All That Longing

Beth’s album, All That Longing (Sept. 2015), departs from her usual pop stylings and veers into classic and modern folk/rock. From the opening contemporary anthemic folk tracks, to a 70s rock ballad reminiscent of Elton John’s Tumbleweed Connection era, and a torchy western closer, the songs carry an ache for what has been, a pining for what’s lost, and a longing for what could be.

“Purely as a songwriter, she excels at weaving diverse thoughts into crashing emotional statements. As a performer she has a singular voice and gentle style of instrumentation that hints at a massive weight of intellectual substance. Her work has a balance to it, a “rightness” that aligns the various elements into cohesive relationships like natural gravity.”
— rustzine.com
 

Click here to see the video of the title track.

Digital tracks for “All That Longing” available at iTunes and Amazon and other digital download sites.

Lyrics

• All That Longing

  Words and Music by Ian Merrigan and Beth Thornley

  Steady now. We’re going home.
  Can’t you see the time has come to cut the ties that bind you?
  You’ve overcome what’s been done
  but it’s just words your head has heard your heart can’t start without you.
  All you see and all you do are almost nothing next to

  All that longing
  All that longing
  All that longing in your heart
  What will you do? What will you do?
  All that longing in your heart
  What will you do? What will you do?

  Hold your hand. And hold your heart.
  ‘Cause where you are is never far enough from where you’ve run from.
  And that’s been done. You broke that drum.
  So break your stride and take some time to find out where it comes from.
  All you see and all you do are almost nothing next to

  All that longing
  All that longing
  All that longing in your heart
  What will you do? What will you do?
  All that longing in your heart
  What will you do? What will you do?

  Break your heart
  Break your pride
  It takes time
  Oh, take your time (3xs)
  Oh, take your time

  All that longing
  All that longing
  All that longing in your heart
  What will you do? What will you do?
  All that longing in your heart
  What will you do? What will you do?

• Will I Rest

  Words and Music by Beth Thornley

  True affection and long attrition have led to my demise.
  Though I left you I could not forget you.
  I wonder what I did and why, why, why?
  The reasons fade but all the pain remains.

  Oh will I rest in peace; will I, will I?
  Oh will I ever sleep where I lie?
  And now my own heart I offend
  when thinking of what could have been.
  Oh will I rest in peace; will I, will I?

  Contemplation of all forsaken weighs heavier with time.
  And I don’t know how I could let you go.
  Now I wonder what I did and why, why, why?
  And now I pay with my heart every day.

  Oh will I rest in peace; will I, will I?
  Oh will I ever sleep where I lie?
  And now my own heart I offend
  when thinking of what could have been.
  Oh will I rest in peace; will I, will I?

  So sure that big dreams outweighed the small.
  But they’re the same things and I was wrong.
  And every time I took more I had less.
  Couldn’t find what I never should have left.
  Every time I took more I had less. Every time. Every time.

  Oh will I rest in peace; will I, will I?
  Oh will I ever sleep where I lie?
  And now my own heart I offend
  when thinking of what could have been.
  Oh will I rest in peace; will I, will I?

  Oh, Oh, Oh,
  Oh will I rest in peace; will I, will I?
  Will I?

• Surrender

  Words and Music by Rob Cairns and Beth Thornley

  If it feels this right to hold me tight;
  then tighter is surely better.
  So hold me down to the ground.
  Nothin’ sweeter than surrender.

  If it’s too bright, turn out the light;
  the darkness oh so tender.
  And if I still see then blindfold me.
  Nothin’ sweeter than surrender.

  Nothin’ sweeter than…
  Nothin’ sweeter than…
  the pain.
  It’s so hard to explain.
  But it’s easy to remember.
  Nothin’ sweeter than surrender.

  If you’re my man then take my hands;
  pull them back behind and twist them.
  And if I get free then handcuff me.
  Nothin’ stronger than submission.

  Get the ball. Get the rag.
  Who needs sweet talk and kissing?
  If it don’t hurt, you haven’t learned.
  Nothin’ stronger than submission.

  Nothin’ stronger than…
  Nothin’ stronger than…
  the pain.
  No, I am not ashamed.
  And don’t you ask me for permission.
  Nothin’ stronger than submission.

• All This Time

  Words and Music by Beth Thornley

  Everyone loves you. Heaven adores you.
  No one else lights up a room.
  It’s been said you hung the moon.
  But it don’t shine on me. Don’t you know

  All this time I tried to be someone you’d see;
  Someday to hear you say that I’m all you need.
  And all this time I lied to be someone you’d see.
  I’d smooth the rough edge of me; I’d carve with fine cutlery.
  ‘Til I’d become someone but not much of anyone.
  Now I’m half of who I was. Yeah I’m half of who I was.

  I thought that trying hard would win the object of my heart.
  Fortune seemed to need a hand;
  so I gave it all I had.
  But then I had no more. Don’t you know

  All this time I tried to be someone you’d see;
  Someday to hear you say that I’m all you need.
  And all this time I lied to be someone you’d see.
  I’d smooth the rough edge of me; I’d carve with fine cutlery.
  ‘Til I’d become someone but not much of anyone.
  Now I’m half of who I was.

  It’s taken too long I know.
  Want is like greed ‘cept it’s got heart and soul.
  And it will gladly mislead you as long as you go keep buying it whole.
  As long as you go.

  Don’t you know
  All this time I tried to be someone you’d see;
  Someday to hear you say that I’m all you need.
  And all this time I lied to be someone you’d see.
  I’d smooth the rough edge of me;
  I’d carve with fine cutlery.
  ‘Til I’d become someone but not much of anyone.
  Now I’m half of who I was.
  Yeah I’m half of who I was.
  Yeah I’m half of who I was.

• Album Credits

  SIDE A

  All That Longing
  words and music by ian merrigan and beth thornley
  vocals/piano/glockenspiel – beth thornley
  backing vocals – ian merrigan
  guitar – rob cairns
  bass – brett simons
  drums – brendan buckley

  Will I Rest
  words and music by beth thornley
  vocals/piano – beth thornley
  backing vocals – rob cairns
  guitars/synthesizers – rob cairns
  bass – brett simons
  drums – brendan buckley
  pedal steel guitar – ben peeler

  SIDE B

  Surrender
  words and music by rob cairns and beth thornley
  originally written for the rock musical Bad Apples
  vocals/organ – beth thornley
  all other instruments – rob cairns

  All This Time
  words and music by beth thornley
  vocals/piano – beth thornley
  guitars – rob cairns
  violins – matt bowen
  bass – brett simons
  drums – brendan buckley
  pedal steel guitar – ben peeler

  All songs produced by Rob Cairns. All songs mixed by Daniel Mendez. All songs mastered by Ed Brooks at RFI Mastering. Recorded at Rob Cairns’ studio except for drums on All That Longing, Will I Rest, and All This Time recorded at Brendan Buckley’s Layer Cake Studio. Photography and Design by Heidi Ross.