With a back catalogue boasting such gems as 'Rainmaker' and 'Fully Qualified Survivor' (featuring Mick Ronson, Rick Kemp, and others), it remains a mystery to all why he wasn't afforded more mainstream recognition. With his often quirky songs and vocal style sometimes eerily reminiscent of David Bowie, one can only assume that Chapman's hardy reluctance to bow to the commercial pressures of his record companies served only to afford him scant recognition from the record-buying public. With a muse falling somewhere between Kevin Ayers and Warren Zevon, Chapman was a folk-rock, psychedelic-jazz troubadour.
Chapman first appeared on the London and Cornwall folk music circuits in 1967, including the Piper's Folk Club in Penzance, alongside John Martyn and Roy Harper. His first album was "Rainmaker" in 1969.
His 1970 second album, "Fully Qualified Survivor", again produced by Gus Dudgeon with lush strings arranged by Paul Buckmaster, received much critical acclaim from the likes of BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, and featured his best-known track, "Postcards of Scarborough".
After a tour of the United States with Rick Kemp, Chapman signed to Decca's subsidiary, Deram, recording an increasingly rockier set of albums. Championed by Charles Shaar Murray and John Peel, he continued to have a high profile, being a lively draw on the college circuit in the UK and across mainland Europe.
1977 saw the end of Chapman's Decca deal, and the beginning of an association with Criminal Records in 1978; both record labels released versions of The Man Who Hated Mornings. He continued to gig and record consistently, varying styles and sounds, sometimes working with a full group, more often working with Rick Kemp alone.
The 1980s was a quieter time for Chapman. He continued to make recordings that straddled musical genres and pushed his guitar playing to the fore, but had neither the profile nor sales of the previous decade.
The late 1990s onwards represented a period of continued rebirth for Chapman. He embraced the 'elder statesman' role and enjoyed critical acclaim for albums like Navigation, Dreaming Out Loud and Still Making Rain (a wry pun title that looked back to his debut album). With the 1997 release of Dreaming Out Loud, Chapman was releasing albums at the rate of one every two years, and still attracting high praise, if not great sales.
The 21st century saw Chapman exploring his guitar player roots and releasing instrumental albums alongside his song-based sets. Americana and Words Fail Me feature soundscapes that recalled travels in America, and featured a dexterity and inventiveness on the guitar equal to the classic Harvest and Decca periods.
A tribute album titled Oh Michael, Look What You've Done: Friends Play Michael Chapman was released in 2012 on Tompkins Square Records. It includes contributions from Lucinda Williams, Maddy Prior, William Tyler, Hiss Golden Messenger and Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore.
In 2016, Chapman celebrated fifty years as a professional musician. Towards the end of his life he still played professionally and regularly toured in the UK, Europe and US.
Aviator
Michael Chapman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My pictures are all torn around my feet
Mr. Madness points his eyes, a finger from his chair
And an angry crowd is gathering in the street
To take my time away
To take my time away
My portrait seems to make me look quite sane
There's no hair inside my helm and no scars upon my face
But the crowd is knocking on the door again
To take my time away
To take my time away
And the music is so loud that I have lost all sense of time
A phone rings but no one makes a sound
The storm's a'falling on the roof and smashing all the tiles
And the banners are a'waltzing 'round and 'round
To take my time away
To take my time away
In all of my life you know I've done no man no wrong
And yet to some that is the only mortal sin
And so I stand accused of the crime of being poor
While my thoughts are all confused by the din
The din that takes my time away
It takes my time away
I light a cigarette just to try and slow my thoughts
My throat is awful dry but I can't drink
There's a clamoring within now, and a clamoring without
So much going on I just can't think
And take my time away
And take my time away
And meanwhile in the woods what are they doing to the trees
Why must they make them spark and let them burn
It takes such a long long time for trees like that to grow
Some people just never ever learn
And yet they take my time away
They take my time away
There will be nothing left if this madness runs its course
Except the gleaming buildings to the sky
With solitude unknown and every friendly word
With the sound of feet as the old world shuffles by
Taking my time away
Taking my time away
No concessions to my past no there's none that I can make
If I had my time I'd do it all again
I'd just make a few adjustments to the way I treated you
And let myself be washed by the rain
The rain that takes my time away
The rain that takes my time away
Desperation sits just like an old friend on the floor
My pictures are all torn around my feet
Mr. Madness points his eyes, a finger from his chair
And an angry crowd is gathering in the street
To take my time away
To take my time away
To take my time away
To take my time away
The song "Aviator" by Michael Chapman is a haunting ballad that deals with themes of isolation, confusion, and the loss of time. The lyrics describe a protagonist who is struggling to make sense of the chaos around him, while also dealing with feelings of desperation and fear. In the opening lines of the song, he describes how he feels as though desperation is a constant presence in his life, and how his sense of identity is being torn apart by external forces.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes increasingly disconnected from the world around him. He describes how the noise and chaos of the world is overwhelming him, and how he is struggling to maintain a sense of clarity and purpose. The chorus, which repeats the phrase "To take my time away," underscores his growing sense of urgency and desperation.
