We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Rats on a Blackboard (2009)

by William Nein

/
  • Streaming + Download

    Includes high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. Paying supporters also get unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app.
    Purchasable with gift card

      name your price

     

1.
Alex Chen 02:52
Alex Chen is a ray of light In this house Yellow windowsill Black lines 2005 Blue skies Simon rubs his eyes In this house Basketball & smoke Outside Alex Chen here lies Black lines 2005 Blue skies Lunchbox apple pies In this house
2.
You see L on a bus with her face plastered across all the people And you try to ignore and stare at the floor where your heart lies And you cannot pick it up without looking like a fool, so you leave it All abandoned in despair, it climbs the stairs and leaves you And I cry, I cry, I cry ‘cause we’re alone And I hide, I hide, I hide behind your throne And at night, at night I creep down and put on your crown my love Well I guess some people in this world, they are just born with broken hearts And yes, hope is a wonderful thing, but it leaves him feeling emptier And I cry, I cry, I cry ‘cause we’re alone And I hide, I hide, I hide behind your throne And at night, at night I creep down and put on your crown my love They say “I’ll help you, I’ll help you, I’ll help you forget all of the things you wanted” And they say “I’ll help you, I’ll help you, I’ll help you forget all of the things you love(d)”
3.
My Apology 02:12
I wish I hadn't been born x3 In Transalvania I wish I hadn't been caught x3 Stealing blood-bags from the Hospital But you won't accept my apology They won't accept my apol-o-gy I can't see my face x3 'Cause my eyeball can't be displaced I can't see the Sun x3 'Cause when I do, my skin, it run. To see the Sun be shining over the blue sea, it make me happy x2 I wish I had been born in Cal-i-f-orn-i-a
4.
Blue stars on Victoria’s roof, secrets on her underground Hiding from the wandering hands pulling up the weeds Letters trapped between the pages waiting for fingers to hold And tuck them in to darkened draws, read beneath bed-sheets of paper Blackened by the authors hand, words blacken the authors hand It’s alright, it’s alright, it’s alright Mouths and tongues expelling words, schooling for the broken-hearted Firing empty casket shells into the flesh of the buried wounded Planting masts between her knees, bowing to the queen of vengeance It’s alright, it’s alright, it’s alright
5.
With your tongue entwined with his and my soul entwined in yours, I gotta say I don’t see this being a happy ending. ‘Cause when you’re lying on his bed I’m only lying to myself, when the truth is that without you it gets a little harder. And I’m trying to find the humour in me but I think I’m failing miserably. But give me a string and I’ll string myself up, give me a ribbon to tie in your hair. Oh, I really want to. And I want to see your lover and kick him in the shin, I want to throw dust up in his eyes and hide. Then I’ll grab you by the arm and take you to a desert island, and we’ll act like monkeys in the trees; form a nudist colony; play at being birds and bees; 'Cause I’m trying to find the humour in me. Give me a string and I’ll string myself up, give me a ribbon to tie in your hair Give me a string and I’ll string myself up, give me a ribbon I think I’d like to find myself, I might decide on something else. I think I’d like to find myself, I might decide on something else. I think I’d like to find myself, I might decide on something else.
6.
I met a girl We held hands through the night She told me how she nearly stabbed and killed someone and nearly went to jail simply because the light seemed right We fed the birds corn which hadn't popped And talked about post-modernism and the wars and how they'd never stop 'cause the universe is violent Oh Jamie, Jamie it all seems the same to you There are no separations at all But for me all I see are the segrations and the isolations that this world seems to have put on me So we have agreed not to talk for a year whilst living in the same apartment and speaking in ways which nobody can hear 'cause words have been prohibited She juggles glass in ways I hadn't seen But I can't remember if it was her left arm or her right arm which she said needed practice Oh Jamie, Jamie it all seems the same to you There are no separations at all But for me all I see are the segrations and the isolations that this world seems to have put on me
7.
Alison Rose 03:00
Girl with her hands on her heads looks both ways as she crosses the street. Alison Rose is found dead with her four eyes. Alison Rose, Alison Rose, the 2-headed beast. Alison Rose is found dead in the streets. I placed her bloodied head upon my t-shirt And held her broken hand upon my heart, I told her that I’d never, never leave her I told her that we’d never, never part. Alison Rose Alison Rose is found dead. It’s ok, it’s alright, she calls, she’s breathing again I see her eyes roll, she’s breathing again! And her heads start to move, and her legs start to twitch, and her hair starts to move, and her hands start to reach. I kiss both her hands. She’s come back to me! She is the one. She’s come back to me. Alison Rose, Alison Rose.
8.
Dead inside, I caught all the germs and died Won’t you bury me again ‘cause I still need somebody who will carry my body Dead inside, I caught all the germs and died Won’t you bury me again ‘cause I still need somebody who will carry my body Worms in my eyes, flies up above, they’re taking everything I had away Stripping me down to nothing more than calcium Fall into the girl with stars on her eyes, I covered her in kisses that were covered in lies Sweet cotton pills of self-destruction and hatred Dead inside, I caught all the germs and died Won’t you bury me again ‘cause I still need somebody who will carry my body Dead inside, I caught all the germs and died Won’t you bury me again ‘cause I still need somebody who will carry my body to the sky Oh, oh, oh, you are only beside me, Oh, oh, oh, you will only despise me. oh, Oh, oh, Oh, oh, Oh, oh, Oh, oh, Oh, oh, Oh, ohh, Dead inside, I caught all the germs and died Won’t you bury me again ‘cause I still need somebody Dead inside, I caught all the germs and died Won’t you bury me again ‘cause I still need somebody to carry my body to the sky

about

3 songs re-recorded from the first 2 albums; a song inspired by graffiti on desks in the UCL library ('Alex Chen sucks dicks' and other similar comments); a song inspired by the blue stars stuck on the ceiling of the old Victoria line tube (let me know if you've ever noticed them), a song inspired by the 60's pop hit 'Louie Louie' by the Kingsmen; and a song about germs.

credits

released December 31, 2009

Alex Chen: - co-written with Glen Strachan
Glen Strachan - Vocals, Recorders & Percussion

Victoria's Roof:
Guida Maymo Camps - Flute

Alison Rose:
Nena Zenovieff - Drums and Backing vocals

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

William Nein London, UK

Alternative-Pop, Bedroom-Recording music.
Band member of Patsy Clone

contact / help

Contact William Nein

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

William Nein recommends:

If you like William Nein, you may also like: