The Last Balloon
(Partridge)
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Recordings XTCfans interview with Andy Partridge Art Lyrics Chords and Tablature |
(Partridge)
|
|
Recordings XTCfans interview with Andy Partridge Art Lyrics Chords and Tablature |
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Album version, 6'40.
Released on Apple Venus Volume 1.
Trumpet and flügelhorn solo by Guy Barker.
Demo version.
Released on 27 September 1999 on Homespun in the U.K.
Andy: “I was approached by a musician in the mid 90's to contribute to, or complete, some instrumentals he was about to record. Could I find themes to go over them or add lyrics or turn the pieces around into songs. I threw myself into the project, well, I was on strike from Virgin, what else was there to do? A really oblique but sad theme came up for one instrumental which I felt rather proud of, but I was beginning to smell fish about the project in general. So we parted ways, for reasons too many and varied to go into here, and I was left with my haunted melody.
“I kept the tune, changed the chords underneath (I didn't want anyone to accuse me of stealing) and tried various keyboard sounds out to support it. I liked a sample of an acoustic guitar, which sounded oddly more like a harpsichord, and a whole chain of mental events went off to create the lyric.
“Harpsichords always make me think of balloons. You know, the Montgolfier Brothers type of craft. Balloons make me think of escape, maybe from a besieged place. Escape from something bad. Bad ways, bad thoughts. You can see where I'm headed.
“ ‘The Last Balloon Home’ was, for a while, the working title of the ‘Nonsuch’ album, but was not to be. All that time it was laid in my lyrics book, whimpering to me, ‘make me into a song’ it called, so now was the time.
“It's primarily a sad song, we, who are stained by our bad deeds, our violence, weapons, vanity, we aren't going to get on board that balloon to a better place. It's the young who are. It's the young who must not make the same stupid mistakes that we have. They are the hope. They must not listen to us, they must drop us, like ballast, if they are to rise above it all. I'm an optimist at heart and feel, even though it's grey here, that above and into the future it will be brighter, fresher where my children are going.
“I apologise wholeheartedly for the wretched fake trumpet solo on this demo. But didn't Guy Barker make up for it with some magnificent flugelhorn on the real thing?”
Instrumental version.
Released on 17 October 2002 on Instruvenus in Japan.
[Thanks to R. Stevie Moore]
The Little Express, Issue 40, Winter 1995/1996 |
Album version:
The last balloon is leaving, the last balloon from fear
The last balloon is leaving, form that line right here
Climb aboard, climb aboard you menfolk
You won't need any bombs or knives
Climb aboard, climb aboard you menfolk
Leave all that, to your former lives
Drop it all
The last balloon is leaving, the last balloon of all
The last balloon is leaving, undress, discard, let fall
Climb aboard, climb aboard you women
You won't need any gems or furs
Climb aboard, climb aboard you women
Leave all that to the bad old years
Drop it all
The last balloon is leaving, the last balloon they'll fly
The last balloon is leaving and we won't qualify
Climb aboard, climb aboard you children
Move aloft, while you're fleet and fast
Climb aboard, climb aboard you children
We're weighed down by our evil past
Drop us all, you should drop us all
Drop us all and free your hand
Drop us all, you should drop us all
Drop us all like so much sand
© 1998 Copyright Control
Demo version:
The Last Balloon is leaving
The last balloon from fear
The last balloon is leaving
Form that line right here
Climb aboard, climb aboard you menfolk
You won't need any bombs or knives
Climb aboard, climb aboard you menfolk
Leave 'em there, to your former lives
Drop it all
The last balloon is leaving
The last balloon of all
The last balloon is leaving
Undress, discard, let fall
Climb aboard, climb aboard you women
You won't need any gems or furs
Climb aboard, climb aboard you women
Leave all that to the bad old years
Drop it all
The last balloon is leaving
The last balloon they'll fly
The last balloon is leaving
And we won't qualify
Climb aboard, climb aboard you children
Move aloft, while your feet (?) fast
Climb aboard, climb aboard you children
World right down, by our revoked pass
Drop us all, you should drop us all
drop us all, free your head
drop us all, drop us all,
drop us all like so much sand
[transcribed by Joshua Hall-Bachner and Brookes McKenzie]
Date: Sun, 09 May 2004 05:36:06 -0500 From: "ian m" <looksharp186 (at) hotmail dot com> Subject: tab addition Message-ID: <BAY12-F105UHgTVdBBt00009988 (at) hotmail dot com> Not too much of anything to contribute, but was browsing the tabs section and playing along and noticed that one of the chords on "The Last Balloon" sounded incorrect and I think the correct version of the Am or Am7...or Am7sus or however many different versions there are on there is actually...A7/G? Anyways, it replaces the following in *bold*: D(C bass)-Bsus2-Gmin(Bb bass)-*Amin* D(C bass)-Bsus2-Gmin(Bb bass)-*A7sus4* The last balloon is leaving..... the last balloon from fear e|-0-| b|-2-| g|-0-| d|-2-| a|-x-| e|-3-| Try it out, see if it sounds better/correct in your opinion. Just thought I'd offer it up.
