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When I Was In My Room

by Charles Jenkins

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1.
Oh I met myself a wild one A wild one with wild eyes Much to my surprise I met myself a wild one with wild eyes My father was a small man with the heart the size of a mountain My father was a small man she said a ballad singer with the heart the size of a mountain My mother was a large woman with a very clever mouth When he said we should go north She said we’re going south My parents they were always fighting the War of Independence My parents she said they were always fighting the War of Independence Until my father became gravely ill And my mother would throw him over her shoulder And carry him up to the top of the hill Up to Jones Park She would sing him songs Until it got dark I once met Joe Strummer out the back of a Big Day Out She said I once met Joe Strummer out the back of a Big Day Out And later on we drank cans of vodka and cranberry juice Dispensed from 44 gallon drums On the lawn no on the bank of the Royal Perth Yacht Club Come home with me she said I’m reading The History of Scotland Come home with me she said let me read you The History Of Scotland Underneath my mother’s very large quilt Inside a small house my father built There are so many different kinds of love The first love the fleeting love the only love the mother’s love All of the above It’s the unheard songs that are so sweet It’s love’s promise that sweeps us off our feet
2.
I used to be a ghost I used to be the one who scared me the most Hanging about my head Banging about my bed I used to be a ghost I used to ride the breeze I used to be the one who’d make me freeze Rattling down the hall Hanging off the wall I used to be a ghost I got no reason to scare anybody anymore I got no reason to scare anybody anymore I used to drive the train I’d only bring it out in the wind and rain I’d make the engine shriek Up and down my street I used to be a ghost
3.
I’ve been sleeping Overwintering I’ve seen no hill dressed in snow No cloud come and go I’ve been sleeping I’ve been dreaming Overwintering I’ve seen me skate upon the lake Even though I cannot skate I’ve been dreaming I’ve been grieving Over loved ones leaving I’ve seen them getting smaller by the day Up until they fly away I’ve been grieving Overwintering Overwintering
4.
Bless this table bless this home Set up a place for strangers give the dog a juicy bone Remove the trouble from the day and the peaches from the stone Bless this table bless this home Bless this table bless these friends Get the greens from the garden and the eggs from the hens Serve up all the laughter that you can let the old wounds mend Bless this table bless these friends Bless this table bless this wine Let the garlic and the beans and all our dreams combine And drink for all of those that have left us but in their children they shine Bless this table bless this wine
5.
The sun is always drinking Lapping up the water like a thirsty lion The sun has been known to be drunk In its own sunshine The moon is always trembling Worrying over what it did the very night before The moon has been known to go knocking From door to door The earth is always aching Aching to be left all alone The earth wants to pick up its bat and ball And go home Shake off the world tonight for me Shake off the world tonight for you Shake off the world tonight so we can see what is sound and true When so many people call you Why do you call the ones who won’t? When so many people love you Why do you recall the ones who don’t? Shake off the world tonight for me Shake off the world tonight for you Shake off the world tonight so we can see what is sound and true The sun is always drinking Lapping up the water like a thirsty lion The sun has been known to be drunk In its own sunshine
6.
In the love letters that you find In the thoughts that never crossed your mind In the pent-up low-pressured air In the grey receding hair In the hurt that hurt people deliver In the deserted house down by the river In the lines around the eyes In the tunnel of lies Hear no bell See no train Innocence lost is never regained In the moments you used to treasure In the sky that once went on forever In the darkness without a sound I up and left town Hear no bell See no train Innocence lost is never regained
7.
Don’t you know the night Swims in stars? In washed up streets and sodden bars In broken chords spilt by cheap guitars Don’t you know the night Paints the square With laughter thrown high into the air? From inside the fountain as you tie up your hair Don't you know the storms will come and go? With lightning strikes and a rumbling show And when you're lost… Don't you know the night At its best Puts the darkest of days to rest? In a simple turn with a slow caress
8.
I got a room I can call my own It’s at the top of the stairs I can sit and watch the world stand still By my table at my chair I ain’t looking for the world to spin I’m kind of trying to stay out of sight I ain’t looking for much of anything But I want to know that you’re alright I got a room I can call my own I can sit here in the light I can sit and watch the moon go by Each and every night I ain’t looking for no Sea of Rain I ain’t looking for no Ocean of Storms I’m just hoping to see you again And I’m hoping you’re safe and warm I got a room I can call my own It’s at the top of the stairs I can sit and watch the world stand still By my table at my chair I got a room I can call my own It’s at the top of the stairs
9.
So Hooked 02:02
Like the poet beside the babbling brook Like the painter searching for colour everywhere they look Like the writer wringing out the blood into the book I’d do anything for you I am so hooked I followed you across the river I lost you so soon Everything you lose Ends up on the moon So I bought myself a space ship And a space suit I'd do anything for you I am so hooked I followed for you across the stars I did all it took Everything you lose they say Ends up in the last place you look So I bought myself a space ship And a space suit I'd do anything for you I am so hooked
10.
All the world’s an actor All the world’s a stage We find in the footnote What we lose on the page I’m guided by the voices Up along the stave I’ll see you in the stars tonight All the world’s a card game All the world’s been trumped By little hands And a very big rump I know we deserved a kicking But we got thumped And we’re seeing stars tonight Falling falling far from home Falling falling on your own All the world’s in trouble All the world’s gone wrong Still I thought we Could get along I know we’re not together But we’ve yet to cross our Rubicon I’ll see you in the stars tonight

about

I released my When I Was On The Moon record last year, and I wasn’t expecting this follow up album to come out so soon, or again in such a similar, sparse format. Surely this time around, the songs would have orchestral strings attached, heavenly choirs incorporated, more birds in the background. But things happen, like pandemics. And so instead of the record becoming a more lush, layered affair, it went even further the other way. Still one mic, one guitar, one voice, but finding myself alone in a single room in a new house with no internet, meant that the recording became an even more pure distillation of the songs. No outside influences, no collaboration, no tinkering... just me - When I Was In My Room

credits

released April 20, 2020

Recorded at home, Melbourne, Australia. All songs by Charles Jenkins except The Sun Is Always Drinking - written with Nick Frewen. Mastered by Justin Rudge, Madrid, Spain, 2020. Artwork by Ash Oswald.

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Charles Jenkins Melbourne, Australia

Charles Jenkins is a Melbourne songwriter/musician, producer, performer and teacher with more than 30 years experience in the Australian Music Industry.

He has released 21 albums and been nominated for 2 ARIA awards with the Icecream Hands. In 2014 he won the AGE/Music Victoria award for best folk/roots album.

Charles has a Masters In Music and is an Ambassador for APRA/AMCOS.
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