Babybird’s second album with Unison Music was released 31. October 2011. Expect big explosive distorted brass and songs about things being just out of reach.

Tracks
01. Jesus Stag Night Club (4.20)
02. Beautiful Haze (4.29)
03. The Best Days Of Our Lives (3.28)
04. I Love Her (3.54)
05. Not Love (3.00)
06. Can’t Love You Any More (4.35)
07. Don’t Wake Me (4.10)
08. I’m Not A Killer (3.55)
09. www.song (4.06)
10., A Little More Each Day (3.45)
11. Song For The Functioning Alcoholic (3.32)
12. The World Is Ours (2.36)
13. Remember Us (4.22)

Released by Unison Music.

Stephen Jones says….

JESUS STAG NIGHT CLUB
This about a group of teenagers who
hire a jesus lookalike to organize a stag night in the north of england.
it goes wrong and the impersonator dies
during the night out, only to find out that he really is jesus.
Depp plays on this one.

BEAUTIFUL HAZE
this is about the feeling, the hit you get,
and the fear of scrabbling for life, when you’ve come off your
surf board and you’re flailing around under the waves,
trying to find the surface. the haze of beauty and fear.

THE BEST DAY OF OUR LIVES
meeting a girl, falling in love,
getting pregnant all within a day or two.
surviving the alcoholic fallout of
making mistakes when young.

I LOVE HER
this is simply about my daughter, any daughter.
putting down your vices, shredding that
last youthful ounce of selfishness
and concentrating on her 100%.

NOT LOVE
is about false sentiment. As in 500
days of summer.
xmas and birthday card
sentimentality…how t.v., corporations and the pop charts stole love
kidnapped it.

CAN’T LOVE YOU ANY MORE
double meaning. can’t love you any more
than i do
can’t love you anymore
its over.
dichotomy song. plot :
a couple are in a car are heading
towards a wall down a hill.
both their hands are on the brake.
if he apologies for last night they
live …. if he doesn’t they die in the car crash

DON’T WAKE ME UP
a narcoleptic song. if you see someone
asleep leave them, they’re dreaming about you.
good thoughts. so don’t
interrupt…leave them sleeping.

I’M NOT A KILLER
idea for this came. from any situation,
could be road rage, screaming at traffic wardens etc.
you’re not a killer, but sometimes,
just sometimes you could kill.
topical now the death penalty is being
discussed in parliament.
happy song.

WWW.SONG
idea was about stalkers and facebook.
and men grooming girls on the internet.
of course in classic babybird style,
its fleshed out, made catchy.
its another ultimate love song that I
specialize in…
how would you go for someone you
loved….would you kill for them
of course you would !!!!

A LITTLE MORE EACH DAY
pretty self-explanatory…instead of a
relationship declining which is real pop and t.v fodder
this is about loving someone
a little more each day

SONG FOR THE FUNCTIONING ALCOHOLIC
funny song about love and hate, job and
money, wife and kids.
trying to get out of yourself, ditch negative thoughts,
and get a grip you fucking weak man

THE WORLD IS OURS
simple
taking life back from its constraints
tonight the world is ours NOT THEIRS

REMEMBER US
remember the good days….be positive.
making this album and the last Ex Maniac,
in America, it’s really clear how negative the english are.
The American ‘have a nice day’ cliche is misunderstood.
they look at things different and being
a pessimistic british whiner
it was good to get a grip on real life
enhancing positivity.

Sleeve notes

As an intruder in music land, I feel utterly amazed to still be doing this… to be able to shove all the stuff I do into a bomb-blasted envelope with the mainstream stamp partially torn off, and left there hanging… just about dangling on for dear life. So thank you, especially to all you surfers, giggers, downloaders, buyers, followers, stalkers, lovers, haters, and fellow Babybirders

The label says…

The Pleasures Of Self Destruction, the latest release by English creep rockers Babybird, is a balance of twisted, surreal imagery and angst powered arrangements, mixed up with soft and tender songs that can be anyone’s “song”. Veteran writer, musician, poet, novelist, Stephen Jones once again brings us new perspective, brilliant irony, and memorable melodies that rattle the world with a call for love, understanding, or the opposite of both. Thoughtful music for interesting humans. Signed to Unison Music Group, Babybird recorded their critically acclaimed album “Ex-Maniac”, which was followed up with a successful UK tour. Once again, Babybird has teamed up with Bruce Witkin and Ryan Dorn, the producers behind “Ex-Maniac” to create the all new collection, “The Pleasures Of Self Destruction”.

