Solid Air Solid Air (J. Martyn) Over The Hill (J. Martyn) Don't Want To Know (J. Martyn) I'd Rather Be The Devil (S. James) Go Down Easy (J. Martyn) Dreams By The Sea (J. Martyn) May You Never (J. Martyn) The Man In The Station (J. Martyn) The Easy Blues (J. Martyn) Released in February 1973 and regarded by many as the John Martyn album. The title track was written for friend and peer Nick Drake and concerned Drake's mental strife at the time. (Drake took his own life the following year, a great loss to John personally, and to music generally). Adventurous, dynamic, with a rare depth and power, the album demonstrated John's slurred vocal style, reaching the state where it became fully integrated into the overall sound as an improvisational instrument used for it's colors of tone, something John has always aimed for. Musicians included Danny Thompson, Richard Thompson, John 'Rabbit' Bundrick, Dave Pegg, Dave Mattacks and Simon Nicol. John said, "Now Solid Air... I really like the title track. It was done for a friend of mine [Nick Drake], and it was done right with very clear motives, and I'm very pleased with it, for varying reasons. It has got a very simple message, but you'll have to work that one out for yourself." May You Never / Just Now was released by Island as a single in November 1971. This early version of the later album track featured drums and Paul Kossof of free on the guitar. John didn't like the way the track was turning out and left the producer "Robin somebody or other" to overdub and put it together. According to John it, "sold four copies." The album sold well in the UK and America. "A great album...as a single overall expression 'Solid Air' flows beautifully and shows the entire spectrum of music that John Martyn has at his fingertips." (Sounds 7/4/73) "Solid Air...if I had to decide, would probably rank as my favourite of the whole lot." (Andy Childs, ZigZag No.41) "Solid Air shines out like a beacon in the darkness." (Pippin) "Once in a while you hear a song that finds its way deep into your memory, and you find yourself humming along. This album has more than its share of fine songs like that, but noticeably Go Down Easy and May You Never." (Pippin) "With mellow jazzy flourishes and warm acoustic sounds, Solid Air is the musical equivalent of a reassuring hug...the man Beth Orton calls The Guv'nor achieved the impossible: he made a quiveringly sexy folk record." - (Q, 1999 voting Solid Air as one of the best chill-out albums of all time) Many of these songs were used for the soundtrack to the film Titanic Town in 1999. Lyrics Lyrics - Solid Air Solid Air You've been taking your time And you've been living on solid air You've been walking the line And You've been living on solid air Don't know what's going wrong inside And I can tell you that it's hard to hide when you're living on Solid air. You've been painting it blue And you've been looking through solid air You've been seeing it through And you've been looking through solid air Don't know what's going wrong in your mind, And I can tell you don't like what you find, When you're moving through Solid air. I know you, I love you And I could be your friend I could follow you, anywhere Even through solid air. You've been stoning it cold You've been living on solid air You've been finding that gold You've been living on solid air I don't know what's going on inside I can tell you that it's hard to hide When you're living on Solid air, solid air. You've been getting too deep You've been living on solid air You've been missing your sleep And you've been moving through solid air I don't know what's going on in your mind But I know you don't like what you find When you're moving through Solid air, solid air. I know you, I love you I'll be your friend I could follow you, anywhere Even through solid air. You've been walking your line You've been walking on solid air You've been taking your time But you've been walking on solid air Don't know what's going wrong inside But I can tell you that it's hard to hide When you're living on Solid air, solid air. You've been painting it blue, You've been living on solid air You've been seeing it through And you've been living on solid air I don't know what's going on in your mind But I can tell you don't like what you find When your living on Solid air, solid air. I know you, I love you And I'll be your friend I could follow you, anywhere Even through solid air. Ice blue solid air Nice blue solid air Over The Hill I'm going away to leave you Going to leave you in disgrace Nothing in my favour Got the wind in my face I'm going home Hey, hey, hey, over the hill Over the hill Hey, hey, hey, over the hill. Can't get enough of sweet cocaine Get enough of Mary Jane Going back to where I came from Going rolling back home again Over the hill Hey, hey, hey, over the hill Over the hill Hey, hey, hey, over the hill. I've been worried about my babies Been worried about my wife just one place for a man to be When he's worried about his life I'm going home Hey, hey, hey, over the hill Over the hill. Hey, hey, hey, over the hill Well I'm going away to leave you Going to leave you in disgrace got nothing in my favour rain in my face I'm going home Hey, hey, hey, over the hill Over the hill Hey, hey, hey, over the hill. Over the hill Hey, hey, hey, over the hill Over the hill Hey, hey, hey, over the hill. Over the hill Hey, hey, hey, over the hill Over the hill Hey, hey, hey, over the hill. Don't Want To Know And I don't want to know about evil Only want to know about love I don't want to know about evil Only want to know about love. Sometimes it gets so hard to listen Hard for me to use my eyes And all around the cold is glistening Making sure it keeps me down to size. And I don't want to know about evil Only want to know about love I don't want to know one thing about evil Only want to know about love. I'm waiting for the planes to tumble Waiting for the towns to fall I'm waiting for the cities to crumble Waiting till I see you crawl. Yes it's getting hard to listen Hard for us to use our eyes Cause all around that gold is glistening Making sure it keeps us hypnotized. And I don't want to know about evil I only want to know about love I don't want to know about evil Only want to know about love. I don't want to know anything about evil Only want to know about love I don't want to know about evil Only want to know about love. I'd