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Free Spirited Like Me

by Mandy Woods

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    12-track CD presented in a card case with a 12-page booklet beautifully designed by Carol McPaul.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Free Spirited Like Me 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.
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1.
Table for Two I’m sitting alone at the counter again, Behind me’s a table for two, What use have I for that second chair now, Now that I haven’t got you, Oh, now that I haven’t got you? This was the diner we came to that night, After I first danced with you, This was the place where we first really talked, It was there at that table for two, This is the diner I’ve come to for years, Now it only holds memories of you, And that night and the fight that reduced me to tears, There at that table for two, It was there at that table for two. So now I’m sitting alone at the counter again, Behind me’s a table for two, What use have I for that second chair now, Now that I haven’t got you, Oh, now that I haven’t got you? There’s a stool where I now always sit on my own, And all those around me, they’re also alone, At the counter I tend to think less about you Than I would if I sat at that table for two. Still I come back to this diner most days, They serve the best heartache in town, And with it they give you unlimited tears To wash the bad memories down, They’ll wash those bad memories down. So I’m sitting alone at the counter again, Behind me’s a table for two, What use have I for that second chair now, Now that I haven’t got you, Oh, now that I haven’t got you, Oh, now that I haven’t got you?
2.
The Possibility of You To lay it on the table, To set the record straight, The truth is I don’t ever want to Settle in one place, Born to roam this world, I always dreamed of flying free, Never being weighted down With things I just don’t need. Some lovers tried to mould me, And bind my heart with chains, Turn me into what I’m not, Make me swear I’d stay, But nobody’s gonna change me Into who they think I am, I’d sooner go through life alone Than down that road again. It never crossed my mind Someone might change my point of view, So very late to contemplate The possibility of you. They say nothing is impossible, And I guess it must be true, For the odds were close to zero Of running into you, A wandering soul, a lonesome heart, Free spirited like me, So many other places Than that bar you could have been. But thank God our worlds collided, And thank God you caught my eye, A glance led to a heart-to-heart, A mirroring of minds, That night we both found something We’d never found before, Two solitary travellers Not lonesome anymore. It never crossed my mind Someone might change my point of view, So very late to contemplate The possibility of you. Ooh, you hold me, Ooh, so glad that we are more than friends, Ooh, you showed me You never know what’s waiting round the bend. It never crossed my mind Someone might change my point of view, So very late to contemplate The possibility of you, The possibility of you, The possibility of you.
3.
High Time 03:05
High Time Another night on the town, Another 3 a.m. showdown, Shot of Jack, single bed, A note to say you’ve finally left. Broken life, broken heart, Need to make a brand-new start, Corner turned, back on track, A little late to win you back. No more happy hour, No last one for the road, No liquor on my breath And wonderin’ if I’ll make it home, No dwelling on a hazy past I’m better running from, High time to sober up And just move on, High time to sober up And just move on. Familiar car, familiar face, Then suddenly you glance my way, Double take, you can’t believe The change there’s clearly been in me. No more happy hour, No last one for the road, No liquor on my breath And wonderin’ if I’ll make it home, No dwelling on a hazy past I’m better running from, High time to sober up And just move on, High time to sober up And just move on. But you look different too, The light’s back in your eyes, I can tell before you speak That there’s a new love in your life, Best thing you did for both of us Was walk right out that door, Deeply as I loved you, Must have loved Jack Daniel’s more. No more happy hour, No last one for the road, No liquor on my breath And wonderin’ if I’ll make it home, No dwelling on a hazy past I’m better running from, High time to sober up And just move on, High time to sober up And just move on, High time to sober up And just move on.
4.
At 23 04:21
At 23 At 23 we had it all, Love of my life, you were my world, But in one cheating moment that was gone, So many years lie in between A heart betrayed at 23 And an older one that never quite moved on. Late-night email, red alert, Your name brings back all that old hurt, You say you came across me quite by chance, Then you start to reminisce, Remembering such happiness, No mention of the end of our romance. In my mind you stayed at 23, Stuck in my unchanged reality, Scent of summer in your hair, In love and not a single care, Forever young, forever you and me, Though you broke my heart at 23. One night I came to see you, caught you by surprise, Somebody else was with you, longing in your eyes, I turned and left without a word, Your stifled laughter all I heard, Went home and played a sad song on repeat, The song still brings that night right back to me. In my mind you stayed at 23, Stuck in my unchanged reality, Scent of summer in your hair, In love and not a single care, Forever young, forever you and me, Though you broke my heart at 23. You say you want to make things right, I mention that last haunting night, And ask you how it felt to cause such pain, Your silence says you’re lost for words, Hoped time might have erased the hurt, And I know for sure you’d break my heart again. How long it’s been since you were 23, The truth is that you’re just as old as me, Illusion shattered, flame put out, There isn’t any room for doubt, No longer young, no longer you and me, And you broke my heart at 23.
