Get all 17 Mark Automaton releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of The Ernie Protocols #1, A Child of Five Could Do That, The Kill-Switch Fails, The Automaton Variations, you are not the reason, anymore, IMPOSSIBILISM, Trust Issues, Thin Silhouettes, and 9 more.
1. |
My Faithless Arms
02:57
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My faithless arms, your fragile dreams,
Have broken into smithereens
Your precious things, my careless hands
Have cast into the deep quicksands
And nothing ever is the way it seems
I’m always pushing to extremes
My pointless plots, my worthless schemes
While holding out to all the damned
My faithless arms.
Point out my failings, by all means
I can’t avoid these common themes
Here comes the sound of hell’s brass band
Just as I take the witness stand
And pledge to young and fickle beauty queens
My faithless arms.
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2. |
All My Bad Decisions
03:18
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Late one night
I woke up with a start
The room was as black
As my cold cold heart
But I could still see them
Dancing in my head
All my bad decisions
Gathered round the bed
Late one night
I woke up from a dream
I always feel like
I'm swimming upstream
And all my bad decisions
I just can’t forget
But just like Edith Piaf
I have no regrets
All my bad decisions
All my past mistakes
All my stupid choices
All my unlucky breaks
Some of my friends are famous now
Some of my friends have gone
They bought that one-way ticket
And they left us here alone
Now as the years lay heavy
And I try to stay the course
Despite my bad decisions
I’ll be feeling no remorse
In my echo chamber
I feel safe and warm
Hiding from the worst effects
Of private thunderstorms
In my little bubble
I repress the memories
I've made some bad decisions
But they make good stories
We play the game
We follow the rules
We try hard not to end up
Looking like fools
I screw things up
But still somehow
I find I'm living
My best life right now
All my bad decisions
All my past mistakes
All my stupid choices
All my unlucky breaks
All the missed connections
Helped to pave the way
All my bad decisions
Got me where I am today
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3. |
Thoughts and Prayers
04:34
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In that "Great" administration
They don't care about this crisis
Won’t enact gun legislation
All the needless deaths they dismiss
Heading for annihilation
Thoughts and prayers will never fix this
Won’t enact gun legislation
All the needless deaths they dismiss
Take their NRA donation
Line their pockets by sharp practice
Heading for annihilation
Thoughts and prayers will never fix this
Take their NRA donation
Line their pockets by sharp practice
World looks on in consternation
Grieving parents fight for justice
Heading for annihilation
Thoughts and prayers will never fix this
World looks on in consternation
Grieving parents fight for justice
Don’t waste time on conversation
Blame it all on games and movies
Heading for annihilation
Thoughts and prayers will never fix this
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4. |
Words To That Effect
04:23
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I'll paint a portrait for you
And hang it on your wall
A vivid blend of shades
In watercolour or oil
Might be my masterpiece
With you as the subject
But I won't say I love you
Or words to that effect
I'll take a photo of you
In moody black and white
An air of elegance
Subtle shifts of light
The tone and composition
Will be pixel perfect
But I won't say I love you
Or words to that effect
I'll write a novel for you
You won't want to put it down
A tale of loss and heartbreak
Set in a Northern town
It's got a clever twist
You really won't expect
But I won't say I love you
Or words to that effect
And I can't,
So I don't
And I won't
Say I love you
I'll stage a shadow play
A clumsy metaphor
For our relationship
Trapped in a civil war
Dramatic revelations
On which we can reflect
But I won't say I love you
Or words to that effect
I'll make a silent movie
And you will be the star
A brilliant example
Of classic cinema
It will be Oscar-worthy
I'll write and I'll direct
But I won't say I love you
Or words to that effect
I wrote a song for you
I'm singing it right now
Might add a bridge and chorus
If I can work out how
I guess it might impress you
Or gain me some respect
It doesn't mean that I love you
Or words to that effect
And I can't,
So I don't
And I won't
Say I love you
Or words to that effect
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5. |
The Colour of His Hair
02:39
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Oh who is that young sinner with the handcuffs on his wrists?
And what has he been after that they groan and shake their fists?
And wherefore is he wearing such a conscience-stricken air?
Oh they're taking him to prison for the colour of his hair.
'Tis a shame to human nature, such a head of hair as his;
In the good old time 'twas hanging for the colour that it is;
Though hanging isn't bad enough and flaying would be fair
For the nameless and abominable colour of his hair.
