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This Heart Will Self Destruct

by Bob Collum and the Welfare Mothers

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    A collaborative affair, Collum attributes the world-class musical standard to his band The Welfare Mothers and its honorary members; “The Welfare Mothers, with Paul Quarry on drums, Mags Layton on violin and vocals, and Martin Cutmore on bass brought these songs to life in a way that any singer-songwriter would give their eye teeth for.

    We were joined on these tracks by honorary Welfare Mother Martin Belmont on the flying Fender Stratocaster and Fender VI bass.” Embracing the new-normal of virtual collaboration, Collum worked with Peter Holsapple (the dBs, REM). “Peter added soulful Hammond B-3 and raucous harmony vocals to the track ‘Spare Me’ which was an intercontinental collaboration between Peter and myself. Pat Collier captured it all beautifully and his wit and patience was much appreciated as always.”

    Includes unlimited streaming of This Heart Will Self Destruct via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      £8.95 GBP

     

1.
I finally understand what you’ve been saying I think I’ll just ignore that good advice A game of chance is all that we’ve been playing So put your money down and roll the dice Hold your breath Jump right in Who really cares if we sink or if we swim It’s a leap of faith You know that much is true But I’ll share my one and only parachute with you We could wait forever for the right time With nothing left to show when we were through Now you’ve gone and beat me to the punchline And I'd be glad to take the fall for you Hold your breath Jump right in Who really cares if we sink or if we swim It’s a leap of faith You know that much is true But I’ll share my one and only parachute with you Now it’s time to take that plunge You know you’re not the only one But it’s too late to turn ourselves around There’ll be nothing left to fear Tearing through the atmosphere Who cares if we ever touch the ground Hold your breath Jump right in Who really cares if we sink or if we swim It’s a leap of faith You know that much is true But I’ll share my one and only parachute with you It’s a leap of faith You know that much is true But I’ll share my one and only parachute with you
2.
Spare Me 03:39
You got problems or so you say Why don't you come on back and we’ll talk about it some other day Everyone’s got a story and everybody hurts ya know So if you catch my drift and if I’m not being too overt Please spare me the details if you would  Spare me the tiny violins if you could I got work to do, like the Isley Brothers What makes you think you stand in front of all the others Take a number, stand in line Why don't you come on back and we’ll talk about it some other time?  Please spare me the details of your hot mess  Spare me I either could or couldn’t care less  Take your list of woes and sorrows while it’s still warm Then bullet point the main ideas and put it in digest form Don’t expect a quick response, see my calendar is jammed But I’ll give it my complete attention if and when I can Please spare me the details if you would Spare me the tiny violins if you could Nobody wants to know the story behind the story I’m afraid  Yeah spare me the details is all you can say Well well well You’ve got friends, it’s safe to say Well you’re up and you’re down and you're up you’re out there on your way But to where, I can’t even guess Just let your conscious be your own GPS Yeah spare me the drama Spare me the lecture I forget anyway Yeah spare me Please spare me Just spare me C'mon and spare me
3.
Who made you believe you don’t really mean what you say? To tell you the truth it isn’t much use anyway Don’t say yes don’t say no You better not say I told you so Wish I may wish I might I’ll be leaving on the first train tonight I need a tall glass of muddy water I’ve been burning out in the sun I need a tall glass of muddy water I’ve been burning out in the sun In the sun It’s red light stop close up shop now you’re through Turn off the light it’s not a good night to be you One for all and all for one Wake me up when you think that you’re done And if I die before I wake I’ll leave your name with the man at the gate I need a tall glass of muddy water I’ve been burning out in the sun I need a tall glass of muddy water I’ve been burning out in the sun Who made you believe you don’t really mean what you say? To tell you the truth it isn’t much use anyway Don’t say yes don’t say no You better not say I told you so Wish I may wish I might I’ll be leaving on the first train tonight I need a tall glass of muddy water I’ve been burning out in the sun I need a tall glass of muddy water I’ve been burning out in the sun I need a tall glass of muddy water I’ve been burning out in the sun I need a tall glass of muddy water I’ve been burning out in the sun In the sun I need a tall glass A tall glass A tall glass of muddy water I need a tall glass A tall glass A tall glass of muddy water Tall glass
4.
Saved 02:37
I used to smoke, I used to drink I used to smoke, drink and dance the hoochie coo I used to smoke and drink Smoke and drink and dance the hoochie coo But now I'm standin' on this corner Prayin' for me and you Because I'm saved (I'm saved) I'm saved (I'm saved) People let me tell you 'bout a kingdom come You know I'm saved (I'm saved) I'm saved (Saved) I can preach until you're deaf and dumb I'm in that soul savin' army Beatin' on that big a bass drum I used to cuss, I used to fuss I used to cuss, fuss and boogie all night long I used to cuss and fuss Cuss and fuss and boogie all night long But now I'm standin' on this corner I know right a from wrong Cos I'm saved (I'm saved) I'm saved (I'm saved) People let me tell you 'bout a kingdom come You know I'm saved (Saved) Ah, saved (Ah, saved) I can a preach until you're deaf and dumb I'm in that soul savin' army Beatin' on that big a bass drum, whoa yeah I used to lie I used to cheat I used to lie Cheat And step on peoples feet I used to lie and cheat Lie and cheat and step on peoples feet But now I'm standing on this corner Salvation is my beat Because I'm saved (I'm saved) I'm saved (I'm saved) People let me tell you 'bout a kingdom come You know I'm saved (I'm saved) Ah, saved (Saved) I can a preach until you're, deaf and dumb I'm in that soul savin' army Beatin' on that big a bass drum I'm in that soul savin' army Beatin' on that big a bass drum I'm in that soul savin' army Beatin' on that big a bass drum
5.
