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Farewell Beirut, O Scarlet Tramp

by Sami Basbous

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1.
Glad I’m feeling free You can count on me To flee the place I’m in When the light fades in With a broken heart And a stalking star Don’t know where to turn Bridges round me burn. And I pray with all my heart God gives me another start Anywhere is my home, under blue skies Never been a lucky boy Weathering the storms, I just get along Couldn’t give up on a dream, yet it’s been so long Mother you wouldn’t know me, if you saw me. Mama, mama won’t you call the angels Papa, papa don’t you call the cops, Oyibo Mama, mama won’t you call the angels Papa, papa don’t you call the cops So glad I’m feeling free Well you can count on me To swallow my pride For a gracious ride Eyes analyze my case Spit bane in my face Still I hold it high Deep inside I cry Luck is nothing but a ploy, with devastating charms Tracing down my palm, not gonna give up on a dream Till I run out of steam Mother you know me best, I come from your breath. Mama, mama won’t you call the angels Papa, papa don’t you call the cops, Oyibo Mama, mama won’t you call the angels Papa, papa don’t you call the cops Mama, mama, mama the angels Papa, papa, papa the cops Mama, mama, mama the angels Papa, papa, papa call the cops Sami Basbous
2.
Beautiful 04:29
Big, black, tall, Noble looking Golden eye-powder shimmer Indian glasses Petal lips Brushing all trouble aside She was beautiful, beautiful She was beautiful, beautiful Cunning young skinhead kid Thin, thin white Willowy Pierced eyebrows Bitten lips Marking territory with sex He was beautiful, beautiful He was beautiful, beautiful (Instrumental) I’m on no pills. No I got no pills At dawn the earth was set on fire Time of the old moon comes a choir Boys and girls, young and old Color the world with a smile Freaky sister. brother misfit Walk the night together for a while Girls of the night flare the sunshine Boys of the night burn the sunshine Demon, angel beam the sunshine Hoes of the night excite the sunshine Night drags fix the sunshine Dogs of the night call on the sunshine Night performers play the sunshine Loners of the night, ray of sunshine Loving people of the night kiss the sunshine Creatures of the night bring in the sunshine Sami Basbous
3.
Meant 04:20
My soul is resting on the solace of strangers Sweet bitter longing as old as it's new Blanket the heart, hands of an angel Coating of light, love I once knew Vessel and harbor Castle and chamber As you reveal to me, What love is meant to be Time like a circle beyond and before me, Eternally floating not a second nor year Nothing but nothing I feel can ever hurt me And a bright moon of tear appears only to clear Soothing and tender Rapture and splendor As you reveal to me What love is meant to be Holding inside very first breath Slowly releasing my abundant last Beauty beyond, pleasure surreal Kernel the glide, valiant the mast I’ve loved you forever Forever and ever As you reveal to me What love is meant to be You reveal to me Love is meant to be Sami Basbous
4.
Oh gentle cloud of sorrow Clothing a moonlit sky How well you paint my shadow Can you hear my heartfelt cry? I gave you filth and art Exposed demon and child If I’m to slit my heart You’d taste the Blood seeking a high Hunt the silence in a scream Hungry wolves howl inside my heart, aha… You shine within me sleeping I seem to measure dreams Another world I leap in Spirit in ethereal realm I will go out tonight Bred from a shabby cloth Wait for the blinding light Hit till I die like a moth Seek the silence in a scream Hungry wolves howl inside my heart, aha… Stripped from the wild, however brave Hungry wolves roam round hungry graves Following ancient trails I’ll keep away from harm Sew the scar tear the veil Echo the clan’s alarm Oh if I lost reason I haven’t lost my aim What if I lost my reason? Did I comply with brain? True if I fail to reason I overcame the game Conforming to no season My soul you’ll never tame In loyalty or treason You can call me any name Hunt the silence in a scream Hungry wolves howl inside my heart aha… Stripped from the wild, however brave Hungry wolves roam round hungry graves Yin moon shade the night A luminous rite Yang sun heal the day Wed the hunter to the prey Hunger the crave Summon the wild Sami Basbous
5.
Late at night, devil-scent The ghost of love came and went Left a love-bite, a souvenir, For a while to remember I play along with your spell. Knowing it cannot serve me well. Raise a worthy fight steal a kiss Shortly so I surrender. In the morning light You’ll turn into a dream Stripping me of all means To confirm you So I live for the night The coma where we belong When I’ll hum to your song Morphia streaming Ooh super! Solemn stupor! Love is crystal mirror clear Ooh super! Solemn stupor! Offer valor to my fear. Like the sea, so bounds the night With a keeper moon lending light Sound waves set out on drowning the blues Widowed souls come to know you The dawn of bedlam drums Quell the wail bite the bone Stone the heart, bleed the urge Awe alarming That ours were looted nights Shadows adverse to touch Cups we could never fill Sighs escaping Rather said, ample done Yearning hearts keep a silent gun Kindling solitude with venomous drops Threatening dear life with romance Sami Basbous