Trivia

• First ever mention of this record: “Stephen Jones is currently in L.A. recording the next Babybird album with Bruce Witkin and Unison!” by badpagesdk on Twitter (27. september 2010)
• This is the follow up to Ex-Maniac and is also produced by Bruce Witkin and released by Unison Music.
• Recordings began late September 2010 in Unison’s studio in L.A. with Bruce Witkin and Ryan Dorn producing. Musicans include Luke Scott, Joey Malone and Bruce Witkin.
• In febraury 2011 Stephen told bad-pages.dk that he was considering to titles: “For You and Nobody Else” or “It’s So Loud I Can’t Hear it”. Almost love was a very early title
• After recording, Stephen was still undecided whether to release the album as Stephen Jones or Babybird. “I think it would be nice to hint at a new beginning.” Eventually, he settled for Babybird. A poll on the Bad Pages showed 80% in favour of keeping the old alias.
• Official news April 2011: “Stephen has finished up in LA and is back in the UK. Final mixing has commenced on his latest work”.
• Official news may 2011: “The new Stephen Jones album is set for an autumn release as final touches are added to the mix and album artwork is designed. The new album promises to be a sonic symphony, with trademark Babybird imagery and lilting lullaby lyrics.”
• Johnny Depp, who played guitar on Unloveable and directed the video, appears on the intro song ‘Jesus Stag Nite Club’. (Stephen: “That’ll put the mockers on it no doubt for cynical press”).
• Album Launch party takes place on November 3rd on The Bowery in London.
• The line “I feel Like Jesus on Fire” on Jesus Stag Night Club is a reference to the song ‘Jesus Christ’ by The Longpigs

In his own words

“Almost love was a very early title, so themes around things being just out of reach and not quite being able to grab onto your own life. Control of your life slipping away. Trying to balance this with the endless pursuit for enjoyment and entertainment. The usual themes.”

“The songs are different from Ex-Maniac in that they are more epic. Big explosive distorted brass and strings giving it something more filmic”

“I tried to make it a bit more political even though I’m fully aware that political songs are the antichrist. So these songs are tampered without clichés.”

“There was lots of visiting dogs during recording. We had a white bird, a parakeet I think, called Bentley, who sat in the studio for Ex-Maniac. Bruce has four dogs, amongst them, one massive hound called Harry who wander round kind of in charge of the whole place. Kind of all feels very right.”

“The studio control room is where I used to sleep as the studio was then in West Hollywood. It’s now at Bruce’s. So I sit on the sofa where I used to sleep, sharing the room with Black Widow spiders, squirrels and crickets. Nothing really unforseen but this one cricket who is never seen but is sometimes louder than the music. Chirping bastards like a baby bleeding bird.”

“Pleasures” is all new and written over a shorter period of time. It’s the happiest I’ve been about an album. I think my work has always been political, but political in the sense of things that relate directly to people, not party political rubbish. Music is a great way to stick two fingers up to the constraints of society, to confront the false freedoms we are lead to believe we have. “The Demons” are the things I like to use to mix up my own personal experience with all the things I see first-hand or in the media. Add it to an insanely addictive tune, and then, there you are, you have the essence of Babybird. (punkglobe.com)

“On the new album there are some kids who get fucked up on a stag night run by a Jesus Impersonator. There’s one about a stalker. And me…. The Functioning Alcoholic Ha Ha!”  (punkglobe.com)

On love: “I’m always writing about protecting innocence. I’ve got two children, aged ten and five, but I was doing that protective thing before that. “Love is stronger than like, and ‘like’ is a word like ‘nice’. You would always prefer to love than like. Not Love is a good example of that: it’s about how love is packaged in greetings cards and was triggered by that film (500) Days Of Summer, where the guy’s job was to design those cards. (York Press)

“The idea behind the title is that everything that’s good for you can be bad for you too. Apparently playing video games can be as bad for you as taking drugs” (York Press)

In the studio

Lyrics

Jesus Stag Night Club
Saw a man in a bar with his hair like a lady
Bloody thorns ’round his ears like he was a crazy
He had holes in his hands and a cross for a spine
Crushed a berry in his Perrier and called it wine

He said, “There’s great sadness in life, but don’t sit there and blub:
Here’s some tickets for your friends to the Jesus Stag Night Club!”

