Half 'n' half by Blackstareboy Click here to order
Half 'n' half / Blackstareboy
Half tongue in cheek and half sincere, the BlackstareBoy is seriously funny and funnily serious!
In 3 words: Scabrous ~ Sensitive ~ Salacious
Click here to listen to sample track "England, my England."
See below for full track listing.
TRACK LISTING & INFORMATION
Half Irish, Half English ... Half Fun, Half Serious ... Half Stout, Half Bitter ...
1. Where would you be? Co-written with my friend, Stephen Goggin, with tongues firmly in cheek, about how many people are happy being miserable, and how they secretly love the shite in their lives.
2. Bite of the Bumble Bee At all times when taking a pee, pay attention! This was inspired by my Dad once getting “stung” by a holly tree whilst in the act on a camping holiday. Apparently, putting a pack of frozen veg on a bee sting is one of the best ways to get relief from it.
3. Well ‘ung Geezer More cheese than Cheddar. This song was also written by Stephen Goggin, with music by Ashley Sheehan. Stephen has this fantastic ability to get the rise out of people with a crisp, irritating phrase, so ‘opefully this will ‘it the spot – listen carefully, all is not what it seems!
4. Is it a Cow, Pat? I carried this song title around with me for many, many years before finally getting round to writing the song. The key is the comma – is it a con, Dom?
5. When the Wivvy Lads came to London Town With thanks to my late Uncle Jo, who used to tell the most wonderfully funny stories. This song is based on a couple of those tales, about when Wiveliscombe Rugby Club toured London. I am proud to be able to pronounce Wiveliscombe properly.
6. England, my England Tony Blair, j’accuse. All the old English industries and standards gone. You might as well have been a Tory ... or perhaps that’s what you were all along.
7. Ballad of the Bloody Mary Rose A ship called the Mary Rose did sink off Portsmouth, but the rest is made up, and loosely based on a film I saw where: girlie has argument with bloke, rushes off in a huff to catch a plane that then crashes, except at the last minute she decides not to take the place, cue tearful reunion and happy ending. Aaaaahhh. Excellently for the rhyming scheme of things, my great grandfather’s brother was a judge called Taylor.
8. Connection to the Land Unlike England, Ireland and the Irish have never lost their connection to the land. However, one of the (many) downsides to the Celtic Tiger is that the disconnection is starting to happen, creeping insidiously and ominously and silently into the mainstream. So this song is about that. And from a personal level, it’s also about me returning to my Irish roots (my Mum was born here, but left for England when she was 2).
9. Dance of the Spirit A free spirit, dancing in the beautiful gardens of an ancient Irish castle, on a sun-drenched summer’s day, as we celebrated Mother Earth and the old Gods. Happy times indeed.
10. Sunset over Somerset When my Uncle Ray died in 2008, he was the last connection to my much loved Grandad’s generation. Sadly, I could only finish this song once that connection had gone. This is a tribute to the values and roots and foundations that my Somerset family gave me.
In 3 words: Scabrous ~ Sensitive ~ Salacious
Click here to listen to sample track "England, my England."
See below for full track listing.
TRACK LISTING & INFORMATION
Half Irish, Half English ... Half Fun, Half Serious ... Half Stout, Half Bitter ...
1. Where would you be? Co-written with my friend, Stephen Goggin, with tongues firmly in cheek, about how many people are happy being miserable, and how they secretly love the shite in their lives.
2. Bite of the Bumble Bee At all times when taking a pee, pay attention! This was inspired by my Dad once getting “stung” by a holly tree whilst in the act on a camping holiday. Apparently, putting a pack of frozen veg on a bee sting is one of the best ways to get relief from it.
3. Well ‘ung Geezer More cheese than Cheddar. This song was also written by Stephen Goggin, with music by Ashley Sheehan. Stephen has this fantastic ability to get the rise out of people with a crisp, irritating phrase, so ‘opefully this will ‘it the spot – listen carefully, all is not what it seems!
4. Is it a Cow, Pat? I carried this song title around with me for many, many years before finally getting round to writing the song. The key is the comma – is it a con, Dom?
5. When the Wivvy Lads came to London Town With thanks to my late Uncle Jo, who used to tell the most wonderfully funny stories. This song is based on a couple of those tales, about when Wiveliscombe Rugby Club toured London. I am proud to be able to pronounce Wiveliscombe properly.
6. England, my England Tony Blair, j’accuse. All the old English industries and standards gone. You might as well have been a Tory ... or perhaps that’s what you were all along.
7. Ballad of the Bloody Mary Rose A ship called the Mary Rose did sink off Portsmouth, but the rest is made up, and loosely based on a film I saw where: girlie has argument with bloke, rushes off in a huff to catch a plane that then crashes, except at the last minute she decides not to take the place, cue tearful reunion and happy ending. Aaaaahhh. Excellently for the rhyming scheme of things, my great grandfather’s brother was a judge called Taylor.
8. Connection to the Land Unlike England, Ireland and the Irish have never lost their connection to the land. However, one of the (many) downsides to the Celtic Tiger is that the disconnection is starting to happen, creeping insidiously and ominously and silently into the mainstream. So this song is about that. And from a personal level, it’s also about me returning to my Irish roots (my Mum was born here, but left for England when she was 2).
9. Dance of the Spirit A free spirit, dancing in the beautiful gardens of an ancient Irish castle, on a sun-drenched summer’s day, as we celebrated Mother Earth and the old Gods. Happy times indeed.
10. Sunset over Somerset When my Uncle Ray died in 2008, he was the last connection to my much loved Grandad’s generation. Sadly, I could only finish this song once that connection had gone. This is a tribute to the values and roots and foundations that my Somerset family gave me.