6.
Ya Bachoura 02:28
7.
Angel Dust 03:16
Blowing opiate smoke from your pouting revolver. I know you tell me lies, so I do you favor Your feverish kiss bears a venomous flavor. Your blood orange lips are coated with sulfur. Don’t you know why? I come to fly Lust angel lust My angel dust I could light a matchstick on your sable lipstick. Smear violent words on your satin mask. You can trick holy souls into stained heretics. If you know the means, it’s not your task. Don’t you know why? I come to fly Lust angel lust My angel dust Don’t you know why? I come to fly Lust angel lust My angel dust If the bull comes back for more, don’t mean you’re the matador. You might hold the bait, but you can’t keep it straight. No use building your spider web round my zodiac, You’re unaware my heart is a pyromaniac. Don’t you know why? I come to fly Lust angel lust My angel dust Don’t you know why? I come to fly Lust angel lust My angel dust Don’t you know why? Don’t you know why? Sami Basbous
8.
Water Brown 04:08
Nude I run the field bullets pen my space On a blazing night cold hands fortify their base Holding on to my dreams, eyes open wide May the land bless you all, and leave me blind You may reach for the sky I dive in the wide Deep in the silence of water The world is fine Under water brown or crystalline No place no color, water No trace no soul or body, water Once I sailed the sea on a paper boat Captain of my ship, the only fool to roam Days and nights I sailed on a siren’s song Woke up on a shore forsaken long Poseidon drunk with might Stepped on an urchin’s spine Rather than ending my life The ocean saved With every beat of it’s heart A mighty loving wave No place no color no form, water No trace no soul or body, nor time water No place no color, no east, west up and down water No trace no soul no race or body or from, no where now here, water Only breath Only a human breathing Up and out of the ocean I swim I drown In water brown In water blue or brown In water brown or Crystalline.
9.
Soot 07:11
Was the hardest work Was a perilous plight Love had no relevance Days far from bright The little was given Hurried off to the root One whole worth was put to an offer Eyes did not flinch Saw them suffer Was a servant worker Far from root Soul they couldn’t mute Hanging on rules Chained by food This dog’s no good Sought after lover There’s a light in the room Neighbor helped cover Pain behind closed door Stories of famine The way it turns you blind Circling time And what’s left behind Raft’s astray Bewildered time Was a prophet of light Hammered fright Spoke of what’s good Hanging on rules Chained by food This dog’s no good The child impelled Heaven from hell Drew vivid dream From fabled well Sowed a wish Buried doom In fertile garden Hope fairly bloomed One day just flew above the clouds One day soared above the skies Beyond the sky of soot Beyond the sky of soot Beyond the skies of soot Sami Basbous
10.
Miriame 02:42
This is a song for Miriame Oh Miriame you pretty girl Clearly bearing you daddy’s warmth Mum’s pluck and Lucky vein Oh honey bunny Miriame Your uncle’s an amusing fool His world you surely understand Is that of castles made of sand Miriame I love to watch your folly Miriame Even when you brood, you look jolly Miriame, Miriame I sill recall when You told me with a knowing smile We often ride the same carrousel But life is no merry-go round Oh pretty rare bird Miriame One day you will be wearing peals Just remember that trinkets too Look as lovely on a girl Just remember that trinkets too Look as lovely on a girl Oh pretty, pretty Miriame Sami Basbous
11.
I'm Not Here 02:53
Keep talking The words you say the way you smile make me feel that I’m alive It’s awfully nice of you to have invited me Thanks for the tea, thank you my dear And for the comfort, but I’m not here Keep playing The way you strum your guitar plucks a young nerve in my heart Reminding me how often music pulled me through The lonely years, the time I feared But it’s no use, cause I’m not here As if I sense but I fail to understand I’d let it all fall but I hold nothing Nothing in my hand Keep caressing my hair How tender, then I wish I could do for you the same But my own touch won’t translate as honest Maybe in time, these days will meet their end It’s not so clear, since I’m not here As if I sense but I fail to understand I’d let it all fall but I hold nothing Nothing in my hand Oh, Thanks for keeping An eye on me without ever asking anything in return And how you shoulder my silence It’s not a perk, it’s not my work, my tiny flat or a thing after another It not the weather, tube is no bother, nor this world I often don’t comprehend But If I were to stray, I know to it you’ll see That I won’t go away, even if I’m not here Oh I’m not here Not quite here No I’m not here Sami Basbous

