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Somewhere Apart: Selected Lyrics 1977-1997
Selected and arranged by the author, and with an introduction by acclaimed novelist and music writer Bill Flanagan, Somewhere Apart presents the lyrics of Robyn Hitchcock for the first time in a beautiful cloth-bound Tiny Ghost edition.
101 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 6, 2023
CRITIQUE:
My Back Story
I was late to the party when it comes to Robyn Hitchcock and his first band, the Soft Boys.
I don't remember reading or hearing anything about them when they first formed in 1976.
I only discovered them in the 1980's, when I messaged someone (hi, Mahky!) who maintained a fan club and website called Tarot about the Australian band, the Church (this is when fans used to trade live recordings and bootlegs). On the site were pages about the Dream Syndicate (which I already loved) and Robyn Hitchcock.
I started looking for his CD's on Ebay and in second hand stores around Australia. I think there are only one or two legit albums I don't have yet (I actually thought I had them - my database and filing system might also be out of date).
Robyn's Back Pages
Some facts about Robyn Hitchcock:
He taught himself how to play guitar. He is now so proficient at lead guitar, that Peter Buck (the guitarist from R.E.M.) is relegated to rhythm guitar when they play as members of the Venus 3.
Hitchcock is an accomplished visual artist. He draws in very clean lines. Some of the drawings from the book are published here.
His father was an English science fiction writer in the 1960's.
Hitchcock has been influenced by the English folk and psychedelic music scenes, especially by Syd Barrett and early Pink Floyd. He has also covered lots of Bob Dylan songs (including "Not Dark Yet"), a smaller number of John Lennon songs, and a couple of Nick Drake songs.
There's something absurdist and playful that sets most of his music and lyrics apart. He's fascinated by crustaceans, insects, spiders, reptiles, frogs, fish, balloon men, kebabs, mummies, dead wives, and aliens.
The dust jacket describes Hitchcock as "a rock and roll surrealist", which correctly identifies his musical and literary influences, and his drawing style.
About the Lyrics
The lyrics are listed in chronological order by year. The albums aren't listed, but you can track them down on a good discography. The most heavily represented albums are from 1987 - 1989, which coincides with the release of the Egyptians' "Globe of Frogs" (1988) and "Queen Elvis" (1989).
I have to say that the lyrics don't read as well as verse as they sound when sung as song lyrics. Even two of my favourite Egyptians' songs, "Madonna of the Wasps" and "One Long Pair of Eyes", failed to impress sufficiently to mark them up.
Not many lyrics made me want to mark them up, but "Glass Hotel" did:
Plus there's "Sinister But She Was Happy":
Jeanne Moreau (Source)
And I mustn't forget one of my later faves, "No, I Don't Remember Guildford":
As much as I love the lyrics, they mainly sent me searching for YouTube or my playlists (this isn't unique to Hitchcock, it applies to most lyrics - in fact, it's why lyrics are different from verse), so I could listen to the songs and read the lyrics at the same time.
The above three songs (as well as "Not Dark Yet") feature in the Soundtrack below.
Final Thoughts
The only complaint I could possibly conjure up is that Hitchcock should have selected more of his lyrics.
But the volume's subtitle, "Selected Lyrics 1977 - 1997", was warning enough that this is not a complete collection of lyrics from his entire career. He's been equally prolific between 1997 and now, plus I hope he has a few more years of writing in him yet (hopefully, these lyrics will be published as volume 2, and one day there'll be a volume of complete lyrics???).
When I sat down to assess the book as a whole, though, I couldn't help thinking -
The book is beautifully designed and printed, from cover to contents. The illustrations are stylish and well-executed.
I expect to dip into it regularly, just because it makes me feel good when I open the book on any page. But I will still put on the music. I hope you find a song or two or three that you like.
PASTICHE/ PISTACHE/ PISSTAKE:
Somewhere Apart (From You)
[Art, Kitsch and Sink]
[Apologies to Robyn Hitchcock]
I often dream of you
When we're somewhere apart.
