4. I Watch the Boats

And here is the final one.

Soda Fountain Rag - I Watch the Boats by sodafountainrag

I watch the Boats is a song about me and the view from the windows of my apartment (which I will move from shortly). I think it’s Bergens best view – and with the old borrowed binoculars I look at the boats going to and from Bergen harbour. The binoculars were once borrowed from our first bass player Lars (BinocuLars! nei?ikkje?), they were once his grandfather’s. 

I Watch the Boats

The summer night is friendly and warm

A pirate telescope (only on loan)

I watch the harbour

This boat is called “The Crystal”

You say I never leave my place

I stay inside for days and days

I’ll sell my shoes

I’ll sell my coats

And stay inside and watch the boats

I’ve waited long for my secret boat

It’s like the bus in Ghost World (only it floats)

And when I see it

I guess I’ll know for sure

You say I never leave my place

I stay inside for days and days

I’ll sell my shoes

I’ll sell my coats

And stay inside and watch the boats

Then sail away

Be gone one day

You never heard

I never said a word

When I am gone

Will you be mad?

I didn’t know

I used to make you feel glad

You say I never leave my place

I stay inside for days and days

I’ll sell my shoes

I’ll sell my coats

And stay inside and watch the boats

3. The Train to Heaven

03 - The Train to Heaven by sodafountainrag

The Train to Heaven is the title of a TV-series that I used to watch in the late 80s or early 90s, or rather it is the direct translation of the Norwegian title. The lyrics are not really related to this, but I think it was about an orphan boy in South America somewhere who wanted to take the train up to heaven to see his parents again. Does anyone else remember this series?

The Train to Heaven

He used to watch TV in the 80s

Dreaming everyday to do as they did

To take the train up to heaven

Or at least to Oslo, then to Madrid

The window seat is free

The sun is not to be seen

We’re going fast, but

But never fast enough

This train will take him home

The next train follows

One day he’ll never get there

No train goes far enough!

He does believe he is not running away

He’ll tell you that he’s running towards!

To take the train up to heaven

Or to Barcelona or Camden

The window seat is free

The sun is not to be seen

We’re going fast, but

But never fast enough

This train will take him home

The next train follows

One day he’ll never get there

No train goes far enough!

And if you see him:

He doesn’t want to be known

He doesn’t want to hear where you’re coming from

And if you see him

His wish is simple, so

Just ignore his face

Keep to your own place

And most important:

Shut up!

Dudududududududududududududu

Shut up!

Dudududududududududududududu

The window seat is free

The sun is not to be seen

We’re going fast, but

But never fast enough

This train will take him home

The next train follows

One day he’ll never get there

No train goes far enough!

2. Ferry

02 - Ferry by sodafountainrag

Ferry is a song about my childhood trips to the cabin in the mountains. The big goal was to manage to get up early enough to catch the ferry from Kvalvåg to Kvisvik at 8.40 am. In 1992 this ferry was replaced by Krifast (two bridges and an underwater tunnel). There is one huge (deliberate) mistake in the lyrics: “cake” is not really cake – this would not be the proper thing to consume whilst on the ferry, but I couldn’t come up with a proper English word for Svele. 

Ferry

It’s summer time already

And vacation time already

And everyone should get into the car

The Orion is ready

And your dad is driving steady

And the town is shrinking fast somewhere behind

But almost before the trip really starts

There’s a pause that I really, really like

There’s coffee and there’s cake

We know how to spend this break

On this boat, on this ferry

What’s the time?

08.40, 08.40!

The ferry leaves at 08.40!

Pack your bags and don’t be late

This boat will never ever wait

The most important part

Before a quest like this can start

Is to decide what to bring and what to leave

You have a little suitcase

That you pack in a slow pace

To ensure that all your stuff is there

The teddy bear of course

And a book and a pen

And some tapes that will drive your mother mad

You almost forgot

The game boy you borrowed from your neighbour

That would be really sad!

08.40, 08.40!

The ferry leaves at 08.40!

Pack your bags and don’t be late

This boat will never ever wait

In 1992

The ferry was replaced by

Some bridges and a long, black

Underwater tunnel

No coffee is consumed

No cake is ever eaten

Except in secrecy

In the backseat of the cars, at

08.40, 08.40!

The ferry leaves at 08.40!

Pack your bags and don’t be late

This boat will never ever wait

1. Go Bus Baby Go

01 - Go Bus Baby Go by sodafountainrag

Go Bus Baby Go

Surely you trapped her

She’s longing more and more to leave

And not with another

Solitude knocks out your company

But how do you leave

When you don’t want no one to follow?

Pay cash, and then let the driver take you

To a less crappy tomorrow

You want her to stay

To hide her away

I told her to go

But you do not know

You can search hi’

You can search lo’

She’s thinking

Go Bus Baby Go!

You want her to stay

To hold her hand

You’ll keep her safe

From all that you can

You can search hi’

You can search lo’

She’s saying

Go Bus Baby Go!

What an adventure!

Snow falls outside the window

And all the streetlights

Follows her on her flight

She reads books by Jim Carroll

And Frank Miller

She feels no sorrow

Leans back whilst the driver takes her

To a less crappy tomorrow

This first song, Go Bus Baby Go, is based on an idea I got when travelling on the bus from Lillehammer to Bergen one easter holiday. The title is an homage to one of the really early Manic Street Preachers demos – a song that later became Motorcycle Emptiness. Two people in the whole world have figured this out by themselves – good boys! 

Øst-vest Xpressen going between Lillehammer and Bergen. For those of you who enjoy the feeling of the ass going to sleep. The bus is clearly in need of romanticising. 

The Transport EP

So, here's the deal: do not try to buy the transport EP from the arctic nutter page. People have tried to order it, but get no response. I have tried to contact the guy, but no response. For Quite Some Time Now.
The solution is of course to upload it here, so I will do that shortly.

The Secret Gig

Hello all!

Last weekend Soda Fountain Rag played a secret gig in an apartment in Bergen. It was great fun, a lot of nice people and good feedback. Played with 3 other bands, among them these girls. Really hard name to remember, but they had organ riffs that reminded me of Murder City Devils. Also it was new bass player Stian's first gig - yeah!