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Sinombre Vol III: Freedom Machine

by Paul Miro

/
1.
NOTHING LEFT HERE PT V You gave me my meaning You made my life rhyme My dreams were all colours And you made them all shine You were always the main feature Through the smiles and the tears Wouldn’t let them defeat ya ‘til there was nothing left here. We sought only the good times Grabbed them while they were there Tried to steal every moment Before they were gone everywhere. I remember that winter When we stood on the pier And we kissed in the twilight Like there was nothing else here. Then a wave of believers Helped the nightmare come true And we knew the deceivers Were always gonna blame anybody who knew. I look at your picture As I walk ’cross the sand And imagine you’re with me And I’m holding your hand ‘til it comes back to nothing Nothing left in this land. Sometimes I wish you were Sometimes I’m glad you ain’t here. All that was certain Suddenly becoming unclear. When you think of how far we have come Just to find ourselves here And I ain’t gonna lie Still get tears in my eyes I still call your number Hear your voice in my ear It reminds me of summer And the times we spent here But without you I’m nothing Yeah, there’s nothing left here.
2.
Dereliction 02:24
DERELICTION Some of us are lost And some of us are found. Wandering through a geography of alien noise, The next day’s tracks Erasing the ones that came before. Trying to find your place, your tribe, Somewhere you fit in. Evil should look evil Then you don’t let it in. That’s what they used to say. Like evil is a presence, Something you can see, sense, feel or touch. But what if evil is just emptiness? What if it’s nothing at all? Something missing, A sink-hole for the soul, A yearning, A damaged, nothing bastard child Craving for attention? Just a patch of vacant silence In the middle of a storm. Outside of any frame of reference or understanding, Not bound by rule of law, But free to make its own. From nothing to nothing. Making you suffer Like your life is over When everyone else’s carries on Like you were never there. We try to convince ourselves it means something. But that’s just something we tell ourselves To make sense of the sacrifice, Calling it fate. But fate is fluid And destiny is in the hands of men. Some things go bad And they don’t get better Any good along the way Helps to keep us moving on. Yeah, some things go bad And they don’t get better Any good along the way Helps to keep us moving on.
3.
FREEDOM MACHINE Thank you for your swift reply, We think you could be just the guy. We’ll stick with you come rain or shine Just sign here on the dotted line And we think you’ll find it could become a way of life. Now, television isn’t real, You have to work to get the feel. It ain’t beneath your dignity To call it opportunity And while you’re out there trying to save the earth We’re gonna take ourselves a dollar’s worth. Chorus: Oh, welcome to the freedom machine Everything is sold as seen Nothing is quite what it seems Welcome to the freedom machine Welcome to the freedom machine. Instead of building industry Just go to university To come out overqualified And find the folks with skills have died. It’s what we like to call the modern 18th century. We own the banks, we own the schools. You build your house, we loan the tools. We own the air, we own your food We even mould your attitude. And the geeks who you kicked for your enjoyment Are gonna be the ones who give you your employment. Chorus. 8: if it all gets too much, just close your eyes and count to ten. And come tomorrow We can do it all over again. Chorus. We’re free to stimulate demand We’re free to privatise the land We’re free to tell you right from wrong And stop your protests: move along. We’re free to mess around with what you call democracy. And take it right back to the 18th century. We gamble and we speculate, We spread the fear and foster hate We blow your minds with shock and awe And leave no corner unexplored. While you’re distracted trying to work out what it means You won’t be looking what goes on behind the scenes. Chorus.
4.
Crazytown 04:28