Oh a deal of pains he's taken and a pretty price he's paid
To hide his poll or dye it of a mentionable shade;
But they've pulled the beggar's hat off for the world to see and stare,
And they're haling him to justice for the colour of his hair.
Now 'tis oakum for his fingers and the treadmill for his feet
And the quarry-gang on Portland in the cold and in the heat,
And between his spells of labour in the time he has to spare
He can curse the God that made him for the colour of his hair.
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6. |
The Broken Mirrors
04:21
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As darkness falls I stare from blank windows
And see the fate to which I am resigned
The broken mirrors still reflect your ghost
Your presence lingers on in the shadows
I hold my breath and all the stars align
As darkness falls I stare from blank windows
We strive to shelter those we love the most
We somehow tolerate the daily grind
The broken mirrors still reflect your ghost
I tried to mask my feelings I suppose
I failed to comfort you, but never mind
As darkness falls I stare from blank windows
A bitter wind blows from the North Sea coast
I scan the empty room only to find
The broken mirrors still reflect your ghost
In Tanqueray I’m drowning my sorrows
It’s so hard to be cruel to be kind
As darkness falls I stare from blank windows
The broken mirrors still reflect your ghost
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7. |
Kingsbere
04:12
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8. |
A-Z
02:24
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I put it down for just a minute
But I can’t remember where
Did I leave it in the bedroom?
Or underneath a chair?
I’m gonna be stuck without it
I won’t know where to start
I’ve lost my A-Z
Of the human heart
I’ve mislaid it, misplaced it
Sure I had it yesterday
It’s vanished, it’s out of sight
It must have gone astray
Don’t want no Ordnance Survey
Or navigation chart
I need my A-Z
Of the human heart
I’ll lie and say that I’m doing fine
Change the subject and avoid the conversation
Practice smiling with my eyes
Imitate the in-crowd with a vague approximation
Don’t know its whereabouts
Don’t know its situation
Don’t know its neighbourhood
Or its exact location
I could pretend I’m normal
But I’m really not that smart
Without my A-Z
Of the human heart
I’ve totally lost my bearings
Completely off the mark
Shook up and shot to pieces
Wandering in the dark
I’m incommunicado, like
Napoleon Bonaparte
Can’t find my A-Z
Of the human heart
I’m going round in circles
Bewildered and bemused
Disorganised, distracted
I’m puzzled and confused
I’m no use to society
I just can’t play my part
Where is my A-Z
Of the human heart?
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9. |
All Fools' Day
03:17
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The markers in the graveyard all stand silent
The butcher brandishes his blood-stained knife
The colours of the sunset, ultra-violent,
Illuminate the madness of this life
Our sons and daughters, striving to find purpose,
Are withered even in the bloom of youth
The preachers summon all their plagues and curses
And rend the fragile curtain of the truth
The mystery play serves to hold our attention
The nightmare carnival rolls into town
Humanity defiles a new dimension
And stands by as the forests all burn down
We tremble at the dawn of All Fools’ Day
Is wisdom always worth the price you pay?
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10. |
Rachel Plays the Blues
02:44
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The flames ignite and smoke begins to rise
The radio plays “Strangers in the Night”
I gaze into her matchless deep brown eyes
She kills the volume, then she kills the light
My memories are all in black and white
The blinding sunshine and the dark grey skies
Now as she takes her place in the spotlight
The flames ignite and smoke begins to rise
It’s taken all this time to realise
The answers were all hiding in plain sight
No longer do I need my old disguise
The radio plays “Strangers in the Night”
I’m weak and have no stomach for this fight
We strive to find some type of compromise
We cast aside our conflicts and unite
I gaze into her matchless deep brown eyes
The chords she plays I do not recognise
The songs she sings are out of copyright
Her touch upon my hand electrifies
She kills the volume, then she kills the light
This sweetness is a source of great delight
I breathe the perfumes of exotic spice
The last of my misgivings now takes flight
While all around this ritual sacrifice
The flames ignite.
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11. |
It Ain't Me, Babe
04:11
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Go 'way from my window, leave at your own chosen speed
I'm not the one you want, Babe, I'm not the one you need.
You say you're looking for someone never weak but always strong
To protect you and defend you whether you are right or wrong
Someone to open each and every door
But it ain't me, Babe,
No, no, no, it ain't me, Babe,
It ain't me you're looking for, Babe.
Go lightly from the ledge, Babe, go lightly on the ground,
I'm not the one you want, Babe, I will only let you down.
