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PUPPETS

by The Black Flames

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    Every album comes with a music video for the song Breakheart.
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1.
Breakheart 02:36
If you're gonna break my heart then let's start the show. Everyone waiting to see how it goes. Am I gonna crumble? Or just bang! Explode. Everybody's guessing but nobody knows. If you're gonna break my heart then I'll learn all my lines Everybody's sure I'll get an Oscar this time Am I ready for my shot? Or just bang! Implode. This is the part of a lifetime. I guess it's up to you to make this blessing or curse Whatever you direct, I'm so well rehearsed I've played this role so many times before So it's time to break a leg, a heart, or even more. If you're gonna break my heart then let's have the screenplay I either go in blind or know the words to say Do we get a new direction or bang! Old road. The screenplay is missing a page. Was there a rewrite while I was away? No? Okay. Bang! Explode. Bang! Implode. Bang! Old road. -2-3-action!
2.
I know where you live and why does she? I doubt it. I remember the first time we went there Did you forget all about it? Tell me you never ever think about it. Does the world really separate our streets? I doubt it. But remember that if we ever should meet I don't want to talk about it. Tell me you'll never ever talk about it. Cos I don't wanna talk about it. Cos the burned out shell you left Is on the brink of falling down It turned out well, so deft, The way you left me tumbledown. Open to the air, no roof anymore, And my walls are so unsound. This is my home. Welcome to my home. This is my home. Welcome to my home. Can I ever forget who you are? I doubt it. I remember the burning wall of fire That left me completely surrounded. Tell me you never ever meant to douse it. Cos the burned out shell you left Is on the brink of falling down It turned out well, so deft, The way you left me tumbledown. Open to the air, no roof anymore, And my walls are so unsound. This is my home. Welcome to my home. This is my home. Welcome to my home. Cos the burned out shell you left Is on the brink of falling down It turned out well, so deft, The way you left me tumbledown. Open to the air, no roof anymore, And my walls are so unsound. This is my home. Welcome to my home. This is my home. Welcome to my home.
3.
She travelled the world cos neither London nor Paris contained Enough clues to explain the girl who lived inside her, untamed. Yeah, she travelled the world, by land and sea and phone She travelled the world, but she never ever, ever left home. She needed to leave behind all the problems that kept her down But by the banks of the Nile and the Seine and the Rhine She was still in her hometown. Yeah, she travelled the world, stood in every lonely harbour She travelled the world, but never one step farther In Jaipur she was lonely, in Tokyo she felt small In Cairo she was only, a schoolgirl after all. In Moscow she saw despair, in Lagos she was unseen, In Dublin she sought repair - got drunk in a shebeen. Yeah, she travelled the world and never changed one thing. She travelled the world, just avoiding and never escaping. And when she finally made it, all the way back home, She really had to fake it, pretend she knew what to know. She travelled the world, but home is where the home is You can't change that with stamps from London, Munich or Paris And when she finally made it, all the way back home, She really had to fake it, pretend she knew what to, what to, what to know. And with the crowds gone, and her all alone, she saw too late, you can never leave home. She saw too late, you can never leave home.
4.
Bad News 03:38
Fox in my garden: won't get no sleep. Starting her day, as mine slips away, Locked up in my keep. A vixen barking her call, can tear through my dreams, Slicing the night, I'm shaking with fright, But who does the loudest screams? And that's bad news, such bad news, and it makes me sigh. Bad news, bad news. A fox has cancelled the night. Tearing through my beds and bins, she upends my street. I'll be clearing away the mess that she made, Until senility. These streets they were so clean until she marked them down as hers. Sensing the danger, I can't explain her choice to growl and purr. And that's sad news, such sad news, and it makes me cry. Sad news. such sad news, a fox has cancelled the night. And she's prowling around, haunting my grounds, Spearing my ears with her sounds. I sight my gun and it's over and done - but it's true. I could no more pull that trigger than go to the moon. When you stop grieving, you stop believing, It ever mattered at all. And that's bad news, such bad news, so I'll continue to die Bad news, such bad news, the fox has cancelled the night.
