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Schoolboy Errors

by Worldview

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1.
Well you’ve always been so certain what you’re down here for But you’re finding out it’s not quite what they want you for And it’s said that every famous traitor had his price But you’re going to be a failure if your fee’s too high Well I’d say you’ve led a very charmed life up till now Thinking everything would fall onto your plate somehow Don’t you see you’ve been a prisoner to integrity So you’re still a million years from where you’re meant to be Here comes a major underachiever That’s the way this world’s gonna see you Here’s one of nature’s underachievers Wondering why the world will never look him in the eye And you can’t explain your strange career trajectory But to everybody else there is no mystery No it’s obvious your confidence was just a thought And it’s not enough to get you to the prize you sought People say you make your own luck And you say they just got lucky But you should aim to make your own luck You might find they’re onto something Were you never told it’s compromise that oils our wheels And that you and life could hammer out some sort of deal Now it seems that your potential will remain untapped Yeah it’s clear that your potential will remain just that Here comes a major underachiever That’s the way this world’s gonna see you Here’s one of nature’s underachievers Wondering why the world would never look him in the eye A classic underachiever No one’s gonna tell you they need you A tragic underachiever Wondering why all opportunities have passed him by
2.
Party's Over 04:58
The party’s over now Over your shoulder now And claiming that we could defy gravity Was never a sensible policy The morning after hurts Feeling the bubble burst To find we’ve been living beyond our means To see we bought into a powerful dream The party’s over now And did you believe it would last forever now? Did you believe we could stay in the air some how? And do you believe that we’ve reached the bottom now Or is it going to get worse? The party’s over now Of this there is no doubt We don’t need to wait till the figures come in You know by the pain what a mess we are in We should have looked ahead We could have hedged our bets Well hindsight, they say, is a wonderful thing But I disagree cos it carries a sting The party’s over now And did you believe it would last forever now? Did you believe we could keep it together some how? And the ones who brought us down Are the ones we cling to now We seek security In those good memories When they say stick with me Ain’t that an irony? Yeah isn’t it strange how we still feel indebted somehow? And did we believe it would last forever now? And do we agree that we’ve reached the bottom for now Or is it going to get worse? The party’s over now
3.
Used To It 05:19
So everything has changed now That our golden years are through And strange events have shaken The beliefs we all held to We were lucky to bear witness To the longest loudest boom But you’re noticing the difference Now we’re huddled in one room All our brilliant minds They fell asleep on the job So they missed all the signs What were we paying them for Yeah I guess we kind of got used to it But the good life’s gone for good Now you’re gonna have to get used to it Like you never guessed you would There were people giving credit Where credit wasn’t due And the ones who end up paying Are the likes of me and you We can’t go through this adjustment Without a small degree of pain It’s like giving up a substance That’s been rushing through our veins Better tighten your belt Put a stop to those sprees It’s not about what you want now It’s about what you need Now you’re gonna have to get used to it Cos the game has changed for good Yeah you’re gonna have to get used to it Like you never thought you could All the glossy dreams in the magazines They are fading on the page And the shopping malls and designer stores Will be relics of our age Now the temperature is climbing And the seas are rising too Soon this pretty little island Will be shrinking under you You heard it said that a change Is as good a rest You’ll want to know what they meant now As you look at this mess Used to it Now the weather’s changed for good Yeah you’re gonna have to get used to it Like you never dreamt you would
4.
No Symmetry 05:09
