album - Swim like an eagle

"...I don’t have what it takes, maybe I never did..."

CREDITS

All The Songs on SWIM LIKE AN EAGLE were written by Ric Neale

All music and lyrics by Ric Neale
All instruments performed by Ric Neale apart from drums on track 2 by Chris Milnes, guitar on track 2 by Richard Petch, clarinet on track 2 by Robbie Tabrett and dobro on track 4 by Matt Sim.
Produced and mixed by Ric Neale apart from track 1 mixed by Craig Golding
Bonus material recorded and mixed by Ed Heaton
Mastered by Ed Heaton
Artwork by Ric Neale

LYRICS

1 Nowhere Else I'd Rather Be

Title – Nowhere Else I’d Rather Be

Music and lyrics by - Ric Neale

Produced by - Ric Neale and Craig Golding

Mixed by – Craig Golding

Mastered by - Ed Heaton

Musicians - all vocals and instruments played by Ric Neale

I can't believe it

All my little ships came in

I'm floating ‘til they sail away again

The world is changing

But I don't want to change a thing

l've stumbled on the perfect way to spend

This temporary ever after

Cos of all of the places that I've ever been,

and of all of the faraway lands of my dreams

There is nowhere, there’s nowhere I would rather be than

Locked in this moment in time and in space,

all the pieces of my heart all in the same place

and there's nowhere, nowhere I would rather be than here

Frozen til the next shoe drops

It might be made of glass, but I don't care

I've built a bubble

And I'm pretending that the walls won't pop

An accidental dream that we can share

The rarified air we’re breathing

Cos of all of the places that I've ever been,

and of all of the faraway lands of my dreams

There is nowhere, there’s nowhere I would rather be than

Locked in this moment in time and in space,

all the pieces of my heart all in the same place

and there's nowhere, nowhere I would rather be than here

Let the world turn at a different speed, Let the clocks stop, turn the phones off

And let me breathe this in...

Between me holding on and letting go, between the match-strike and the perfect afterglow

Cos of all of the places that I've ever been,

and of all of the faraway lands of my dreams

There is nowhere, there’s nowhere I would rather be than

Locked in this moment in time and in space,

all the pieces of my heart all in the same place

and there's nowhere, nowhere I would rather be than

Here with the weight of the love in our hearts

That we share without breaking or bending too far

No there's nowhere, there’s nowhere I would rather be

Nowhere I would rather be than here

2 Holding Onto the Summer

Title – Holding onto the Summer

Music and lyrics by - Ric Neale

Produced by - Ric Neale

Mastered by - Ed Heaton

Musicians - all vocals and instruments played by Ric Neale apart from drums, Chris Milnes, Clarinet by Robbie Tabrett and Electric Guitar by Richard Petch

I can feel it,

This is more than just a chill in the air

An ill wind is blowing

It spins me round without a wing or a prayer

I know I can’t change it

But rather than face it

I’m holding onto the summertime

I’m holding onto the memories

And the people we thought we could be all year long,

Turns out I was wrong, cos it feels like,

The summers letting go of me

I’ve lost my shadow

There's blue between my bones but not in the sky

I have to get my coat back on

To keep the winter out and the sunshine inside

Although I can’t fight it

I don’t have to like it

I’m holding onto the summertime

I’m holding onto the memories

And the people we thought we could be all year long,

Turns out I was wrong, cos it feels like,

The summers letting go of me

Just when I have given up the ghost

And the dark nights have locked me away,

There’ll come the day

When the first touch of spring,

Makes the bluebells all ring

And the sun on my skin brings the memories back

But for now I’ll keep waiting

And holding onto the summertime

I’m holding onto the memories

And the people we thought we could be all year long,

Turns out I was wrong, cos it feels like, there's nowhere to hide, cause I know deep down inside

The summers letting go of me

3 Can’t We Be a Little Bit Kinder?

Title - Can't We Be A Little Bit Kinder?

Music and lyrics by - Ric Neale

Produced by - Ric Neale

Mastered by - Ed Heaton

Musicians - all vocals and instruments played by Ric Neale

Lyrics;

Life is difficult

We try to be adult and do our best

We really don’t know where to begin

We’re barely holding on

But now I’m adding one extra thing

To factor in, why…

Can’t we be a little bit kinder?

