Get all 10 John Coleman releases available on Bandcamp and save 30%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Neil The Seal, Falling Into Light, STONES THAT SING, Shade Tree Place, Songs of Wind and Water, The Colemans, Sunrise After Tilling, Pilgrims Together, and 2 more.
1. |
Higher
04:15
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HIGHER
Higher, higher – woke at 4am still shaking from a dream
Higher, higher – I step outside and see the last star in the sky
Softest breath of wind – like loving fingers on my skin - higher
Higher, higher – I don’t know where this hope is coming from
Higher, higher – the sun paints yellow on that early rising moon
The rolling ocean sings – and sweeps the cleansing waters in - higher
I’ve been holding on too tight, haven’t I? Holding on, holding on too tight
Holding on too tight, haven’t I? Holding on – holding on - too tight
Higher
The birds that fish the bay – plunge like needles through the spray
Higher
Higher, higher – shifting colours o the sweet green of the sea
Higher, higher – flock of cockatoo, white flags in the tree
The rolling ocean sings – and sweeps the cleansing waters in – higher
I’ve been holding on too tight, haven’t I? Holding on, holding on too tight
Holding on too tight, haven’t I? Holding on – holding on - too tight
Higher
John Coleman © 2018
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2. |
Rumour
03:07
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I HEARD A RUMOUR
I heard a rumour, of singing stars
I met someone who knew someone
who heard them once
So far for me, the night is silent
But it’s worth the wait
I heard a rumour, of talking trees
I met someone who knew someone
who heard them speak
So far for me the scrub is silent
But I’m prepared to wait
Is all I see just decoration
Or is there some deeper communication
I heard a rumour – I heard a rumour
I heard a rumour, the stones cry out
I met a bloke who heard the red rock
call his name
So far for me this hill’s been silent
But it’s worth the wait
Is there no remediation
for this strange preoccupation
I heard a rumour – I heard a rumour
I heard a rumour of singing stars
A symphony of shifting light
to thrill the soul
voices of love so old and low
It’s worth the wait
Is there still reverberation
From the Word that spoke creation
Heard a rumour – heard a rumour
Why this foolish fascination
For elusive revelation
I heard a rumour – head a rumour
I heard a rumour of singing stars
Heard a rumour – heard a rumour
Heard a rumour – love the rumour
Heard a rumour – heard a rumour
Celia Kemp/John Coleman © 2018
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3. |
This Tiny Light
03:07
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THIS TINY LIGHT
Darkness came, couldn’t hold it at bay
Tried and I tried to keep it away
My sources of light they sank down one by one
Alone in the night no sign of the sun
I cried out for help but no God came
Where my old life had been - nothing remained
So I let go, too tired to hold on
Fell into the void - I was done
When I came face to face with the end of me
Turned out that Love wasn’t finished with me
Found a flickering flame right here in my heart
The tiniest light but it drives back the dark
I walked by the light in my heart for a way
Through the black, no sign of day
Then pale blue light in the east growing strong
Gave outline to trees and drew butcherbird’s song
I don’t want to go through that shadow again
I remember too well the particular pain
But now - I know that the darkness of night
Can never defeat - this tiny light
Tiny light – tiny light – tiny light
Celia Kemp/John Coleman © 2018
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4. |
Blood Cries Out
02:23
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BLOOD CRIES OUT
Block your ears, barricade your hearts
Mourning is rising from the earth
Blood cries out from the land
Blood cries out from the land
Why should we know where Abel lies
Who made us the keeper of our brothers?