If your love wasn't true,
I'd have a broken heart.
I'm sure that I'd be blue,
If you stopped making art.
Remember
[Apologies to Robyn Hitchcock]
Remember when our abode
Was half way down Jenner Road
It was many years ago
When you looked like Jeanne Moreau.
SOUNDTRACK:
My Back Story
I was late to the party when it comes to Robyn Hitchcock and his first band, the Soft Boys.
I don't remember reading or hearing anything about them when they first formed in 1976.
I only discovered them in the 1980's, when I messaged someone (hi, Mahky!) who maintained a fan club and website called Tarot about the Australian band, the Church (this is when fans used to trade live recordings and bootlegs). On the site were pages about the Dream Syndicate (which I already loved) and Robyn Hitchcock.
I started looking for his CD's on Ebay and in second hand stores around Australia. I think there are only one or two legit albums I don't have yet (I actually thought I had them - my database and filing system might also be out of date).
Robyn's Back Pages
Some facts about Robyn Hitchcock:
He taught himself how to play guitar. He is now so proficient at lead guitar, that Peter Buck (the guitarist from R.E.M.) is relegated to rhythm guitar when they play as members of the Venus 3.
Hitchcock is an accomplished visual artist. He draws in very clean lines. Some of the drawings from the book are published here.
His father was an English science fiction writer in the 1960's.
Hitchcock has been influenced by the English folk and psychedelic music scenes, especially by Syd Barrett and early Pink Floyd. He has also covered lots of Bob Dylan songs (including "Not Dark Yet"), a smaller number of John Lennon songs, and a couple of Nick Drake songs.
There's something absurdist and playful that sets most of his music and lyrics apart. He's fascinated by crustaceans, insects, spiders, reptiles, frogs, fish, balloon men, kebabs, mummies, dead wives, and aliens.
The dust jacket describes Hitchcock as "a rock and roll surrealist", which correctly identifies his musical and literary influences, and his drawing style.
About the Lyrics
The lyrics are listed in chronological order by year. The albums aren't listed, but you can track them down on a good discography. The most heavily represented albums are from 1987 - 1989, which coincides with the release of the Egyptians' "Globe of Frogs" (1988) and "Queen Elvis" (1989).
I have to say that the lyrics don't read as well as verse as they sound when sung as song lyrics. Even two of my favourite Egyptians' songs, "Madonna of the Wasps" and "One Long Pair of Eyes", failed to impress sufficiently to mark them up.
Not many lyrics made me want to mark them up, but "Glass Hotel" did:
"Well the radio was playing
In the darkness of the hall
There was someone standing with you
Who just wasn't there at all...
"Well there's nothing in the future
And there's nothing in the past
There is only this one moment
And you've got to make it last..."
Plus there's "Sinister But She Was Happy":
"She was sinister but she was happy
Basically she was the Jeanne Moreau type
Sinister but she was happy
Sinister but she was always pleased to see you
And her living words
Were her dying words
She said Yeah."
Jeanne Moreau (Source)
And I mustn't forget one of my later faves, "No, I Don't Remember Guildford":
"Hang up your net, child
Show some respect
To the ghosts that are ruining your life
It's your life."
As much as I love the lyrics, they mainly sent me searching for YouTube or my playlists (this isn't unique to Hitchcock, it applies to most lyrics - in fact, it's why lyrics are different from verse), so I could listen to the songs and read the lyrics at the same time.
The above three songs (as well as "Not Dark Yet") feature in the Soundtrack below.
Final Thoughts
The only complaint I could possibly conjure up is that Hitchcock should have selected more of his lyrics.
But the volume's subtitle, "Selected Lyrics 1977 - 1997", was warning enough that this is not a complete collection of lyrics from his entire career. He's been equally prolific between 1997 and now, plus I hope he has a few more years of writing in him yet (hopefully, these lyrics will be published as volume 2, and one day there'll be a volume of complete lyrics???).