Can’t we do a little more to get along?

Can’t there be a little more love and harmony?

Can’t we be a little bit - kinder?

Can’t we all agree

To think how other people feel when we don’t think before we say things out loud?

I’m getting sick of it

So for the benefit of those who need it

I’ll repeat it. Let’s repeat it

Can’t we be a little bit kinder?

Can’t we do a little more to get along?

Can’t there be a little more love and harmony?

Can’t we be a little bit - kinder?

Maybe we’ll get what we give?

Let’s try to live and let live

Let’s try something new

I’ll try it too.

Can’t we be a little bit kinder?

Can’t we do a little more to get along?

Can’t there be a little more love and harmony?

Can’t we be a little bit kinder?

Can’t we do a little more to get along?

Can’t there be a little more love and harmony?

Can’t we be a little bit - kinder?

4 Perfect Yesterday

Title – Perfect Yesterday

Music and lyrics by - Ric Neale

Produced by - Ric Neale

Mastered by - Ed Heaton

Musicians - all vocals and instruments played by Ric Neale apart from Dobro by Matt Sim

I could see that this was coming

Been saving dates and counting hours up to this morning

Time for us to make things perfect

It's only one day in our life, but it's a special one, and now that it's arrived my darling

Let's pretend, that we can hold this day so tight it never ends

Together we can face tomorrow if we know we've made

A perfect yesterday

I've spent too long on the horizon

But now the long nights gone, the morning sun is rising

We wanted space to push the boat out

We wanted magic in the air, and now it's here for you and me to share together

Let's pretend, that we can hold this day so tight it never ends

Together we can face tomorrow if we know we've made

A perfect yesterday

So, let's take this win, let's breathe it in while we've still got time

I know I can't stop the hands on the clock

But you can't blame me for trying

So let's make believe, that we can stay inside this night

‘Til we both agree, to walk towards our future

But we’ll never need to change

This perfect yesterday

It’s time for us to make it perfect

5 Swim Like an Eagle

Title – Swim Like an Eagle

Music and lyrics by - Ric Neale

Produced by - Ric Neale

Mastered by - Ed Heaton

Musicians - all vocals and instruments played by Ric Neale

I don't have what it takes, maybe I never did

But I'll keep on working my way down this long, wrong road

I'll bravely go on redefining insanity

Expecting the outcome to change when it won't

I'm still gonna swim like an eagle

Gonna run like a shark

Gonna fly like a lion

Straight into your heart

All of my instincts are stopping me moving on

And I always say that a leopard can't change his stripes

I've learned not to listen to your negativity

But all of the doubters are probably right

I'm still gonna swim like an eagle

Gonna run like a shark

Gonna fly like a lion

Straight into your heart

But I’ll still try to fit in without changing a single thing

And I'm the squarest of pegs in the roundest of holes and everybody knows

I'm still gonna swim like an eagle

Gonna run like a shark

Gonna fly like a lion

Straight into your heart

I'm gonna swim like an eagle

Gonna run like a shark

I’m gonna fly like a lion

Straight into your heart

6 In Love with the Past

Title – In Love With the Past

Music and lyrics by - Ric Neale

Produced by - Ric Neale

Mastered by - Ed Heaton

Musicians - all vocals and instruments played by Ric Neale

We could take a chance, and start again

We could try to think about tomorrow now and then

But we hold our memories too tight

Or we could fall in love, with an open-heart

Cos only saying yes to yesteryear won't get you far

When the future’s probably bright

Why do we all fall in love with the past?

why do we waste time, trying to get back to how things used to feel?

Cos that's not real and nostalgia doesn't feel the way it used to feel

But we all fall in love with the past

We could see ourselves as something new

Turn our hands to something that we've always wanted to

Maybe that will open my mind

Or we could sing the songs, from the olden days

And all the movies from our youth are getting made again, and again and again

Until we all fall in love with the past

why do we waste time, trying to get back to how things used to feel?

Cos that's not real and nostalgia doesn't feel the way it used to feel

But we all fall in love with the past

Cos all the filtered histories are worth so much, but they're counterfeit

Tired of wearing the same old coat cos it doesn't fit, you've grown out of it

Why do we waste time?

