
  Help me Lord to see that your solution starts with me
  
  Creation groans, the angels weep, war rages endlessly
  Jesus, my hands, Jesus, my feet, Jesus, my heart is Yours – send me
  
  People who are lost, people who are lonely
  People who are being torn apart
  People who are hurt, people who are broken
  Help me Lord to see what your solution is
  
  For people who are lost, people who are lonely
  People who are being torn apart
  People who are hurt, people who are broken
  Help me Lord to see that your solution could begin with me
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1992
• She Sings (1998) She Sings
  
  Written after the unexpected but merciful death of my mother,
  which released her from the body in which she had become a prisoner.
  
  
  She#39;s gone, fled the frail frame
  The heart that used to beat for us now still
  We who remain behind are left to face our loss
  In a world a little darker, a little colder
  A little older, but then I remember
  
  Now she sings with the angels the praises of her Lord
  Now she sings with the angels. His love lets her voice soar
  Her voice on earth now silent is beautiful once more
  As she sings, as she sings
  
  Yet in his kingdom, a party#39;s going on
  As one of His is welcomed to her home
  We who remain behind are thankful for his care
  For we know he really loved her, took care of her
  Finally called her in the fullness of his time
  
  And now she sings with the angels the praises of her Lord
  Now she sings with the angels. His love lets her voice soar
  Her voice on earth now silent is beautiful once more
  As she sings
  
  Her spirit soars like an eagle on the praises of her Lord
  Yes she soars like an eagle as she#39;s never done before
  As his love lifts her higher she will live forevermore
  As she sings
  
  If I could only breathe life to her lips I surely would
  For five more minutes sitting by her side
  But she#39;s gone to somewhere better
  Where there#39;s no more tears, no pain
  
  Now she sings with the angels the praises of her Lord
  Yes she sings with the angels. His love lets her voice soar
  Her voice on earth now silent is beautiful once more
  As she sings with the angels
  She sings with the angels
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1998
• Valerie (1987) Valerie
  
  Written by Steve Winwood and Will Jennings
  
  So wild, standing there, with her hands in her hair
  I can't help remember just where she touched me
  There's still no face here in her place
  So cool, she was like jazz on a summer's day
  Music, high and sweet, then she just blew away
  No she can't be that warm with the wind in her arms
  
  Valerie, call on me – call on me, Valerie
  Come and see me – I'm the same boy I used to be
  
  Love songs fill the night, but they don't tell it all
  Not how lovers cry out just like they're dying
  Her cries hang there in time somewhere
  Someday, some good wind may blow her back to me
  Some night I may hear her like she used to be
  No it can't be that warm with the wind in her arms
  
  Valerie, call on me – call on me, Valerie
  Come and see me – I'm the same boy I used to be
  
  So cool, she was like jazz on a summer's day
  Music, high and sweet, then she just blew away
  No she can't be that warm with the wind in her arms
  
  Valerie, call on me – call on me, Valerie
  Come and see me – I'm the same boy I used to be
  

Bear's Greatest Hits Volume I

(The basement tapes)

Written and performed by Andrew James, except for The Blessed Son Of God, music by Ralph Vaughan Williams with lyrics translated by Miles Coverdale from a hymn by Martin Luther.
Recorded between February 1977 and April 1979.

Although I had recorded my songs onto tape before, the TEAC 4 track reel-to-reel tape recorder I bought with a loan from my dad opened up for me a whole new world of possibilities.

Instruments played include acoustic piano, organ, Moog synthesiser, nylon string guitar, 6 and 12 string acoustic guitars, electric guitars, fretted and fretless bass guitars, double bass, acoustic drums.

Hover the cursor over a song name below to see the lyrics.

