April 2020

Ooh, look, a YouTube vid of me in a singlet. Just what the people wanted.
It’s a home-office rendition of I’ll Take Lonely Tonight, a song I wrote about not having sex. : )

The studio version comes out in about a month (it’s very cool I can’t wait woohoo etc), but I want you guys to be able to learn it and record your own versions, if you wanna, before I drop mine.

Maybe one day, somewhere, I’ll be able to get one of you lovely mofos up to play it with me.

Lyrics and Chords below.
Loads of lockdown love to you all.
xt

**I’LL TAKE LONELY TONIGHT**

I’ll take lonely tonight
Your offer is kind
And I must confess that I find
Your casual caresses and that pretty dress
Pretty hard to resist
And Christ what a night
I think you’re pretty high
I know I’m pretty pissed

But I’ll take lonely tonight
Though I’m not denying
I hate being alone
Even so I know regret in the making
You’re one of those others I swore I’d forsake
And although this extraction is taking
A great act of will
I got a girl has my heart in a house on a hill
So though I am hungry and tempted
I’m sorry I’m not going to bite
I’m gonna take lonely

I’ll take lonely tonight
Though I know I might well
Have future regrets
That I didn’t more often take up these chances
For what is life for but to shag, drink and dance
And teenager me would be screaming his pants off
Begging me to stay
But my girl has my heart in a house half a planet away
And I’d rather murder than hurt her
So sorry though it feels so right
I’m gonna take lonely tonight

Odysseus wasn’t strong enough
To endure the Siren song and so
He made his sailors tie him to a mast
And Jesus spent forty days and forty nights
And he stood his ground and fought his fight
And the devil tried but couldn’t break his fast
If this is true
The devil should’ve offered him you
Goddammit

I’ll take lonely tonight In my three-point-five star
Boutique hotel
Where I will spend Twenty-five bucks
On minibar snacks
And pass out on my phone

And wake in four hours or so
Soaked in relief to find
I am alone

With only the wrappers
Of Pringles and Snickers
For which to atone

Blissfully lonely

Back to the top!

Chords

Back to the top!

UPDATE (25/04/20) as promised: Missy Higgins singing ‘Carry You’ with Tim on piano:

The entire show is available on YouTube here.

Tim’s joined the stellar line-up of artists for MUSIC FROM THE HOME FRONT this Saturday 25th April, 2020.

The programme will air in Australia and New Zealand only but footage of Tim’s performance will be available here after the event – we’ll let you know via social media.

Australia: 7.30PM LOCAL – NINE (and 9NOW 7.30pm AEST)

New Zealand: 9.30PM NZST – THREE (and THREENOW)

More details and the full line up here

Photo by Damian Bennett

Australian Hip Hop pioneer, writer and actor BRIGGS has teamed up with Tim to record ‘HOUSEFYRE’ and to film the video from the splendid isolation of their own homes.

Stream/Download: Briggs.lnk.to/HousefyrePR

Sales and streams of this song are being donated to the #FNC19Appeal here.

Briggs: “Cabin fever manifests in strange ways and while I’ve been stuck at home working on new music and practising good social distancing, the idea came to me to hit up my friend Tim Minchin to work on a fun idea. Black and red together hasn’t looked this good since the ’93 grand final.”

Tim: “I’ve been wanting to do something with Briggs for years but couldn’t work out what idea to go to him with. Then a few days ago, he sent a track over and asked if I’d wanna write a chorus for it. I think my exact words were “fuck yeah”. So much fun to make, and such a buzz to work with the Senator.”

Starring: Briggs and Tim Minchin
Director / Editor: Christiaan Van Vuuren
Graphics and VFX: Alex Gabbott
Music and Lyrics: Briggs, Tim Minchin & Trials

-Lyrics-

Da-dup da-dup oh
Come, little baby, shelter from the storm
We’re goin’ viral & the fire is warm
Keepin’ calm, carryin’ on, Scotty’s latest presser is depressin’
So we’re tuning in to this approved message from the Senator:

Bet you are still tryna find me
Out of office message: Mahalo from Hawaii!
Leadership’s not really something that I’m feelin’, kid
Ya maybe shoulda voted for the other guy behind me
What’s the matter, little Aussie battler, ya tired?
No! Everything I own is on fire!
Well, your Aussie spirit’s liftin’ & ya still kickin’ on
Everything is burning, better turn the fuckin’ cricket on

We deserve someone who’s a little bit better then
And ain’t no one been this nice since settlement
You ain’t fit to push the whip ya back pedalin’
You ain’t fit to wear the kicks that I’m treadin’ in
I’m smooth, I’m real nice-like
And it’s not like I miss this nightlife
It’s all good, yeah it’s alright
If we can’t start a house party, start a house fyre (Get it!)

Come, little baby, shelter from the storm
We’re goin’ viral & the fire is warm
We’re good little citizens, sittin’ in the bunker, just watchin’ the boss fumble like my befuddled uncle does
We’re rockin’ the lock-in, self-interred
Watching videos of Jacinda Ardern
Shit! Even the Kiwis aren’t allowed outside
If we can’t start a house party, start a house fyre

Briggs for PM! Duck Peter Dutton if ya see him
Deport this: Fuck how you’re feelin’
Pandemic’s got ‘em reelin’, people need to see ya leadin’
Ah, fuck it, footy’s on. Do it after the weekend.
If worst comes to worst, the people come first
Yeah, but I’m gonna need a purse for the mega-church
You ain’t fit, we don’t get near a penny-worth
You ain’t fit, the leadership is gettin’ plenty worse
Went to hit the store & everything had been bought
They quarantined us all so we’re sittin’ indoors
And if they gettin’ onboard, I’m pullin’ this ripcord & ditchin’ this concord & splittin’ like Jean-Claude

You’re cool, I’m real nice-like
And it’s not like I miss this nightlife
We’re all good, yeah it’s alright
If we can’t start a house party, start a house fyre
But you’re cool, yeah ya alright
But I’m kinda sick & tired of bein’ inside
We’re all good, yeah we’re all smiles
If we can’t start a house party, start a house fyre (Get it!)

Come, little baby, shelter from the storm
We’re coughin’ up lungs & the kettle’s on
We already burnt the world outside
If we can’t start a house party, start a house fyre

Da-dup da-dup ohh
If we can’t start a house party, start a house fyre

Scotty from marketing standin’ there, shufflin’ his papers,
Wonderin’ why Jesus hasn’t come to save us
Lookin’ to Peter Dutton like “what the fuck’s happenin’?”
At least the Ruby Princess had a fuckin’ captain

Come, little baby, shelter from the storm
Stay the fuck inside until the bugger’s gone
But we can still stir shit from the inside
If we can’t start a house party, start a house fyre!