We can't unwind the hands of time, and all our second-hand experiences are past their prime, but we all fall

Why do we all fall in love with the past?

why do we waste time, trying to get back to how things used to feel?

Cos that's not real and nostalgia doesn't feel the way it used to feel

But we all fall in love with the past

7 Standing on the Edge of Something

Title – Standing on the Edge of Something

Music and lyrics by - Ric Neale

Produced by - Ric Neale

Mastered by - Ed Heaton

Musicians - all vocals and instruments played by Ric Neale

I'm standing on the edge of something

I’m standing on the edge of something

I see the sunrise, I watch the clouds fly

Towards an open invitation to a new life

I feel the ground shift, and see the fog lift

And every open door is looking like a sign

And when the universe is talking, I should take the time to listen

I want to take the message in

And from the muscles in my body to the voices in my head

I'm hearing the exact same thing

I'm standing on the edge of something

I’m standing on the edge of something new

That's why I can't wait, to feel my heart rate

Pick up its speed to match the rhythm of a new day

I feel my blood pump, I take a high jump

Beyond the mountains that I thought were in my way

If mother nature’s telling me I shouldn't be afraid, there's nothing left for me to fear

All the oxygen I breathe, every hair on my skin, is giving me the same idea

I'm standing on the edge of something

I’m standing on the edge of something new

With you

I'm standing on the

I’m standing on the

I’m standing on the edge of something

I'm standing on the

I’m standing on the

I’m standing on the edge of something

I'm standing on the

I’m standing on the

I’m standing on the edge of something

And from the muscles in my body to the voices in my head

I'm hearing the exact same thing

I'm standing on the edge of something

I’m standing on the edge of something new with you

I'm standing on the edge of something

I’m standing on the edge of something, edge of something new

I’m standing on the edge of something new

8 He's Got the Car

Title – He’s Got the Car

Music and lyrics by - Ric Neale

Produced by - Ric Neale

Mastered by - Ed Heaton

Musicians - all vocals and instruments played by Ric Neale

End of the day, all the colleagues hit the cloakroom

The clocks in the office ticking 5 past 5

Now he's alone, he sees them leaving through the window

Another space in the calendar for him tonight

He takes the lift, finds his trophy in the car park He won the battle, but he lost the war But they're not fighting anymore, cos

He's got the car and the keys in his pocket

He's got the car and nowhere to go

He's got the car, but she got the house

So, he can't drive home

Suns coming up, there's always washing in the kitchen,

The TVs buzzing from the night before

Now he's alone but the world outside is waiting

He can drive ‘til he don't know what he's driving for

So he grabs the keys and slams the door, cos

He's got the car and the kids at the weekend

He's got the car and a flat of his own

He's got the car, but she got a boyfriend

So, he can't drive home

l'd do things differently now

I've changed I'll prove it, I will never let you down again

I know I'm not supposed to drop around like this, but I was driving by

He was driving by

Cos, He’s got the car, He’s got the car

He's got the car, and the battery is dying

He's got the car, and he'll never let go

He's got the car, but she left the country

So, he can't drive home

9 Old Love

Title – Old Love

Music and lyrics by - Ric Neale

Produced by - Ric Neale

Mastered by - Ed Heaton

Musicians - Vocals and piano played by Ric Neale

Too much magic, so much pressure

When love is brand new it's infectious

Too much chance I'll read the room wrong

And words left unsaid push me heel over head

I've fallen too soon, and I've shot for the moon I've been the fool in fool’s gold

So, believe it or don't, but from a heart burned by both of them,

New love’s got nothing on old love

So much worry, It's so risky

To let someone in who’s not earned it

Too much sugar, too hard on the heart rate

The blood wants to flow but there’s nowhere to go.

I've fallen too soon, and I've shot for the moon I've been the fool in fool’s gold

So, believe it or don't, but from a heart burned by both of them,

New love’s got nothing on old love

Old love is stronger, there's no cracks that it can't repair

Old love it's a long road, a compass pull reminding me your always there

So believe what I say, and care for it patiently

And new love can grow into old love

But ‘til then, new love’s got nothing on old love