5.
Broken 03:12
Must I stand and watch you every single day, You knowing that I want you, you feeling the same way. Both of us choosing not to choose, and let it slip away. Leaves me feeling so useless. Is this really the best way? But I can't stand to see you go, go back to your life. The one you had before we met, and let this feeling die. We are broken, we are broken now. Always broken. We are broken. Gravity pulls and so does love, how hard you hit the ground. Keeping it quiet so that no-one sees, and the pain won't make a sound. When we fell, we fell so hard - bruises all around. Tangled up upon the floor, just waiting to be found. We are broken, we are broken now. Always broken. We are broken. But at this point, I really don't care If I should never mend I would still choose this fate Than start it all again. Cos I am broken, broken now. Always broken. Broken. I am broken now.
6.
I've been digging for diamonds when the world is only full of coal I've been shooting in the stands when there's no-one guarding the goal I've been trying to drive when there's not a drop left in my tank I've been booking a cruise on a liner that already sank. I've been drinking from a cup that I already poured down the sink I'd been hoping for seared but the meat is already pink Curious, I'm curious, where did life go? Is it just me? Tints on my specs, a glint in my eye, glare on the screen, but why? Been calling your number hoping you will answer one day I've been dreaming up the words that I'm longing to hear you say. Curious, I'm curious, where did love go? Was it just me? Tints on my specs, a glint in my eye, glare on my screen, doits in my eye. Your sister just called and told me delete ya from my phone Then your father called and said he's gonna come and break every bone Curious, I'm curious, where should I go? That just leaves me. Tints on my specs, black in my eye, glare from your friends, doits in my eye. Am I mad or am I blind? Am I cruel or am I kind? If I'm lost how do I find The way home to my mind. Is it just me? Or you? Tints on my specs, a dead fish's eye, glare on my screen, doits in my eye
7.
Escape 03:29
Get on that plane, you lazy, lazy, girl. Your love awaits you the other side of the world. Only laziness could explain why, There are tears forming from your eyes, And all your choices teeter on the brink of seeming unwise. I was at your table the day his envelope came Love hearts, tickets, and a short note, leave right away. Well I was very quick with my advice: Go if you got your peace of mind, And there's nothing or no-one you'll regret leaving behind. I thought of shaking you. I don't want you to go. My worst fears come true. You'll take off and never know. Five years I've wasted wondering how. She could stay blind to the secrets of my brow. Yeah, far from hidden, they're all tattoeed In perma-ink darker than a bruise, How she's the one for me, how he's no good for her And why'd she choose? It's not too late you know. Who was she crying for? Even now there's hope. Before they shut the cabin door. In a stadium of streetlights I sit exposed and worn Smilers pass by and ignore this man o'war. I fought against myself and drew It's a far bitter thing I do You're in the sky, I'm at the airport, we're both of us blue.
8.
Abbey Road to Regent's Park, it's dark. Euston Road, the library, on I march. Climbing up to King's Cross and then the Angel. I'm walking for you, Eloise, I'm walking for you Eloise, I'm walking for you, Eloise. Walking past the fireman, still awake. Dream about the dawn days, I drove the drays. Lighting up at daybreak, the same old way. Walking down the Essex Road, I'm steps away. I'm walking for you, Eloise, walking for you Eloise, I'm walking for you, Eloise. First hint of sunlight, Dalston looms I see the Empire ahead, none too soon. I look out at the sky you looked at too. 85 and still alive, but I'm walking ever closer to you. I'm walking for you, Eloise, walking for you Eloise, I'm walking for you, Eloise. I'm walking for you, Eloise, walking for you Eloise, I'm walking for you, Eloise.
9.
10.
