|
1. |
|
|
|
|
I have a friend in Death
Yeah - Death is a friend of mine
She knows that she’s all I’ve got left
But sometimes she changes her mind
Like the time I crossed the line
And the time I crossed my wires
Well - she just laughed at my misfortune
And then waited outside…
‘Cos she knows…
Yeah - she knows…
That I’ve only got 10 good years
Before I fade away
I’ve only got 10 good years
Before Death takes me away from here
So I put my hand in Death’s
And we walked amongst the fire
And I asked her about the bees and the birds
And the things that raised my ire
She answered impatiently back
She said - “Boy…you’ve got things to do…
So why’d you bother me with this shit
When you know I do, too?”
Yeah - she knows…
Yeah - she knows…
That I’ve only got 10 good years
Before I fade away
I’ve only got 10 good years
Before Death takes me away
And it’s not that I wanna go
But I don’t wanna stay
I would like an alternative
But there’s fuck-all coming today
So I stroked Death’s hair as she slept
And decided to walk alone
And I pondered my very existence
As I left my home
And I thought of my wife and child
And I thought of a life less lived
And I thought I’d go back and try again
To see if…
If…
I’ve only got 10 good years
Before I fade away
I’ve only 10 good years
Before Death takes me away
Yeah - I’ve only got 10 good years
Before I fade away
I’ve only got 10 good years
Before Death takes me away from here
Takes me from here…
From here…
|
|
2. |
|
|
|
|
I have a friend in Death
Yeah - Death is a friend of mine
She knows that she’s all I’ve got left
But sometimes she changes her mind
Like the time I crossed the line
And the time I crossed my wires
Well - she just laughed at my misfortune
And then waited outside…
‘Cos she knows…
Yeah - she knows…
That I’ve only got 10 good years
Before I fade away
I’ve only got 10 good years
Before Death takes me away from here
So I put my hand in Death’s
And we walked amongst the fire
And I asked her about the bees and the birds
And the things that raised my ire
She answered impatiently back
She said - “Boy…you’ve got things to do…
So why’d you bother me with this shit
When you know I do, too?”
Yeah - she knows…
Yeah - she knows…
That I’ve only got 10 good years
Before I fade away
I’ve only got 10 good years
Before Death takes me away
And it’s not that I wanna go
But I don’t wanna stay
I would like an alternative
But there’s fuck-all coming today
So I stroked Death’s hair as she slept
And decided to walk alone
And I pondered my very existence
As I left my home
And I thought of my wife and child
And I thought of a life less lived
And I thought I’d go back and try again
To see if…
If…
I’ve only got 10 good years
Before I fade away
I’ve only 10 good years
Before Death takes me away
Yeah - I’ve only got 10 good years
Before I fade away
I’ve only got 10 good years
Before Death takes me away from here
Takes me from here…
From here…
|
|
3. |
|
|
|
|
4. |
|
|
|
|
5. |
|
|
|
|
6. |
|
|
|
|
I have a friend in Death
Yeah - Death is a friend of mine
She knows that she’s all I’ve got left
But sometimes she changes her mind
Like the time I crossed the line
And the time I crossed my wires
Well - she just laughed at my misfortune
And then waited outside…
‘Cos she knows…
Yeah - she knows…
That I’ve only got 10 good years
Before I fade away
I’ve only got 10 good years
Before Death takes me away from here
So I put my hand in Death’s
And we walked amongst the fire
And I asked her about the bees and the birds
And the things that raised my ire
She answered impatiently back
She said - “Boy…you’ve got things to do…
So why’d you bother me with this s**t
When you know I do, too?”
Yeah - she knows…
Yeah - she knows…
That I’ve only got 10 good years
Before I fade away
I’ve only got 10 good years
Before Death takes me away
And it’s not that I wanna go
But I don’t wanna stay
I would like an alternative
But there’s f**k-all coming today
So I stroked Death’s hair as she slept
And decided to walk alone
And I pondered my very existence
As I left my home
And I thought of my wife and child
And I thought of a life less lived
And I thought I’d go back and try again
To see if…
If…
I’ve only got 10 good years
Before I fade away
I’ve only 10 good years
Before Death takes me away
Yeah - I’ve only got 10 good years
Before I fade away
I’ve only got 10 good years
Before Death takes me away from here
Takes me from here…
From here…
|
|
7. |
|
|
|
|
I have a friend in Death
Yeah - Death is a friend of mine
She knows that she’s all I’ve got left
But sometimes she changes her mind
Like the time I crossed the line
And the time I crossed my wires
Well - she just laughed at my misfortune
And then waited outside…
‘Cos she knows…
Yeah - she knows…
That I’ve only got 10 good years
Before I fade away
I’ve only got 10 good years
Before Death takes me away from here
So I put my hand in Death’s
And we walked amongst the fire
And I asked her about the bees and the birds
And the things that raised my ire
She answered impatiently back
She said - “Boy…you’ve got things to do…
So why’d you bother me with this s**t
When you know I do, too?”