5.
That Cheatin’ Line You fooled me and you used me, Told me a pack of lies, All your fancy stories Were cooked-up alibis, You hid those furtive emails, But your password’s not that strong, So I read them then I changed the locks, Cos all we had was gone. You claim it was a one-off, But my mind is filled with doubt, You never would have told me If I hadn’t found you out, You say you want to stay with me Until the end of time, Too bad it slipped your mind The night you crossed that cheatin’ line. I thought that we shared everything, From laughter through to tears, But now I know the truth of it, These feel like wasted years, The time I’ve spent with you Seems like a castle built on sand Flowing through the hourglass Along with all our plans. You claim it was a one-off, But my mind is filled with doubt, You never would have told me If I hadn’t found you out, You say you want to stay with me Until the end of time, Too bad it slipped your mind The night you crossed that cheatin’ line. You’ll find all your belongings by the road, Your laptop with those messages, Some bags stuffed with your clothes, You better grab them quick, Cos you can’t trust no one round here, I’m speaking from experience, In case that isn’t clear. If you think you’ll go on fooling me, You’re just fooling yourself, Don’t stand there knocking on my door, Go bother someone else, There’s nothing here for you, No reason ever to return, A fool for love’s a fool just once, A painful lesson learned. You claim it was a one-off, But my mind is filled with doubt, You never would have told me If I hadn’t found you out, You say you want to stay with me Until the end of time, Too bad it slipped your mind The night you crossed that cheatin’ line, Somehow it slipped your mind The night you crossed that cheatin’ line, That cheatin’ line.
6.
Voice of a Jukebox ‘Goodnight Soldier’ Mo played When they sent Jim away To the beaches of Normandy, Three plays a quarter, She played it twice more, For it held bitter-sweet memories. As ‘Dear Uncle Sam’ Mourned Vietnam, And the price one young soldier had paid, Mo wept for her son While Loretta sang on, Reflecting her desperate pain. I’ve stood at the back of Joe’s Diner, No one can say for how long, In peacetime and wartime, A jukebox for all time, Generations grew old to my songs. Like the men had before her, Mo’s precious granddaughter Went off to an overseas war, As she played ‘From a Distance’, Mo quietly whispered, ‘Oh, please let me see Kate once more.’ I’ve stood at the back of Joe’s Diner, No one can say for how long, In peacetime and wartime, A jukebox for all time, Generations grew old to my songs. I’ve records to suit every mood, Tunes that’ll light up the room, But the songs I recall Most clearly of all Are the ones that helped Mo make it through. From the Gulf Kate came back, To be sent to Iraq As the twenty-first century dawned, But ‘Travelin’ Soldier’ Played over and over, Once Mo knew this time Kate was gone. I’ve stood at the back of Joe’s Diner, No one can say for how long, In peacetime and wartime, A jukebox for all time, Generations grew old to my songs, In peacetime and wartime, A jukebox for all time, Some never grew old to my songs, Mm-mm.
7.
Stranger on a Train I’m just a stranger on a train, Across the aisle, I sense your silent pain, Restless hands and haunted eyes Lost in private grief, I look away, and soon I fall asleep. I’m just a stranger on a train, I jolt awake and feel you glance my way, Then suddenly you start to talk Like I’m your closest friend, The only one on earth who’ll understand. I’m just a stranger on a train, A sympathetic listener with no name, Just a stranger on a train, Someone you’ll never ever see again. I’m just a stranger on a train, A random soul who hears your bitter tale Of love destroyed by jealousy, A fight and deep remorse, Two lives not lived together anymore. I’m just a stranger on a train, A sympathetic listener with no name, Just a stranger on a train, Someone you’ll never ever see again. I reach my destination, Wish you well, and then I go, How your story ends, I’ll never know. Just a stranger on a train, A sympathetic listener with no name, Just a stranger on a train, Someone you’ll never ever see again, Someone you’ll never ever see again.
8.
Pragmatic Love Song Why are your eyes so dazzlingly blue? You said, ‘Genetic mutation, in my humble view.’ Why does your hair have a glorious sheen? ‘Well, that’s the molecular structure of keratin!’ Why is your skin so wonderfully smooth? You said, ‘That’ll be t’pumice stone that I use.’ You’re nothing if not pragmatic, And I’m nothing if not ecstatic, Cos I’m in love with you. How come your lips cry out to be adored? You said, ‘Me lips say nowt without me vocal cords!’ How is it you smell like a perfumed rose? You said, ‘Happen that nasal spray has unblocked your nose!’ What makes you smile so when I’m here beside ya? ‘Facial muscles zygomaticus major and minor.’ You’re nothing if not pragmatic, And I’m nothing if not ecstatic, Cos I’m in love with you. Why do you blush so sweetly when I’m near? You said, ‘It’s called rosacea – I’ve been suffering for years.’ Why, when I see you, do I feel this crazy way? You said, ‘That’ll be the synapses firing in’t brain.’ How did I come up with this heartfelt laudation? You said, ‘It’s called an overactive imagination!’ You’re nothing if not pragmatic, And I’m nothing if not ecstatic, Cos I’m in love with you. Oh, you’re nothing if not pragmatic, And I’m nothing if not ecstatic, Over the moon, Cos I’m in love with you.
