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Paid Too Much (For What I Got)

from NATIVE by John Ellis

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lyrics

I came of age on a 747
strange how you can feel like hell so close to heaven
even with a backstage pass for the Magic Kingdom

apart from the fine print everything out there is bigger
the only time I thought again was Pennsylvania
I had ammunition but no-one to squeeze my trigger

and I left home with my tail between my legs
and I came home with it tied around my neck …. (what can I say?)

If I knew then what I know these days
I would’ve put a chain around my heart
everything I learned I learned the hard way
I paid too much for what I got

There is a restaurant in the Land of Milk & Honey™
All You Can Eat and you walk out feeling hungry
Everybody’d busking in the country that invented money

They say it takes ten thousand hours to pay your dues
It only takes one broken heart to learn the blues

If I knew then what I know these days
I would’ve put a chain around my heart
everything I learned I learned the hard way
I paid too much for what I got

and I left home with my tail between my legs
and I came home with it tied around my neck …. (what can I say?)

If I knew then what I know these days
I would’ve put a chain around my heart
everything I learned I learned the hard way
I paid too much for what I got

© John Ellis

credits

from NATIVE, released April 27, 2022
Produced by John Ellis
Executive Producer: Duncan Brown
Recorded, engineered and mixed by Brent Quinton
Assisted by Dale Wardell
Mastered by Rogan Kelsey

Recorded at The Audio Suite, Westville, KwaZulu-Natal Feb-April 2021
Additional recording at the Atterbury Theatre, Pretoria March 2021 by Fuzz Senekal and at the United Rhythms Studio, Durban May 2021 by David Jenkins
Some extra recording happened in Durban North and Pietermaritzburg May 2021

String arrangement and orchestration for “Dogs”: Bryan Schimmel

Artwork: Aimee Lindeque
Art Direction: Antony Ellis

Words and Music: John Ellis
“Down Paradise”: John Ellis, Patric van Blerk, Fransua Roos
Published by Jellisongs/ Admin. by CNC Music
All songs © John Ellis 2021

These musicians played these instruments:
David ‘Qadasi’ Jenkins (umhuphe, concertina, maskandi guitar) Maqhinga Radebe (maskandi guitar) Njabulo Shabalala (percussion) Victor Sithole (umqangala, udloko, umzaneno) Burton Naidoo (piano) David Klassen (drums) Rixi Roman (upright bass) Regardt de Bruin (konsertina) Shanjeet Teeluck (sitar) Vishen Kamraj (tabla) Barry van Zyl (additional percussion) Andy Turrell (snare drum and coffee) Ralitza Macheva (violin) Petya Koleva (violin) Kolio Koleva (cello) Ralitsa Pechoux (cello) John Ellis (guitar, singing, additional percussion)

“Native” was made possible by the AW Mellon Foundation through the “Rethinking South African Literature(s)” project at the University of the Western Cape.

Siyabonga:
All the wonderful musicians. Brent Quinton. Dale Wardell. Fuzz Senekal. Bryan Schimmel. Aimee Lindeque. Antony Ellis. Rogan Kelsey. Jill Flusk.
Siyabonga kakhulu:
David ‘Qadasi’ Jenkins. Susan du Toit. Duncan Brown, without whom this album would not exist.

For Liam, Bethany and Sadie: natives, too.

A Luta Continua.

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John Ellis Durban, South Africa

A singer-songwriter from Durban, South Africa, John has played his music all over the world. His fifth full-length solo album "Native"will be released on April 27 2022.

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