Battle Lines, by Cable Street Collective

Battle Lines

by Cable Street Collective

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tinydancer66 I love the juxtaposition of happy Calypso melodies with some gritty lyrics about life. Great fun, great band - but how can I get hold of the song lyrics???

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1.	The Wolf 03:15	lyrics	buy track
Over the hill there is a wolf who likes the look of me I see the danger In his eye I hold my breath and steady myself oh half-heartedly Well Mr Wolf I see you’re just In time I huff and puff as he is still tearing me to pieces I’ve had this date for quite a while he saw my weakness As I see limb from limb separate before me There’s nowhere else that I feel I should be Down by the sea there is wave that’s heading straight for me I sense the danger deep within I take a breath and steady myself oh half-heartedly And then that wave comes crashing in I huff and puff as he’s still tearing me to pieces I’ve had this date for quite a while he saw my weakness As I see limb from limb separate before me There’s nowhere else that I feel I should be Oh na na na Oh na na na yeah I huff and puff as he is tearing me to pieces I’ve had this date for quite a while he saw my weakness As I see limb from limb separate before me There’s nowhere else that I feel I should be Nowhere else I should be Nowhere else, where I I should be Nowhere else, where I I should be Nowhere else, nowhere else, nowhere else
2.	Bells & Whistles 02:28	lyrics	buy track
Slam on the brakes there’s 10 foot truck and it’s jack-knifed in the road Happy the man who gets out on time and is still speeding on to home What should you do as the smoke fills up and the door’s stuck,all alone allalone It’s getting hot and It’s getting hot and it might explode but I still rather be here on my own Blow off all your bells and whistles Pick the weeds and not the rose Coz I feel more like being a weirdo Blow yourself coz I am going home Get out, get out there’s a big flash flood and there’s water to my knees I’ve been asleep in the sett too long, now I can barely breathe Shore up the walls but you’re still displeased oh please stop badgering me Get on my knees for a sweet escape where I can be out, oh I can be free Blow off all your bells and whistles Pick the weeds and not the rose Coz I feel more like being a weirdo Blow yourself coz I am going home Get out my head and I am on the run
3.	Life On Repeat 03:21	lyrics	buy track
Jane looks up, it’s nearly dawn Grin is fixed, her skin is drawn She lets him finish, feeling nothing at all David’s bored, his secret chord, The sling that slew the giant before Dangles useless by his boots in the hall Another notch, another night up the wall Is that all? Another song, the night is long What could possibly go wrong? Turn it on, tune out and scribble your scrawl Just a cheap line, she says she’s fine, It’ll be different this time Knowing nothing really changes at all Beat yourself up and you’re climbing the walls What’s it for? Father please Don’t wanna live life on repeat On our knees And in the dark we can’t see The way the wheels turn The world is burning round our feet Still we can’t accept the heat The bitter taste, of bitumen, We buy the lies of bitter men,hnj Should know better, but we swallow them all We’re tarred the same, always game, We burn the midnight oil again, Scrap and scrape the bag and barrel for more Stick our heads in sand to settle the score What’s it for? Father please Don’t wanna live life on repeat On our knees And in the dark we can’t see The way the wheels turn The world is burning round our feet Still we can’t accept the heat
4.	Americana 04:41		buy track
5.	Throw Down Your Feather 02:48		buy track
6.	Power Is Out feat. Salah Fafah 05:04		buy track
7.	Tant Pis, Mon Cher 02:28		buy track
8.	Sew Up Your Lips 02:36		buy track
9.	(Interlude) 01:26		buy track
10.	Speaking in Tongues feat. Gregg Kofi Brown 04:23		buy track
11.	Above or Below 03:27		buy track
12.	Do It Again 04:04		buy track
13.	1000 Cuts 03:58		buy track

about

Festival favourites Cable Street Collective release their long-awaited debut album, Battle Lines, on 3rd June.

Three pre-release singles taken from the album have all been featured on BBC 6Music, with Bells & Whistles selected for Tom Robinson’s BBC Introducing Mixtape of the Year.

Written largely during lockdowns, the 13-track LP mixes the upbeat rhythms and Congolese-influenced guitar sounds that have made them such a fixture on the summer festival circuit with more reflective moments, showcasing a new depth to their songwriting.

The title, Battle Lines, is a reference both the anti-fascist protest for which the group are named, and the album’s lyrics. These frequently mix the personal and the political, talking about toxic patterns of human behaviour and our inability to break free of them, as well as lies, misinformation and gaslighting—both in the context of relationships, and within society as a whole.

Often, the band use bright-sounding melodies to address darker themes, as with the summery focus single Tant Pis, Mon Cher, where a defiant lyric calling out doublethink combines with a horn line that could almost be a nonchalant whistle.

“We write as a collective,” says lead vocalist Fiona Jane, “which obviously presented some problems during the pandemic! But we’ve come out with a set of songs that are deeply personal to each of us in different ways, and also, hopefully, kind of universal in terms of the themes and emotions they evoke.”

The band will be taking the album on the road for a full summer of festival shows, including sets at Glastonbury, Latitude, Secret Garden Party and Boardmasters as well as a slot supporting the Manic Street Preachers at The Great Estate Festival, before embarking on a UK headline tour in autumn 2022.

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released June 3, 2022

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about

Cable Street Collective London, UK

London’s Cable Street Collective have been favourites on the festival circuit since 2014, and have played Glastonbury, Latitude, Secret Garden Party and the Lake of Stars Festival (Malawi). Their sound mixes African-influenced guitars and beats with soulful female vocals, socially conscious lyrics and western melodies, creating an idiosyncratic alt-pop sound that’s all their own. ... more

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