TAR FINGER OIL MAN

Music and Video - Nick Rye

Lyrics and Vocals - Roger Thorp

JOURNALISTS NOTE:

Tar Finger Oil Man is the latest work from Nick Rye and Roger Thorp aka Ghosts Before Breakfast. 

The lyrics are important in their work. As with Tar Finger Oil Man they often suggest an uncertainty with the existing order through dissonance and consequently dissent, but they seek ways to, through poetics and exploring the finite nature of things, find solutions.

While Tar Finger Oil Man speaks for itself here is a little about the thinking behind the song. Tar Finger Oil Man tells a story from the POV of a worn out oil man who's come round to listening to the young. It is clear in its meaning – unless you’re turning greed to green, you ain’t got a plan. He has realised that he must change - yes it's time to rewrite the way now, rewrite and honest the soul, honest the soul - and that redemption is possible, at least to a degree - I heard a call from the children see, you have to listen old man, new story to be told...

Thorp and Rye create their own videos, often dreamt up at the same time as the songs - ‘song films’, bringing together their disciplines in music, sound design, scenic art and immersive film installation. The combination lends music video new context and meaning as in their recent long-form work Songs for the Hard Earth and Dreaming.

TAR FINGER OIL MAN - LYRICS

I heard a story about a tar finger oil man

he said sorry to the money but I got to rewrite the plan

I really don’t want my prints on death no more

yes its time to rewrite the way now

rewrite and honest the soul

honest the soul

walking through the dust to the beautiful green limousine

oh heading to the senate to deliver truth to the fake king

I’m not the future you see now I know I’m the past

and just like you I just can’t last

yes it’s time to rewrite the way now

rewrite and honest the soul

honest the soul

I heard a call from the children see

you have to listen old man

new story to be told

I heard a story about a tar finger oil man

unless you turning greed to green

you ain’t got a plan, you ain’t got a plan,

you ain’t got a plan

yes its time to rewrite the way now

rewrite and honest the soul

honest the soul

I heard a call from the children see

you have to listen old man

new story to be told