When I sat down to assess the book as a whole, though, I couldn't help thinking -
The book is beautifully designed and printed, from cover to contents. The illustrations are stylish and well-executed.
I expect to dip into it regularly, just because it makes me feel good when I open the book on any page. But I will still put on the music. I hope you find a song or two or three that you like.
PASTICHE/ PISTACHE/ PISSTAKE:
Somewhere Apart (From You)
[Art, Kitsch and Sink]
[Apologies to Robyn Hitchcock]
I often dream of you
When we're somewhere apart.
If your love wasn't true,
I'd have a broken heart.
I'm sure that I'd be blue,
If you stopped making art.
Remember
[Apologies to Robyn Hitchcock]
Remember when our abode
Was half way down Jenner Road
It was many years ago
When you looked like Jeanne Moreau.
SOUNDTRACK:
October 26, 2021
As the description indicates, it's a collection of song lyrics, some of them accompanied by his absurdly cartoonish illustrations. The foreword by Bill Flanagan mentions how lyrics don't always work without the accompanying music, but they're generally weird and poetic enough to stand on their own. I even noticed a few words I'd either missed or misheard before. It wasn't until fairly recently that I realized the second verse of "Queen of Eyes" starts with "Mucky the Pig is out on a limb," and now I can't stop thinking of that line for whatever reason. There's something very English about the word "muck"; it probably wouldn't work as well if it had been, say, "Filthy the Pig," not that I really understand its significance anyway. One oddity I noticed is that the printed lyrics to "Balloon Man" are "And it rained like a slow divorce/And I wished I had eaten your course," when that second line in the recorded song is "And I wish I could ride a horse," which seems like even more of a non-sequitur. That's one of several of his songs that are mostly totally absurd, but with a hint of sadness and loss sneaking in. Perhaps there are other such changes, but that's the one that jumped out at me.
August 9, 2021
Hitchcock’s lyrics make for wonderful reading, and the drawings that accompany them (raid Isley the illustration for Queen of Eyes) are just wonderful.
August 21, 2021
A treat for the fans.
March 28, 2025
Robyn Hitchcock really knows how to paint word pictures. They're so clear you’d swear you were there. He can spin a scene so vivid, all you need to do is close your eyes for it to materialize. He's that magical.
Two mirrors make infinity
In the mirror you and me
Find out just what love could be
Queen Elvis
There are dozens of memorable and hyper quotable song lyrics in this collection. Some moving, some hilariously witty, some cryptic, some melancolic, some brooding, others plain bizarre... but most are psychedelic and beautiful.
When I was dead I wasn't interested in sex
I didn't even care what happened next
I was free as a penny whistle, and silent as the glove
I wasn't me to speak of, just a thousand ancient feelings
That vanished into nothing -- into love
His number 1 talent, in my humble opinion, is his ability to weave words into melodies. No matter the chords or the arrangement, the lyrics carry their own rhythm, flowing naturally and setting the vibe all on their own.
A true genius of the modern era.
Two mirrors make infinity
In the mirror you and me
Find out just what love could be
Queen Elvis
There are dozens of memorable and hyper quotable song lyrics in this collection. Some moving, some hilariously witty, some cryptic, some melancolic, some brooding, others plain bizarre... but most are psychedelic and beautiful.
When I was dead I wasn't interested in sex
I didn't even care what happened next
I was free as a penny whistle, and silent as the glove
I wasn't me to speak of, just a thousand ancient feelings
That vanished into nothing -- into love
His number 1 talent, in my humble opinion, is his ability to weave words into melodies. No matter the chords or the arrangement, the lyrics carry their own rhythm, flowing naturally and setting the vibe all on their own.
A true genius of the modern era.
August 8, 2024
He is one of my two all-time favorite songwriters (along with Andy Partridge, to give you an idea of me). This delicious introduction to his weird, insightful, and wonderful musings is a treat if you don’t know his music, and even more so of one if you do.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews