A Trip Outside (2023), by Mint Biscuit

A Trip Outside (2023)

by Mint Biscuit

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Artwork by Meaghan Annear and Richard Thomas.

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1.	Dawn Chorus Steel City 01:42	info	buy track
2.	North-Easter 03:44	lyrics	buy track
North-Easter You know the North-Easter brings the snow Pack up your bags and go, go go go You gotta fly, as far away as you can It makes a meal of a hungry man Take your belongings and your wife and kids by your side Make sure they're buckled in for the ride Get out of here, fortune never favoured the brave Or you'll be spinning in an early grave Summer's gone, dwindled into the past Those autumn memories couldn't last And just when you were searching For the welcome of a better day North-Easter gonna blow you away Get out of bed, and get yourself on the run You can't shoot a hurricane with a gun Load up your truck, put your pedal to the floor North-Easter doesn't want you here no more And just when you were searching For the welcome of a better day North-Easter gonna blow you away And just when you were searching For the welcome of a better day North-Easter gonna blow you away And just when you were searching For the welcome of a better day North-Easter gonna blow you away
3.	Atlantic Highway Blues 04:06	lyrics	buy track
Atlantic Highway Blues Gonna surf til the day is through Gonna drive til my hands turn blue I’m gonna set sail for a course so true On the Atlantic Highway with you Gonna eat sausages and beans out the can Coz you know I’m a born again man And I’m gonna run as fast as I can Way down the Atlantic Highway Gonna surf til the day is through Gonna drive til my hands turn blue Gonna set sail for a course so true On the Atlantic Highway with you I'm gonna run across the sands to the shore Til the salt makes my eyes go sore And I’m never gonna work no more Gonna surf til the day is through Gonna drive til my hands turn blue Gonna set sail for a course so true On the Atlantic Highway with you Gonna eat chicken and chips in the bus Coz you know I don't like no fuss And it'll be just the two of us Way down the Atlantic Highway with you Gonna run across the sands to the shore Til the salt makes my eyes go sore And I’m never gonna work no more Never never gonna work no more No I'm never gonna work no more On the Atlantic Highway with you On the Atlantic Highway with you On the Atlantic Highway with you Way down the Atlantic Highway
4.	If I Was A Lonely Goatherd 04:08	lyrics	buy track
If I Was A Lonely Goatherd Well I’m not a lonely goatherd, And I’m not the president I don’t have a million dollars, I’m not counting my last cent I’m not driving in a Cadillac, Or shoveling cement I’m not sitting in a mansion, Or in a refugee tent Yeah I just play the guitar, and my baby pays the rent Well, Obama’s in the Whitehouse, but Trump is at the door Kim Jong Un and Vladimir want to start the next World War Bojo and the Tories, yeah we’ve seen it all before Yeah and no-one really knows what the Europeans are for But it’s a fine fine day, to start all over again There won’t be a better day, to start all over again And if I believed in Santa, I’d grab a pen and write Bring peace to all the Syrians, and stop the endless fight Bring joy to all the children who cry throughout the night They deserve to live in happiness, they deserve a better life And it’s a fine fine day, to start all over again There’ll never be a better day to start all over again Well if we can’t learn to put all our jealousies aside To put our faith in Jesus, and go along for the ride To learn to love each other and for what we have inside To work out how best to live, before we all must die We won’t get a better day, to start all over again No we'll never see a better day, to start all over again No we'll never see a better day, to start all over again
5.	Summer Song 04:13	lyrics	buy track
Summer Song In a momentary lapse of reason You changed the weather, changed the season You sang out clear, it won’t be long Until we hear our summer song Past winter’s ruin we sailed our boats on Until we reached tall reeds on the seashore We knew our fear here did not belong We sang out clear our summer song And now we swim soft shades of shadow The victim’s quote we shall not remember The ships we sail will carry us on We sing out clear our summer song We sing out clear our summer song We sing out clear our summer song
6.	Well Dig It 04:35	lyrics	buy track
Well Dig It Well, dig it baby You know you drive me crazy C’mon and meet me lately By the lido Well, shift it baby You look so sexy lady C’mon and drip drip down In your swimming clothes You know you wanna throw that world shape You know you wanna crush that red grape You know you want to wrap me up in sticky tape And send me packing through the mail now Well, hit it baby Three strikes and you’re out, baby Well hit it, baby I see you walking Where the players go Well, don’t you quit it, baby First time’s a hit, baby You’ll end up losing What you came for Go dig that well, baby I hear it's hot in hell, baby You might as well C'mon and give me that hard sell Well dig it, baby Get out your shovel, baby Did the earth move for you? Well dig it, baby Let me help you out, baby Til the water flows just for you You know you wanna throw that world shape You know you wanna crush that red grape You know you want to wrap me up in sticky tape And get me sticking to your nail now Go dig that well, baby I hear it's hot in hell, baby You might as well C'mon and give me that hard sell Go dig that well, baby I hear it's hot in hell, baby You might as well C'mon and give me that hard sell You know you wanna throw that world shape You wanna crush that red grape You wanna wrap me up in sticky tape Alright! Get out your shovel, baby I'm asking you Did the earth move for you? Well dig it, baby Let me help you out, baby Til the water flows just for you Woo! Yeah!