Blood cries out from the land
Blood cries out from the land
Restless rootless cut off from the earth
Tattooed on our hearts the mark of Cain
Blood cries out from the land
Blood cries out from the land
Strange disquiet, sadness old and deep
Song in a forgotten frequency
Rites denied, earth she holds the bones
And she sings for us the funeral song
Blood cries out from the land
Blood cries out from the land …
Celia Kemp/John Coleman © 2018
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5. |
The Stoning
04:56
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THE STONING
For the frightened child that’s tied up in the basement
For the paedophile who’s tied up by his sin
For the freedom fighter wrapped up in explosives
Who will take a thousand innocents with him
For the sniper on the rooftop finger ready
For the mothers in the market buying fruit
For the priest who hands out tablets in the skate park
For the bankers in their fine Italian suits
For the fishermen who’ve sucked the ocean empty
For the albatross in net no more to fly
For the carvings in the temple soft and bleeding
For the refugee who’s sewn her lips goodbye
For the razor wire and strobe lights at the disco
For the dancers and their paralytic throb
For the vomit at the doorway to the nightclub
For the comedian whose genius we rob
I have come a long way here to join the stoning
Got a stockpile here of rocks that’s good to go
I’ll just pick myself a target it should be easy
And I’ll throw until there’s nothing left to throw
For the torturer who insists it’s not for money
Though he’s paid for each confession as they come
For the tortured who forgive their carnal captors
Though the gates swing wide they never never run
There’s a stoning here this evening sounds inviting
Tie my hands behind my back before you leave
There’s a stoning here but it’s not for me to throw one
For at this stoning the stones are thrown at me
For all the pimps and those who sell the sacred body
For all the architects of drug related crime
For all the boys and girls who line up round the needle
And for all the elders of our group who say it’s fine
It’s fine, it’s fine, it’s fine
I have travelled quite a distance for this stoning
A long pilgrimage of all my years I’d say
I’m so sorry for my silent indecision
And I’m so sorry that it’s taken till today
John Coleman/Celia Kemp © 2019
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6. |
The Desert Was Silent
04:06
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THE DESERT WAS SILENT
And the desert was silent and indifferent
And the sky stretched silver blue so wide
and indifferent
My ears were hearing nothing
Nothing, nothing – so I walked
Though my head it was buzzing
My ears were hearing nothing and I walked
And I walked - I could hear nothing
Indifference
Red rock, blue sky, dingo, dragonfly
Songlines, smashed glass, burning bush, buffell grass
Waterhole, white bone, bloodwood, orange stone
Rusted can, busted tyre, day cloud, night fire
I could hear nothing – nothing
Indifference
Cracked earth, cockatoo, spinifex, kangaroo
Caterpillar, crested pigeon, sacred rock, old religion
Lizard track, burnt car, crescent moon, morning star
Trail bike, creek bed, wildflower, angel bread
My head it was buzzing, my ears were hearing nothing
So I walked and I walked
Indifference
Days and months and years went by
I was falling from my head into my heart
One day I lay in a dry creek bed
And the rocks - were crying love
And the sky was crying love
Ghost gum raised its shiny arms in praise
And the rocks were crying love
Love like lightning blazing from the earth
And the sky was crying love
Love like fire catching in the leaves
And the rocks - were crying love
And then Love swept over me
Celia Kemp and John Coleman © 2018
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7. |
Utyerre
03:32
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UTYERRE
Utyerre’s like a telephone line, connecting me to what is mine
Utyerre’s like a vein in me that also runs in my country
It’s lines that go straight and connect to this
And connect to this and connect to this
My land is like a tie to me it holds all of my family
People and countries roots entwined together as one
Utyerre’s like a twirl of string that holds all of our people in
It ties us to our country forever as one
It has lines that go straight and connect to this
And connect to this and connect to this
Utyerre’s when there’s yam to be found,
It’s like a bean hidden in the ground
When you dig one up there’s a string that leads you
Deeper down, deeper down
It has lines that go straight and connect to this
And connect to this and connect to this
Utyerre’s like a telephone line, connecting me to what is mine
Utyerre’s like a vein in me that also runs in my country
Utyerre’s like a twirl of string that holds all of our people in
The land is like a tie to me it holds all of my family
Utyerre’s like a - telephone line
Utyerre’s like a - vein in me
Utyerre’s like a - tie to me
Utyerre’s like a - twirl of string
Utyerre’s like a - vein in me
Vein in me – vein in me – vein in me
Vein in me – vein in me
Celia Kemp/John Coleman © 2018
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8. |
Sacred River
03:13
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SACRED RIVER
Dry – walked too far today
Yesterday the same
Skin too thick with dust to breathe
Sunburnt clay
Sky – you hang heavy over me
