The title song “The Shark And The Crow” is a recent song about irreconcilable differences in the Human family, at an individual, national and international level. I used my brother John’s painting as a metaphor to illustrate the fact that in prehistory fish and birds were members of the same family, but are now separated by air and water, the very things that sustain human life on our planet.

“Cross in the Sky” is about the biggest desert island in the world, Australia and its itinerant workers. It was written in the early 1970’s about people I met and became friends with over a period of seven years in the industrial city of Gladstone in Queensland.

“Love is the Thing” was written in the late 1960’s about the Vietnam war. Forty years later a different war, same result. The cowboys are still looking for salvation down the barrel of a gun.

“Ned Kelly” is a song about Australia’s Best known outlaw and Sydney Nolan, a great Australian artist, who painted a number of paintings that became known as his Kelly series which have become part of the Australian psyche. It was written as a folk song with an Irish jig but Marc’s arrangement and playing gives it a sophistication that marries Nolan’s paintings with the egalitarian struggle that Kelly said he was fighting for.

“The Shark Song” is a song about unrequited love and a friend of mine.

“Global Warming.” The video says it all. I would like to think I was channelling Joe Hill

“Love it is our Fire.” When it comes down to it nothing matters but love. All the power and riches in the world mean nothing without it, The opposite to love is suffering.

“Manchester.” I grew up in Manchester UK, the world’s very first industrial city and it’s part of me. It shaped my view of Art, Music and Football. It’s a good time song about a good time town. It used to be “A Dirty old Town” when I was a kid. I say that with respect. My family was and still is part of it, even though I am now an Australian half a world away.

“Failing Heart.” Written 18 years ago. Hippie shit a friend of mine said, but Mark’s arrangement changed that. Very personal about cardiomyopathy, self reassessment, love and riding the wheel of life.

“Passport To Love.” We come from nowhere and return to nowhere. Or do we? We are all on our own individual trip. My apologies to the Indian gentleman for my dyslectic pronunciation of his name.

“Evilin The Football Star.” I wrote for my sons twenty years ago. A children’s story about the demon Mums of junior football. A cautionary tale for pushy Mothers.

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