Thé Lau - Platinum Blues (2015, Translation by David Colmer)Thé Lau - Platinum Blues (2015, Translation by David Colmer)
- It's Time to Doze Off.
- Death Is Hunting Me.
- Angels.
- Where Am I?
- Pearls.
- Will-o'-the-wisp.
- Peacock Eye.
- Good Morning.
It’s time to doze off,
Here comes the night.
And now I know that
It’s worked out fine.
And the pouring rain has stopped at last,
Dream juice seeping through the tube.
The footsteps echo past the room,
And voices.
With angels to look after me,
Their breath’s a whisper in my ear.
It’s telling me, forget your fear.
They’re breathing...
It’s time to doze off,
Here comes the night.
And now I know that
This night is mine.
And the rain is coming down again,
(Death is hunting me.)
Morphine is seeping through the tube,
(Death is hunting me.)
The footsteps echo past the room,
(Death is hunting me.)
Footsteps and voices…
(Death is hunting me,
Death is hunting me,
Death is hunting me,
Death is hunting me...)
And it’s my feet that he’s after,
But my feet just kick him away, and I walk.
And it’s my hands that he’s after ,
But my hands just smack him round, and I play.
It’s my words that he’s after,
But my words don’t listen to him, and I sing.
And death is hunting me,
Emaciated hateful death.
Death is hunting me,
Malignant unforgiving death.
Death is hunting me,
But I roam when I’m dreaming
And my dreams are off-limits to death.
(to death... to death...)
It’s my wings that he’s after,
But my wings just batter him back, and I fly.
It’s my thoughts that he’s after,
But all my thoughts are somewhere else, where I dream.
And death is hunting me,
Emaciated hateful death.
Death is hunting me,
Malignant unforgiving death.
Death is hunting...
But I go into my dreams
And my dreams are off-limits to death.
(to death...)
Hey, fuck yourself you fucking arsehole,
We don’t lie down in Amsterdam.
That’s how misery’s averted,
Where I come from, Amsterdam
(misery, misery...
and death, death, death, death
death, death, death, death
death, death, death, death
death, death, death, death...)
It’s time to doze off,
This night is mine.
And now I know that
It will be fine.
And the pouring rain has stopped at last,
Life is seeping through the tube,
And footsteps echo past the room,
And voices.
With angels to look after me,
Their breath’s a whisper in my ear,
It’s telling me, forget your fear,
They’re breathing...
It’s time to doze off…
Dream on ’bout everything the world ever promised.
The world has a habit of promising wealth and fame.
Dream on ’bout everything the world ever promised,
If you’re a sucker or a cynic – once you’re here, it’s all the same.
And I hear voices of angels,
Of shining stars and angels,
Singing in my ear.
And I hear voices of angels,
Of shining stars and angels,
Floating round my head.
Be the man that you are,
Free the child in your heart,
Seek your purpose in life,
And don’t lose the faith.
Be the man that you are,
Free the child in your heart,
Seek your purpose in life,
Whoever you are, believe in your heart,
Believe in your heart, and don’t lose the faith.
Dream on ’bout treasures that the earth really promised.
The earth reveals its glory in every colour you can name.
Dream on ’bout everything the earth ever promised.
Bitter poison or bright diamonds – once you’re here, it’s all the same.
And I hear voices of angels,
Of shining stars and angels,
Singing in my ear.
And I hear voices of angels,
Of shining stars and angels,
Floating round my head.
Be the man that you are,
Free the child in your heart,
Seek your purpose in life,
And don’t lose the faith.
Be the man that you are,
Free the child in your heart,
Seek your purpose in life,
Whoever you are, believe in your heart,
Believe in your heart, and don’t lose the faith.
(chorus: shining stars and angels, shining stars and angels…)
It’s time to doze off,
Here comes the night.
Where am I?
Is this me too?
Where am I?
Am I there too?
Who is here?
Here with me?
Where am I?
And where are you?
Where am I?
Am I there too?
Where am I?
Am I there too?
Who is here?
I can’t see you.
Who is here?
Here with me?
Where am I?
And where are you?
Where am I?
And where are you?
Please don’t go.
Wait for me.
Please don’t go.
And stay with me.
(...And stay with me...
...and stay...)
The droplets in this tube turn to pearls, pearls in a necklace round the throat of a goddess.
And the droplets in this tube turn to pearls in a necklace round the pale slender throat of a goddess.
The droplets in this tube turn to white and gleaming pearls round the pale slender throat of a goddess.
And the pale slender throat with the white and gleaming pearls is the throat of my mother, I guess.
Is this me? No, it’s not me.
But how could this still be me?
Because I roam, because I float,
Because I lead another life,
Because I float, because I dream,
Because I have another... another home.
And the droplets on the glass of the window turn to tiny little diamonds in the eyes of a goddess.
And the droplets on the glass turn to tiny little diamonds in the bright and shining eyes of a goddess.
And the droplets in the glass, the tiny little diamonds, turn to bright and shining stars in the eyes of a goddess.
