Bill Fay is a singer-songwriter and pianist from London.

Fay began w… Read Full Bio ↴Bill Fay is a singer-songwriter and pianist from London.

Fay began writing songs in the early 1960s while attending university and in 1966 cut a demo using a mobile studio belonging to a man named John Boden. Impressed by the demo, ex-Them drummer Terry Noon helped Bill to sign a recording contract with Decca. In 1967 the label released the single "Some Good Advice"/"Screams in the Ears", produced by early Donovan co-manager Peter Eden. The single "introduced [Fay's] characteristic downbeat melodies and scrambled impressionistic lyrics", according to allmusic reviewer Richie Unterberger. The self-titled Bill Fay was released in 1970 and was followed by Time Of The Last Persecution in 1971. Neither records sold well and Decca decided to end Bill’s contract shortly after the release of Time Of The Last Persecution.

Bill had returned to the studio in the late 70s, but these sessions weren't released until January 2005 through Durtro/Jnana records as Tomorrow Tomorrow and Tomorrow under the moniker of the Bill Fay Group. In 2004 Wooden Hill records released From the Bottom of an Old Grandfather Clock, a collection of demos recorded between 1966 and 1970, plus one song recorded in 2000.

Bill has since contributed "It's the Small Things Now" to the Not Alone charity compilation and "Pear Tree Tomorrow" to Bill Fay Group guitarist Gary Smith's Supertexture project.

American band Wilco have played Fay's song "Be Not So Fearful" in live performances and the band's singer Jeff Tweedy can be heard singing it in the documentary "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco". Fay joined the band onstage for the rendition of the song at a show at the Shepherds Bush Empire in London in 2007. A cover version of Fay's "Pictures of Adolf Again" by producer and musician Jim O'Rourke and Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche can be heard in the movie from Koji Wakamatsu "United Red Army". The track "Time of the Last Persecution" became a live standard of British Apocalyptic Folk group Current 93.

A double album entitled Still Some Light was released on the Coptic Cat label in 2010. The first CD, ‘PIANO, GUITAR, BASS & DRUMS 1970–71’, consists of studio recordings sourced from archival 7 ½" tapes and cassette from 1970 and 1971, with Ray Russell on guitar, Alan Rushton on drums and Daryl Runswick on bass. The 1970 tracks are prior to the recording of Time Of The Last Persecution, and contain alternative versions of songs on that album, two tracks from Bill's first album Bill Fay as well as previously unreleased songs. There are also previously unreleased songs from 1971. The second CD, Still Some Light, is a home-recorded studio album from 2009.

NPR’s show 'All Songs Considered' premiered Bill Fay’s new single, The Neverending Happening on June 26, 2012.

Bill Fay's new album Life Is People was released on August 21, 2012 on Dead Oceans. It featured guitarist Matt Deighton (Oasis, Paul Weller, Mother Earth), drummer Tim Weller (Will Young, Noel Gallagher, Goldfrapp), and keyboardist Mikey Rowe (High Flying Birds, Stevie Nicks, etc). In addition, Bill is reunited on several tracks with Ray Russell and drummer Alan Rushton, who played on Time Of The Last Persecution.

Doris Comes Today
Bill Fay Lyrics

We have lyrics for these tracks by Bill Fay:

'Til The Christ Come Back When soldiers spoil your sleep And writers steal your dream…
All at Once All at once, the light shines bright, and all is…
All Must Have a Dream I came to the forest where Willie had his dream…
Anthems They’ve all got a familiar ring, the anthems we sing…
Backwoods Maze You've got the lies of a backwoods maze, You say I'll…
Be at Peace with Yourself At the end of the day Ain't nobody else And the walk…
Be Not So Fearful Be not so nervous, be not so frail Someone watches you,…
Big Painter Light the candle, please don’t speak Open the window, let so…
Camille Someone came and took Camille away today Everybody who watch…

