the watchman & friends

Het twaalfde album van The Watchman wordt door Ad van Meurs zelf beschreven als zijn 'Franse' album.

PDF: Recensie 'OVER THE TOP' (Eindhovens Dagblad)

The Watchman speelt trans-Atlantische folk & blues en schrijft in die traditie; zijn vaste begeleiders maken dat tot een spannend geheel. Deze keer wordt de originele bezetting aangevuld met tenor sax (Jos Beeren) en knoppenaccordeon (Sophie Cavez ) waardoor het geheel een ietwat Frans Europese sfeer ademt die doet denken aan de zestiger zeventiger jaren, toen Angelsaksische liedjes zich goed lieten mengen met jazzy improvisatie en Parijse romantiek.

Eén instrumental en tien songs waarvan twee gezongen door Ankie Keultjes waaronder de klassieker 'To be Loved by You' maken dit album tot een indringend en verleidelijk geheel. 'Cool', volwassen en romantisch, en natuurlijk, zoals we van Ad van Meurs gewend zijn, met de best mogelijke liedjes.

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Ik heb een dozijn songs geschreven die ik graag wilde delen met de musici, vrienden waarmee ik de laatste jaren in diverse groepen en projecten heb samengespeeld. Het album heet: 'Over the Top'. Een kreet uit de eerste wereldoorlog wanneer de officier de soldaten de loopgraaf uitjoeg het niemandsland in, op z'n minst een onzekere afloop tegemoet.
Een analogie met het leven van een muzikant is gauw gemaakt. Ook zij trekken ten strijde, ieder keer maar weer, voor de schoonheid, de idee, een living etc.. 'For the Sake of the Song'. Ook hier is de afloop onzeker, het bedje niet gespreid, grote kans op teleurstelling, vele kilometers en dikwijls een matig gewin.

En als dat alles doorstaan is, wat doen ze dan? Dan gaan ze nog een keer ... Over The Top!

Ik wil dit album opdragen aan alle vrienden en collega's waarmee ik de afgelopen jaren heb samengespeeld.

Helaas is bij de credits de bijdrage op accordeon van Bart de Win op 'Getting ready for the evening' per ongeluk niet vermeld. Excuses Bart...

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'Over the Top' is a phrase an officer would yell in World War I when the soldiers were sent out of their trenches into the Noman's land towards an often certain death or agony on the field.
To be a musician feels sometimes like going 'over the top'. They also go to battle 'for the sake of the song' for beauty, truth , an idea or to make a living. An insecure future is awaiting with disappointment, many challenging miles, and not seldom a meager existence.
And after all that, they go again.

I would like to dedicate this album to all the friends and colleagues I have had the privilege to work with during my musical life thus far of going 'Over the Top'.

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Lyrics:

Over The Top

As we crawled and we stumbled
Snow just made us humble
Now the buds are on the branches
Let's get out of the trench
Over the top

The snow is still a shy one
Like someone you can't rely on
But every day some more
Open up the door
Over the top

chorus
Over the top
For the light that's breaking through
Over the top
For my babe, where are you
Over the top
Never mind the loss
Because we are soldiers for the right cause

One heart attack to loose your breath
One broken when you left
Every time we loose
We're walking with the blues
Over the top

And again we go out
Bones sticking out
Guitars all worn
Art is born
Over the top

Only beginning
No ending
Flying but no landing
Every day a dawn
In a place we haven't gone
Over the top

We defy the mud and rain
We know we might be slain
But the battle is on the field
And we never yield over the top

 

Somewhere in this world

Somewhere in this world there's a place for all of us
Somewhere down the road there's more than mud or dust

Let me take your hand,and through this maze of disbelief
I'll make you understand there is always some relief

chorus
Oh sweet child
we are the hours
Oh sweet child
We are the day
we are the year
come what may
smile or a tear

Somewhere in your life, you'll find out who you are
Somewhere in your mind, you'll carve that little star

And al the dust you found will turn into gold
The circle will go round, your story will be told

 

On my door

I heard your voice on the phone, you sounded worried
you carried the world on your back it seemed
so I listened to you and to your story
of no inspiration no self esteem

chorus
On my door knock on babe
Knocking on wood will do you good
On my door there won't be a maybe
There's a warm heart awaiting with kisses to boot

