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    Cover art by Shaun Tan. Design by Andrew Nelson.

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    Currently Bandcamp merch is only shipping within Australia!
    Visit neilandfourplay.lnk.to/signsoflife/ for many more options.

    Cover art by Shaun Tan. Design by Andrew Nelson.

    Grab yourself a first edition pressing of the vinyl record while stocks last! Bandcamp purchases will be shipped within 3 days of release date, barring any unforeseen circumstances. Deluxe two-pocket, thick card stock, double gatefold with 8-page booklet, featuring illustrations by Shaun Tan.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Signs of Life via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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    Cover art by Shaun Tan. Design by Andrew Nelson.

    Hardbound case-wrapped CD book, with 16 page booklet, featuring illustrations by Shaun Tan.

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lyrics

There’s a song that they sing
at the edge of the world
about leaders and armies
with banners unfurled
and the blood of the brave
on the glittering sand
while the mountaintops ring
to the crash of the band
and they sing it a lot.
It might even be true.
But it’s not.
Listen, you...

There’s a boy loves a girl,
she has skin fair as milk
she has breasts like ripe apples
and lips soft as silk,
so he sings of such stuff,
how he’ll love her for aye
though he’s ragged and rough
and he sleeps in the hay.
For love makes no mistakes.
It is perfect and clean.
She is gone when he wakes,
and I mean...

You can never trust a song
Whatever you've heard
Songs are just sweet illusions
made of words

Everybody loves a song
So reach for the skies
Songs will just fool and trap you
made of lies

On each side of the Border
wherever you stand
in these days of disorder
you must understand
that some songs are convincing,
persuasive and smart,
so in moments they’re mincing
away with your heart,
like songs do. They inspire,
but beware, because song
(like desire)
can go wrong...

So heed my example
I was once a young ditty
on all sorts of lips
as folk wandered this city
but now I’m forgotten,
replaced by new strains
while my rhyme scheme is rotten
and little remains.
But I told them the truth
for a while. So beware
of a song
sung when nobody’s there.

You can never trust a song
Whatever you've heard
Songs are just sweet illusions
made of words

Everybody loves a song
So reach for the skies
Songs will just fool and trap you
made of lies
made of words
made of lies

credits

from Signs of Life, released April 28, 2023
Words by Neil Gaiman, Music by FourPlay String Quartet

Produced by Lara Goodridge, Josh G. Abrahams, Justin Tresidder and FourPlay

Recorded by Justin Tresidder at Sony Music Studios, Sydney
Additional recording at s:amplify studios, Melbourne

Additional engineering by Adrian Breakspear

Mixed by Justin Tresidder at Hydrofunk HQ, Mullumbimby

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FourPlay String Quartet Sydney, Australia

FourPlay is an indie rock band that just happen to be a string quartet.

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