She left her home, on the first of November A Pretty Young Girl, with a note in her hand She made her way, all through the back streets of Denver So far away, from Birmingham He said goodbye, on a warm summer’s morning Said he was leaving to find make his own way like a man And when he was done, he would make sure and send for her So far away in Birmingham She kept to herself, counting the days since he left her Too many heartaches and things she could not understand She swore to be true, and wouldn’t go back on her promise So far away in Birmingham The wind will blow, the grass will grow But everything comes to an end The weak the strong, will all pass along And he’s dreaming of her once again ‘Cause he loved her, he loved her She started back home, at the end of November A pine box was holding, all of her dreams and her plans She closes her eyes, trying hard not to remember A life never lived, in Birmingham
6.
This Heart Will Self Destruct You won’t get the chance to break it It’s time for one of us to leave Goodbye and good luck Here’s your chance you better take it Hit the road and don’t look back at me It should come as no surprise That we’ve told each other lies To cover up the bad things we’ve both done It’s going to hurt you worse than me And I know that you’d agree So I’ve started counting down from 10 to 1 This Heart Will Self Destruct You won’t get the chance to break it It’s time for one of us to leave Goodbye and good luck Here’s your chance you better take it Hit the road and don’t look back at me There was nothing wrong with you that wasn’t dragging me down too I should’ve seen the whole thing heading south I know that I am a pain To tell the truth you’re just the same And I wish I’d never opened my big mouth This Heart Will Self Destruct You won’t get the chance to break it It’s time for one of us to leave Goodbye and good luck Here’s your chance you better take it Hit the road and don’t look back at me Hit the road and don’t look back at me Hit the road and don’t look back at me
7.
Giving Up 03:42
You said it only takes one to tango That’s why you’re dancing on your own If three’s a crowd and the music’s too loud You'd be better off back home But I'll be thinking of you Just like I always do If I could find my nerve and just the right words I could get my message through But you been keeping too much distance Building up resistance But there’s no way I’ll be giving up on you You've been keeping too much distance Building up resistance But there’s no way I’ll be giving up on you Nobody seemed to notice Nobody seemed to care You didn’t ask why when she said goodbye At the bottom of the stairs You were acting like a stranger It shook me to the core My heart just sank my mind went blank As you walked right out the door But you been keeping too much distance Building up resistance But there’s no way I’ll be giving up on you You've been keeping too much distance Building up resistance But there’s no way I’ll be giving up on you You said it only takes one to tango That’s why you’re dancing on your own If three’s a crowd and the music’s too loud You'd be better off back home But I'll be waiting for you Just like I always do If I could find my nerve and just the right words I could get my message through But you been keeping too much distance Building up resistance But there’s no way I’ll be giving up on you You've been keeping too much distance Building up resistance But there’s no way I’ll be giving up on you
8.
Shake it loose, what’s the use, shake it loose Shake it loose, what’s the use, shake it loose Before you say something that you might regret Better let it go, forgive and forget  Shake it loose, what’s the use, shake it loose    The weight you haul around, will drag you to the ground,  You running back and forth, acting like a clown  One day you're gonna find, that you’ve been left behind  Because the circus has ran outta town  Shake it loose, what’s the use, shake it loose Shake it loose, what’s the use, shake it loose You hold onto a grudge, that just won’t seem to budge You want to be the victim, the jury and the judge  You say it’s not your time and the hangman's on your mind  Cos there's a rope swinging down from above Shake it loose, what’s the use, shake it loose Shake it loose, what’s the use, shake it loose Before you say something that you might regret Better let it go, forgive and forget  Shake it loose, what’s the use, shake it loose Shake it loose, what’s the use, shake it loose
9.
The second fiddle plays her tune To the sound of dancing on the moon And wonders where you could be today While the second fiddle plays The second fiddle takes her bow And wonders what you’re up to now And why you had to go and walk away While the second fiddle played The second fiddle played   Take your partner by the hand,  The second fiddle's gonna makes her stand An empty stage was all that you could see Clap your hands, hope and pray  That someone new is going to come her way You're not the man you promised you could be She knows it’s true but she can’t break free    The second fiddle plays her tune To the sound of dancing on the moon And wonders where you could be today While the second fiddle plays The second fiddle takes her bow And wonders what you’re up to now And why you had to go and walk away While the second fiddle played The second fiddle played   She drags her bow across the strings  And dreams about ten thousand things And you don't want to spoil her big surprise She’s pulls her songs out of midair  It’s a magic trick that she won't share And no one else could see, through her disguise Now it's your turn to try it on for size   The second fiddle plays her tune To the sound of dancing on the moon And wonders where you could be today While the second fiddle plays The second fiddle takes her bow And wonders what you’re up to now And why you had to go and walk away While the second fiddle played The second fiddle played The second fiddle played
10.
Garbage in, garbage out Talk is cheap when you’ve got a big mouth If you only knew what you were talking about Garbage in, garbage out Once upon a time nobody paid you any mind It was easy to ignore you way back when Now everything has changed and I think it’s kind of strange You haven’t learned a single thing since then Garbage in, garbage out Talk is cheap when you’ve got a big mouth If you only knew what you were talking about Garbage in, garbage out You were propped up on a stage Where self-pity’s all the rage Too afraid to look us in the eye They say you live in learn But when you’ve got nowhere to turn It doesn’t help to keep on asking why Garbage in, garbage out Talk is cheap when you’ve got a big mouth If you only knew what you were talking about Garbage in, garbage out

