We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Light Duties

from Light Duties by Flying Tadpole

/

about

Not what we intended as a starter. We object to Flying Tadpole's schizoid invisible friends taking over. But it was just impossible to ignore:despite being an entirely serious lyric, it was a dead set for Flying Tadpole's Travelling Blues Band. All handmade and almost all one-shot sequential recording except for the last eight notes of the bass which had to be abandoned and done again. The piano sound is courtesy Garritan Personal Orchestra.

lyrics

LIGHT DUTIES
by Andrew Male & Tim Fatchen

Left school in ‘84,
Walked into a recession
A job installing Roll-a-Doors
Then secur'ty meshing
Somewhere someone told me
Cops were looking for recruits
So had a shave and cut my hair
And bought two Goodwill suits

Twenty-four months later
I passed out of the Fort
Six-foot four with eyes like pans
I kept up with my sport
An ankle break in ’89
Took me off the road
They put me in behind a desk,
An inbox to offload

That was 'bout the end of it,
Me and my patrols
The plates left in my ankles
Meant invalided roles

Light duties
Light duties
Light duties
Light duties, that’s me

With the coming of computers there was so much less to do
I started writing novels
But deals did NOT come through
Then one day the boss called,
and said we need to talk
It seems that your career, my son,
is at something of a fork

I stood there at attention
Filling out that old door frame
Daniels we’ve read your better stuff
And we’d suggest another game
We need to plan catastrophes
it seems you’re just the man
We want you to imagine
the very worst you can

And then we’ll set our best response
For our next Disaster Plan
So I commenced my new career -
Became Disaster Dan

Light duties x 3
Light duties, that’s me

Pretty soon I saw the worst
in every situation
The kid who brought in coffee was
about to bomb the station
The gardener was a terrorist
Deliveries filled with Semtex
It seemed like shipping Anthrax
was the Only role of Fedex

I lived down by the airport
and every flight I knew
Was loaded up with militants
Who wore exploding shoes
All those days that used to drag
Well, they became quite urgent
And every politician
Was clearly an insurgent

Light duties x 3
Light duties, that’s me

I wrote up possibilities
Of Cabinet infiltration
The Minister then called from me
A favour for the nation
He said "enjoyed your recent stuff
"On thermostatic fission (But we’d)
"Ask you have a think about
"Specific politicians"

Six weeks later seconded
I’m over with the Feds
Clearance? Top Security
No word of mine unread
Now I run the Agency
My office is secure
More than I can say for-th' masses
But nothing’s ever pure

A few I still feel sorry for
Especially in the sticks
(We can) search them now 'n' lock them home
But that’s just politics

So a message now for you at home
Who share my former sit-u-a-tion
Never forget how far y' can get
With some imagination

Light duties
Light duties
Light duties
Light duties, that’s me

credits

from Light Duties, released September 22, 2020
Lyrics Copyright ©2020 Andrew Male, Music Copyright © 2020
TJ Fatchen. Performed by Tim Fatchen
All Rights Reserved APRA-AMCOS

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Flying Tadpole image

Flying Tadpole Adelaide, Australia

The cutting satire, cruel humor, blue angst and general mayhem of the dark alter ego of Tim Fatchen. And the alter ego's alter egos. And occasional or persistent collaborators, including strange shack dwellers from Wallaroo in the most recent release.

Where is Wallaroo? Nothing to see here, move along... ... more

contact / help

Contact Flying Tadpole

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this track or account