Ashes and Diamonds - Feargal Sharkey

I'd heard rumors, I'd heard talk About the trail you'd left broken hearts About the sea of tears too wide to cross A little bad press has never scared me off So I burned a path to figure out How to get me some of what you got I've got a red hot heart If the talk is true yours is the same We should be together Let our passions fan love's flame Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah When I looked for you, I almost passed you by You were so cool and calm, I thought my friends had lied But I thought so much reserve must make you wild inside It was there and then, that I knew, I had to get some of what you got I've got a red hot heart If the talk is true yours is the same And we should be together And let our passions fan love's flame Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah I thought I'd won your heart when I held your hand in mine I thought it was true love the way we complemented each other But my right is your wrong And when you're right then I'm left with nothing Your light and your heat have all been spent Leaving only smoke and ashes Only smoke and ashes baby I've got a red hot heart And your heart's as blue as the blood in your veins I say there's fire down below You say it's only smoke and ashes baby I'm crying all the time Salty stinging tears And mourning for the past carbon-dated years But knowing now for certain, that you were always right Because if a breeze could blow you out of my life It's only smoke and ashes baby Only smoke and ashes baby I've got a red hot heart And your heart's as blue as the blood in your veins I say there's fire down below You say it's only smoke and ashes baby I was blinded by devotion My unwavering love for you So blinded that I thought, all your lies were true But now I know for certain, since you've gone away It was just a smoldering fire, I mistook for a blaze Only smoke and ashes baby I've got a red hot heart And your heart's as blue as the blood in your veins (Your heart's as blue) I say there's fire down below You say it's only smoke and ashes baby (Only!) Only smoke and ashes baby Baby, baby, baby, baby Baby, baby, baby, baby Baby!

Is this how I die? Ridiculed and laughed at Wearing clown shoes Is this how I die? Furious and reckless Sick with booze How did I live? I taste every wasted minute Every time I turned away From the things that might have healed me How long have I been sleeping? Is this how I die? Frightened like a child Lazy and numb Is this how I die? Pretending and preposterous And dumb How did I live? Was I kind enough and good enough? Did I love enough? Did I ever look up and see the moon and the stars and the sky? Oh, why have I been sleeping? They say we are asleep until we fall in love We are children of dust and ashes But when we fall in love we wake up And we are a god and angels weep But if I die here tonight I die in my sleep All of my life I spent searching the words of poets and saints and prophets and kings Now at the end all I know that I've learned is that all that I know is I don't know a thing So easy to close off Place the blame outside Hiding in my room at night So terrified All the things I could've been But I never had the nerve Life and love, I don't deserve So alright! Alright! I've had my time Close my eyes Let the death bells chime! Bury me in burgundy I just don't care! Nothing's left I looked everywhere! Is this how I die? Was there ever any other way my life could be? Is this how I die? Such a slough of feelings inside of me But then why am I screaming? Why am I shaking? Oh god, was there something that I missed? Did I squander my divinity? Was happiness within me the whole time? They say we are asleep until we fall in love We are children of dust and ashes But when we fall in love we wake up And we are a god and angles weep But if I die here tonight I die in my sleep They say we are asleep until we fall in love And I'm so ready To wake up now I wanna wake up Don't let me die while I'm like this I wanna wake up God, don't let me die while I'm like this Please let me wake up now God, don't let me die while I'm like this I'm ready I'm ready To wake up

Well I met her down at Jacksons That's a bar at the end of my street Where the lonely-hearted congregate And two fools on a bar stool meet And she wore a mink from 1924 She gave me a smile She said it helped her remember When she was poor And before she had starred, yeah She said in a past life She was the Queen of Egypt Or maybe once a millionairess But this time around It's the kingdom of Hollywood Of which I am the fairest She said maybe you've seen me at the movies And maybe on the screen But right now I'm taken it easy Right now I'm in a dream But I'll take another drink, she said And she lit a cigarette And the pause in our conversation Gave her time to forget Then she looked at me through those masked eyes and said They just don't realise I can't go on forever I can't go on forever And someday I'll be gone And all those fan letters They sure do take their toll And my agent I finally had on the table But I'll take another drink, she said And make it a double this time And a big hand slipped passed twelve And a clock began to chime Oh, I must have my rest Oh, the pressure's great And all the best And I can't go on forever I can't go on forever And someday I'll be gone I bought her another drink And I kissed her on the cheek And she drank it down And she stumbled to her feet Well it was the performance of a lifetime And we stood and gave a hand To the greatest star in Hollywood To the greatest star in all the land Oh, I've got to go, she said My limo waits for me And I watched her through the window As she walked silently down the street And her words keep echoing I can't go on forever I can't go on forever For someday I'll be gone I can't go on forever I can't go on forever And someday I'll be gone

It's getting close to the dawn So many people had too much fun I'm talking 'bout us girl Don't you let this memory go Cause you know it's something we both need And when your head was on my shoulder I could see it all so clear Just like some gypsy from my childhood years And I could go on telling you It's so warm to have you here But I was just wondering what's it gonna be After the Mardi Gras? And I fan those flames I could see my life to come But you not before my eyes Oh Lord, how long must I carry on Before I let you slip away And I can feel it getting colder And I wanna hold you near But I'm afraid of what you are to me And everything you said tonight It's all that I can hear Don't leave me standing here on Bourbon Street After the Mardi Gras Today your head was on my shoulder I could see it all so clear Just like some gypsy from my childhood years And I could go on telling you It's so good to have you here But I was just wondering what's it gonna be After the Mardi Gras? What's it gonna be after the Mardi Gras?