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June 26, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 168 End In Tears

4I was living in a little bedsit at the top of Devon Street overlooking the city

Just me and my little Batgirl cat who was called Rhonda

I had broken up again with my girlfriend who I still cared for

We couldn’t be together anymore we had been poisoning each other

Old mister standby got called again

Went to the place and was amazed

To see who was there

There was a phone call and I was summoned

Walking across town I started writing the song in my head

Her voice had sounded strange and there was a sense of foreboding

 

Feel like a stranger in my own place1

Fixed in the wings with a grin

Seeing you there

 

So I went back to the house we had shared in the good years

There was a party going on and a new sinister presence

She wasn’t alone anymore she was off with her new lover in a separate room

 

Welcome to the part where we weep Nellie

Knowing that the scars run so deep

Knowing it would all end in tears

For me

 

The house seemed to be filled with strangers and I was in over my head

Everyone was drunk and I felt shot through

This guy could only hurt her but anything I thought of to say sounded only like sour grapes even in my own head

It had happened to me before that an ex had gone on to an abusive relationship

 

I said I had to find you went and asked around

All they could say was you were free

To do as you will

 

I couldn’t stay there so I went hope and wrote the rest of the words and the long sad guitar solos2

A great wave of sorrow and helplessness in a song

And it started a spiral that was never going to end well

When all the good breaks down with someone and you find yourself in a cold world

 

Every time I try to be a better man

I fall on my face in the wind

Seeing you there

 

It’s a small town and we would run into each other

She didn’t stay with him long but we were both still going through difficult times looking for love in the wrong places

And there is a sadness that has stayed and I evoke it every time I play the song

It’s fairly dark but people get it and we’ve recorded a raw sweeping version of it on our new album

A song about remembering what love was like

 

Welcome to the part where we weep Nellie

Knowing that the scars run so deep

Knowing it would all end in tears

For me

3

 

The Ghost of Electricity – War Stories by Jon McLeary is a new initiative at Off The Tracks, a series of stories and reflections from painter, writer and musician Jon McLeary

To read any of the first 167 in the series click here

 

Posted in Blog, Miscellany and tagged with 168, End In Tears, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Jon Mcleary, Lyrics, Music, Poem, Poetry, Songs, Songwriter, Songwriting, Spines, The Ghost, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 168 End In Tears, The Spines, War Stories, War Stories by Jon McLeary, Wellington, Wgtn, Writing. RSS 2.0 feed.
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Off The Tracks is the home of Sweetman Podcast, a weekly interview/chat-based pod. It's also home to my reviews across film, TV, music and books and some creative writing as well.

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