9.
Midnight Blue Sitting here alone, Memories won’t let go, Most nights around this time I get to feeling kind of low, A shade of midnight blue. Heart’s been badly hurt, Bridges sadly burned, Since you left it seems like Everything around me’s turned A shade of midnight blue. Deep and dark, And so intense, It’s faithful and familiar As a late-night-drinking friend, You’re never coming back, There’s no more me and you, The only thing remaining Is a melancholy shade of midnight blue. Didn’t have the sense, To try to make amends, And now I’m filled with deep regret That this is how it ends, A shade of midnight blue. Deep and dark, And so intense, It’s faithful and familiar As a late-night-drinking friend, You’re never coming back, There’s no more me and you, The only thing remaining Is a melancholy shade of midnight blue. Midnight blue is all around me, It’s in my heart and in my soul, It’s a solitary state of mind I never thought I’d know. Deep and dark, And so intense, It’s faithful and familiar As a late-night-drinking friend, You’re never coming back, There’s no more me and you, The only thing remaining Is a melancholy shade of midnight blue, A never-changing shade of midnight blue.
10.
Find Your Wings and Fly For my father, Flt Lt William E. Woods (1931–2006) East End boy Dreams that he can fly, At night he spreads his arms And soars into the endless sky, He’s never felt so powerful or free, This is how he always wants to be. Ten today, He can no longer wait, Runs outside and climbs a wall And takes a leap of faith, Hits the ground and tries hard not to cry, One day, he swears, he’s really going to fly. Nothing is impossible, Or too hard to imagine, With courage and belief, You’ll surely one day make it happen, Your dreams are yours to cherish, And they’re yours to realise, There’s just one way to reach the sky: Find your wings and fly. Years roll by, And in the course of time, The young man earns his pilot’s wings And soars into the sky, Finally he’s powerful and free, This is how he’s always longed to feel. He flies in peace, He flies in war, He flies just like he dreamed he could So many years before, As new recruits come through, He sees that young boy in their eyes, Teaches them the skills they need To find their wings and fly. Nothing is impossible, Or too hard to imagine, With courage and belief, You’ll surely one day make it happen, Your dreams are yours to cherish, And they’re yours to realise, There’s just one way to reach the sky: Find your wings and fly. Glory days, They’ll never come again, In the end he’s grounded By a blood clot in his brain, Yet still at night he dreams that he can fly, Spreads his arms and soars into the sky. Nothing is impossible, Or too hard to imagine, With courage and belief, You’ll surely one day make it happen, Four years on, The fighter pilot gains new wings and flies Higher than he ever flew In his life.
11.
Trail of Goodbyes This life’s been a trail of goodbyes, Born on the road, always lived on the fly, Ain’t one to stay round too long, Sooner or later, it’s time to move on. I’ve travelled the east coast, I’ve lived way out west, High in the mountains my soul found some rest, I’ve sprawled in a mansion, scraped by in a shack, Two years in a trailer I’ll never get back. This life’s been a trail of goodbyes, Born on the road, always lived on the fly, Ain’t one to stay round too long, Sooner or later, it’s time to move on. Don’t think I can stay here with you, Your four-bedroom prison would just never do, Don’t think that I’ll change in good time, Let go of that dream and I’ll keep livin’ mine. Nine-to-fived in the city, relaxed on the coast, Moved far from all people crushed in way too close, Explored distant places, six months had no home, Shared rooms with strangers, struck out on my own. This life’s been a trail of goodbyes, Born on the road, always lived on the fly, Ain’t one to stay round too long, Sooner or later, it’s time to move on, Yeah, sooner or later, it’s time to move on.
12.
Indian Summer In the springtime, used to think I’d Find love round every bend, Pretty sixteen, read the magazines, Sit back and wonder when I’d be like them. Twenty-one and the start of summer, But still no love affair, Disillusioned, disappointed, Thought love was everywhere, It’s so unfair: Indian summer, Oh, how long I’ve had to wait, Indian summer, How the years have slipped away, Indian summer, How you take my breath away, Indian summer, How I’ve waited for this day, Please say you’ll stay. Who’d have thought a chance encounter Could ever lead to this? So excited, so delighted, It’s all I ever wished, How much I’ve missed: Indian summer, Oh, how long I’ve had to wait, Indian summer, How the years have slipped away, Indian summer, How you take my breath away, Indian summer, How I’ve waited for this day, Please say you’ll stay. In the springtime, used to think I’d Find love round every bend, Pretty sixteen, read the magazines, Sit back and wonder when, If I’d known then: Indian summer, Oh, how long I’d have to wait, Indian summer, How the years would slip away, Indian summer, How you’d take my breath away, Indian summer, I’d have waited for this day, Please say you’ll stay.

