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Contender

by Lach

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1.
Well, you describe the girl by what she wears From her jet black tights to her platinum hair From her hula-hoop earrings to her miniskirt From her Keith Haring bracelet to her paisley shirt Well, have you seen her in the latest media shower Yeah, she be posing at some party with Andy Whorewall flower Well, there are twenty at least on any New York bar Waiting for someone to make them a star I say, “Ha!” That's the Edie effect It takes no intellect Just get an image and project Life is a disco tech On daddy's paycheck So, what the heck Stay permanently wrecked Yeah, doing the Edie Effect Hey that’s the Edie Effect Yeah, yeah, yeah You know what I mean boy I see her everyday She’s walking down Avenue A She’s a mystery (But I don’t like mysteries) She looks so fine to me Watch her shake Yeah, I like the way she shakes Shake it up Come here girl Yeah, yeah, yeah The Edie effect
2.
Red and White Red The color of the matador Red The color of the dress she wore Red White The color of the ghost that drifts Through my life like a nurse Made out of smoke White Red and white dots danced eidetically As we made love electrically Red, red, red and white Red and white There’s got to be a pattern somewhere White her skin And red the color of her hair Red, red, red and white Red and white The color of the sacrificed lamb Red and White The color of her eyes at three a.m. Red, red, red and white
3.
The John Glenn Song Welcome back to Earth, Glenn When are you going back up again? In orbit all alone Around the third stone from the sun You're a hero for everyone What's it like John? Up there all alone? I want to be an astronaut I want to fly through space Just like you got to John With no one staring in your face Except the sun Be a hero for everyone What's it like, John Up there all alone? I want to be an astronaut Just like you I want to be an astronaut too I want to be an astronaut Just like you I want to be an astronaut too And then a senator from Ohio But they only run guns now In military shuttlecraft No more time now To have us one last laugh Just me and the sun all alone having fun What's it like John Up there all alone? I'm all alone I'm all alone I'm all alone in Ohio I'm all alone in my home town I'm all alone I'm all alone I'm all alone I'm all alone I'm all alone I'm all alone I'm all alone I'm all alone I'm all alone I'm all alone I'm all alone I'm all alone
4.
Doomed From The Start Thugs and mentals stand gaping in the rain Screaming skeletons running from ghosts The city is eating its children From deep within its belly I can hear the beast boast None of you can stop I’m too far inside of your heart None of you can stop You’re all doomed Doomed from the start Millions and millions of starving people Opaque faces swim in the streets Mole-men, mole-women their skin turned pale Blind eyes blinking and brains in jail Hypnotized parasites hyped on success You can’t tell them from the way that they’re dressed But stand them naked under noon’s bright sun And you’ll die laughing at your own reflection None of you can stop I’m too far inside of your heart None of you can stop You’re all doomed Doomed from the start
5.
Hard Times 02:35
Don't even bother trying to remember What went down the last three days Nightclubs, whispers, a powder white haze Making love in the after hours Taxis that drive like they’re in Madrid Sleeping with women, waking with kids Wondering over breakfast what it was you did You've been hitting on hard times Hitting on hard times oh yeah Hitting on hard times Oh yeah yeah yeah You got it all but you want more But of what leaves you unsure You got no disease but you're still looking for a cure As the dance floor turns into a candy store You know home in bed is where you belong And you swear you'll leave right after this song If you can just ditch the bitch you've been hitting on You've been hitting on hard times oh yeah Hitting on hard times oh yeah Hitting on hard times Oh yeah yeah yeah You're not getting high you're getting a headache You're barely getting by on the fortunes that you make The miss you took she turned out to be mistake As you pound her with a love that feels more like hate You know home in bed is where you belong And you swear you'll leave right after this song If you can just ditch the bitch you've been hitting on You've been hitting on hard times oh yeah Hitting on hard times oh yeah Hitting on hard times Oh yeah yeah yeah
6.
Dear Bob, What am I doing here ? Playing the rule, playing the fool, when my piano lies broken in the road. Dear Phil, Why am I dying here? Bleeding out songs, blowing through bongs, when my keyboards lie shattered in the street? Isn't anybody else scared? Isn't anybody else shivering? Only songs are left in this cold city somewhere in America Dear Jim, Why am I awake again? Night is sweet, perfume of sleep and the dogs are howling in the alley. Isn't anybody else out there scared? Isn't anybody else shivering ? Only songs are left in this cold city somewhere in America And most of the songs are written for the money.
7.
Loisaida 02:02
Come watch Loisaida wake with me See Natty Dread glisten his gold tooth See mortal man at his lowest best See mirror-glass boys blare radio breath See morning joints with morning coffee As old latin mamas walk grandmom to church Come watch Loisaida wake with me See old men moving with the sun See Las Vegas satin shirts black with axle grease See chinese wives carting Tide to the laundry See junkie-drunks clock into their gutters as art-girls phone home excuses to their mothers Come watch Loisaida Come watch Loisaida wake with me See hands out for cigarettes and whiskey See baby playing with a veteran bum See Jersey plates picking up some gun See white boy painter with the village eye See the dogs watch all the cats go by Come watch Loisaida wake with me See shop owners watching sidewalk TV Come watch Loisaida wake with me Come watch Loisaida wake with me
8.
Baby 03:41
Baby what’s the matter? Come tell your daddy what’s wrong Come now baby you’re safe in your daddy’s arm Oh daddy, I’m uncertain what to do with my life Baby, that’s easy, just make someone a good wife Who are these strangers in my house? Mama’s in the kitchen Daddy’s in the den Mama’s being Barbie Daddy’s being Ken She’s the little woman And he’s the little man And I’m called crazy because I’m not normal like them Baby, what’s the matter? Come tell your mommy what’s wrong Come now baby you’re safe in your mommy’s arms Oh mama what’s this drama you cast me in Baby, that’s easy we’re different than men Who are these strangers in my house? Mama’s in the kitchen Daddy’s in the den Mama’s being Barbie Daddy’s being Ken She’s the little woman And he’s the little man And I’m called crazy because I’m not normal like them Hey mister have you seen her? Have you seen our missing child? Here is her picture We took it last July Oh lady, I ain’t seen her and even if I did I’d tell her, listen, they’re looking for you kid Who are these strangers in your house? Mama’s in the kitchen Daddy’s in the den Mama’s being Barbie Daddy’s being Ken She’s the little woman And he’s the little man And I’m called crazy because I’m not normal like them Like them Like them
9.
Let's Dive 02:34
You're all silver Shining halo You're a sparkling girl on fire I want to swim into the soft blue water I want to swim into the water with you You're all wide-eyed like a lake that ain't been played in I want to wade into the water with you Let's dive and go down where devils dare Let's dive and tell secrets no angels share Baby dive down, down Past all worry Come on dive Down, down Even God would say stop Let's dive my muscles are in heaven Let's dive my mind is the sea Let's dive down and I'll tell you You are the most important thing to me
10.
Stephen Said 03:25
Stephen said he was gonna quit But we all know Stephen is full of shit When the night comes He’s dying for fun Stephen’ll say anything to anyone Stephen said he was gonna stop The night he got stabbed while trying to cop One last bag Cause of the pain Then he’d never do it again Stephen said I feel like I’m dead Stephen said I’ve got a bullet in my head Stephen said This feels so good I could die Stephen said Fuck it man, let’s get high Stephen said he was about to be signed And all the record companies were just sweating in line His future shown bright As he hit the night To make it scream out for him one last time Stephen said I feel like I’m dead Stephen said I’ve got a killer in my head Stephen said This feels so good I could die Stephen said Fuck it man, let’s get high