And the bright and shining stars in the eyes of the goddess turn to tears, they’re my mother’s, I guess.
Is this me? No, it’s not me.
But how could this still be me?
Because I roam, because I float,
Because I lead another life,
Because I float, because I dream,
Because I have another home.
Because I roam, because I float,
Because I lead another life,
Because I float, because I dream,
Because I have another home.
Because I roam, because I float,
Because I lead another life,
Because I float, because I dream,
Because I have another... another home.
Death is hunting me. [repeat]
It’s my life that he’s after,
But my life will not be his, while I’m alive.
It’s my love that he’s after.
But my love just turns him down, while I still dream.
Death is hunting me,
Emaciated hateful death.
Death is hunting me,
Malignant unforgiving death.
Death is hunting me,
But I roam when I’m dreaming,
And my dreams are off-limits to death.
Will of, will of, the wisp.
Lead me through the dark in the hall,
Lead me to the gate out the back,
Down the track through the treacherous mist,
Take me to the outskirts of town.
Lead me down the gloomiest path,
Guide me, dance ahead through the night,
Lead me to the end of the fields,
Where no-one expects us, nobody’s awake.
Will of, will of, the wisp.
Will of, will of, the wisp.
Lead me into the sheltering forest,
Lead me over the blanket of snow,
Then along the cold swirling river,
On the bank till the mountains begin.
Lead me up high till the clouds are below me,
And the peak shines like a silvery throne,
And there, in the thin air, there’s no danger,
Up there, I will be fine on my own.
Will of, will of, the wisp.
Will of, will of, the wisp.
Just take me straight back to bed.
Just take me straight back to bed.
Peacock eye, green and blue and high-up on the ceiling.
Peacock eye, and I can’t escape it.
Peacock eye, green and blue and high and dry up on the ceiling.
Peacock eye, and we can’t escape it.
Peacock eye, green and blue and high-up on the ceiling.
Peacock eye, constantly watching.
Peacock eye, green and blue and high and dry up on the ceiling.
Peacock eye, we can’t escape it.
Watching my companion who shares, who shares my birthday,
Who is next to me in bed, and suffering all my fears.
Together with me, he rolled across the floor with laughter.
Together with me, he cried bitter never-ending tears.
My friend whose DNA and fingerprints match mine,
Who’s different from all the others but just the same as me,
Who hurled building blocks at other kids who teased him,
Who lost a game and choked back tears as salty as the sea.
Peacock eye, dry and green and high-up on the ceiling.
Peacock eye, we can’t escape it.
Peacock eye, green and blue and high and dry up on the ceiling.
Peacock eye, constantly watching.
Watching my friend who failed maths and Latin,
But wracked his brains in our wooden school desk,
Who lacked the ability to really be outstanding,
But desperately wanted to be better than the rest.
My friend who really really doesn’t have much talent,
My friend with two left feet who sings like a crow.
Well my friend has soul, and my friend’s the coollest,
Look closer and he’s the blackest white man you’ll ever know.
Peacock eye, green and blue and high-up on the ceiling.
Peacock eye, we can’t escape it.
Peacock eye, green and blue and high-up on the ceiling.
Peacock eye, we can’t escape it.
My friend, my friend, there are people who despise him,
And admittedly, admittedly, he’s been quite hard on some,
But those who love him, those who love him, know they can rely on him,
That, peacock eye, cannot be said of everyone.
Peacock eye, green and blue and high-up on the ceiling.
Peacock eye, we can’t escape it.
Peacock eye, green and blue and high and dry up on the ceiling.
Peacock eye, constantly watching.
Now leave me to lie here, leave me to lie here, peacock eye,
Leave me to lie here, peacock eye,
Peacock eye, leave me to lie here,
Leave me to lie here, peacock eye…
But let my good friend go.
Let him go.
(Far away ...
... Far from me...)
It’s time to doze off,
Here comes the night.
And now I know that
This night is mine.
– silence
Morning! Morning, Mr Lau.
Morning! Hello and good morning.
Morning! Morning, Mr Lau.
Morning! Hello and good morning.
Morning! Morning, Mr Lau.
Morning! Hello and good morning.
Morning! Morning, Mr Lau.
It’s almost time to get up now.
The dawn is looking good,
It’s red and rosy in the east,
The sun is keen to rise and shine,
It’s gonna be a lovely day.
There’s a thin, thin layer of ice,
On the pond down in the park,
And it snowed too in the night,
What a lovely, sunny day.
Come and sit down over here,
And I’ll just fluff these pillows up,
You can see it for yourself,
It’s such a lovely, sunny day.
And the demon who pursued me,
I see his footprints melting in the snow.
The demon who pursued me,
I see his arms, they’re flailing in thin air.
The demon who pursued me,
I see his hands, they’re burning in the sun.
The demon who pursued me,
The clean cold air has choked him, struck him dumb.
The demon who pursued me,
Is gone, leaving only the vaguest, the vaguest silhouette.
Today, he lost the battle,
Today, today, I’m getting up,
Getting out of bed.
(choir, quiet) lovely day... lovely day... (etc.)