I’m a man, believe it or not I’m a man who knows what he wants Though what I can get is another matter yet I’m a fan of all that you’ve got But I’ll start with what’s on the top Our meeting of minds can begin another time Cos we give lip-service to equality But we’re in the service of biology And your perfect surface is the calling of my genes There’s no symmetry between you and me In terms of what we wish, in terms of what we seek And all this talk of oneness is just fantasy There’s no symmetry between you and me Regarding what we think, regarding what we feel Before we take things forward we need clarity I’m a man, believe it or not Do a turn, you’ll get a response Though whether you will is another matter still Can’t escape my hateful desires It’s the way my brain has been wired And if I denied it I’d only be a liar Well I know we’re working for equality But I’m in the service of the throb I feel When the mist descends you’re going to get objectified There’s no symmetry between you and me In terms of what we wish, in terms of what we seek And all this talk of oneness is just fantasy There’s no symmetry between you and me Regarding what we think, regarding what we feel Before there’s any progress we need honesty I will share your hopes and your dreams If you’ll share what lies in between Yeah we could be great with a little give and taken Our aims are never going to be agreed But time has ironed out a kind of deal You’ll get what you want if you give me what I need There’s no symmetry between you and me In terms of what we wish, in terms of what we seek I’m sure I’m not the first to say this openly There’s no symmetry between you and me Regarding what we think, regarding what we feel Before there’s any progress we need honesty
5.
Golden Boy 04:17
No one thought that much of you No one had a clue what you’d go on to do But by fate or circumstance We have watched you make an effortless advance Well I don’t make predictions And I never will But this much I have learnt It won’t be the golden boy who pulls it off, comes out on top It won’t be the boy most likely to They all thought the world of me They assured me my success was guaranteed But life don’t pan out that way And I have to say I’ve made my own mistakes Well our parents and teachers Like the sound of their own talk But this they never say That it won’t be the golden boy who pulls it off, comes out on top It won’t be the boy most likely to It’s never the golden boy who makes the most of what he’s got It’s never the boy most likely to Cos if you burn too brightly And too early on You’ll burn out before too long And I’m not too proud to tell you That I need a hand That’s if you can spare the time It won’t be the golden boy who pulls it off, comes out on top It won’t be the boy most likely to It’s always an ordinary boy who only wants to make some noise It’s never the boy most likely to And I was the boy most likely to I was the boy most likely to
6.
This man in the long black coat His life an eternal pose Hustling for what he’s owed And that to him means everything Rehearsed at all your moves People are pawns to you And the lucky ones get used To service your lust for applause And at first that applause is deafening But the problem is you’re not genuine And be sure there will come a reckoning Cos you can’t win ’em all You can’t win ’em all You can’t win ’em all You can’t win ’em all You won’t win ’em all You won’t win ’em all Oh you’re good but you’re not that good I could act just like you I see them coming too But it is not my groove To shake them down or take them down With the aura of the invincible And a manner that’s irresistible And a bottomless pit of tricks to pull But you can’t win ’em all You can’t win ’em all You won’t win ’em all You won’t win ’em all When we get the feeling someone’s not quite right We’re probably right When we get the feeling we’ve been shown a scam We probably have I’m seeing right through you I know you know it too And in an instant you’ll be rolling back from your bold attack I’m a useful guy to know But too late your chance is blown I’m going make you learn the easy way Lying doesn’t pay Cos you think you can hoodwink any soul And your methods are undetectable But you’re nothing if not predictable Cos you can’t win ’em all You can’t win ’em all You can’t win ’em all You can’t win ’em all You won’t win ’em all You won’t win ’em all No you’re good but you’re not that good
7.
Well the box office returns They would all seem to confirm That we want action We demand action There’s a world outside your door But you push past it towards The scene of the action The cinema-ttraction Where the blockbuster release Gives us some sort of release So we want action A piece of the action And it’s only make believe But they know how to make me believe Blame the hateful desire Of the caveman inside us Cos he wants action He demands action And the thrills and the spilling Of blood will fulfil him On screens of action Primitive action And it’s only make believe But they know how to make me believe Yeah it’s only make believe On celluloid They sell us all Reflections of Our netherworld They’re conjuring What’s better left down there A tolerance For violence That always has no consequence I’ve seen it all and never left my chair No these dreams of danger and doom Can be beamed into your front room Yeah we got action On demand action But you don’t want it your backyard No that’s obviously going too far To feel yourself trapped in The thick of the action Cos it’s only make believe And you don’t want to face it for real But they know we’ll pay to see All the blows that we’d hate to receive
