Red Brick Dream

(Partridge)

#\#i#/#The Big Express#\#/i#/#

The Big Express

 Recordings
Art
Annotated Lyrics
Chords and Tablature
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Recordings

  1. Single version, 2'06.
    Produced by XTC.
    Mixed by Phil Thornalley.
    Released on 3 September 1984 as a B-side to the All You Pretty Girls 12" single in the U.K.
    Also available as a bonus track on cassette and compact disc releases of The Big Express.
    Andy Partridge - dinner plate
  2. Demo version.
    Released in September 2004 on Fuzzy Warbles Volume Five in the U.K.
    Andy: “Andy feeling his way into a song from XTC's Big Express period. Is this the only track that ever mentions Swindon?”
    Andy: “Another ‘feeling it out’ demo complete with its own gibberish lyric. I was wading around in a fog of Great Western workers' ghosts trying to grasp some meaning.”
  3. 2023 stereo mix.
    Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
    Released on the reissue of The Big Express on 29 September 2023 in the U.K.
  4. 2023 Dolby Atmos mix.
    Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
    Released on the reissue of The Big Express on 29 September 2023 in the U.K.
  5. 2023 DTS-HD MA Surround Sound mix.
    Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
    Released on the reissue of The Big Express on 29 September 2023 in the U.K.
  6. 2023 instrumental mix.
    Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
    Released on the reissue of The Big Express on 29 September 2023 in the U.K.

Art

#\#a href="http://youtu.be/Yoj9eIeolWI" target="churl"#/#“Red Brick Dream” lip synch, from #\#i#/#RPM#\#/i#/# on #\#i#/#BBC West#\#/i#/#, circa 1984#\#/a#/#

“Red Brick Dream” lip synch, from RPM on BBC West, circa 1984

    

Lyrics

Notes

“Castles and Kings” and the “North Star” were classes of steam locomotive (built at Swindon Works in Swindon). “Iron horse” was an early term for a locomotive, hence “horses of the gods”.

Red brick dream
Windows scream
As the rusting North Star shines above
And drops its iron beams
Crashing down upon the rooves of Swindon Town

I heard the engine's dying breath
Castles and kings all starved to death
I dropped the coronation cup
Sshh, please don't wake them up from
Red brick dream

Red brick dream
Buttons gleam
By the light of the furnace pouring
Molten memories
Splashing down upon the rooves of Swindon Town

The men of muscle piston rods
Who forged the horses of the gods
They made the town a set of chains
And sleeping it remains in
Red brick dream

Chords and Tablature

Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 22:13:24 +0100
From: "Kees Pouw" <kspw (at) wxs dot nl>
Subject: Red Brick Dream
Message-ID: <000001be48a7$8b708ce0$2e4979c3 (at) pouw0010>


I do believe this version of red brick dream is closer to the truth then the
version earlier shown here. Thou I like to say thanks to the person who
posted it. (the last but one chord might still be up for improvement)

Tune your guitar as shown,

    Red-brick dream     win-dows scream
E----0---0----0---0---| |0---0----0---0---|
B----0---2----0---0---| |0---2----0---0---|
G#---0---0----0---0---| |0---0----0---0---|
E----4---0----0---0---| |4---0----0---0---|
B----0---2----0---0---| |0---2----0---0---|
E----4---0----0---0---| |4---0----0---0---|

     As  the rus-ting   north-star shines  a-
E----0---0---0---0---|  |0-----0----0------0---|
B----0---2---0---0---|  |0-----2----0------0---|
G#---0---0---0---0---|  |0-----0----0------0---|
E----4---0---0---0---|  |4-----0----0------0---|
B----0---2---0---0---|  |0-----2----0------0---|
E----4---0---0---0---|  |4-----0----0------0---|

    bove and drops  it's       ir- on  beams
E----0---0-----0----0---|       |0---0---0---0---|
B----0---2-----0----0---|       |0---2---0---0---|
G#---0---0-----0----0---|       |0---0---0---0---|
E----4---0-----0----0---|       |4---0---0---0---|
B----0---2-----0----0---|       |0---2---0---0---|
E----4---0-----0----0---|       |4---0---0---0---|

    Cras-hing down up- on the roofs of  Swin-don  town
E----0---0------0---0--0--0---0-----0----0---0----0--|
B----0---2------4---4--4--4---3-----3----2---1----0--|
G#---0---0------0---0--0--0---0-----0----0---0----0--|
E----4---0------0---0--0--0---0-----0----0---0----0--|
B----0---2------4---4--4--4---3-----3----2---1----0--|
E----4---0------0---0--0--0---0-----0----0---0----0--|

                 I heard the enigine's dying breath
                 Castles and kings all starved to death
                 I dropped the coronation cup
E----0---0---0---0---|          (repeat 3 times)
B----0---2---0---0---|
G#---0---0---0---0---|
E----4---0---0---0---|
B----0---2---0---0---|
E----4---0---0---0---|
(first time )

 please don't wake them  up from red brick  dream
E--4---------------------5----------------|---0---|
B--4---------------------5----------------|---0---|
G#-4---------------------5----------------|---1---|
E--4---------------------5----------------|---0---|
B--4---------------------5----------------|---0---|
E--4---------------------5----------------|---0---|
(Second and last)
   Sleeping it        remains in   red brick    dream
E---4------------------5-----------5---------|---0---|
B---4------------------5-----------0---------|---0---|
G#--4------------------5-----------7---------|---1---|
E---4------------------5-----------7---------|---0---|
B---4------------------5-----------0---------|---0---|
E---4------------------5-----------7---------|---1---|

As you see I only wrote down the first verse. Use your own resources for the
second.
Does anyone play these tunes anyway?
Date: Fri, 27 Sep 1996 00:58:53 -0700
From: hbmus047 (at) email dot csun dot edu (Ian Dahlberg)
Subject: Red Brick Dream TAB
Message-Id: <199609270758.AAA18097 (at) sgi dot sgi dot com>


RED BRICK DREAM

Please note the "open E" tuning

It's easy, really...