• BB BB
  
  I've heard others talk the way you do, but they've got better reasons
  There's something to look forward to, it's not the journey it's the goal
  But as I look at you I think you ought to perceive who you're teasing
  Your senior maths is lacking, you're up against a brick wall
  
  'Cause you're aiming for the wrong side of the field
  Can't you see that you lose the game if you score there
  If you cross the line too many times you'll seal your fate
  To be withdrawn from the race to be seen no more there
  
  Well what do you aim for in life, is it living loving danger
  Are you too far involved with yourself to read the faces of your friends
  When you cross past that point of no return will you be willing to change a
  Thing that you've done, realise it's too late to make amends
  
  'Cause you're aiming for the wrong side of the field
  Can't you see that you lose the game if you score there
  If you cross the line too many times you'll seal your fate
  To be withdrawn from the race to be seen no more there
  
  Can't you see it doesn't help to balance the scales
  When one pan's resting over the flame
  Come back to the sidelines back behind the rails
  The strongest side must win the game
  I know you like to be there every moment you can
  And accountants fill your nightmares it seems
  Believe me when I tell you that the world you create
  Is just as much a world of dreams
  
  Wake up to reality
  Wake up to reality
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1979

  

• Selling Out Selling Out
  
  I'm selling out, moving down to the city (Selling out, moving back)
  That's where I really really really, I really wanna go (Selling out, moving back)
  I know what I want, and I know where I can get it (Selling out, moving back)
  
  Stepping out in the city
  Those cows and sheep just cramp my style
  Fun and games in the city ... but
  No loving I could find
  Those slickers were unkind
  They made me change my mind
  I think I'll move on back to the country my friend
  
  I'm selling out, moving back to the country (Selling out, moving back)
  That's where I really really really, That's where I belong yeah (Selling out, moving back)
  Kindness and consideration in the country (Selling out, moving back)
  
  So, I think I'll settle in the country
  Didn't like the city anyhow
  Buy a wife and raise a family ... but
  She broke our wedding vows
  She looks just like my cows
  I think I'll leave my ploughs
  And move on down to the city again
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1978
• Alita Alita
  
  Alita, let me address you
  Alita, my intentions are clear
  Alita, my prospects are promising
  Alita, there is more you should hear
  
  Ever since we met your beauty haunts my every waking moment
  If I am refused I'm certain I should surely die
  Living life without you is a thought I would not contemplate
  So realise my happiness depends on your reply, so
  
  Alita, what will your answer be
  Alita, I'm sure you know what is best
  Alita, I can't believe what you're telling me
  Alita, surely you jest
  
  It's not in your best interests to refuse security when offered
  This is your last chance Alita, come on, answer favourably
  Do I detect a slight indifference to my generosity
  Well, I've never been so humiliated
  Foolish ungrateful girl
  Then this interview has ended
  You may withdraw from my life
  Remain a servant all your years
  Never a wife
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1979
• Morning Morning
  
  Since my world has become you
  I can hear the breathing, see the brush
  And life becomes more than door to door
  All the rules are broken, every step I take
  Is a reflection of my soul
  See the greasepaint appear, I don't care
  I've handed over control
  
  For love was given substance I'm aware of that fact
  And my life is someone else's, senior management was sacked
  Death can bring life by the bridging of barriers unseen
  For your love can come quickly like a thief in the night
  But it also can grow like a parasite
  Destroying the old, making way for the new different life
  
  These new eyes see much more clearly
  But though the storm has passed, a drizzle still remains
  There's breeze moving from the east
  A tree becomes a lens, a leaf a mirror
  Glorifying natures source
  Sense is a compass pointing to martyr source
  
  For love was given substance I'm aware of that fact
  And my life is someone else's, senior management was sacked
  Death can bring life by the bridging of barriers unseen
  For your love can come quickly like a thief in the night
  But it also can grow like a parasite
  Destroying the old, making way for the new different life
  Your love
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1979
• A Fool's Lament A Fool's Lament
  
  There she was, discrete, but how to treat her
  Standing lonely in my mind
  Outstretched, my soul desired her yet it fired her
  Gossip colours deeply what I find
  
  Some within me pine for thoughts ago
  Others relish recent tints through which I view
  Was I blind to all hypocrisy related
  Of the past is ended, present starts anew
  
  Jenny, all I loved was my own shadow
  Couldn't see I'd trapped you in a well appointed cage
  (Of this I am persuaded)
  Open eyes and ears can bring me sorrow
  Better sadly knowing now than finding out with age
  But is believing knowing?
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1979
• The Visitor The Visitor
  
  You poke your lunar landscape around the doorway
  And expect me to be pleased at the sight
  Your champagne chatter goes down like the Titanic
  You won't get appreciated tonight
  Well, who invited you anyway
  No friend of mine
  No friend
  
