Artwork cover by Rita O'Dwyer for the album Nice Place.

LYRICS

  1. Nice Place  3:58

©2016 Kristof Robert (IMRO)

The sky was grey

lights of dawn

down in the valley

lay this little town

where salmon and trout

sprawled for a while

sprawled for a while

Chorus

Just stopped by to that little town

trees were bare

leaves were on the ground

it looked like a nice place

to sit around

to sit around

The blood was raging

through my veins

a long journey

coming to the end

a lonely roaming stranger

to god knows where

to god knows where

chorus

The shrill of a whistle

in the lane

a loud singing

guitars waltzing

Just like the kind of session

i could sit around

could sit around

Just stopped by to that little town

the ebb is still coming around

it surely is a nice place

to sit around

to sit around

feet on the ground, sit around, sit around, sit

around….…

2. L’oiseau Lecteur  3:39

©2018 Kristof Robert (IMRO)

Il est entré par la fenêtre

une belle soirée d’été

puisque celle-ci était ouverte

pourquoi s’en empêcher

j’étais plonger dans mon récit

du genre où le monde s’arrête

quand l’piaf a montré son bec

l’ange du ciel se croit tout permis

Chorus

l’oiseau était lecteur

Prévert, La Fontaine et Hugo

pour s’envoler ailleurs

vers des horizons plus beaux

pour s’envoler ailleurs

vers des horizons plus beaux

son cou jaune de travers

trépidait de fierté

à la vue du repère

mon dieu, que de papiers

c’lui-là était artiste

il a découvert l’art du mot

sous l’oeil du chat d’Matisse

histoire de cultiver sa cervelle de moineau

Chorus

l’oiseau aimait les livres

mais la lumière du soir

n’inspire qu’à voler libre

loin du bitume des trottoirs

lassé de ces merveilles

il me siffle à quoi bon

pourquoi porter ces ailes

si c’est pour faire salon

l’oiseau était lecteur

Prévert, La Fontaine et Hugo

il s’est s’envolé ailleurs

vers des horizons plus beaux

il s’est s’envolé ailleurs

vers des horizons plus beaux

3. Nice To See You  4:23

©2017 Kristof Robert (IMRO)

The sun lifts the darkness

when the sparrow knocks on the window

he shakes off our slumber

just to say hello

Shakes off our slumber and say hello  (x2)

Chorus

It’s nice to see you

comin’ in the sunshine

nice to see you

bring in the sun

He’ll come back tomorrow

perform his beak harmony

he’ll tipititap his mojo

can you hear on the balcony?

tipititap his mojo on the balcony (x2)

Chorus

I hear you in my sleep

when i’m down and blue

a familiar messenger

gone to the sky

familiar messenger gone to the sky (x2)

i miss you i miss you

Chorus

Repeat last verse

4. Starlings  3:21

©2019 Kristof Robert (IMRO)

you’re labelled invasive

borders mean nothin’ to you

country pate for the frenchy

songster favourite for Mozart

Chorus

starlings’ wave at dusk

rest in my roof

starlings’ wave at dusk

I don’t mind your company

gaze at your washin’ in the wind

take my black feathers to the sky

swirlin’, swoopin’ and dippin’

I make tunes for my courtship

rave at nightfall with young and old

you sit and stare at a shiny fold

a blind mole trapped two feet below

Chorus

I dragged my bones in the mire

carried none of your claims to fame

when you’ll nest and your bill is full

I’ll lay weary on my gunned down dreams

you’re labelled invasive

borders mean nothin’ to you

borders mean nothin’

nothin’ to you

Chorus

5. Leo’s Guitar  3:14

©2017 Kristof Robert (IMRO)

Born in sawdust

in the heyday of rock and ye-ye

oh born in sawdust

in the heyday of rock and ye-ye

in Leo’s smoky workshop

a double-cut strat saw the light of day

no one, no more,

does really know for sure

oh no one, no more,

does really know for sure

how it hanged in Foley’s store

thousand miles from its native shore

In spit and sawdust

you could hear her chiming spell

In spit and sawdust

you could hear her chiming spell

in the hands of Jeff and Gay

and many more if you heed to hearsay

Now you’d pay through the nose

to cradle her body really close

Now you’d pay through the nose

to cuddle her body really close

lads in Carrick are feeling sick

still play the blues with a lot of soul

lads in Carrick, legend or truth

still play the blues with a lot of soul

6. Another Man’s Wound  4:16

Written by Seamus McGrath / arr. 2016 Kristof

Robert (IMRO)

