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Tony R. M. Andrews

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Tony R. M. Andrews

Official page of Tony R. M. Andrews – lyricist and poet. My work explores raw, real themes: grief, addiction, loss, mental health, and at times, violence. Tony R.

Reader discretion is advised; some content may be triggering. New work & updates shared here. Andrews is a folk lyricist and storyteller dedicated to bringing the lives of real people into song. Every lyric and story is drawn from true encounters and lived experiences, capturing voices too often left in the shadows. His work is deeply rooted in honesty, authenticity, and observation. Tony's lyrics

reflect the human experience - its struggles, resilience, and fleeting moments of beauty - offering listeners a window into the lives of others. Through his music, he illuminates stories that inspire empathy, reflection, and connection. With a background in literature and a lifelong passion for writing, Tony blends poetic imagery with folk sensibilities, creating lyrics that resonate across generations. Whether telling tales of forgotten towns, everyday heroes, or the quiet battles of life, each song is a testament to his commitment to truth and artistry.

28/05/2026

The Serpents Path
Written by Tony R. M. Andrews

I remember walking slowly along the banks of the River Ribble in my hometown of Settle, North Yorkshire, my eyes following every twist and turn as the water wound its way through the valley.

I studied each bend closely, the smooth sweep of the channel cutting deep into the landscape, and found myself questioning what I had always been told — that these forms were carved out solely by the slow, grinding power of ancient glaciers.

To my mind, the shape felt far too deliberate, far too graceful and alive, to be nothing more than the work of ice.

Instead, as I stood there watching the current flow, a vivid vision rose before me.

In my mind’s eye, I saw a colossal serpent, immense and powerful, moving steadily across the land, making its long journey toward the sea.

It glided over and through the very bedrock beneath our feet, its great weight and strength carving this winding path deep into the earth itself.

Behind it, it left a wide trail of debris and stone, scattered across the valley floor — the unmistakable mark of its passage, a lasting scar and a winding road that the river would claim as its own long after the creature had gone.

Standing beside the water, I could almost feel the echo of that ancient movement, as if the land itself still held the memory of the great serpent’s journey.

© 2026 Tony R M. Andrews. All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author.

17/05/2026

Brief Thoughts On The Green Man
Written by Tony R. M. Andrews

Throughout the world, across every age and every culture, the Green Man is held in such high regards, a being often seen as far more than just a symbol of Spring and growth.

He is mankind’s desperate, timeless plea to become one again with the spirits of nature.

What better way to show this longing, this deep ancestral memory of belonging, than the image of a man entirely covered in foliage, leaves, vines, and branches?

It is the picture of reunion. It shows the human form no longer separate, no longer standing apart from the wild world, but woven back into it — breath, bone, and bark becoming one and the same.

Every face carved in stone, every mask worn in celebration, is a silent prayer:

"We are part of you mother Gaia. Do not let us forget."

© 2026 Tony R. M. Andrews. All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author.

17/05/2026

The Guardians of the Living Current
Written by Tony R. M. Andrews

Everything moves through five forces — Tine, Uisce, Talamh, Aer, and Awen — and each reveals itself through a guardian form.

These are not mascots. Not fantasy. They are instinctual archetypes — patterns the old mind understood long before books tried to explain them.

Tine — Fire — The Fox
Fire is not only destruction; it is cunning survival. The fox moves with intelligence, adaptability, and sharp instinct. Tine burns, yes — but it also calculates. It waits. It strikes only when the moment is right. The fox survives harsh winters not through brute strength, but through wit. That is fire refined: strategic will, controlled flame.

The Fox ignites strategy

Uisce — Water — The Serpent
Water flows like a serpent across stone and soil. It coils, waits, and sheds its skin when the time comes. The serpent is ancient memory — fluid, hypnotic, transformative. Uisce carries emotion the way a river carries silt: quietly reshaping everything it touches. The serpent does not rush. It conserves energy. It strikes with inevitability.

The Serpent remembers and transforms.

Talamh — Earth — The Badger
Earth is endurance. The badger digs deep, rooted in its sett, unmoved by passing disturbance. It does not seek conflict, but does not retreat from it either. Talamh holds firm. It supports life silently. It carries history beneath its surface. The badger embodies resilience — thick‑skinned, grounded, stubborn in survival.