E-----------0--0----0----0-------------------------|
B-----------0--0----5----3-------------------------|
G#----------0--0----0----0-------------------------|
E-----------0--0----0----0-------------------------|
B-----------0--0----0----3-------------------------|
E-----------0--0----0----0-------------------------|
     +    .    .    .    +     .     .     .

              red brick dream

E-----------0--0----0----0-------------------------|
B-----------0--0----5----3-------------------------|
G#----------0--0----0----0-------------------------|
E-----------0--0----0----0-------------------------|
B-----------0--0----0----3-------------------------|
E-----------0--0----0----0-------------------------|
     +    .    .    .    +     .     .     .

               windows scream

E-----------0--0----0----0-------------------------|
B-----------0--0----5----3-------------------------|
G#----------0--0----0----0-------------------------|
E-----------0--0----0----0-------------------------|
B-----------0--0----0----3-------------------------|
E-----------0--0----0----0-------------------------|
     +    .    .    .    +     .     .     .

             as the rusting north star...

E-----------0--0----0----0-----0-----0-----0-------|
B-----------0--0----5----3-----3-----0-----5-------|
G#----------0--0----0----0-----0-----0-----0-------|
E-----------0--0----0----0-----0-----0-----0-------|
B-----------0--0----0----0-----0-----0-----0-------|
E-----------0--0----0----0-----0-----0-----0-------|
     +    .    .    .    +     .     .     .

E----0----0--0------0----0-----0-----0-----0-------|
B----3----3--0------5----3-----3-----0-----5-------|
G#---0----0--0------0----0-----0-----0-----0-------|
E----0----0--0------0----0-----0-----0-----0-------|
B----0----0--0------0----0-----0-----0-----0-------|
E----0----0--0------0----0-----0-----0-----0-------|
     +    .    .    .    +     .     .     .

      crashing          down upon...

E----0---------0----0----0-----0--0------------0---|
B----3---------0----3----4-----4--4------------4---|
G#---0---------0----0----0-----0--0------------0---|
E----0---------0----0----0-----0--0------------0---|
B----0---------0----0----4-----4--4------------4---|
E----0---------0----0----0-----0--0------------0---|
     +    .    .    .    +     .     .     .

roofs of        Swindon  town

E----0----0----0----0----0-------------------------|
B----3----3----2----1----0-------------------------|
G#---0----0----0----0----0-------------------------|
E----0----0----0----0----0-------------------------|
B----3----3----2----1----0-------------------------|
E----0----0----0----0----0-------------------------|
     +    .    .    .    +     .     .     .

                             I heard the engines...

E-----------0--0----0----0-------------------------|
B-----------0--0----5----3-------------------------|
G#----------0--0----0----0-------------------------|
E-----------0--0----0----0-------------------------|
B-----------0--0----0----3-------------------------|
E-----------0--0----0----0-------------------------|
     +    .    .    .    +     .     .     .

breath                        castles and queens ...

E-----------0--0----0----0-------------------------|
B-----------0--0----5----3-------------------------|
G#----------0--0----0----0-------------------------|
E-----------0--0----0----0-------------------------|
B-----------0--0----0----3-------------------------|
E-----------0--0----0----0-------------------------|
     +    .    .    .    +     .     .     .

death                      I dropped the coronation...

E-----------0--0----0----0---------------------|
B-----------0--0----5----3---------------------|
G#----------0--0----0----0---------------------|
E-----------0--0----0----0---------------------|
B-----------0--0----0----3---------------------|
E-----------0--0----0----0---------------------|
     +    .    .    .    +  .  .  .  +  .  .  .

  please  don't wake them up from red brick ...

E----4-------------------5-------------------------|
B----4-------------------5-------------------------|
G#---4-------------------5-------------------------|
E----4-------------------5-------------------------|
B----4-------------------5-------------------------|
E----4-------------------5-------------------------|
     +    .    .    .    +     .     .     .

last part (2nd X)

  sleeping it          remains in      red brick
                                     ?
E----4-------------------5-----------5-------------|
B----4-------------------5-----------7-------------|
G#---4-------------------5-----------7-------------|
E----4-------------------5-----------5-------------|
B----4-------------------5-----------5-------------|
E----4-------------------5-----------7-------------|
     +    .    .    .    +     .     .     .

  dream
E---0----------------------------------------------|
B---0----------------------------------------------|
G#--1----------------------------------------------|
E---0----------------------------------------------|
B---0----------------------------------------------|
E---0----------------------------------------------|
     +    .    .    .
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