Beat Alive

(Russell, Owens) You’re like a rat in a cage in the middle of a breakdown Hack-rage, living off cold takeout What you gonna do when they come for you? What you gonna do when the plan falls through? Through with your home and you’re through with your lover Left alone to fantasise about your mother now What you gonna do when they come for you? What you gonna do when the plan falls through? You’re like Iraq in the back of the holiday season “Somebody invaded – anybody see ‘em?” What you gonna do when they come for you? What you gonna do when the plan falls through? We keep the beat alive We ...

Emily

(Russell, Owens, Lyons) Little sister walking by, with a look in her eye, “Come on”, she’s saying. “I’m going out with all my friends tonight, See we’ve got drinks to buy and parties to attend,” “Oh, today I got a man from SA He’s got a lot to learn and I’ve got plenty to say” So come on (come on), come on (come on) She wanna stop in The Sun, smile at everybody, Emily, I’m sorry, We’re just fooling around (just fooling around) Emily, I’m sorry We’re just fooling around (just fooling around) ”Four more hours of work today, then it’s time to play, I’ve got all my things, And I love the conversation-stop When they ...

Run

(Russell, Owens) If you're ever gonna run my boy I'm afraid you're heading for a wall And I'd hate to see you fall I think you'd better step outside One day you might hear a deeper call But you don't care at all You're never gonna swim that ocean clearer You're never gonna be that boy again You're never gonna fly unless you leave her Or something's gonna give inside your head You're never gonna run You're never gonna run I hear you say "It's not my fault" You play the game but you don't know the rules Afraid you're gonna lose  As seven easy years have shown We can give you everything you need But it won't ...

England

(Russell, Owens, Lyons) My father worked every hour My timing was good Fought enemies we believed in For honour we stood With sentiment, I grow older I'm watching things change These settlement walls are burning Fear bellows the flames  For another second we remain Halt the fire with steady, ashen rain Raise us up and bring us home again The dawn is falling, the dawn is falling Take me home Take me home Take me home (I hear England) Take me home (I hear England) Take me home  It's hidden in every heartbeat It's written on every wall We're sending a silent army To fight for us all Nail a call to battle on our door Name the ground and what we're fighting for Take ...

LYs record with legendary producer Hugh Padgham



If you’re wondering why The Lightyears have been a little quiet for the last few weeks, here’s why - the band have been busy in the studio, recording new tracks with legendary producer Hugh Padgham. 

Hugh Padgham is generally regarded as one of the most important producers in the history of popular music. He has worked with Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Kate Bush and Elton John but is perhaps most famous for his work with Sting, The Police, Genesis and Phil Collins. Hugh’s production skills were behind such classic hits as Sting’s Fields Of Gold, Every Breath You Take by The ...

I’m Not

(Russell, Owens) You came to talk and to set things straight I’d say you’ve come to the right place We promised never to part But here we are again So just in case You think I’m coming back… I’m not You think I care for what you’ve got There’s nothing left and I don’t care I did not come to be made a fool It’s such a shame to be so cruel You said “Take care of my heart” But here we are again So just in case Chorus

The Last Night

(Wob, Lyons) Now the time is drawing to a close The curtain, it twitches, as the stage hand holds onto the rope This is the end This is the end The seats, threadbare and dusty, full for the last night This is the end This is the end Tonight, all is forgotten The battles lost and won ‘Cos tonight is the last night And the final curtain call must be done

She’s The One

(Lyons) She was a girl like no other On my computer screen She came from Surrey in the suburbs But London was her scene She worked in media and fashion Lived in Highgate on the tube And I just had to meet her Sounded too good to be true So after e-mailed faint attractions Met in Chalk Farm for a drink She wore the latest Hoxton fashions Pretty trendy, but I think That her clothes they do not suit her And her business chat’s put on But she’s the one I’m after Affected girls just turn me on She’s the one for me She’s the one for me We had to date in the right places Primrose Hill, Point 101 She ...

Miles Away

(Russell, Owens) Correction All that you know, you no longer own Lines on a hand, a face in the dark you’d recognise anyhow And you follow the rope When it’s all that you know And you call all your friends They ask the usual questions But you’re miles away With your heart in motion And everything’s grey What if you knew from the start This shake of your heart Would you have changed it so one day it made it easier? And you follow the rope Because it’s all that you know And you call all your friends And they ask a million questions But you’re miles away With your heart in motion And everything’s grey Don’t call today Numb with explosion Ripping ...

Fine

(Russell, Owens) Jamie knows what's best for me. I think I'll ask his advice, And he says 'I don't know her Anymore than I knew you, and we're just fine, don't be afraid'. Jamie gets us both a drink. Says he can see right through her, 'She will break your heart you that,' Maybe that's just how I am, I don't like it but it's me. Maybe. No, something else is bothering me. She's not the first mysterious girl I've fallen for – is this the same? There's a picture in my head - Stop me if you've heard this - Of all that I want you to be... And Jamie knows she's not ...