Overall, "Aviator" is a powerful meditation on the human condition and the struggle to find meaning in a world that often seems senseless and chaotic.
Line by Line Meaning
Desperation sits just like a friend upon the floor
The feeling of hopelessness surrounds me as my world falls apart.
My pictures are all torn around my feet
The physical representation of my memories is in shambles at my feet.
Mr. Madness points his eyes, a finger from his chair
The constant reminder of my inner turmoil is staring at me, taunting me from the darkness.
And an angry crowd is gathering in the street
The world is closing in on me, and I feel helpless against the judgement of others.
To take my time away
The weight of my problems and external pressures make it feel as if my time is no longer my own.
If I'm the man they say I am, then why am I still here?
Society's definition of success and acceptance fails to bring me fulfillment or peace.
My portrait seems to make me look quite sane
Despite my inner turmoil, I wear a mask of normalcy and stability to the outside world.
There's no hair inside my helm and no scars upon my face
My exterior appearance tells a story of privilege, while my internal struggles remain hidden.
But the crowd is knocking on the door again
The constant pressure from society to fit a certain mold is knocking at my door once more.
And the music is so loud that I have lost all sense of time
The noise of the world around me has become too much, drowning out everything else.
A phone rings but no one makes a sound
The ringing phone is a reminder of the connections I've lost and the isolation I feel.
The storm's a'falling on the roof and smashing all the tiles
The chaos of the outside world mirrors my internal struggles, tearing apart what was once solid and stable.
And the banners are a'waltzing 'round and 'round
Everything around me is in disarray, spinning out of control.
In all of my life you know I've done no man no wrong
Despite my struggles and flaws, I know that I have never intentionally caused harm to another person.
And yet to some that is the only mortal sin
Society often places value on things that don't inherently matter, while overlooking or punishing those who don't fit the mold.
And so I stand accused of the crime of being poor
The world judges me for my lack of material wealth, despite that not being the measure of a person's worth.
While my thoughts are all confused by the din
The chaos and noise of the world around me make it difficult to think clearly or find my way.
I light a cigarette just to try and slow my thoughts
In an effort to find some peace, I turn to external vices to quiet my mind.
My throat is awful dry but I can't drink
Despite my desperate need for relief, I am unable to find solace in the things I once turned to.
There's a clamoring within now, and a clamoring without
The chaos and noise of the world around me echoes the turmoil within me.
So much going on I just can't think
The overwhelming nature of everything around me makes it impossible to gather my thoughts or focus.
And meanwhile in the woods what are they doing to the trees
As I struggle with my own personal battles, the world around me is in chaos as well.
Why must they make them spark and let them burn
The destruction of the natural world parallels the destruction of my own mental state.
It takes such a long long time for trees like that to grow
The world is quick to destroy, while the healing and rebuilding process takes much longer.
Some people just never ever learn
Despite the clear consequences of their actions, some people never change their harmful ways.
There will be nothing left if this madness runs its course
If the destructive nature of the world continues unchecked, there will be nothing left to salvage.
Except the gleaming buildings to the sky
The illusion of progress and success overshadows the devastation around us.
With solitude unknown and every friendly word
Despite the chaos and noise, there is an overwhelming sense of isolation and loneliness.
With the sound of feet as the old world shuffles by
As the world moves forward, the echoes of the past can still be heard.
No concessions to my past no there's none that I can make
My past is set in stone, and there is little I can do to change it now.
If I had my time I'd do it all again
Despite my struggles, I don't regret the choices I've made.
I'd just make a few adjustments to the way I treated you
While I might not change the past, there are things I would do differently to better the relationships in my life.
And let myself be washed by the rain
In the midst of chaos and turmoil, I seek a sense of cleansing and renewal.
Writer(s): Michael Chapman
Contributed by Mason V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@turojarvenranta
[Instrumental Intro]
[Verse 1]
Desperation sits just like a friend upon the floor
My pictures are all torn around my feet
Mr. Madness points his eyes, a finger from his chair
And an angry crowd is gath'ring in the street
[Chorus]
To take my time away
To take my time away
[Verse 2]
If I'm the man they say I am then why'm I still here?