7.	Once There Was A Sweet Way 05:48	lyrics	buy track
Once There Was A Sweet Way Once there was a way to get back home I didn’t know then, and I still don’t know Once there was a way to get myself free Don’t you know your freedom lies with me? Don’t you know your freedom lies with me? Don’t you know your freedom lies with me? Once there was a way to be on my own I didn’t like it then, and I still don’t now Once there was a way I thought that I could be free But don’t you know honestly that could never be? Don’t you know that honestly that could never be? Don't you know, really, that could never be? Once there was a way to get back home I didn’t know then, and I still don’t know I looked to the north and I looked to the south Couldn’t get home to Cockermouth Couldn’t get back home to Cockermouth Well I travelled within and I travelled without Only to find out what I found out You may come from the north, you may come from the south But when you find the way, the way finds you out If you’ve found the way my friend, you’d better watch out Coz if you've found the way, the way finds you out Once there was a way to get back home I looked and I found, and now I know Cause home is a place where you stick around Home is a place where your love is found Freedom and love, by sticking around Freedom and love, by sticking around
8.	No Blankets Required 04:00	lyrics	buy track
No Blankets Required Baby, you said your feet were getting cold She said, well don't go paddling in the river You'll never make your fortune panning for gold Rock solid love is what I deliver She said, it's not like you to be so bold Your little heart is all of a quiver I'm gonna make your blankets unfold I'm gonna make you shake and shiver NO BLANKETS REQUIRED NO BLANKETS REQUIRED We don’t need them this time, babe we’ll be fine I threw them all in the fire She said, if our fire burns out of control Will you go and fetch a pail of water? You're looking at me like a demon of old You're making me feel like the devil's daughter I said, I don't know what you've been told But I heard that you were just digging for treasure My heart's running hot, but my feet are still cold Don't you know that diamonds are forever? NO BLANKETS REQUIRED NO BLANKETS REQUIRED We don’t need them this time, babe we’ll be fine I threw them all in the fire She said Alright now Now our fire has run out of coal We knew it wouldn't burn forever She had a perfect body but a wicked soul My number one true little larrikin lover And now I'm never gonna see her again Not if I'm careful, not if I'm clever You spend a lifetime walking in the sunshine You gotta stop and wash your feet in the river NO BLANKETS REQUIRED NO BLANKETS REQUIRED We don’t need them this time, babe we’ll be fine I threw them all in the fire And now the flames will burn higher...
9.	Do You Like Metal? 01:00	info	buy track
10.	Cry, Cry, Cry 04:10	lyrics	buy track
Cry, Cry, Cry Said I'm gonna cry, cry, cry, cry If my baby don't come back to me soon Here I lie, lie, lie, lie By the light of the pale white moon All the people pass me by They can't see the tears in my eye And I'm wondering why, oh why Does my baby not return? Said I'm gonna cry, cry, cry, cry If my baby don't come back to me soon Here I lie, lie, lie, lie By the light of the pale white moon All the tears I cry They are falling now from my eye And I'm wondering why, oh why Does my baby not return? Said I'm gonna cry, cry, cry, cry If my baby don't come back to me soon Here I lie, lie, lie, lie By the light of the pale white moon All the tears I cry They are falling now from my eye And I'm wondering why, oh why Does my baby not return? She's only gone an hour ago, Richie She's headed out to the shops She's gone to get a packet of crisps And a bottle of pop! I'm gonna cry, cry, cry, cry All the tears gonna fall from my eyes And I'm gonna wonder why, oh why Will my baby come back to me soon?
11.	River Carry You 04:38	lyrics	buy track
River Carry You You say that it’s serious You want to live in a bigger house with a bigger garden And more room for all your stuff And a fully tiled ensuite You say you need to move on from here You got sick of this street years ago And all the cars, and all the passing feet You say the neighbours don’t like you any more You say they talk about you in the dark And as you hide beneath the sheets You wish for an exit from it all You wish that that rain would never fall Yet you wish the river would carry you to the sea You say the people get you down You say their words are mean And their faces, and all their screaming kids You say you’re sick of all the dogs Doing their business on the street And all the banging dustbin lids You wish for an exit from it all You wish that that rain would never fall Yet you wish the river would carry you, to the sea Well I’ve got news for you my friend You’ve gotta get up from your bed Walk right down the street, and over that bridge You’ll never get away, so why not today You’ve gotta make it at least as far as the park Make it safe across that bridge Don’t let that river carry you to the sea Don’t let that river carry you to the sea