You say you're looking for someone who will promise never to part
Someone to close his eyes for you, someone to close his heart
Someone who will die for you and more
Well it ain't me, Babe,
No, no, no, it ain't me, Babe,
It ain't me you're looking for, Babe.
Go melt back in the night, Babe, everything inside is made of stone,
There's nothing in here moving and anyway I'm not alone
You say you're looking for someone to pick you up each time you fall,
To gather flowers constantly and to come each time you call
A love of your life and nothing more
Sorry, it ain't me, Babe,
No, no, no, it ain't me, Babe,
It ain't me you're looking for, Babe.
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12. |
Impostor Syndrome
02:45
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I'm no genius, I'm just a schmuck
Got where I am through sheer dumb luck
I've no idea, don't have a clue
Deceiving people is what I do
I’m no expert, but I pretend
Nobody knows that I’m at my wit’s end
I’ve no idea, don’t have a clue
Deceiving people is what I do
I'm a charlatan and I'm a sham
But I will dazzle you with my flimflam
I've no idea, don't have a clue
Deceiving people is what I do
I make my facts up as I go on
Scared I'll get found out before too long
I've no idea, don't have a clue
Deceiving people is what I do
People praise and they applaud
They don't realise I'm just a fraud
I've no idea, don't have a clue
Deceiving people is what I do
Doubts and fears rise to the surface
Won't admit that I'm feeling nervous
I’ve no idea, don’t have a clue
Deceiving people is what I do
My cheating heart, my scheming soul
Completely out of my control
I’ve no idea, don’t have a clue
Deceiving people is what I do
Pewter shining, fake gems glistening
Speak the truth but no one’s listening
I’ve no idea, don’t have a clue
Deceiving people is what I do
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13. |
Best Laid Plans
03:52
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He said they would always be together
Now they’re more than half a world apart
She said their love would last forever
Now there’s nothing but echoes in her heart
He said there would never be another
Just as his attention began to stray
She said he was all she ever needed
But she needed him less and less each day
The game is up
The walls fall down
We all need somewhere
To lay the blame
The game is up
The walls fall down
Even the best laid plans
Go down in flames
He said they should always share their feelings
As he kept his safely locked inside
She said they must be honest with each other
As she looked him in the eye and lied and lied
He said that he would never leave her
As he put on his boots and prepared to run
She said that she would never hurt him
As she sharpened the knife and loaded the gun
Promises break
And beauty fades
Your grand design
Is prone to fail
Promises break
And beauty fades
Even the best laid plans
Run off the rails
Your words fall short
Your dreams fall through
Your perfect life
Becomes a joke
Your words fall short
Your dreams fall through
Even the best laid plans
Go up in smoke
The wounds won’t heal
Or the bruises fade
Your holy grail
Is just a plastic cup
The wounds won’t heal
Or the bruises fade
Even the best laid plans
Can get fucked up
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14. |
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Dangerous men flash razorblades
In the moonlight overlooking
The courting-place of your masquerades
The smell of cheap meat cooking
Blindly accept the wisdom of the crowd
Stop all that singing boys, it's too damn loud!
Blindly accept the wisdom of the crowd
Stop all that singing girls, it's too damn loud!
Morning comes to consume the street
One by one the lights burn out
Children run with their muddy feet
Where you tossed the leaves about
Read your book of nonsense in a fashionable shroud
Switch off that TV boys, it's too damn loud!
Read your book of nonsense in a fashionable shroud
Switch off that TV girls, it's too damn loud!
Young mothers curse their evil luck
The slums are old and haunted
Death prowls the streets like a monster truck
Your fleshy thoughts unwanted
See your freedoms vanish in a mushroom cloud
Turn down that music boys, it's too damn loud!
See your freedoms vanish in a mushroom cloud
Turn down that music girls, it's too damn loud!
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Mark Automaton UK
Mark Automaton came to prominence as a founding member of the seminal “cassette culture” band the Instant Automatons, who
were instrumental in spearheading the UK DIY music scene of the late 70s and early 80s.
Since then, Mark has been active as a producer, musical collaborator and solo artist, releasing music under his own name and also as 391 and randomk/automata.
... more
Mark Automaton recommends:
Sincerely Making A Noise
by Instant Automatons
Instant Automatons retrospective released by BFE Records
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12 errors of judgement
by richard randomk
Music and passion
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Music/Poetry/Video project by Will Vigar and Mark Automaton
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Asleep At The Wheel Of Love
by Chances Are
Sprightly, eccentric EP from a New Zealand-based post-punk outfit featuring members of Trust Punks, Cool Cult, and Long Distance.
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