CRAZYTOWN I lost confidence in the whole idea Of civilising anybody in here. This ain’t the time to reminisce, You’d do better trying to find a way out of this. Gotta get rid of all the psychic dirt Crusted on your body like a world of hurt. I have to convey my humblest regrets: But we’re driving on fumes Into our own sunset. Chorus: Crazytown’s booming All we know is upside down. What you gonna do when Crazy’s all around? Crazytown’s looming, Baby, it’s a long way down When everything’s the wrong way round. I like you a while lot ‘Cause you’re so sweet But the first part of a circle, Gotta make the ends meet. Living in a world that’s over-explained, Spending all our time busy forging chains. Crazytown is the only definition, Facts upside down in a war of attrition. When it comes down to what you’re gonna get, There are bad times coming And they ain’t done yet. Chorus Everything’s the wrong way round It’s a long It’s a long, long way, way down It’s a long It’s a long, long way, way down Chorus. It’s a long way down It’s a long way down.
5.
Money Tree 04:35
MONEY TREE Correct me if I’m wrong But money didn’t used to mean a thing. The tables turned and we swapped Jesus for the dollar king And pretty soon it all belonged to a precious few Who soon explained that there was Nothing we could do Don’t judge me a criminal Until you’ve walked a mile in my shoes Ooh, then we’ll see who’s life you choose. Seems the mistake was all mine. Chorus: No place for you and me In the shade of the money tree It’s too high for sanity But still we choose to climb. Sweet misery Raining down from the money tree And that’s the way it will always be So please don’t waste your time. On we go trying to keep to simple plans But every trap is laid by invisible hands And the best thing you can do is run and hide In this patchwork of existence Where your dreams all took a ride. Don’t judge me a criminal Until you’ve walked a mile in my shoes Ooh, then we’ll see who’s life you choose. Seems the mistake was all mine. Chorus Rain on down Chorus.
6.
Life Support 02:27
7.
THE CON SPIRRA SEA Come in, play a role in our story You can be anyone you wish to be. Join our ragtag brigade In this place that we made And we call it The Con Spirra Sea Old William Tell in the corner, His stories last midnight ‘til noon. Did he tell you the one Where he drank Jaeger bombs With a man who once walked on the moon? Chorus: Gather ye round and we’ll spin you a yarn We’re all wayfaring strangers with gallons of charm Come on, sit yourself down And we’ll drink like we’re friends. And the glory is nobody knows how it ends. There’s the tale of three wondrous towers Hit by men in huge flying machines. They all fell to the ground And the pilots were drowned When they bailed in the Con Spirra Sea. Yes, an alien race surely landed, Who knows whether to pillage or save? They bred with baboons Then they left pretty soon – It’s all painted some place in a cave Chorus Yes, there once was a magical kingdom With no suffering, hunger or need. Then a flood came sky high Now the treasures all lie Buried under the Con Spirra Sea. Chorus All we ask is a little forbearance And, unless you know better than me As your hopes all recede, You’ll be forced to concede We’re all part of the Con Spirra Sea. Yeah, unless you know better than me When the waters return We’ll find what there’s to learn And sail off to the Con Spirra Sea.
8.
A QUIET BELIEF IN ANGELS Slowness closes in silently ‘til one day you find you’re in harm’s way Before you notice Maybe not violently But more than a case of ‘These things happen. Life goes on.’ Supposing you were gone for a day You know I’d miss you With the sound of the door closing Knowing that, come what may, Whatever happens, We’ll still do what we’ve always done. When our darkest demons came to play Only our quiet belief in angels saved the day. Yeah, something isn’t hard to do When nothing else is left for you Yeah, in our hour of darkness Our silent strength is A quiet belief in angels. Patience; something we know so well. Caught in a special kind of mental suffocation Living inside a shell, Searching for something not so vague To light the way. When our darkest feelings came to stay Only our quiet belief in angels barred the way Then the brightest light shone down And drove our fears deep underground. In these times of darkness We find our strength in A quiet belief in angels A quiet belief in angels A quiet belief in angels If we make it easy to understand Still, in the end it all depends On how you take it Put it in the wrong hands And it’s not a case of ‘These things happen. Life goes on.’ When our darkest demons came to play Only our quiet belief in angels saved the day. Let them shine a light on you And still believe you’ll make it through. Yeah, in our hour of darkness We’ll find your strength in A quiet belief in angels.
9.
Bitterfruit 02:22
10.
Ready 03:12