The Badger endures and grounds.

Aer — Air — The Owl
Air is perception. The owl sees in darkness what others miss in daylight. Silent wings. Rotating vision. A hunter of hidden movement. Aer is clarity cutting through illusion. It lifts perspective above chaos. The owl does not flap wildly; it glides. It listens before it acts.

The Owl perceives and clarifies.

Awen — Spirit — The Wolf
Spirit is unity and instinct combined. The wolf moves as individual and as pack — both sovereign and bonded. Awen is that thread of connection between all things. The wolf howls not only to call, but to declare presence within the vastness. It understands territory, loyalty, balance. It survives because it cooperates.

The Wolf unites and inspires.

Together — they are a living system.

© 2026 Tony R M. Andrews. All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author.

17/05/2026

Sarah
Written by Tony R. M. Andrews

[Verse One]
If you walk along the Bridgewater Canal
You might come across Sarah and her pal
She’s only sixteen but been there a while
Each new day tries to break her smile.

Passers-by tell her, “Go home, it’s raining,”
But you’ll never hear Sarah complaining
As long as she’s got Roxy by her side
She will survive the cold Manchester sky.

[Verse Two]
She used to sit in Saint Peter’s Square
Until the police rushed her away from there
The council offered shelter once or twice
A warm blanket, a pillow, a bed for the night.

But when they refused to take Roxy too
Sarah said, “That’s something I could never do
That dog’s the only family I’ve ever known
There’s no way in hell I can let her go alone.”

[Chorus]
One more night in the cities cold and dark embrace
One more fight against a situation she can't escape
Holding on till morning light, with Roxy by her side,
‘Cause love never fades beneath the Manchester sky.

[Verse Three]
She used to live in Stockport with her old dad
But the drugs took their grip and times turned bad
One night the police arrived, knocked on her door
Told her, “Your dad won’t be coming back anymore.”

Found him in Alexandra Park, lying deep in the snow
His poor, worn-out soul had given up the ghost
The truth is, he’d lost the will to live long ago
The day he returned and found her mother’s note

[Verse Four]
Social workers appeared with their papers and files
“Sarah, you’re still a child — you’ll be in care a while”
Scared, she turned and ran, with no time to pack
Grabbing Roxy as she went, she didn’t look back.

She ran until her body ached, her feet raw and sore
Collapsed in a dark alley, laying broken on the floor
But through it all, Roxy stayed right by her side
Never leaving, keeping watch through the night.

[Bridge]
She sits skimming stones, looking up at the stars
Thinking of better days, long rides in dad’s old car
Singing along to the radio at the top of her voice
Before the world changed to chaos and noise.

The world felt like magic, every day was sweet
Eating ice cream together, Roxy laying at her feet
Sun on her face, and skies that stayed blue
Now those songs have changed to a different tune.

[Chorus]
One more night in the cities cold and dark embrace
One more fight against a situation she can't escape
Holding on till morning light, with Roxy by her side,
‘Cause love never fades beneath the Manchester sky.

[Verse Five]
Morning breaks with the sound of cars passing by,
Their headlights bright, dazzling Sarah's tired eyes
Roxy shakes off the cold and wet, offers her a paw
Wondering what the brand new day has in store.

She grudges along market street, puddles at her feet
The city hums a gentle rhythm, harsh yet bittersweet,
Strangers glance and whisper, some even look away,
But Sarah keeps on walking, facing yet another day.

[Verse Six]
The rain pelts down like teardrops from the grey sky,
Sarah's soaked to the skin with no place to keep dry
She huddles close to Roxy, her friend through it all
as hunger bites at Sarah's gut, she feels so small.

Another day passes, surrounded by echoes of the night
Neon signs flicker, casting shadows in the light.
Sarah dreams of warmth, somewhere to call home,
But with Roxy by her side, She knows she's not alone.

[Chorus]
One more night in the cities cold and dark embrace
One more fight against a situation she can't escape
Holding on till morning light, with Roxy by her side,
‘Cause love never fades beneath the Manchester sky.