12.	Washover 04:39	lyrics	buy track
Washover The temperature’s dropped, noise stopped, barometer’s fallen Sunrays poke their own way through the gloom The wilderness and the emptiness are calling You’ll never get out, if you don’t get out there soon Round this time of year, you gain a primal yearning And it burns just like the fires upon the fell The colours of your youth they are returning Wash over the gates of God with the flames of Hell And who’s to say, you’ll end up swimming backwards For you the current flows far too strong You’ve never lacked in passion, you’ve never lacked lust Who’s to tell you that sort of thing is wrong? So watch over me tonight and I just might Washover you So watch over me tonight and I just might Do anything you do Anything you do Do anything you do Do anything you do Anything you do Round this time of year, you begin to get crestfallen You say there’s just so much you have to do And ain't it easy to get down when things get boring But then you work out exactly what is true to you So watch over me tonight and I just might Washover you (washover you) So watch over me tonight and I just might Do anything you do Anything you wanna do Anything… Washover you Washover you Round this time of year Yeah, round this time of year Round this time of year
13.	Spent Some Time 04:01	lyrics	buy track
Spent Some Time Spent some time in a lonely place Spent some time missing your face And I know that you must be somewhere That I would go, alone with you Spent some time in a lonely place Searched for hours without a trace Tried to find a way to let you know That I’d come home, to be with you Yes to be with you And now it seems so clear I’ll never find you here And I don’t know just what I’m gonna do Without you to hold me near Spent some time in a lonely place Just got caught up in the race And when I turned around, all I found All I knew, had disappeared Had disappeared And now it seems so clear I’ll never find you here And I don’t know just what I’m gonna do Without you to hold me near To hold me near
14.	Leap Of Faith 04:31	lyrics	buy track
Leap Of Faith Na na na na na Na na na na na Na na na na na You know you’ve been under too long You know you’ve been under too long You know you’ve been under too long So what you gonna do about it? What you gonna do? Take a leap of faith You said, you wanted to make a difference You said, that things would have to change Look out, cause all you have are memories You’ve gotta write another page Take a leap of faith You’ve carried your burden too long You’ve carried your burden too long You’ve carried your burden too long Now what you gonna do about it? You’ve carried your burden too long You’ve carried your burden too long You’ve carried your burden too long Now what you gonna do about it? What you gonna do? Take a leap of faith You said, the world was meant for dreamers You said, it was time to take the stage Look out, your life has come between us You’ve gotta write another page Take a leap of faith Na na na na na Na na na na na Na na na na na Na na na nana na Take a leap of faith Take a leap of faith Take a leap of faith! Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah Na na na na na Na na na na na Na na na na na Na na nana na
15.	Round The Twist 04:30	lyrics	buy track
Round The Twist Lift up your eyes, the dawn surprise You chase the sun through perfect skies To fall into a dream Who can tell you what it means? Who can tell you what it means? Your life is never what it seems In darkest woods the thrill’s still there You run and shout without a care You call it make believe No-one is seeing what you see You lie so perfectly You lie so perfectly Hey! Do you notice? Can you hear this? Are you going round the twist? Or is there something you have missed? Hey! Do you notice? Can you hear this? Are you going round the twist? Or is there something you have missed? You throw the book, you raise the blade You look towards your masquerade And all the mess you made Towards the sin that you purveyed Oh if only you’d behaved The distance of your chemical stare The way you treat the ones who care You’re sinking in despair Oh but it’s not really fair You’re gonna need some help down there Hey! Do you notice? Can you hear this? Are you going round the twist? Or is there something else you've missed?
16.	Jackals 03:39	lyrics	buy track
Jackals When the day comes, the morning lies deep In the morning, I wake from my sleep Come the afternoon, the sun will not shine Until I hear you say that you’re mine When the lovers who hide by my wall Decide that the lightning should fall And the jackals that prowl round my door Remember they’ve been here before And the elegant clocktower chime Reminds me to set back the time, again Reminds me to set back the time, Again But the evening lies empty, my friend And I’m wondering just where to begin And what kind of well I fell in Til the remnants of what went before Well they break down a hole in the floor And I know that it’s you I adore And I know that it’s you I adore And I know that it’s you I adore Again, again, again