  You're always wearing clothes that are far too revealing
  They reveal a twisted jealousy
  You've never had this impact on a man before
  You don't understand what you do to me
  You make me sick
  Anyway, is there a doctor in the house
  Doctor
  
  I'm really getting tired of you coming around
  And I hate the things that you represent
  You really make a desk job seem attractive
  I think it's about time you went
  Borrow a roadie if you must
  You must go away
  Now
  Immediately
  If not sooner
  Just go
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1979
• Dreams Dreams
  
  Those eyes
  I know I've seen those eyes before
  In dreams I can't ignore
  And now I see the face that they belong to
  I realise I couldn't love you more
  
  Love me forever, stay with me
  Let your wish be my command
  Mutual bliss, a heaven on earth I'll show you
  Let me take your hand, love
  
  Those lips
  Their savage colour and their fire
  Purposeful thoughts in me inspire
  And if I said I didn't want to take you
  I must admit that I would be a liar
  
  This was meant to be
  It's God's design, it's fate, the two of us entwined
  Become as one, forever my life partner
  Leaving loneliness behind us
  
  What's the matter darling, I expected your unquestioning devotion
  Is love asymmetric, an imbalanced allocation of emotion
  Absence of your love will render life a bitter sentence void of meaning
  Satisfied, you've torn away my will to live
  I wish that I was dreaming
  
  These dreams
  Of disillusion cause such pain
  But they're worth it all the same
  And for a moment, Oh that moment
  You say you love me, I'm in paradise again
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1979
• Lemons Lemons
  
  You came to the party with that look on your face
  I'm just another conquest since my fall from grace
  Seems this direction is the same that you charted
  The same that you charted
  Charted so long ago
  
  I didn't know much about you when I first met you
  I reckon that I should have been warned
  It goes to show appearances can be deceptive
  And now I wish you'd never been born
  
  You came to the party just to laugh in my face
  You're just a heartless hunter, you enjoy the chase
  Seems that deception was a game that you started
  A game that you started
  Started playing long ago
  
  Didn't know you went through lovers like a box of matches
  Didn't know that you were twice my age
  Didn't know that you were up to your fourth address book
  And I was listed near the back page
  
  You went from the party leaving egg on my face
  You played your winning card and then you left the place
  Seems that Virginia was a name you discarded
  A name you discarded
  Discarded so long ago
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1979
• Funeral Funeral
  
  So you thought you could see loving in her eyes
  That was her disguise, it's already fooled you
  She can get what she wants and she wants you next
  She's just oversexed and underfed too
  
  She's not the type of girl you're needing
  (I know what you need)
  She's not your class of girl at all
  
  She will gorge on the flesh and discard the shell
  And life after death is hell
  
  She took me in when I was young
  Filled up my life with song
  It only seems like yesterday
  I remember those games we played
  
  I've heard it said that love is kind
  It certainly left me blind
  I was left standing in the wings
  She went on to higher things
  
  She's a siren of doom and you've heard her voice
  You have little choice except to succumb
  You'll be in deeper water than you might think
  It's not hard to sink pinioned under her thumb
  
  It's all a question of domination
  (She'll dominate you)
  She has no sympathy at all
  
  I see history repeated before my eyes
  So take my advice Paul
  Or else it's your funeral!
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1979
• The Blessed Son Of God The Blessed Son Of God
  
  Translation by Miles Coverdale of a hymn by Martin Luther
  
  The blessed son of God only
  In a crib full poor did lie;
  With our poor flesh and our poor blood
  Was clothed that everlasting good
  Kyrie eleison
  
  The Lord Christ Jesu, God's son dear
  Was a guest and a stranger here
  Us for to bring from misery
  That we might live eternally
  Kyrie eleison
  
  All this did he for us freely
  For to declare his great mercy
  All Christendom be merry therefore
  And give him thanks for evermore
  Kyrie eleison
  
• The Torment The Torment
  
  Oh God, why can't they understand
  Why I must do what's planned for me
  They all love me but still
  There's an ache in my heart when I realise
  That the present is all I see in their eyes
  
  I've spent three heavy years of teaching,
  Will it all be in vain
  I've exhausted myself from the healing
  Disregarding the pain in my feet from life's travels
  And there's little time left for refreshing myself from my father's oasis
  