about

A new collection of twelve original songs by Glastonbury-based singer-songwriter Mandy Woods.

credits

released August 30, 2023

I burned many a candle at both ends in the largely solitary process of writing and recording the songs on Free Spirited Like Me, but I need to thank a number of other people for their invaluable contributions too:

I was so blown away by Martin Froud’s skilful Dobro work on ‘Table for Two’ and ‘Voice of a Jukebox’ when he performed them live with me at the Priddy Folk Festival fringe stage in July 2023 that I became determined for him to play on the album versions too. Fortunately for me, Martin was happy to oblige!

The Zoom-based music sessions that brought new friends into my life from all over the world were an unexpected silver lining to the awfulness of the pandemic lockdowns. Bert Louissen is one such new friend, and I was delighted when he agreed to play a piano part on ‘The Possibility of You’. I met Kenny Jobson the same way I met Bert – via the Dun Cow virtual sessions hosted by the altogether amazing Wendy Parker; Kenny recorded Bert’s piano part and co-produced the recording with me, as well as providing one of the backing vocals.

Paul K Saunders came up with the idea of a song written from the point of view of a jukebox that’s been in a diner for many decades and that has seen one family through several wars. Without his original concept, and his invitation for me to craft it into a song, ‘Voice of a Jukebox’ would not exist.

Talented musician Marty Ratcliffe, who rapidly became a good friend on our arrival in the quirky Somerset town of Glastonbury in 2019, generously agreed to play a bass guitar part on ‘Trail of Goodbyes’.

My dear friend of old, Lara Linette, on a trip to the UK to finish her own album, sweetly revived her harmony part on ‘Indian Summer’ from our days performing together in Austin, Texas.

James Arter did a thoroughly professional job of mastering all the tracks – despite initially being slightly taken aback by the ‘old school’ nature of my recording technique!

I have so much to thank Carol McPaul for – including, here, the photography for, and design of, the album’s artwork.

The title of this collection of songs comes from a line in ‘The Possibility of You’ and, for me, evokes treasured memories of free-spirited conversations with my beloved friend Jo Lloyd-Cox.

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Mandy Woods Glastonbury, UK

The transatlantic flavour of Mandy Woods’ songs reflects a decade spent in Austin, Texas. Now based in Somerset, she plays guitar and country blues harmonica and performs at venues around the UK. Mandy also writes songs about dachshunds, as WagsLyrical. ... more

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