I’ve actually written this song three times, though the tune has survived every iteration. The first version of the words disappeared during the break up with an ex-girlfriend in the mid-70s, the second with my first ex-wife. I like to say that I have an ex-rated musical career.
Remaster backup:
Words & Music by David Harley: copyright 1975, all rights reserved.
I don’t want to hear that the show must go on
I know that the world keeps on turning
But how can you ask me to rise with the lark
With this pain in my heart still burning?
Let me lie easy, let me lie late
Let me lie low, let the world wait
Let me lie easy, let me lie lie late
Please let me sleep till it’s over
The sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn
The dogs call in vain for their master
Just give me a while to untangle my threads
And Little Boy Blue will come after
The summer’s near gone and the year’s on the wane
The harvest stands ripened and wasting
Just give me an hour to unscramble my head
And I promise I’ll not keep you waiting
And, for completeness, this is a very early version I found fairly recently, but I probably won’t sing it this way again (if I ever did).
Let me lie easy, let me lie late
Let me lie low, let the world wait
Let me lie still just this once in my life
Please let me sleep till it’s over
The sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn
The world’s upside down without warning
Just lend me the night to unscramble my head
And I’ll sort it all out in the morning
Crows in the stubble, a gull on the wing
A shout through the misty distance
Just lend me a moment to bind up my wrists
And appear to reward your persistence
David Harley
If I a not mistaken you did a version of this at The Engine, it had the effect of making me well up.
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Hi, Ian. Yes, I’ve sung it a few times recently: people seemed to like it, so I thought it was time I tried again to do it justice. I think it’s getting there, finally.
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