  Am I fulfilling my purpose
  Have I taught my disciples enough
  Will they be strong when the time comes
  Will they communicate my love to all lands
  Without being discouraged by prisons, derision and scorn
  And certain persecution
  
  But then, then I remember my father
  And I want his love to flow to the ones I love
  And that their sins might not be remembered
  And I'm happy to die
  For I love them much more than myself
  Let it be so
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1979
• Dried Arrangements Dried Arrangements
  
  Gee it must be real swell going out with a rock star (Uh Huh)
  Is The Bear really taking you out again tonight (Uh huh)
  By the way, how'd you meet him
  
  Corner shop meetings were fine for a while
  But then you got a hankering for Kentucky style
  And now it's only restaurants that make you smile
  What are you after, what are you after
  
  It seems to me you've changed a lot since I've been your man
  You were happy with my means when our involvement began
  But now you're asking me to give much more than I can
  What are you after, what are you after
  
  Would you still be attracted if I let my hair grow
  What are you after, what are you after
  Is it all the people that I happen to know
  What are you after, what are you after
  
  chorus
  Stop! – is it me you love or is it just my money
  Stop! – is it me you love or is it just my fame
  Stop! – is it me you love or is it just my body
  Convenient arrangement, sure, but is it love
  
  Life may be easy for me 'cause my relations are rich
  But that gives you no permission to act like a bitch
  And listen sweetheart, I'm in no great rush to get hitched
  What are you after, what are you after
  
  If we meet a well known friend of mine in his Lear jet
  You then file him in your catalogue with others you've met
  And the knowledge quickly spreads within the trendy set
  What are you after, what are you after
  
  Do you really need a brand new outfit each week
  What are you after, what are you after
  Life isn't easy when your wallet seems to leak
  What are you after, what are you after
  
  chorus
  
  Though it may be a distasteful and destructive task
  I've just got to find the woman underneath the mask
  So here are several questions that I need to ask
  What are you after, what are you after
  
  chorus
  
  Andrew James © Heartburst Music 1979
• Raspberry Jam Raspberry Jam
  
  (instrumental)

Bear's Repeating

A collection of songs written by other people but performed by me, paying homage to some great songwriters and musicians.
Each time I study and record a song I learn something more about why I like it.
One day I hope to add my version of ABBA's The Day Before You Came to this album

Hover the cursor over a song name below to see the lyrics.

• The Blessed Son Of God (1979). Originally included on Bear's Greatest Hits Volume I. Music: R Vaughan Williams. Lyrics: Martin Luther tr by Miles Coverdale. The Blessed Son Of God
  
  Translation by Miles Coverdale of a hymn by Martin Luther
  
  The blessed son of God only
  In a crib full poor did lie;
  With our poor flesh and our poor blood
  Was clothed that everlasting good
  Kyrie eleison
  
  The Lord Christ Jesu, God's son dear
  Was a guest and a stranger here
  Us for to bring from misery
  That we might live eternally
  Kyrie eleison
  
  All this did he for us freely
  For to declare his great mercy
  All Christendom be merry therefore
  And give him thanks for evermore
  Kyrie eleison
  
• Valerie (1987). Originally included on Bear's Greatest Hits Volume II. Written by Steve Winwood and Will Jennings Valerie
  
  Written by Steve Winwood and Will Jennings
  
  So wild, standing there, with her hands in her hair
  I can't help remember just where she touched me
  There's still no face here in her place
  So cool, she was like jazz on a summer's day
  Music, high and sweet, then she just blew away
  No she can't be that warm with the wind in her arms
  
  Valerie, call on me – call on me, Valerie
  Come and see me – I'm the same boy I used to be
  
  Love songs fill the night, but they don't tell it all
  Not how lovers cry out just like they're dying
  Her cries hang there in time somewhere
  Someday, some good wind may blow her back to me
  Some night I may hear her like she used to be
  No it can't be that warm with the wind in her arms
  
  Valerie, call on me – call on me, Valerie
  Come and see me – I'm the same boy I used to be
  
  So cool, she was like jazz on a summer's day
  Music, high and sweet, then she just blew away
  No she can't be that warm with the wind in her arms
  
  Valerie, call on me – call on me, Valerie
  Come and see me – I'm the same boy I used to be
  