READY I’ll take you on You can bet on me Like I’m your money man. Got a fire that burns Under my feet Got to catch me if you can It’s in my blood I’m dangerous I’ve drawn the battle lines. The game is on, The gloves are off I’m gonna take what’s mine. Chorus
I’m ready to go I’m ready now to take it all Yeah, I’m ready to go This time I’m gonna take it all Come on now, do your thing Ain’t gonna knock me down Bring it on, I was born to win I’m gonna stand my ground. Chorus
11.
WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS Been to hell and back again, I ain’t keeping score. Seen it all fall by the way and gone. Plans gone off track again; See what’s in store If I stand beside the weak ‘til they grow strong. No one’s bothering In a reservoir of melting comfort. Gathering in the baleful light With all of the big mouths Chorus: Hollering Arguing right from wrong While we’re hovering, Waiting for the barbarians. Toying with duality, Trying to make it plain. Mixing up the sweet stuff with the mean. Sober neutrality: Calling loss your gain. Everything washed but nothing clean. Still we’re following Through a reservoir of melting darkness. Gathering on a hateful night With all of the big mouths Chorus Still they’re hollering Arguing right from wrong While we’re still hovering, Waiting for the barbarians. Waiting for the barbarians. Waiting for the barbarians.
12.
Disconnect 04:29
DISCONNECT It’s more of a road than a journey, More like a joke than a rhyme. More a note than a story, Just a moment in time. It’s more of a minor to major, More like a myth than a lie, More a curve than a circle. More all wrong than all right. ‘Move on,’ I can almost hear you say ‘Live no longer between Tomorrow and yesterday.’ Chorus: Oh, now, the disconnect is failing. Go now, and help me find my way back home. It’s more like a bribe than a reason, More of a thief than a spy. Less a gift than a token, More a when than a why. It’s more of a day than a season, More like a cloud than the sky. More a fool than a demon. Just a mote in god’s eye. Chorus. ‘Move on,’ I can almost hear you say ‘Live no longer between Tomorrow and yesterday.’ Keep on, no matter what they say And grow stronger Each new tomorrow and every day. That light took a lifetime to reach us, Yeah, starlight is for the long term. I guess there’s so much it could teach us If only we’re willing to learn. Make a parody of a tragedy. Oh, now, the disconnect is failing. Go now, and help me find my way back. Know now, your disconnect is failing. Go now, and help me find my way back home.
13.
ALL THAT REMAINS Just another day Part of the tapestry. Hoping for sunshine But preparing for rain. We have to do the best we can With what we have. Yeah, we all create our fictions To help us deal with the pain No one wants to live their life in darkness. On the other hand, No one seems to want to make it shine. It’ll darken your soul If you keep it inside And suddenly you’re left Out in the cold For the rest of your life. Chorus: All that remains We’re standing right in the middle of. No one explained The end or beginning of. Our light won’t fade, It never will Until We fall into the black again We fall into the black again Fall into the black again We fall into the black again. Never was a day I didn’t want to be a better me. Yeah, I wasn’t always sunshine But I wasn’t always rain. I never tried to make it A way that it never was. Didn’t try to make a fiction, Just tried to deal with the pain. Seems they wanna live their lives in darkness. Won’t you take my hand? There could be a way to make it shine. If you do as you’re told, Then you’ll keep it inside Where everybody’s left Out in the cold For the rest of their lives. Chorus.
14.
NOTHING LEFT HERE (PT V1) Almost drove ourselves crazy. Put our lives on the line. Though the memories are hazy It’s worth keeping in mind All that we did was for the good of man, To lend a hand and find a plan. What then? What then? While the gaslight kept burning, We adjusted our sight ‘til the one way of learning Was through that prism of light. But we still remained determined to Prevent the worst from coming true What then? What then? And we drove ourselves the extra mile And faced our future with a smile. What then? What then? What good was all our learning, Emerging from the darkest night Just to become a nation yearning To be a prisoner of spite? What grew from the embers Became a towering flame. Now no one remembers Like a beast with no name. And we watch it still rising, And we hear all the cheers. Guess it’s hardly surprising That there’s nothing left here

