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Flying Machine

from Flying Machine by Emma Ballantine

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about

The story of a man who devotes his life to fulfilling a secret ambition - shunning the world and the prospect of love to give himself entirely to the task. From the a cappella opening of this tale, to its orchestral climax, Flying Machine is about the blood sweat and tears that go into any creative endeavour. Its last verse explores the idea that we can never know what becomes of those we love once they leave this world; we can only dedicate our own lives to the dreams they leave behind.

lyrics

Flying Machine

Once a man fell in love with the sky
He looked up and he made up his mind
He gathered all the feathers he could find
And he bade his time

Well this man with his head in the clouds
Got a bona fide science degree
He said 'now I can build my flying machine'
Just you wait and see

Well he built himself a studio on the seventeenth floor of the highest block he could find
Leaving the world behind

Nuts and bolts
String and glue
Paper drawings, white on blue
Painted pieces all numbered through
'I built this all' he said 'for you, yes I built this all for you'

Well a girl on the same block as he
Climbed the staircase one day just to see
She said 'I'm in love with the same sky too
Won't you take me with you?'

'Oh no' he said, 'you don't understand,
It's a dream in my head, I have built it by hand'
'I'll go', she said, as the gentleman tried to explain

He said 'nuts and bolts
Blood and tears
All my ambition for all these years
Private hopes and lonely fears
I cannot share this', he said 'with you
No I cannot share this with you'

Well the seventeenth floor went quiet one day
And the girl climbed the staircase to say 'it's okay
So many plans we make never come to anything anyway'
And she saw that the living room window was open
And nothing remained of the man that she'd spoken to
Just a dent on the bed as a clue that he'd been there at all

'Oh', she said, 'you built your machine'
And she pictured him swimming in the clouds that she could see
'Oh', she said, 'I wish I could have seen
The moment when you made it to the sky'

Oh nuts and bolts
String and glue
Oh we watch them fly, but we don't know where to
Ooh
'I'll build this all', she said, 'for you, yes I'll build this all for you'

credits

from Flying Machine, released August 14, 2012
Recorded and produced with David Rael, London 2012

Featuring Anna Curzon (violin) and David Rael (cello)

license

all rights reserved

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about

Emma Ballantine image

Emma Ballantine UK

With a  no. 1 album and recognition from Q Magazine and Glamour, Emma Ballantine weaves together folk and contemporary influences to create her distinctive, storytelling style.

A finalist in the UK Unsigned Songwriter of the Year competition, her music has been played by BBC Radio 2, BBC 6 Music and BBC Introducing, and she has been described as 'a unique voice among modern songwriters'. ... more

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