• Your Grace Still Amazes Me (2005). Originally included on Bear My Soul. Written by Cissy Padgett. Your Grace Still Amazes Me
  
  Written by Cissy Padgett
  
  My faithful father, enduring friend
  Your tender mercy's like a river with no end
  It overwhelms me, covers my sin
  Each time I come into your presence
  I stand in wonder once again
  
  Your grace still amazes me
  Your love is still a mystery
  Each day I fall on my knees
  'cause your grace still amazes me
  Your grace still amazes me
  
  O patient saviour, you make me whole
  You are the author and the healer of my soul
  What can I give you? Lord, what can I say
  I know there's no way to repay you
  Only to offer you my praise
  
  Your grace still amazes me
  Your love is still a mystery
  Each day I fall on my knees
  'cause your grace still amazes me
  Your grace still amazes me
  
  It's deeper, it's wider, it's stronger, it's higher
  It's deeper, it's wider, it's stronger, it's higher
  Than anything my eyes can see
  
  Your grace still amazes me
  Your love is still a mystery
  Each day I fall on my knees
  'cause your grace still amazes me
  Your grace still amazes me
  
  
• You Are Everything (2017). Written by Linda Creed and Thomas Bell You Are Everything
  
     A song of love and loss. Funny how I get emotionally drawn to these.
     People have commented on YouTube that they have played this at their weddings.
     I don't know why - It's about a guy in emotional distress who can't get over a breakup.
  
  
  Today I saw somebody who looked just like you
  She walked like you do. I thought it was you
  As she turned the corner I called out your name
  I felt so ashamed when it wasn't you, wasn't you
  
     You are everything and everything is you
     You are everything and everything is you
     You are everything and everything is you
  
  How can I forget when each face that I see
  Brings back memories of being with you?
  I just can't go on living life as I do
  Comparing each girl with you
  Knowing they just won't do - they're not you
  
     You are everything and everything is you
     You are everything and everything is you
     You are everything and everything is you
  
  Linda Diane Creed / Thomas Randolph Bell © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc
• Midnight Confessions (2018). Written by Lou T Josie. Midnight Confessions
  
     Another song of love and loss.
     Love the bass riff introduction which was possibly written by Lou Josie
     who wrote the song and managed the Evergreen Blues Band who recorded it first.
     The bass on the better known version by the Grass Roots, possibly played by
     the legendary Carol Kaye, is a note-for-note copy of the earlier recording.
  
  
  The sound of your footsteps
  Telling me that you're near
  Your soft gentle motion, babe
  It brings out a need in me that nobody hears, except
  
     In my midnight confessions
     When I tell all the world that I love you
     In my midnight confessions
     When I say all the things that I want to - I love you
  
  There's a little gold ring you wear on your hand makes me understand
  There's another before me, you'll never be mine, I'm wasting my time
  
  Staggering through the daytime
  Your image on my mind
  Passing so close beside you, babe
  Sometimes the feeling is so hard to hide, but
  
     In my midnight confessions
     When I tell all the world that I love you
     In my midnight confessions
     When I say all the things that I want to - I love you
  
  Lou T Josie
• Tin Soldier (2018). Written by Steve Marriott/Ronnie Lane. Tin Soldier
  
  I am a little tin soldier
  That wants to jump into your fire
  You are a look in your eye
  A dream passing by in the sky
  Though I don't understand
  And all I need is treat me like a man
  'cause I ain't no child, take me like I am
  
     I got to know that I belong to you
     I do anything that you want me to
     I sing any song that you want me to sing to you
  
  I don't need no aggravation
  I just got to make you - Ha - got to listen
  I just got to make you - Yeah - my occupation
  
     I got to know that I belong to you
     I do anything that you want to do
     I sing any song that you want me to sing to you
  
  All I need is your whispered hello
  Smiles melting the snow, nothing heard
  Your eyes are deeper than time
  Say a love that won't rhyme without words
  So now I've lost my way
  I need help to show me things to say
  Just give me your love before mine fades away
  
     I got to know that I belong to you
     I do anything that you want to do
     I sing any song that you want me to sing to you
  
  Oh yeah, Oh yeah, Hey
  I just want some reaction
  Someone to give me satisfaction
  All I want to do is sit with you
  'cause I love you
  
  Steve Marriott/Ronnie Lane C 1967

back to top