about

"A Trip Outside", so named because, with paranoid schizophrenia, any trip outside the house is a rare event.

Themes of travel, homecoming, belonging, weather, surfing and the great outdoors, paranoia, depression, drugs, love, sex, faith, and politics.

Review by Hans Werksman of herecomestheflood.com
Mint Biscuit: A Trip Outside

Last June guitarist Richard Thomas released A Trip Outside, an EP by his one-man project Mint Biscuit. It was a work-in-progress back then and he planned to add more tracks to make it a full album. It is now a mixed bag of reworked songs - six of them are from his Leap of Faith album - from his back catalogue.

He has been suffering from paranoid schizophrenia for years. Leaving the house is a big thing for him and now that he has added words to his instrumentals his compositions have gained an edge - famously described by Roger Waters as "quiet desperation".

His wife couldn't be more supportive - the gentle song "If I Was A Lonely Goatherd" is an ode to her and a plea for world peace rolled into one. And when "Jackals" inside his head are haunting him, his love for her pulls him through.

Each time he goes out into the world, whether it is for real or by sharing a new song, it is a small triumph that deserves to be cherished by himself and anyone with an open mind who cares to listen closely to his lyrics.

credits

released April 1, 2023

Total running time: 63:33

All words and music © Mint Biscuit (Richard Thomas).

Except for the rhythm guitar, lead guitar solo, bass guitar and drums on track 8 "No Blankets Required", performed by Billy Rich and the Naked Flames (Billy L Schaefer) of Huntington, New York.

Remastered in full by Tom Tyson at The Music Farm studios, Egremont, Cumberland, on 27/03/2023.

Cover photo by Meaghan Annear - harebells at Trumpington Meadows, Cambridge.

Birdsong by the birds of Fletcher Street, Cockermouth.

Thanks to my wife, Rachel Thomas. My friends and family, neighbours and random people who have supported Mint Biscuit by purchasing music (or just taking a free CD). Billy Schaefer, for the awesome musical contribution on No Blankets Required. Tom Tyson at The Music Farm, for your careful remastering. Hans Werksman, Tom Hilton, Ted Peskett and Viv Paterson, for the reviews, interviews and kind support. The Duplication Centre in Rochford, Essex, for printing my CDs and being lovely. Record Union, Ditto Music, and Music Diffusion, for online distribution. Musical instrument stores - primarily Andertons, Guitar Guitar, Thomann, Gear 4 Music, Cranes, Gwent Music and Gamlins, for providing fine instruments. Neil Reay-Bennett at Orange House Instrument Repairs. Anyone who I have played music with over the years! The Haven for being there in the middle of the night. Anyone who has played my tracks or visited my pages.

license

about

Mint Biscuit Sounds Cockermouth, UK

Email Mint Biscuit Sounds at: mintbiscuitsounds@outlook.com

Tunes from Welsh guitarist and songwriter,
Mint Biscuit
(Richard Thomas).

Plays on Lake District Radio, Dean Radio, BBC Introducing In Cumbria, The Joe Solo Radio Show, and Banks Radio Australia.

Press at Here Comes The Flood, Times & Star, Hex Magazine, and Aldora Britain Records Community. ... more