about

With lyrics such as “hold your breath, jump right in”, Collum and The Welfare Mothers return with the invitation to dive head-first on opening track ‘Parachute’. But while this lyric has razor-precision, the themes of the album range broadly. “I think the album captures the last year quite well; songs about anxiety, hope, fear, humour, uncertainty, love, disappointment, redemption, faith, more uncertainty, more fear, more hope etc.”, Collum states, which additionally can be interpreted through themes of perseverance of the human spirit, obstacles and struggles, karma, broken dreams, unrequited love, destructive relationships, and insouciant escapism.

Early tastes of the album include the Johnny Cash-inspired single, ‘From Birmingham’ which received support on the likes of Meridian FM, Soho Radio, Cambridge 105 and CMR Nashville. The 9 original songs are accompanied by a remake of the gospel-flavoured tongue-in-cheek Leiber and Stoller hit ‘Saved’. Recorded and popularised by LaVern Baker, and later covered by Joe Cocker and Elvis Presley himself, this interpretation sits more than comfortably at the table with these originals.

All the while, it’s the honky-tonk-infused title track that thematically aligns with the destabilised state of the world, conjuring up images of the intro-theme from the early Mission Impossible TV series, like dynamite on a smoking wick creating a sense of imposing urgency.
“It's basically a tongue in cheek warning that the protagonist will ruin everything before anyone else gets a chance to. I think we have all been in that position at least once in our lives. The band give a brilliant performance and I think we make a dark and pessimistic view of life quite danceable.”

