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about

This song contrasts the idea of clinging to the glory days with the sometimes quite alien concept that the best part of our lives could still be yet to come. This song was responsible for bringing the band into existence, after winning the SCALA songwriters award gave me the kick I needed to finally round up some friends and take a proper crack at this music thing. I’m still vaguely paranoid that I’ll never write another set of lyrics as good as these again.

lyrics

We were once lions, my old friends and I
We had no fear of anything, we drank all the time
And stayed up all night dreaming the stupidest dreams
Devoutly believing they were worth anything
But before we had noticed, day’s cold light did break
And it washed all the colour from our once shining faces
And hard as I’m looking, I can’t find my friends
But I know that they were lions once
And they will be lions again

We were once lions, my woman and I
We clung to each other and lost track of time
But how could I not -- when her eyes shone so bright
I’ve drowned in their depths now a million times
But eventually, life wears love down to routine
And a cumulative sorrow hangs over everything
But I know that beneath, our love means what it meant
And I know she was a lion once
And she’ll be a lion again

The wheel keeps on spinning as the seconds tick away
And it moves ever onwards as the minutes turn to hours turn to days
Turn to weeks turn to months turn to years
Until eventually all of this shit disappears
And in the depths of the void from whence everything came
Everything will return to nothing once again
But before that we’re given an entire life
And I see no reason why we shouldn’t get to be lions twice

I was a lion once, so long ago
Back when I thought my whole life would move by as slow
As it did before I learned how quickly time eats the days
And before I had wasted my whole youth away
Until all I had left were these vague memories
Fear and nostalgia and anxiety
A good hearted woman, a handful of friends
I was a lion once,
and I’ll be a lion again

credits

from How Do You Think It Should Be?, released June 4, 2021
Bryn Soden - Lead vocals, acoustic guitars, electric guitar, harmonium, add. percussion.
John Soden - Backing vocals, slide guitar.
Tarn Soden - Backing vocals.
Isaac Kerr - Bass guitar.
Bryce Lehmann - Drums.
Dave Thompson - Keys.
Ollie Patterson - Violin.

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about

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Sturt Avenue Adelaide, Australia

Sturt Avenue is the project of SCALA award winning singer/songwriter Bryn Soden. Drawing inspiration from folk artists such as Conor Oberst, Elliott Smith, and John Darnielle, Bryn crafts melancholic indie folk tunes that aim to shine a soft light on the quiet sorrow and stubborn defiance that keeps the embers burning in the dead heart of the world. ... more

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