Slow my bootsteps down
Sorrow you’re consuming me
Without a sound
Oh, you sacred river – oh you don’t run dry
Flow me sacred river – flow me high
She said – when all hope is gone
The barren ground still sings
She said that from the driest place
Newness springs
And she sang – in desert silences
She spoke it in the town
She said that there’s a stream in all
And we can’t drown
Oh, you sacred river – oh you don’t run dry
Flow her sacred river – flow her high
So may – this one who swam in you
Swim in you again
Permit the one who ached for you
To ache again
Oh, you sacred river – oh - you don’t run dry
Flow us sacred river – flow us high
Sacred river – high
John Coleman/Celia Kemp © 2019
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9. |
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MISCHIEF OF THE HOLY KIND
Wind has come in off the desert
Slipstream whips the twigs around
Warm edged wind that smells like desert
Blackness over stony ground
Moon inked in a tiny sliver
White star light and monochrome
Brightness as a star curves over
Fine lines etched in monochrome
Not yet birdsong, not yet people
Strange things at the edge of sight
Not yet birdsong before people
Quirky presence queer delight
Uncanny, unearthly
Edges shimmer - dotted lines
Uncanny, unearthly
Mischief of the holy kind
In the silence stars descending
Loopy letters come and go
Curlicues and ancient grammar
Not a language that I know
Curlicues and expectation
Silver lines all in the air
Something dark winged passes over
Someone moves but no ones there
Not yet birdsong, not yet people
Strange things at the edge of sight
Not yet birdsong before people
Quirky presence queer delight
Uncanny, unearthly
Edges shimmer - dotted lines
Uncanny, unearthly
Mischief of the holy kind
Mischief of the holy kind
Mischief of the holy kind
Celia Kemp/Al Campbell © 2019
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10. |
Eliminate the Sting
04:29
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ELIMINATE THE STING
School of fishes shining silver
golden weed sways in clear water
Dappled light in shifting lattice – mmm
Now a strange sense makes me shiver
smooth black ray sails round the corner
Long as me with stinger raised behind
mmm – mmm
Eliminate the sting – eliminate the risk
Nothing salty, nothing edgy, nothing wild
Swallows swooping in the wide blue
Hills and wind – trees and grasses
Sun is glistening off the flecks of quartz – mmm
Now a flock of black crows cawking
Suddenly the dogs have bolted
Turn around - two dingoes right behind
mmm – mmm
Eliminate the sting – eliminate the risk
Nothing salty, nothing edgy, nothing wild
Lying on my couch one evening
TV in the background streaming
David Attenborough speaking – mmm
Now a pod of killer whales is feeding
Camera close-up on a sea lion bleeding
Shudder then turn back to reading – mmm – mmm
Eliminate the sting – eliminate the risk
Nothing salty, nothing edgy, nothing wild
Celia Kemp/John Coleman © 2018
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11. |
Jacob's Wrestle
04:50
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JACOB’S WRESTLE
I’m wrestling in this dusty place
A moonless night – can’t see your face
I’ve no idea who you might be
And what it is you want from me
I fight so hard - I fight so long
This wretched night goes on and on
You see I’ve always won my whole life through
But now I meet my match in you
And then something new, you’ve wounded me
And turn around as if to flee
And dawn has come and now I see
No normal man fights here with me
And so I beg for you to stay
To bless me here at break of day
Your look cuts to the heart of me
You seem to like what you can see
You like my restless mind, you like my strong desire
You like all of my smarts – all of my fire
What’s done is done you will not stay
With my true name I limp away
All that I am you turn it to
This larger life you call me to
And now I bless that dusty place
Where I once saw my true love’s face
Things that are lighter, things that are clearer
Don’t have the power of that perplexing night
Worth every second of that long dark struggle
To find myself clasping and clasped by light
With less of me there’s more of you
But more of you makes more of me
Things that are lighter … things that are lighter
Celia Kemp/John Coleman © 2018
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12. |
Just One Star
02:24
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JUST ONE STAR
Just one star, pure and clear
Just one star, the really real
Everything still, everything clear
Everything now, everything’s here
Just one star, pure and clear
Just one star, the really real
Twilight slides - smooth and cold
Catches me in - in-between time
Stained glass sky - purple and gold
Stark beauty
Just one star, pure and clear
Just one star, the really real
There’s just one star
Celia Kemp/John Coleman © 2018
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John Coleman Hobart, Australia
John Coleman is an Australian singer/songwriter in the acoustic folk/rock tradition who has produced eleven albums of original songs The most recent is Falling Into Light - a collection of songs for meditation - his final collaboration with Noel Davis. Many of John’s songs are inspired by and explore the spirituality of the L’Arche and Quaker communities to which he belongs. ... more
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