© Tony R. M. Andrews 2026. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used without permission

13/05/2026

Watch From Silent Fields
Written by Tony R. M. Andrews

[Verse 1]
From his resting place below the ground
A solitary church bell, the only sound
Images still flash through his tortured mind
Of a youth now gone and chains that bind

Alongside his brothers he stood his ground
Air raid sirens screeching, a deafening sound
As high above their heads the bombers flew
They knew for some the end was coming soon

[Chorus]
They left their homes as boys -
A youth of fourteen laid to rest—
In Flanders’ dusk, he closed his eyes
And woke to watch beneath our skies.

They watch us now through gauze of years,
Through veils of rain and mother’s tears.
The soil that drank their blood runs cold,
While cities rise in tarnished gold.

[Verse 2]
Where are the songs they sang in ranks?
The fire-wrought oaths, the shouted thanks?
They marched to save a future bright—
But now they see dim, flickering light.

They see our youth with hollow eyes,
Chained to glowing screens and lies.
They fight with words and bitter posts,
Yet none know death nor heed its ghosts.

[Bridge]
The banners wave in angry hands,
But not for kin, nor faith, nor lands.
Divided voices flood the air,
And truth is drowned in dull despair.

The towers gleam, but hearts grow bare,
And kindness thins in poisoned air.
We trade our thoughts for shallow fame,
And wear apathy like a name.

[Chorus – Reprise]
Did they fall for this? This brittle dream?
This echo lost in data stream?
They gave their breath to hold the line—
Yet time has blurred that steep design.

Still, they do not curse, nor cry—
For love once led them there to die.
And though the bloom has turned to rust,
They place their hopes in younger trust.

[Outro]
Perhaps a soul will raise their head
And speak for those among the dead.
A voice to say, we still recall—
The silent ones who gave their all.

And should you walk where poppies grow,
Know some that sleep beneath the snow
Still watch, hoping not in vain,
That peace may yet be born of pain.

© Tony R. M. Andrews 2026. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used without permission

13/05/2026

Those Old Days
Written by Tony R. M. Andrews

[Verse 1]
We grew up in a Britain
Where we knew all on our street
And most folk had a warm hello
For every soul they’d meet

You could nip down to the corner shop
With a note and a couple quid
And the man behind the counter
Would hand you comics and Mum’s cigs

[Verse 2]
The kids all played at Kirby
Or knock-a-door-run for fun
We had no fancy consoles
We made our fun in the sun

We’d swap football cards in the playground
Panini books tucked ’neath our arms
Argue who was best at Italia ’90
Showing off our lucky charms

[Verse 3]
We drank Panda Pop and Tip Tops
A ten pence mix from the sweet shop queue
Blackjacks, Fruit Salads and cola cubes
And Wham Bars stuck like glue

Saturday mornings meant Live & Kicking
Or Going Live on BBC
With a bowl of Frosties on our knees
Before heading out with my pal Lee

[Verse 4]
The ice cream van played Greensleeves
As it rolled slowly down the lane
And every kid would sprint like mad
The second we heard that refrain

We’d build dens down the wasteland
Or fish for sticklebacks in streams
Come home covered head to toe in mud
Still chasing childhood dreams

[Verse 5]
Our mums all smoked in the kitchens
While tea brewed strong in the pot
And dads would sit there with the paper
Talking politics and rot

Then the streetlights would come glowing
And Mum would call us in
We’d sit and watch the telly
Eating toffees from the tin

[Chorus]
Blind Date, Gladiators, Noel’s House Party
Bullseye on a Sunday night
Only Fools and Horses at Christmas
Those moments just felt right

But life was so much simpler
Back when I was just a lad
There was something about those old days
That made them the best we ever had

[Verse 6]
We taped songs off the radio
Praying the DJ stayed quiet at the end
And if your cassette got all chewed up
A pencil fixed it once again

We had no mobile phones then
Knew numbers off by heart
And Dad would build us bogeys
From shopping trolley carts

[Verse 7]
We used to walk to school each day
No matter rain or snow
Mum would pass our lunchbox over
And off through town we’d go