about

"In 1989 Danny Goldberg, Nirvana's manager, asked Tom Goodkind (of The Washington Squares) who he should sign, after Joan Baez, to his new indie label Goldcastle. Tom suggested me and Danny sent his A&R person to my next NYC gig at The Chameleon Club in the East Village. Half-way through my set some jerk started hitting on my girlfriend sitting in the front and she was clearly unhappy about it. I stormed off the stage and clobbered him. The bouncers (AKA local drug dealers) carted the guy outside and me backstage to cool off. I figured I blew the record deal but the A&R woman thought it was 'gallant' and 'punk' of me and signed me on the spot!

The month the album came out Spin Magazine wrote a brilliant article on it and called me 'The spokesman for my generation'. A week after that I was preparing for my debut national tour and I called the first venue in Chicago only to be told by the promoter there, "Didn't you hear? Your record label went bankrupt. Your tour's cancelled."

Ain't that a gas?

So, that was it for Contender and I didn't record again for eight years because I was so disenchanted with the whole business side of the music business. I devoted my time to the scene I was in, the NYC Antifolk scene, giving it and me a place to grow and create.

Contender is my lost album but now it's back due to the support of my subscribers here on bandcamp and I'm very grateful to you all for helping it happen. Enjoy the album. And if you haven't subscribed yet please consider it. Check out the subscription page to see just how cool a deal it is!

Love, Lach

credits

released April 17, 2015

Lach - Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Harmonica, All Vocals
Jon Berger - Drums, Percussion
Norman England - Electric guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards
Geoff Notkin - Bass
Lauren Agnelli - Student Accordion
Nick Branch - Mandolin
Tom Goodkind - 2nd Acoustic Guitar on 'Baby'
Ramsey McLean - Cello
Engineered - Steve McAllister and Judy Marciness
Mixed by Steve Burgh
Mastered by Wally Traugott at Capitol Mastering
All songs written by Lach and published by Blue Monk Music
©1990 Lach
Produced by Tom Goodkind
Photos by Billy Nova

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Lach Edinburgh, UK

Lach, founder of the Antifolk movement and star of BBC Radio 4's The Lach Chronicles.

‘Beat-punk-unplugged joy!’-The Guardian UK

‘Splendid! Best of it's kind!’- Mojo

‘Incredibly bright, influential, funny, poetic.’-Suzanne Vega

‘Best punk guitarist since Johnny Ramone.’-Billy Ficca of Televis
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