You died that we’d live and be free

did you fight for that freedom in vain

are your dreams in the clay where you sleep

do your ghosts hang their heads down in shame

do we just mouth the words that you spoke

or endlessly boast of your deeds

but it’s easy to talk now you’re gone

or to sleep on another man’s wound

but it’s easy to talk now you’re gone

or to sleep on another man’s wound

The shrewd men all said you were fools

that your high talk was nothing but lies

but we can look back on it all

and tell now the fools from the wise

now the clever men call out your names

and we clap and applaud when they speak

but it’s easy to talk now you’re gone

or to sleep on another man’s wound

but it’s easy to talk now you’re gone

or to sleep on another man’s wound

Your own people spat in your face

it was you heard the mocks and the jeers

but your bodies lay cold in their graves

when the shouting too late turned to tears

now we’ll carve out your names on a stone

put your heads on a coin and a stamp

You died that we’d live and be free

You died that we’d live and be free

but it’s easy to talk now you’re gone

or to sleep on another man’s wound

7. In The Dirt  3:19

©2017 Kristof Robert (IMRO)

Babies dare i say

underground lie

away from preying eyes

dressed in dust and clay

Chorus

Forgotten  in the dirt

nothing to say

forgotten in the dirt

nothing nothing to say

bon secours for a shelter

we’ll do the best

your mother’s falling tears

we’ll bury them with the rest

Chorus

no cherubs and angels

no hearts of gold

refuse and rubbles

wasted barren lives

Chorus

digging in the dirt

for love not allowed

lucky ones to America

them skins and bones

Chorus x2

8. Hungry Midges  3:52

©2017 Kristof Robert (IMRO)

Chorus

Shake off hungry midges

They swirl and attack

your body and soul

They live off your glory

the catch of your hunt

they prey over me

waiting for a stunt

Chorus

Spectators of the show

you drink the joy

leave me the sorrow

the rest you can enjoy

Chorus

Wallpaper music

say nothing we don’t know

hollow bags of empty tricks

give nothing you don’t owe

Chorus 

9. Searching  4:04

©2016 Kristof Robert (IMRO)

Like a bad dream in the morning

like a bad dream in the dark

I’m waking to the silence

of the birds

Chorus

Why do we have to walk?

Why so much lost souls?

We’re searching for our road

we’re searching for our road

The rain is falling slow

your breathing heaving loud

up above a moon

less sky

Chorus

We’re searching for our road

keep searching keep searching keep searching

we’re searching for our road

we’re searching for our road

we’re searching for our road

10. The Sky Is Blue  5:26

©2017 Kristof Robert (IMRO)

Chorus

The sky is blue / so is my heart (x2)

I close my eyes / and think of you

I walked the woods / mem’ries knock on my

shoulder  (x2)

birds twitter / under the furze

what can you do, says you / come hear my new

song (x2)

leaves up Seskin / nod in the breeze

chorus

years are passing / ev’ry sunrise (x2)

the t-shirts from my teens / fall into rags

a wall of ancient tears / drips from the trees (x2)

Django’s tail / sweeps the heavens

chorus

the coffee beans / ground in the filter (x2)

volutes of steam / freeze in the air

the sky is blue, the sky is blue, the sky is blue,

the sky is blue, the sky is blue

Kristof Robert: vocals, acoustic guitar, octave mandolin, electric guitar (3,6) and ukulele

Gay Brazel: dobro, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass (2,4,10), lap steel, tricone and scheerhorn resonator

Cormac Hennessy: double-bass

Mick Grace: drums, cajon

Stéphane Lefort: acoustic guitar (10)

Ano: backing vocals and cello arrangements

Paddy Flynn: glockenspiel

Ano and Paddy appear courtesy of Anolog Records.

Photos by Kristof  /  Pencil drawings by Rita O’Dwyer

CD design by Declan Cusack at object.ie

Mixed by Alastair McMillan

Mastered by Denis Blackham at Skye Mastering

CONTACT

kristof.robert.music@gmail.com

CONNECT WITH KRISTOF ROBERT

All Kristof's photos by Andrew O'Dwyer Photography