Clarks shoes squeaking down corridors
With PE pumps inside a bag
And every school had one hard dinner lady
Who loved to nag and nag

[Verse 8]
We knew everybody’s parents
Called them Uncle or Aunt
So you stayed on your best behaviour
’Cause bad news travelled fast

We’d sit crossed-legged in assembly
Folded arms and polished shoes
And sing those proper Jesus hymns
Before the morning news

[Bridge]
And the bog roll felt like tracing paper
It left your backside sore
And you ran back quick from the toilets
Or the teacher soon would roar

Six weeks holidays felt endless
Like summer would never end
Every neighbour felt like family
And every kid a friend

[Final Chorus]
But life was so much simpler
Back when I was just a lad
There was something about those old days
That made them the best we ever had

No phones and no distractions
Just laughter, streets and friends
And somehow those little moments
Felt like they would never end

© Tony R. M. Andrews 2026. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used without permission

12/05/2026

Cosmic Spin
Written by Tony R. M. Andrews

[Verse 1]
Where ancient rivers coil
through lands unseen and wide,
the mountains sleep eternally
where old storms still reside.

The trees twist slow with memory
deep within their veins,
carrying the names of ancestors
who may walk these ancient lands again.

[Verse 2]
Colossal winged serpents
once carved patterns through the sky,
whole villages burned below them
where silence learned to lie.

I walk through these hills alone
where echoes still remain,
listening to something older
than the blood beneath my veins.

[Verse 3]
Rain falls heavy like teardrops
over ground that won’t stay clean,
the wind speaks sharp through broken air
of everything it has seen.

Fairytales fade like drifting smoke
across a world grown tired and thin,
half warning, half forgotten truth
still moving underneath the skin.

[Verse 4]
I pause for a moment’s thought
in the middle of my day,
never quite above it,
but not swept away.

Something deep within me stirs,
a quiet shifting sign—
that everything alive is one
threaded through time.

[Chorus]
I feel the pulse of rivers
flowing through my veins,
time bends softly,
truth cannot be contained.

The universe is all around us
and also deep within,
it moves through all we are
in the cosmic spin.

[Verse 5]
I hear their voices on the wind
moving through the broken air,
echoes of those ancient ones
still standing somewhere there.

Fire and water, earth and air
move through everything I know,
a spirit woven through it all
in currents I can’t control.

[Verse 6]
Pyramids hum with hidden weight
that mankind will never see.
Merlin’s name lingers
like a half-forgotten memory.

Not as a mystical figure,
but as a way of thought—
something ancient
the modern world forgot.

[Verse 7]
Animals speak in secret tongues
that mankind has not yet learned to hear,
ancient woodlands hold knowledge
deeper than what we call belief.

We have grown too distracted
to understand the earth and skies,
consciousness is all around us
waiting to be recognised in the signs.

[Bridge]
I cleanse my hands beneath running water,
its coolness reawakening my skin.
I hear the kettle breathe in silence
as thoughts begin to spin.

Suddenly the cosmic and the near
become the very same,
and I realise this world is mystery
we’ve never fully named.

[Final Chorus]
I feel the pulse of rivers
flowing through my veins,
time bends softly,
truth cannot be contained.

I walk hearing echoes of the earth
that I cannot explain,
and the universe, far greater still,
cannot be contained.

[Outro]
The power of it remains unknown,
something we may never find,
and the truth of those who came before
lives in the shape of a quiet mind.

© Tony R. M. Andrews 2026. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used without permission

11/05/2026

Falling
Written by Tony R M Andrews

(Verse 1)
I used to think this was just a phase
A passing storm, a temporary blur
But the years have vanished in a haze
And I’m a ghost of the man I was

I’m losing hope, I’m struggling to cope
My back is pressed against the stone
In the dark, I’m wide awake
Afraid to be left here alone

(Chorus)
I’m falling, falling
Can’t you hear me calling?
Drowning in a silent abyss
I’m crawling, crawling
Watch my dreams go stalling
I never thought it would end like this

(Verse 2)
I’m always looking over my shoulder
Tracing shadows that I know aren’t there
The winter in my blood is getting colder
While the weight of the world is hard to bear

I reach out, searching for a lifeline
But every hand feels like a trap
I’m falling, falling to my knees
While the ground begins to crack

(Bridge)
Somewhere beyond the shadows, a flicker of light
A hand reaching out through the dead of night
I look in the mirror, the glass starts to bleed
I don’t recognize the reflection staring back at me

(Final Chorus)
I’m falling, falling!
Can’t you hear me calling?!
I’m drowning deeper in the abyss!
I’m crawling, crawling!
I can hear damnation calling!
Will I ever break away from this?!
From this!