Once in a thousand moons True love may just appear. And it becomes the living proof that you won. But time calls in all debts And leaves us deeply in arrears And now those moons are simply eclipsing the sun Don't look to the skies anymore We are over, done, and let me underscore: It's too late for Brigadoon, I am over the moon. And you. True love is common enough And yet it's hard to find. No wonder people like to cheat their truths. But when friends can see the fiction Writ in every storyline It's time to fix your reality: UNDO Don't look to the myth anymore We are over, done, and let me underscore: It's too late for Brigadoon, or truth. I am over the moon. And you. The mists and magic clear Just smoke and mirrors, of course. Me smoking high with a stack of remorse. Pure fantasy, land of you and me. It's a place that could never be. So pour a glass and read about This true crime instead. The fairytales must go back on the shelf. The moon wags his finger at me As he says it's time for my bed But he wrote the fictions so bad for my health. Don't look to the skies anymore We are over, done, and let me underscore: It's too late for Brigadoon, or truth. I am over the moon. And you.
11.
Deserters 03:36
The lovers we had are with us tonights. Let us both pray they forgive us: for every hard word delivered. And all the memories we discarded - we're like deserters from an army. Let us all pray, let us all pray. Let us all pray that the lovers we had are with us tonight. (And, he said) By our bed I see her: a shining, halo'd figure. She touches your shoulder, But you just make love and never see her But she's changing our lives with the sacrifice she made. (And, she said) You're wrong, I know she's there. I can feel her presence everywhere. But when you make love you look right through me, To the time before you knew me, And I'm so aware of this impossible sister in me. But there's a secret you don't know. When you make love to me my eyes are closed. I'm in the garden with the man Who was once my only plan And now we're hiding away, but we're not really safe, oh no. We're not really safe, oh no. Not really safe, oh no. Cos the lovers we had are still with us tonight. Let us both pray they forgive us for every harsh word delivered And all the memories we discarded - we're like deserters from an army. Let us all pray. Let us all pray. Let us all pray. Let us all pray, that the lovers we had are with us.
12.
In those early days, I put my arms around you You returned my gaze, you never made a sound you Reached out for me like I grabbed you Feasting on sweets but never real food. We were underground. Mind the gap said a voice You looked at me and frowned. This was our, our dark choice. You said don't talk of age and the bad poetry of this situation, my child. And you realise your mistake. Older but not so wise now. Your son is older than me and in my head we sometimes swap You're all I want to be, but not just yet, so I really should stop. Your child only gives me cold feet His face is burned like Christ onto our sheets. Your child! And I realise my mistake. Older but not so wise now. Time made us look like fools though we tried to make it right. But neither of us looked so good, shooting day for night. In these later days, I walk around and kiss your shadow Visit the same old graves: places we ate and where we wallowed, In the love that we made our own, But like a child, I grew and let you go. Like a child! And I realise my mistake. Older but not so wise now.
13.
How I dream of dreamless sleep For a shroud's become my sheet Black candles are dripping Hot wax over me. And I find myself in a raging sea Tsumami crashes me Rocks the size of England Hover, trapping me. And I wake to find the world's off-key But who has time to listen to me? Dreamless sleep. Scared of night, I seize the day And stretch it out like clay But midnight hands come and push me down Back where they can play With my mind with no escape I'm forced to drift through Breughel's landscape Dreamless sleep. In Robin's house the tigers chase Me through the gloomy place I shut the door and they come banging One day I'll lose the race. One day I'll lose. One day I'll lose. One day I'll lose.

about

It's the 1970s. You didn't have to sing brilliantly, you could wear tartan trousers and have gaps in your teeth, but it didn't matter because the song was the thing. Big analogue productions with hooks. Now, thanks to lockdown, welcome to the world of The Black Flames who tick off every box above. Defiantly unfashionable, but sparkly, tuneful and fat.

credits

released December 31, 2020

All instruments: DB
All lead vocals: DB (except This is My Home - Racquel Roberts, Broken - Priya)
Backing vocals: Zizi B

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The Black Flames London, UK

Assuming they exist, the magnificent 7 are:
Christos Barri: Lead vox/guitar/keys
Jeezel Twig: Keys/vox
Ellie Fryar: Bass/keys/vox
Daly P: Drums
Fazia Shah: wind/perc
Del Spike: Guitar/keys/vox
Chells: Guitar/Vox
... more

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