You said you looked everywhere, from France to Texas
For a lucky star, a light to show
You were running away, from the battle of the sexes
You and yourself had a long way to go

Why don't you come to my town, where the clouds are painted,
The clouds are painted and seem to play
We'd be daydreaming, we'd be dreaming daily
that one day with them we would fly away

 

Happy dresses

Suppose we we'll be remembered, talking you and me
Let's hope that's still a long 'wait and see'
I hope not for my jokes, silly stories that I told,
And you would'nt want to be a shadow of me growing old

chorus
Happy dresses on a clothesline,
Hung up to dry and to sway in the sunshine
Left and forgotten to conspire in the moonshine
Worn out by the winds of all time

Not for the evenings, eight in a week
I'd be down in bars, saying there's something that I seek
You'd be home waiting, your fingers crossed
You mood inbetween 'I'm so worried' and 'get lost'

What about career, or more the lack of it
Remember how we used to say, 'money, the hack with it'
I hope that our children, and a bunch of worthy heirs
Will think of you and me as their one and only theirs

 

Go west

Just an old phrase I remember
Now the lights close on november
Just an old phrase from years ago
When they went down that solemn road

Go West
Just two words
No one evere mentions
But for me a way to break convention
Is'nt it time we'd cross that pond
To sit down at wheelies
That great beyond

chorus
So long, so long my friends
I gotta walk this World till I reach the end
Deep in my chest
I hear the west

Christmas in Ireland
We all sing a song
babe you're so silent
what's going on
it's Freddy Malins and his ever drunken truth
if we stay here we will be wasting our youth

dream dream dream
the way of the feather
remember that song
the smell of heather
coming on strong

 

To be loved by you

I could climb every mountain,
Cross the mighty sea
Refuse water from the fountain
To have you here with me

An I know I'll endure it
I'be waiting at your gate
The moon and stars are are my jury
That I kept my faith

chorus
And I'll wait all the hours
Like all lovers do
In the sun, snow and rain showers
To be loved by you

No one knows the reason
No one knows the cause
Things change by the season
What is won and what is lost

 

Getting ready for the evening

Getting ready for the evening
Getting ready for the night
Daytime is losing, daytime was bright
Getting ready for the evening, ready for the night

Let's sit around the table bring food and wine
Let's sit around the table bring food and wine
Tell me your stories and I'll tell you mine
Let's sit around the table bring food and wine

Put on a fine dress flower in your hair
Put a fine dress, flower in your hair
I want everybody to stare and stare
Put on a fine dress, flower in your hair

I'm looking for light now, Oh yes I must
I'm looking for a light now, Oh yes I must
Find a light now, a light called trust
I'm looking for a light now, yes a light I must

 

Old Friends

Old friends meeting down in some bar
Old friends knowing not to mention any war
No divorces ,trouble or disease
Old friends drinking just want to be at ease

Old friends grinning about how they ruled the world
How they both preyed upon that very same girl
Old friends laughing, the same old jokes
Rejecting-turning down modern times in one single stroke

Old friends drinking
this one's me
Old friends feeling young again and free

Old names remembered, some forgotten too
Time and place, where and what and who is who
Old friends silent, looking at the door
Seeing all them folks that won't enter anymore

Old friends drinking this one's on me
Old friends thinking how it was and won't be
no more

Old friends thinking about how they lived their lives
The 'for better and worse'they shared together, what about their wives
Should it have been this, should it have been that, no
Last call guys, one for the road

Old friends drinking
this one's on me
Old friends thinking how it was and could have been
Has been

 

Courage, Courage

Happy endings are for losers
Warm love is for the weak
The strong ones are chosers
The endless road they seek

See the stars how they are going
They are doing what they do
I got a million of mirrors for them
In my tears for you

chorus
Courage, courage
You're not alone
Though it seems now you're on your own
Courage, courage there is a friend
Somewhere down the road looking for a

Happy endings are for softies
They're sure not meant for me
I'm strong standing lofty
While I tell myself I'm free

 

Restless Heart

Restless heart you'll never find a home
Restless heart you'll always have to roam
Restless heart I want you to know,
You're not alone, you're not alone

Restless heart, I'm one step behind
Restless heart, you're always on my mind
Restless heart I follow the path you pave,
The goals and dreams you chase