The World’s Most Famous Festival

Friday 22 June, 7am (Car Park, Glastonbury Festival, Somerset): I wake up, reluctantly, and squint at my immediate surroundings. I am feeling really quite wretched. We have had less than two hours sleep on the back of a 14-hour day in the studio and a 3-hour drive to Somerset. And when I say “sleep”, I am using that word in its loosest sense. Three grown men squeezed into the back of an estate car with a couple of tents and a sizeable collection of instruments is not the kind of environment that promotes blissful slumber. Believe me. Imagine, if you will, that upon waking ...

Girl On The Radio

(Russell, Owens) Dark night, driving home I see silhouettes on the dash, in my eyes And the lights in the rain come lashing Singing just to me, the girl Wonder what she’d make of all this…? Sing out The voice on the radio over again And show me The voice that I know, sing to me Spotlight, riding on seem to wait till I’m almost asleep at the wheel And then call me back soundly Laughing and shivering� As I drive through Cities and villages touched by you Chorus

The things we do in the name of rock and roll…

Thursday 21 June, 11.50pm (Hugh’s recording studio, West London): We have spent the last week and a half in the studio recording an EP with our new producer, Hugh Padgham. In the past, Hugh has worked with Sting & The Police, Genesis, Paul McCartney, David Bowie and so on, and the various albums he has worked on over his career have sold over 250 million records and won him 4 Grammys. Which, I think we can all agree, ain’t half bad. Hugh is currently producing 3 tracks for us - Emily, Sleepless and Don’t Want You. Today is the last day of ...

Banana Republic

(Lyons) I once met a girl from a Banana Republic Who drove her Ford Capri with hanging dice to Dubrovnik She flies in on the red-eye and she smuggles contraband And she helps the pilot join the Mile-High Club before he lands Banana Republic Ba-Na-Na-Na-Na Republic She parties in Ibiza, Magaluf, Biarritz and Spain, I've never seen her sober - all she drinks is fine champagne She says it is a cover for a mission she is on… To find a greedy dot-com and then have it overthrown. Chorus The last time that I saw her was in South Afghanistan She was firing a machine gun and it really turned me on. She gave ...

Filmstar

(Russell, Owens) You stay in shade when you step in the light You’re like a Manga wannabe Curl your lip like you’re picking a fight I’m gonna make you so sorry I’m gonna make you feel like a filmstar I’m gonna make you feel I never lied to a lover before Don’t ever think you beat me You look at me like a toreador Flashing red eyes right through me I’m gonna make you feel like a filmstar I’m gonna make you feel And now you claim that you’re moving away You never really wanted me You think it’s change that is keeping you sane I’m gonna make you so sorry I’m gonna make you feel like ...

Never Coming Back

(Russell, Owens) They found another undercover on train today He’s never ever coming back or so the papers say Never, you’re never coming back, you’re never coming back They’ve been evicted and collected over land and sea We came to liberate and educate the refugees Never, you’re never coming back, you’re never coming back Nothing to give her but a river of dirty lies We found an unofficial way to keep her mesmerised Never, you’re never coming back, you’re never coming back This band will play and play for The people that it’s made for But will the future wait for me? Wrote our obituary Back in late January There’s just so much that’s scaring ...

LYs to play Glastonbury Festival

The Lightyears’ slot at Glastonbury Festival 2007 has been confirmed as Friday 22 June @ 12pm midday on the Small World Stage.

Jingle Improvisation at the BBC

Thursday 7 June, 6.30pm (BBC Studios, Caversham, Berkshire): We only landed at Heathrow yesterday and we’re still pretty much on Korean time. Which means for us it’s about 2.30 in the morning. An ideal time to be recording a live session and interview for BBC Radio, then. We are the featured band on Linda Serck’s show The Session on BBC Radio Berkshire. A couple of minutes before Linda presses the record button, she reminds us of the Radio Berkshire jingle that all featured bands are asked to write in preparation for appearing on The Session. An alarm-bell rings in my head. George and Tony turn ...

“Oi – you with the enormous scimitar!”

Saturday 2 June, 5pm (Grand Ballroom, Grand Hyatt Hotel, Seoul): In a couple of hours, 500 esteemed guests are arriving at the Grand Ballroom for the annual Queen’s Birthday Ball. This afternoon the ballroom has been used for an alternative function, and the organisers now have just two hours to turn the place into Hogwarts (the theme this year is Harry Potter). It’s a bit like Challenge Anneka. I am looking round the enormous ballroom, wondering how on earth they’re going to do it. And then I see. The Event Co-ordinator clicks his fingers and a vast army of identically-clad hotel workers pours into ...

People have killed for lesser breakfasts than this

Friday 1 June, 9am (Grand Hyatt Hotel, Seoul, South Korea): We have been in Korea for a few days and by far the distinguishing feature of the tour so far has been BREAKFAST. The breakfasts at the Grand Hyatt are world-beating. People have killed for lesser breakfasts than this. Muffins, pancakes, fresh fruit, juices, joints of meat, waffles… sometimes I could weep at the beauty, I really could. Incidentally, we are currently eating breakfast next to the Dutch National Football Team, who are playing a friendly against Korea tomorrow night and are all staying at the Hyatt. And, may I take this opportunity to ...