A collaborative affair, Collum attributes the world-class musical standard to his band The Welfare Mothers and its honorary members; “The Welfare Mothers, with Paul Quarry on drums, Mags Layton on violin and vocals, and Martin Cutmore on bass brought these songs to life in a way that any singer-songwriter would give their eye teeth for. We were joined on these tracks by honorary Welfare Mother Martin Belmont on the flying Fender Stratocaster and Fender VI bass.” Embracing the new-normal of virtual collaboration, Collum worked with Peter Holsapple (the dBs, REM). “Peter added soulful Hammond B-3 and raucous harmony vocals to the track ‘Spare Me’ which was an intercontinental collaboration between Peter and myself. Pat Collier captured it all beautifully and his wit and patience was much appreciated as always.”

It may be a broad church to embrace everything from early influences of rockabilly such as Bob Wills to Buddy Holly, to power pop and contemporaries such as REM and Let’s Active, however Collum’s palette seamlessly embraces these as if they were corners of the same coin, culminating into a diversity of genres and sounds, in a variety that gels cohesively. All the above coalesce on tracks like ‘Spare Me’ and ‘Tall Glass of Muddy Water’, where such a range of influences are seamlessly fused, combining into a collection of contemporary Americana.

“I have treasured the chance to make music during these strange times and have even oddly embraced the process of creating in a new way. I can never thank the Welfare Mothers enough for their friendship and dedication. Martin Belmont and Peter Holsapple are collaborators that I could only dream of working with all those years ago. Hope you dig what we've done!”

With live shows on hiatus, this album takes its listeners on a retrospective journey invoking images of close-knit writing rooms and vintage recording studios, to bustling club nights and Fender-fuelled honky-tonks. These attributes, along with themes of human interaction and the ebb and flow of interpersonal struggles, stand in high contrast with the solitude of writing in isolation, virtual collaborations and the challenges of recording in a world fighting its way through the midst of a pandemic.

credits

released March 19, 2021

Bob Collum - vocals & guitars
Mags Layton - violin & vocals
Martin Cutmore - bass

Paul Quarry - drums and percussion

Produced and recorded by Pat Collier at Perry Vale Studios
Mastering by Denis Blackham

with
Martin Belmont - guitar and Fender VI
Peter Holsapple - accordion, keyboards & harmony vocals
Paul Ambrose - bass on Saved, This Heart Will Self Destruct & Giving Up

All songs © 2021 Bob Collum BMI except:
Spare Me - Bob Collum (BMI)/Peter Holsapple (Universal Music/BMI)
This Heart Will Self Destruct - Bob Collum (BMI)/Dave Bailey (PRS)
Shake It Loose - Bob Collum (BMI)/Dave Bailey (PRS)
Garbage In, Garbage Out - Bob Collum (BMI)/Dave Bailey (PRS)
Second Fiddle - Bob Collum (BMI)/Ruth Phiilips (PRS)
Saved - Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller (Sony ATV)

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Special thanks: Kate, Georgia and Natalie Quarry, Martin and Rosie Lindridge, Terri Cutmore, Julia Collier, Ian and everyone at Fretsore, Audrey Beckert, Kimberly Rew, Lee-Cave Berry, Robert Chalmers, Essex Amp Repair, Angela Arnott at Guitar Angel, Charlie Chandler at Charlie Chandler’s Guitar Experience and Bob Gourami at Zeitgeist Guitars

Design by Bighand Creative
For Jack

℗&© 2021 Fretsore Records. All rights of the producer and of the owner of the work reproduced reserved. Unauthorised copying, hiring, lending, public performance and broadcasting of this recording prohibited

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Acclaim for Pay, Pack and Carry:
“What you get here is engaging small scale, intimate country-ish power-pop.”
The Independent

“Like Elvis Costello, Collum is able to frame scenes and tell stories with vivid and compelling effect. 9/10”
Americana UK

“A brand of Americana viewed through an exile’s perspective.”
Uncut

"The kind of lyrical twists that endear so many while playing it straight."
Q Magazine

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Bob Collum and the Welfare Mothers London, UK

Bob Collum & the Welfare Mothers make a cool noise. How cool you ask? Well, it's kinda alt-country, alot of rock & roll, add a smidgen of folk, and a dash of blues. Stick in a potent dose of guilt, a dollop of sin, a drop of salvation (just one drop), and equal measures of joy and sadness ... more

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