I can’t remember where I was last night
Think I was hanging naked off a church spire
Tied by my ankles to a weathervane
Felt like I was Jesus on fire

Cuffed to the bumper of a big truck
I begged my dad to take me to a strip bar
Drank kerosene slammers through my eyeballs
Drove myself home in a stolen car

Turn a bird upside down and it lies in your fingers like a dead man
When you throw it in the air it’s resurrected from your hand
We went to a motel, he showed me his Bible
I said, “Tell me the truth,” while he looked me in the eyeball

He said, “There’s great happiness in life but don’t just sit there in love:
Here’s some tickets for your friends to the Jesus Stag Night Club!”

I can’t remember where I was last night
Think I was getting on a night bus
Lyin’ on the laps of my good friends
Judas Priest and Lazarus

I’m getting married in the big bright morning
But it feels like I’m giving birth
I feel so happy I could scream
“This is my last few seconds on Earth”

Saw a man in the street lying on the floor beaten up
He had a fish finger sandwich and a yellow M coffee cup
I bent down drunk and tried to pick him up
But when I turned around I could see…it was Jesus…

I can’t remember where I was last night
Think I was hanging on a church spire
Tied by my ankles to a weathervane
Felt like I was Jesus on fire

Cuffed to the bumper of a big truck
I begged my dad to take me to a strip bar
Drank kerosene slammers through my eyeballs
Drove myself home in a stolen car

I can’t remember where I was last night
Think I was getting on a night bus
Lyin’ on the laps of my good friends
Judas Priest and Lazarus

I’m getting married in the big bright morning
But it feels like I’m giving birth
I feel so happy I could scream
“This is my last few seconds on Earth!”

I Can’t Love You Anymore

I really don’t know what to say
You said it before
We’ve been over this a thousand times or more
You don’t know who I am
Though I’ve been living here for years
Lying next to you crying like a baby
Don’t you remember the first time when you asked me to come over
Would it really be so hard to get back where we once were?
I’m sorry for getting so mad last night, screaming ‘till I was blue
I’m sure that in the cold light there was nothing that wasn’t true
‘Cause every word I said, I’ve never said before
I should’ve shut my mouth and loved you more

I can’t love you anymore
I can’t love
I can’t love you anymore
I can’t love

We can’t believe this is it
This should be happening to somebody else
Now we’re locked here in the car not speaking
We put our hands on the brake, let the car speed up down the hill
As it runs away, I can see you smiling
We close our eyes and pray, that we’ll hit a wall and walk away
Went back down the road and go home together
I’m sorry for getting so drunk last night, flailing all over the place
I know that in the morning everything I say will be a terrible waste
So, what can I do for you, that’s better than everything else?
I could get your name tattooed across my face

I can’t love you anymore
I can’t love
I can’t love you anymore
I can’t love..

www.song

He’s got love on his fist and
you download his list
cos he’s serious this time

He won’t show you his face because
he’s lost out in space
yes he’s serious this time

I would kill for you my friend
I would die for you again

He’s not commiting a crime
when he finds you online
cos he’s serious
yes he’s serious this time

He prefers underage
cos it covers his rage
cos he’s serious this time

I would kill for you
I would kill for you my friend
I would die for you
I would die for you again

He chats as he types
Wears a mask when he Skypes
Breaks into your house
Gets in through your mouse

Disappears into air
Like he was never there
cos he’s serious this time

Song For The Functioning Alcoholic

I don’t like my job
but my job loves me
I love my wife
but my wife, hates me
I love my kids so much
but they don’t like me

I don’t want them to change
but please change me
I’m fine
We’re fine

I love money
but money hates me
it decorates my cell
and I never wanna be free

It puts food on the table
for a family I can’t afford
oh happiness, sweet happiness
why am I so bored?

Got crucified to a Christmas tree
in the shopping mall
I love it, you love it
we love it all

I’m fine
We’re fine

I don’t like drinking
but drinking loves me
I don’t like smoking
but cigarettes, love me

I love my painkillers
cause pain loves me
I don’t like life sometimes
but life loves me

I love you, you love me
just please let us be
the kids that we once were
when we were free

Now I’m crucified to a Christmas tree
in the shopping mall
I love it, you love it
we love it all

I’m fine
We’re fine