8.
Nadja 04:38
I think Breton was on to something There’s a level beyond the humdrum And improbable events That we call coincidence They hold a hidden meaning like the symbols in our dreams And they come and they go These secret signs and clues And you’re hungry to know Where they are pointing to Then you stumble on your Nadja And you’re sure she holds the answers She is genius roaming free I say Breton was on to something There’s a beauty beyond the humdrum And its wonders are displayed In this girl who can’t be tamed And doesn’t even realise she exists outside the law And they come and they go These secret signs and clues And you’re hungry to know Where they are pointing to And they’re beckoning your Nadja And she’s heading for disaster But you urge her on all the same Oh looking over the obvious For a glimpse of the marvellous But the edge can be hazardous We know Breton discovered something There’s a danger beyond the humdrum Now you’re watching from a cliff As she’s lost to the abyss She’s fallen from the frontier between insight and insane They come and they go Like that bright soul you knew Cos you couldn’t follow Where she was walking to So you sacrificed your Nadja To live madly ever after Where they’ve thrown away the key And you thought that she had the key And you thought it could make us free
9.
Gone Native 04:47
How am I supposed to find out What’s going on? Where am I supposed to find out Who’s doing wrong? You’re the source of information Well that’s what your job was You’re employed to navigate us But you’ve dropped your compass You’ve got too comfortable at the table With the great and good Now it seems rude to ask them the questions That you said you would Oh no you’ve gone native You’ve changed places Oh no you’ve gone native You’ve betrayed us Oh no you’ve gone native We shouldn’t be surprised to find out It’s going on And you don’t even seem to see that You’re doing wrong There’s never been a straight induction Into their programme It’s usually a slow corruption That you don’t notice Yeah all that rubbing shoulders With high flying sorts Has got you parroting all their lines Without thought Oh no you’ve gone native You’ve changed places On no you’ve gone native To gain status On no you’ve gone native It’s outrageous Oh you used to have your finger on the pulse Now your finger’s somewhere else Oh you used to wag your finger at their lies Now your finger’s in their pies We can’t go investigating What’s going on We don’t have the skill or patience We’d do it wrong But we should know what’s done in our name Well that’s what your job was And you should hang your head down in shame Cos you lost your morals Your sense of independence is AWOL It’s blown away You might as well get onto the payroll And go the whole way Oh no you’ve gone native That’s where you’ve been lately Oh no you’ve gone native Our trust was mistaken On no you’ve gone native It’s outrageous Oh no you’ve gone native Oh no, oh no
10.
When you see a soul in distress You won’t always walk on by No when you see a soul in distress You won’t always walk on by This world has made you wise And courage made you colder But that’s no victory It’s more of a surrender When I saw a soul in distress I would always walk on by Armoured in my own business Barely offering a sigh But I’ve found an exception I’ve found an exception to the rule Yeah I’ve made an exception I’ve made an exception out of you She wears a thinner skin than the rest And in this she has been blessed To never give as good as she gets But give more than she expects I’ve found an exception I’ve found an exception to the rule Yeah I’ve made an exception I’ve made an exception out of you If you call out in despair Well then I’ll probably be there It’s a sort of guarantee And no one’s more surprised than me When you see a soul in distress You may recover your emotions Finding that for once you’re prepared To pour your drop into the ocean To increase by one the sum of happiness And relieve the throb of someone’s loneliness I’ve found an exception I’ve found an exception to the rule Yeah I’ve made an exception I’ve made an exception out of you I’ve made an exception I’ve made an exception for the truth If you call out in despair Well then I’ll probably be there It’s a sort of guarantee And no one’s more surprised than me