Yeah - she knows…
Yeah - she knows…
That I’ve only got 10 good years
Before I fade away
I’ve only got 10 good years
Before Death takes me away
And it’s not that I wanna go
But I don’t wanna stay
I would like an alternative
But there’s f**k-all coming today
So I stroked Death’s hair as she slept
And decided to walk alone
And I pondered my very existence
As I left my home
And I thought of my wife and child
And I thought of a life less lived
And I thought I’d go back and try again
To see if…
If…
I’ve only got 10 good years
Before I fade away
I’ve only 10 good years
Before Death takes me away
Yeah - I’ve only got 10 good years
Before I fade away
I’ve only got 10 good years
Before Death takes me away from here
Takes me from here…
From here…
|
|
8. |
|
|
|
|
9. |
|
|
|
|
10. |
|
|
|
|
I have a friend in Death
Yeah - Death is a friend of mine
She knows that she’s all I’ve got left
But sometimes she changes her mind
Like the time I crossed the line
And the time I crossed my wires
Well - she just laughed at my misfortune
And then waited outside…
‘Cos she knows…
Yeah - she knows…
That I’ve only got 10 good years
Before I fade away
I’ve only got 10 good years
Before Death takes me away from here
So I put my hand in Death’s
And we walked amongst the fire
And I asked her about the bees and the birds
And the things that raised my ire
She answered impatiently back
She said - “Boy…you’ve got things to do…
So why’d you bother me with this stuff
When you know I do, too?”
Yeah - she knows…
Yeah - she knows…
That I’ve only got 10 good years
Before I fade away
I’ve only got 10 good years
Before Death takes me away
And it’s not that I wanna go
But I don’t wanna stay
I would like some alternative
But there’s not one coming today
So I stroked Death’s hair as she slept
And decided to walk alone
And I pondered my very existence
As I left my home
And I thought of my wife and child
And I thought of a life less lived
And I thought I’d go back and try again
To see if…
If…
I’ve only got 10 good years
Before I fade away
I’ve only 10 good years
Before Death takes me away
Yeah - I’ve only got 10 good years
Before I fade away
I’ve only got 10 good years
Before Death takes me away from here
|
"10 Good Years" is an honest and confronting journey about getting comfortable with death and getting comfortable with being human.
released December 8, 2023
Written and composed by Julian Smith, 2018.
Tracks 1-9:
All vocals, bass, keyboards, synths, and drums - Julian Smith.
All guitars including acoustics and electrics, 6 and 12-strings, baritones, and ebows - Michael ‘Chalky’ White.
Piano Accordion - Leon Conway.
Produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Julian Smith at The Tiny Room Recording Studio, Donald, Victoria, Australia.
Guitars recorded at Chateau Le Blanc, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England.
Piano Accordion recorded at Conway Manor, Ballan, Victoria, Australia.
Recorded and mixed during May - August 2021, and finalised in October 2023.
Huge thanks to Chalky for his massive efforts during the recording of this song and for our friendship across the years, and to Leon Conway for his delicacy and humour (and for providing the idea for using ‘Le Capitaine de Saint-Malo’). My sincere and ongoing gratitude to you both. ❤️🙏
Track 10:
Recorded live-to-camera at O’Donohue’s Beach, Anglesea, Victoria, Australia - January 14th, 2019.
Recorded by Sodamon, South Korea (Creve, Inc.).
Producer: Son Young Joo.
Director: Kim Ga Eun.
DoP: Choi Hoe Jong.
AD: Lee Bo Young.
Interpreter/Runner: Cha Jeong In.
This version of "10 Good Years" was filmed for Sodamon’s “Towards The Sun” campaign during 2019/2020.
Deep and genuine thanks to the Sodamon team for their friendship, support and belief. ❤️🙏
Artwork and design - Leon Ryan -
www.leonryan.com
Tracks 1, 3, and 4 contain an excerpt and interpolation of ‘Le Capitaine de Saint-Malo’ (writers and composers unknown).