(Outro)
I won’t stay down, I refuse to break
I’ll reclaim the ground they tried to take
Out of the ashes, out of the gray
I’ll find the strength, I’ll find my way

© Tony R. M. Andrews 2026. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used without permission.

10/05/2026

Bill
Written by Tony R. M. Andrews

[Verse 1]
Bill, your time was already fading
before I ever knew your name,
a Glasgow lad in a wheelchair
approaching the twilight of his days.

I worked the kitchen in a care home
somewhere within the Yorkshire hills,
too young to understand just how
the world could ever hold so still.

[Refrain]
You and Mary would sit together
like you had always been best of friends,
sharing stories, playing cards,
hoping time would never reach its end.

[Verse 2]
Often you’d be found in the hallway,
flirting with every nurse that you met,
a Jack the lad still living loudly
that time had not claimed yet.

The docks were still in your heart
in the way you held your pride,
those golden days of your youth
still burning somewhere inside.

[Chorus]
We would slip out to the smoking shed,
where the wind cut through the metal frame,
through every season we’d sit out there,
two souls the years couldn’t tame.

You’d call me out at the end of my shift,
like I was something steady in your day,
together we’d put the world to rights,
and watch the hours slip away.

[Verse 3]
That kitchen job was never easy
with a chef who made it worse,
long shifts where every small mistake
just felt like a spoken curse.

But you’d always stand up for me
in your own quiet way,
a look, a nod, a simple line
that carried me through the day.

[Verse 4]
Mary would sometimes join us there,
never far from your side,
she’d been there through all your years,
the one who held your pride.

You’d talk about your RAF days,
and Glasgow streets you used to know,
and all the friends the years had taken
who still refused to go.

[Refrain]
The years have come and gone so fast,
and Bill, you’ve long since gone,
but I still hear you in those stories
like they’ve never really gone.

[Outro]
And in the back of my mind I see it now,
that old smoking shed we called home,
two lives that shouldn’t have crossed paths
sitting there in the cold alone.

You, with all your Glasgow fire,
still laughing through the pain,
like every quiet tear you hid
belonged to the northern rain.

© Tony R. M. Andrews 2026. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used without permission.

09/05/2026

Thought I'd have a go at rewriting the absolute masterpiece "Saint James Infirmary Blues" and set it in modern day Manchester.

All credit to the original lyricist and all those who have recorded and released this incredible song over the years.

Manchester Infirmary Blues
Written by Tony R. M. Andrews

[Verse 1]
I went down to the Manchester Infirmary,
Saw a young girl lying there —
Stretched out on a cold white table,
Looked so lost, so alone, so scared.

[Verse 2]
She don’t cry — no, she don’t, God help her —
Just stares at what her life will be.
Her man’s gone, she must start over,
With another hungry mouth to feed.

[Verse 3]
Nurse said, “It won’t be easy, darlin’” —
Doctor just turned and walked away.
Cold white walls don’t show no mercy
When there’s no one there to stay.

[Bridge]
As the night drags slow and endless,
The silence starts to weigh —
Every heartbeat tells a story,
Every promise he failed to stay.

[Chorus]
Oh, the world keeps turning, keeps turning —
Don’t care who it leaves behind.
It breaks the backs of the broken and weary,
Then tells ’em it’s just the times.

[Verse 4]
I stepped close, but I felt like a stranger —
What could I possibly say?
Some wounds don’t show on the surface,
Some scars never fade away.

[Outro]
So I tipped my hat and walked out slowly,
Left her there in that cold light —
Prayed the dawn would bring her somethin’
More than those Manchester Infirmary nights.

© Tony R. M. Andrews 2026. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used without permission.

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