about

Remember the good old days? When there was a sense of normality? Holding hands in the sunset, looking forward to the future, being happy. So easy to daydream right now, to pretend that this isn’t happening, to pretend it’s not true that there’s ‘Nothing Left Here’.
“What if evil is just emptiness, what if it’s nothing, something missing?” ‘Dereliction’ is another mostly spoken word treasure that will make you question what has happened and what is happening right now. It’s stark how many of these lyrics mean so much more in these crazy times.
But for 4 whole minutes you can forget all that because the ‘Freedom Machine’ is here to catapult you back to 1995 and the best track that Transfusion never had. With a nod to the political vitriol of AP&S’ ‘Great Place’ this is absolutely one for the AP&S fans. You won’t stay seated for the track that lends itself to the title of this chapter, and anyone who thinks Sinombré is an entirely new direction will be reminded of the many coloured coat Miro wears.
‘Crazytown’ and follow up ‘Money Tree’ were originally released as digital ‘album taster’ singles. Reinventing the art of Americana, the former is a desert track that resets the senses for the darkened world of Sinombré but how far away is this place? “Crazy’s all around, Everything’s the wrong way round”. Isn’t that already here?
‘Money Tree’ is a classy rock track that showcases Miro’s vocal range and his disgust for the great capitalist foundation of this rich and independent country. Whilst May’s famous “Magic Money Tree” may not be the target of his indignation it’s pretty clear who the bad guys are here.
The Sinombré interludes aren’t just welcome, they’re necessary. Your path to redemption is a ‘Life Support’ on the road but be careful what you choose, the ‘Bitterfruit’ may not leave you refreshed.
Back in the desert you would be forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled upon a gypsy circus as you sail in to the ‘Con Spirra Sea’, everyone inside the tattered tent is clutching a drink and swaying gently, all part of the show. “Wayfaring strangers with gallons of charm”, you’ll fit right in.
In these times of unease it is easy to lose your way, what keeps us going is faith. In the world of Sinombré you will find your strength in the ‘Quiet Belief in Angels’ You’ll also find the earworm you’ll be humming next time you wake up in despair at 4am. You won’t be alone.
When you’re good and ‘Ready’ you’re going to stand up and wonder not where, but when the hell you are. Back to the 80s with this poptastic powerball that will pander to your penchant for parade and pageant. “This time I’m gonna take it all” Miro croons, I think he pretty much just did.
If you’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name then you’re The Passenger right? You’d be forgiven for thinking that was where we were headed but no. Today we’re ‘Waiting for the Barbarians’ to hell and back. An undeniable mid-West track with a salty singalong bridge and chorus.
If you love ‘Earthly Powers’ you’ll connect with ‘Disconnect’ which sounds like it was written for the solo acoustic gigs Miro is known for. A delicate chilled drinkalong track with the heartbeat of the desert and an air of whimsy to soothe your pains.
When you fall in to the black you have to keep trying, to better the world, to better yourself, you have to try. But sooner or later you’ll just fall in to the black again. An endless cycle. This is ‘All that Remains’. And just like that we’re at that point again – waiting for the word that rhymes with ‘here’. There’s something magical about part IV, honest and raw and moving. It’s part of the story, you can’t just jump in, but if you’ve been on the journey then you’re ready for this.

James Tomlinson

credits

released March 4, 2022

Produced, engineered & mixed by Paul Miro
Mastering: Dave Draper

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Paul Miro UK

Paul Miro is an artist who records and performs both as a solo artist and in bands. In addition to his extensive catalogue of solo albums, he writes regularly for film and TV and does mix and production work for other artists.

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