Rather Be The Devil I'd rather be the devil Than I would be my woman's man Yes I'd rather be the devil Than I would be my woman's man Cos nothing but the devil Knows my baby Nothing but the devil Knows my baby Nothing but the devil Knows my baby's mind. Well I lay down last night And I was trying to take my rest Yes I lay down, last night I was trying to take my rest But my mind starts a rambling Like the wild geese in the My mind starts a rambling Like the wild geese in the my mind starts a rambling Like the wild geese in the west. Yes the woman I love Oh she's evil all the time Yeah, the woman I love She's evil all the time She studied so much evil Just to have it on So much evil Just to have it on So much evil Just to have it on her mind. The woman that I love Stole her from my best friend The woman I love I stole her from my best friend But I know he'll get lucky Steal her back I know he'll get lucky Try to steal her back I know he'll get lucky Steal her back again. Go Down Easy You curl around me Like a fern in the spring Lie down here Let me sing the things you bring. And We can go down easy Oh my lover, we can go down easy Oh my darling, we can go down easy. And come up and see me With your big brown eyes Come around to my place You know I'll sympathise. And we can go down easy Oh my lover, we can go down easy Oh my darling, we can go down easy. I won't be fancy But I will be free You know I love you And you can really talk to me. And we can go down easy Oh my darling, we can go down easy Oh my lover, we can go down easy. You curl around me Like a fern in the spring Lie down here Let me sing the things you bring. And we can go down easy Oh my lover, we can go down easy Oh my darling, we can go down easy. Dreams By The Sea No, no, no, no, it can't be true No, no, no, no, it isn't you No, no, no, no, it's not the way you are No, no, no, no, it isn't you No, no, no, no, it can't be true No, no, no, no, it's not the way you are. Bad dreams for me Bad dreams by the sea. Dreaming you've got a lover Dreaming I got another Dreaming that there's a killer in your eyes Dreaming that you're a user Dreaming that I'm a loser Dreaming that there's a killer in my eyes. Bad dreams for me Bad dreams by the sea. Dreaming about a place of shades Dreaming about the ace of spades Dreaming that that is taking things too far No, no, no, no, it can't be you No, no, no, no, it isn't true No, no, no, no, it's not the way you are. Bad dreams for me Bad dreams by the sea. May You Never And may you never lay your head down Without a hand to hold May you never make your bed out in the cold. You're just like a great strong brother of mine You know that I love you true And you never talk dirty behind my back And I know that there's those that do. Oh please won't you, please won't you Bear it in mind Love is a lesson to learn in our time Now please won't you, please won't you Bear it in mind for me. And may you never lay your head down Without a hand to hold May you never make your bed out in the cold. Well you're just like a good close sister to me You know that I love you true And you hold no blade to stab me in the back And I know that there's some that do. Oh please won't you, please won't you Bear it in mind Love is a lesson to learn in our time And please won't you, please won't you Bear it in mind for me. May you never lay your head down Without a hand to hold May you never make your bed out in the cold. You're just like a great strong brother of mine And you know that I love you true And you never talk dirty behind my back And I know that there's those that do. Oh please won't you, please won't you Bear it in mind Love is a lesson to learn in our time And please won't you, please won't you Bear it in mind for me. May you never lose your temper If you get in a bar room fight May you never lose your woman overnight May you never lay your head down Without a hand to hold May you never make your bed out in the cold. May you never lose your temper If you get in a bar room fight May you never lose your woman over night May you never lose your woman over night May you never lose your woman over night. The Man In The Station There's a man in the station and a train in the rain There's a face in the mirror that's showing the strain There's a woman in the dark that's standing apart There's a love in the man and it's breaking his heart But it's alright, I'm catching the next train home The next train home. There's one more circle I'm dying to try There's a piece of my head and it's asking me why There's a piece of my heart that's dying to fly There's a baby in a woman that's waiting to cry But it's alright, I'm catching the next train home The next train home. There's got to be a way for a lazy face To get off and start loving the human race There's just got to be a way for a crazy face Get out from under this paper chase But it's alright, I'm catching the next train home The next train home. There's a man in the station and a train in the rain There's a face in the mirror that's showing the strain There's a woman in the dark, that's standing apart There's a love in the man that's breaking his heart But it's alright, I'm catching the next train home The next train home. The Easy Blues Mister jelly roll baker Can I please be your slave When Gabriel blows his horn I'm going to rise from my grave For your sweet jelly roll You bake the best jelly roll in town You're the only man bakes jelly And you keep your devil down. They say: Can I place an order for three weeks ahead I'd rather have your jelly than my home-baked bread 'Cause I'm just crazy about you jelly I'm so wild about your jelly roll You're the only man bakes jelly And you keep it in your soul. You can take all my women You can sure keep them all I got a brand new secret That you can't catch on to at all I'm a jelly roll baker I bake the best jelly roll in town I'm the only man bakes jelly And I keep my devilr down. I'm the only man bakes jelly and I keep my devil down I'm the only man bakes jelly and I keep my devil down. Gentle Blues Underneath the trees Jelly in my knees Got the gentle blues Got me on the floor Got me screaming out for more Of your gentle blues. Trying to get to you all day I've been trying to get to hear you say That you're never going to let me lose My gentle blues. Never going to lose My gentle blues Never going to lose My gentle blues Never going to lose My gentle blues.