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 01:04:59 EST
From: Kevin Brunkhorst <KB305 (at) aol dot com>
Subject: The Last Balloon
Message-ID: <6da3ecab.36e75d0b (at) aol dot com>
The Last Balloon
(Partridge)
D/C Badd2 (x24422) Gm/Bb (x1x333) C#dim/G (3xx020)
D/C Badd2 Gm/Bb Am7 D/C Badd2 Gm/Bb A7sus
The last balloon is leaving, the last balloon from fear
D/C Badd2 Gm/Bb Am7 D/C Badd2 Gm/Bb A7sus
The last balloon is leaving, form that line right here
Ebm Bbm Db7sus Cbadd2
Climb aboard, climb aboard you menfolk
Ebm Bbm Db7sus Ebm/Gb
You won't need any bombs or knives
Ebm Bbm Dbsus Cbadd2
Climb aboard, climb aboard you menfolk
Ebm Bbm Dbsus Ebm/Gb
Leave all that, to your former lives
C6/9 Badd2 Gm/Bb Am7
Drop it all
The last balloon is leaving, the last balloon of all
The last balloon is leaving, undress, discard, let fall
Climb aboard, climb aboard you women
You won't need any gems or furs
Climb aboard, climb aboard you women
Leave all that to the bad old years
Drop it all
The last balloon is leaving, the last balloon they'll fly
The last balloon is leaving and we won't qualify
Climb aboard, climb aboard you children
Move aloft, while you're fleet and fast
Climb aboard, climb aboard you children
We're weighed down by our evil past
Drop us all, you should drop us all
Drop us all and free your hand
Drop us all, you should drop us all
Drop us all like so much sandDate: Tue, 23 Feb 1999 19:05:07 EST
From: KingJeffe (at) aol dot com
Subject: Chords for "The Last Balloon"
Message-ID: <e7624598.36d34233 (at) aol dot com>
The Last Balloon (Andy Partridge)
XTC from Apple Venus Vol.1
Transcribed by Jeffrey Fariello
(kingjeffe (at) aol dot com)
CHORDS:
****************************************************************************
D(C bass) Bsus2 Gmin(Bb bass) Gdim7 Amin A7sus4 Ebmin Bbmin Dbsus4
2 2 3 X 0 3 6 6 X
3 2 3 5 1 3 7 6 7
2 4 3 3 2 0 8 6 6
X 4 X 5 2 2 8 8 6
3 2 1 4 0 0 6 8 4
X X X 3 X X X 6 X
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
F# Csus2 F#aug
2 3 2
2 3 3
3 5 3
4 5 4
4 3 X
2 X 2(Thumb)
****************************************************************************
Intro chords: D(C bass) - Bsus2 - Gmin(Bb bass) - Gdim7
D(C bass)-Bsus2-Gmin(Bb bass)-Amin D(C bass)-Bsus2-Gmin(Bb bass)-A7sus4
The last balloon is leaving..... the last balloon from fear
D(C bass)-Bsus2-Gmin(Bb bass)-Amin D(C bass)-Bsus2-Gmin(Bb bass)-A7sus4
The last balloon is leaving..... form that line right here
Ebmin Bbmin Dbsus4 Bsus2
Climb aboard, climb aboard you menfolk
Ebmin Bbmin Dbsus4 F#
You won't need any bombs or knives
Ebmin Bbmin Dbsus4 Bsus2
Climb aboard, climb aboard you menfolk
Ebmin Bbmin Dbsus4 F# D(C bass)-Bsus2-Gmin(Bb bass)-Amin
Leave 'em there, to your former lives.... Drop it all
D(C bass)-Bsus2-Gmin(Bb bass)-Amin D(C bass)-Bsus2-Gmin(Bb bass)-A7sus4
The last balloon is leaving..... the last balloon of all
D(C bass)-Bsus2-Gmin(Bb bass)-Amin D(C bass)-Bsus2-Gmin(Bb bass)-A7sus4
The last balloon is leaving..... undress, discard, let fall
Ebmin Bbmin Dbsus4 Bsus2
Climb aboard, climb aboard you women
Ebmin Bbmin Dbsus4 F#
You won't need any gems or furs
Ebmin Bbmin Dbsus4 Bsus2
Climb aboard, climb aboard you women
Ebmin Bbmin Dbsus4 F# D(C bass)-Bsus2-Csus2-F#aug
Leave all that to the bad old years..... Drop it all
D(C bass)-Bsus2-Gmin(Bb bass)-Amin D(C bass)-Bsus2-Gmin(Bb bass)-A7sus4
The last balloon is leaving..... the last balloon they'll fly
D(C bass)-Bsus2-Gmin(Bb bass)-Amin D(C bass)-Bsus2-Gmin(Bb bass)-A7sus4
The last balloon is leaving..... and we won't qualify
Ebmin Bbmin Dbsus4 Bsus2
Climb aboard, climb aboard you children
Ebmin Bbmin Dbsus4 F#
Move aloft, while you're fleet and fast
Ebmin Bbmin Dbsus4 Bsus2
Climb aboard, climb aboard you children
Ebmin Bbmin Dbsus4 Bsus2
We're weighed down by our evil past
Ebmin Bbmin Dbsus4 Bsus2
Drop us all.... you should drop us all
Ebmin Bbmin Dbsus4 Bsus2
Drop us all, and free your hand
Ebmin Bbmin Dbsus4 Bsus2
Drop us all.... you should drop us all
Ebmin Bbmin Dbsus4 Bsus2
Drop us all like so much sand| « Previous | Contents | Next » |
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