credits

released February 22, 2010

Brad Barr played electric/acoustic guitar on tracks 1, 2, 3, 4,5, 7, 8 & 9, banjo on 1, 9 & 10, bass on 8, 9 & 10, drums on 9 & 10, piano on 10, accordion on 8, back up vocals on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 & 10 and guimbri on 8.

Chris Bartos played bass on tracks 1, 2, 4, 5 & 11, electric/acoustic guitar on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 & 11, violin on 1, 2, 4, 5 & 11 and Ukulele on 5.

Andrew Barr played drums on tracks 1 & 5.

Sarah Pagé played the harp on tracks 2 & 4.

Youri Slovak played violin and string parts on tracks 2, 3, 4 & 7.

Eric Thibodeau played drums on tracks 2, 4 & 7.

Cédric Dind-Lavoie played upright bass on tracks 3 & 7.

Diely Mori Tounkara played cora on tracks 1 & 3.

Gordon Allen played trumpet on tracks 2, 9 & 10.

Levy Bourbonnais played harmonica on tracks 1 & 7.

Akua Carson and Anna Goren sang back up on tracks 1, 2, 4, 5 & 9.

Hoda Adra sang back up on track 9.

Sami Basbous played guitar on track 8 and produced track 6 with Mat Schmitz.

Additional percussions, music bits and sounds by Chris Bartos, Brad Barr and Sami Basbous.



Produced & Arranged by Brad Barr, Chris Bartos & Sami Basbous.

Mixed by Vid Cousins and Sami Basbous at Monkey Puzzle Sound Studio, Montreal.

Mastered by Harris Newman at Grey Market Mastering, Montreal.


© 2010 - All songs composed, written and sang by Sami Basbous.

Self-financed and recorded at different intervals in 2009.

Thank You:

My brothers Fadi and George, Dad, Mother Angele, Mother Rachel, Marylar, Michael Maher, Florence Deniau, Hoda Adra, Chris Burke, Susan Rait, James Gager, Wissam Mansour, Alexandre D, Alexandre T, Lily, Dani, Leila Mroueh, Johnny and Femi, Soeur leyla, Bumps, Prof. Nasnas, Nelly Chemaly, Rita Awn, Tamima Dahdah, Elie, Ghazy F, Adolfo Smith, Michael Byrnes, Anne De Mo, Frank Smith, Tacfarinas, Gilad, Adam, Chérine, Mélisande, Will Scott, Alain Auger, Mariam Nour, Stéphane, Greg, Bill, Ignacio, Marc, Ayo, Peter, Bashir, Lhasa de Sela, Fredéric, Kevin Taylor, Abdel, All those who believed in me and encouraged me through the years. The Healing Light.

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Sami Basbous

Sami Basbous is a Canadian Lebanese published author, poet, composer, singer/songwriter and visual artist. He was apprenticed by legendary impresario Robert “Bumps” Blackwell in Los Angeles. In 2019 Basbous published a much-lauded memoir, Heal the Boy. He has collaborated with Radwan Ghazi Moumneh and Michael Feuerstack on a sophomore album to be released in 2021. ... more

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