about

1. UNDERACHIEVER: The first schoolboy error is missing that lesson where we are told that most things in life come through chance, luck or “contacts”, and talent and artistic integrity alone won’t pay the bills. You were too busy smoking behind the bike sheds or learning to make lo-fi Sixties-influenced rockers like this song. (NB this song features a kazoo – a real one, not a sample!)
2. PARTY’S OVER: The second schoolboy error is blind faith in an unregulated free-market and an illusory prosperity founded on credit, resulting in the colossal global financial crisis of 2007-???? (I’m talking to you, Reagan, Thatcher, Greenspan, and you, Brown - you should have known better!). However the ruinous impact of the worldwide slump on millions of lives does happily give rise to the creation of an affecting melancholy Lennon-ish piano ballad like this one.
3. USED TO IT: The third, related schoolboy error is reacting to this situation with the imposition of swinging “austerity measures” which only making worse, while the planet degrades and global warming turns Kent into a vast lake or something. Overall it’s frankly not looking good, as this chugging electro-commentary, the audio lovechild of Bill Hicks and LCD Soundsystem, definitively proves.
4. NO SYMMETRY: The fourth schoolboy error is not accepting that Men Are From Venus and Women Are From Mars, or some such. That men like shoes and can’t read maps while women are only after one thing and cause all wars. These differences may of course be social constructions which serve the powerful, but that’s by the by. And this sleek technological track imagines what New Order might have to say on the matter.
5. GOLDEN BOY: The fifth schoolboy error is believing your own early publicity; prepare yourself for greatness and glory and then watching it all happen to someone else. This ditty of wistful resignation recalls Lloyd Cole or The Smiths at their most jangly, and ends with the coded plea, “spare any change, Guv?”.
6. CAN’T WIN ‘EM ALL: The sixth schoolboy error is thinking that by reading pick-up artists’ manuals and NLP self-help bullshit books you will become all powerful in the dark arts of manipulation and ruthless self-advancement, and thereby overcome your own subliminal lack of self-esteem. Your contrived routines will in fact be screamingly obvious to anyone with around half a brain. So in this disco-grooved funky track, Oliver “puts down” a pick-up artist (see what I did there?).
7. WE WANT ACTION: The seventh schoolboy error is buying into mega-budget shoot-’em-up blockbuster films which glamorise and desensitise us and glamorise senseless violence and destruction. Let’s face it, we all do it. This deceptively laid back mandolin-featuring yarn was inspired by Sylvester Stallone’s star-studded action extravaganza The Expendables (2010), which Oliver has never seen.
8. NADJA: The eight schoolboy error is seeking out an enigmatic, unpredictable, unhinged and captivating artist’s muse, only to do a runner and abandon your heroine when things get a bit edgy and she properly loses her marbles. This was the experience of Andre Breton, the leader of French surrealism, as recounted in his classic book Nadja. Oliver has read it so that you don’t have to and translated it into this atmospheric Gallic-flavoured acoustic strum.
9. GONE NATIVE: The ninth schoolboy error is trusting our correspondents in the corridors of power not to get co-opted by the powerful. The story of the fearless maverick journalist/reporter/commentator/satirist who is slowly but surely seduced into the Establishment is a drearily familiar one, but has possible never been told to a thumping synth-rock swing conjuring a collective whinge involving Bob Dylan, Depeche Mode and The White Stripes.
10. SOUL IN DISTRESS: The tenth schoolboy error is living an aloof, cynical life and not letting others into your heart, or inviting yourself into theirs now and then. The album thus ends closes with an uncharacteristically tender and sentimental song of the kind which would be criminally overlooked on a new Paul McCartney album, and will be far more overlooked here. This one’s dedicated to Lucy (and Rabbit).

credits

released February 6, 2012

Written, performed & produced by Oliver Shaw.
Art by Cozmic.

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Worldview UK

Worldview is the alias of Oliver Shaw, an Oxford UK-based songwriter, performer and producer mingling rock, pop, dance and folk with insightful lyrics and an overarching melodic sensibility.

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