Cannon's Plain Yonder is the way Yonder the day Clouds o'er Cannons Plain D…
Cannons Plain Yonder is the way Yonder the day Clouds o'er Cannons Plain…
City of Dreams I’m a street sweeper In your city of dreams Yeah I’m a…
Come A Day There will come a day There will come a day Nations will…
Cosmic Concerto There are miracles, In the strangest of places There are mir…
Countless Branches countless branches I’m sitting here beneath the family tree…
Don't Let My Marigolds Die Please don't take the sun from the sky Don't let them…
Down to the Bridge Oh let us go finally Oh let us go now Down to…
Dust Filled Room She sat smoking a cigarette The fire on her legs In the…
Empires Listen now, listen now To the high wind blowing Through the …
Filled With Wonder Once Again filled with wonder once again I had near-forgotten, everyth…
Garden Song I'm planting myself in the garden Believe me Between the pot…
Gentle Willie Willie was a sailor He sailed on the sea And Willie said…
God Give Them Rest God give them rest, God give them rest, From all…
Goodnight Stan Goodnight Stan, mind how go, going home tonight If you can…
Hello Old Tree Hello Robin, you y’doin’pal Hello Squirrel, how y’doin’gal D…
Here Beneath the Vail Here beneath the vail, here within the hail, Shed your…
How Long How Long how long, how long How long, how long, I heard them…
I Hear You Calling I hear you calling from the riverbank I will be coming…
I Hear Your Calling I hear you calling from the riverbank I will be coming…
I Thought I Heard Someone No time to lose, no time to waste I thought I…
I Will Remain Here I will remain here I will remain here, among the hills…
In Human Hands in human hands I wanna walk in the hills, of Enniskellen,…
Inside the Keepers Pantry Inside the keeper's pantry Spied an air hole and got away …
It Peace be in your breath and in your sighing Peace be…
Jesus Etc Jesus, don't cry You can rely on me, honey You can combine…
Keep Turning the Pages Keep turning the pages, go through the changes Reach up,…
Laughing Man What mirth maketh you sailor? Quietly laughing to yourself Y…
Let All The Other Teddies Know Teddy, don't let the shadows get me And be ready, Teddy…
Life one life One life, one life, is beyond any kind of…
Long Way From Tipperary Show me, where do I go from here, Guide me,…
Love Will Remain love will remain Love will remain, when knowledge has passe…
Man What mirth maketh you sailor? Quietly laughing to yourself Y…
Methane River Methane River will not let me pass I cannot cross it,…
My Eyes Open Give me silence Give me peace Give me courage Give me streng…
Narrow Way You watch the candle burning You stand inside the flame You …
Never Ending Happening The never ending happening Of what's to be and what has…
Omega Day Inside a bar of a sleeping town There lay a sleeping…
One Life one life One life, one life, is beyond any kind of…
Pictures Of Adolf Again In the papers, on the TV screens Pictures of Adolf again As…
Pictures of Adolph Again In the papers, on the TV screens Pictures of Adolf again A…
Plan D Well now soon plan D Will be released and the sea…
Realise Is in the Eye Love is in the kitchen Release is in the eye I'm coming…
Release Is In The Eye Love is in the kitchen Release is in the eye I'm coming…
Road of Hope This is the path, the road of hope, This is…
Salt Of The Earth salt of the earth An honour well deserved, a praise reserve…
Scream in the Ears Offer your sherry to somebody else I've got nothing to say…
Screams In The Ears Offer your sherry to somebody else I've got nothing to say …
Sing Us One of Your Songs Sing us one of your songs, May The ones you know…
Sing Us One Of Your Songs May Sing us one of your songs, May The ones you know…
Solace Flies In Solace flies in with a song of Spring, Solace flies…
Some Good Advice If you want to build a shed Go ahead and build…
Still Some Light Still some light for this frail mankind, still some hope,…
Tell It Like It Is Peace be in your breath and in your sighing Peace be…
Thank You Lord Thank you Lord For the sky above me Thank you Lord For th…
The Coast No Man Can Tell It's time to leave and say goodbye At least for now You…
The Healing Day It will be okay on the healing day No more coldest…
The Never Ending Happening The never ending happening Of what's to be and what has…
The Room A room and all you can see are the walls…
The Sun Is Bored â??Tally ho, let's goâ??, said the leader of the chase â??Ol…
There Is a Valley There is a valley where the tree stand tall and…
There's a Price Upon My Head There’s a price upon my head, 28/6 That person in the…
This World This world is got me in its grip Ain't no way…
Time Of The Last Persecution I must stand by the side of the mountain I must…
Time to Wake Up Now Time to wake up now, and start to think again…
Time's Going Somewhere time’s going somewhere Time’s going somewhere, somewhere fo…
Turning The Pages Keep turning the pages, go through the changes Reach up,…
We Have Laid Here We have laid here We have laid here We have laid here…
We Want You To Stay These are the games that we want you to play We…
Your Life Inside All of the stars are here tonight, waving to you…

Your Little Face your little face In the furthest reaches of outer space, sl…

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