My portrait seems to make me look quite sane
There's no hair inside my helm, there're no scars upon my face
But the crowd is knocking on the door again
[Chorus]
To take my time away
To take my time away
[Verse 3]
And the music is so loud that I've lost all sense of time
A phone rings but no-one makes a sound
The storm's a'falling on the roof and smashing all the tiles
And the banners are a'waltzing round-n-round
[Chorus]
To take my time away
To take my time away
[Verse 4]
In all of my life, you know, I've done no man no wrong
And yet to some that is the only mortal sin
And so I stand accused of the crime of being poor
While my thoughts are all confused by the din
[Chorus]
The din that takes my time away
It takes my time away
[Verse 5]
I light a cigarette just to try and slow my thoughts
My throat is awful dry, but I can't drink
There's a clamoring within now, and a clamoring without
So much going on I just can't think
[Chorus]
And take my time away
And take my time away
[Verse 6]
And meanwhile in the woods: What are they doing to the trees?
Why must they make them spark and let them burn?
It takes such a long long time for trees like that to grow
Some people just never ever learn
[Chorus]
And yet they take my time away
You know, they take my time away
[Verse 7]
There'll be nothing left if this madness runs its course
Except the gleaming buildings to the sky
With solitude unknown and every friendly word
With the sound of feet as the old world shuffles by
[Chorus]
Taking my time away
Taking my time away
[Verse 8]
No concessions to my past, no, there's none that I can make
If I had my time I'd do it all again
I'd just make a few adjustments to the way I treated you
And let myself be washed by the rain
[Chorus]
The rain that takes my time away
The rain that takes my time away
[Verse 1 Reprise]
And desperation sits just like an old friend on the floor
My pictures are all torn around my feet
Mr. Madness points his eyes, his fingers from his chair
And an angry crowd is gathering in the street
[Chorus]
To take my time away
To take my time away
To take my time away
To take my time away
@dantlef
http://www.llime.com/lyrics/covers/MC%20-%20Aviator.txtBut that's someone trying to note them down, not official, and there's a lot of mistakes - I've tried to correct them below. Of course I'm fallible too, but I think I've just about got it right - except I still can't quite crack this line:"With solitude unknown and every friend you were with/ The sound of feet as the whole world shuffles by".If anyone else can get that right, please do correct it.Aviator
Michael Chapman
Intro - F# Em F# Em D
D Em G D D Em G D G D G D
Desperation sits just like a friend upon the floor / My pictures are all torn around my feet.
Mr. Madness points his eyes, a finger from his chin / And an angry crowd is gathering in the street
To take my time away / To take my time away
If I'm the man they say I am, then why am I still here / My portrait seems to make me look quite sane
There's no hair inside my hands and no scars upon my face / But the crowd is knocking on the door again
To take my time away / To take my time away
And the music is so loud that I have lost all sense of time / A phone rings but no one makes a sound
The stones are falling on the roof and smashing all the tiles / And the banners are a'waltzing round and round.
To take my time away / To take my time away
In all of my life you know I've done no man no wrong / And yet to some that is the only mortal sin.
And so I stand accused of the crime of being poor / While my thoughts are all confused by the din.
The din that takes my time away / That takes my time away
I light a cigarette just to try and slow my thoughts / My throat is awful dry but I can't drink
There's a clamouring within now, and a clamouring without / So much going on I just can't think
And take my time away / And take my time away
And meanwhile in the woods what are they doing to the trees / Why must they make a spark and let them burn
It takes such a long long time for trees like that to grow /Some people just never ever learn
And yet they take my time away / You know they take my time away.
There will be nothing left if this madness runs its course / Except the gleaming buildings to the sky.
With solitude unknown and every friend you were with/ The sound of feet as the whole world shuffles by.
Taking my time away / Taking my time away.
No concessions to my past no there's none that I can make / If I had my time I'd do it all again
I'd just make a few adjustments to the way I treated you / And let myself be washed by the rain.
The rain that takes my time away / The rain that takes my time away.And desperation sits just like an old friend upon the floor / My pictures are all torn around my feet.
Mr. Madness points his eyes, a finger from his chin / And an angry crowd is gath'ring in the street
To take my time away / To take my time away To take my time away / To take my tiiimme away
@donkeyskin
Just an incredibly good song.
@bigtone1348
I missed a Michael Chapman gig in Bournemouth many years ago.
Two weeks later I was in a second hand record shop in Chicago. Michael was stood in the corner, playing some of his beautiful songs. When he finished, we chatted for ages. It was a very special evening. Thank you Michael for the postcards of your life.
@mattenflogel1781
What a great expirience😃😍
@fvelazqzu
R.I.P. Mr. Chapman
@davidmatthews3780
John Peel was a fan ... nuff said. Thank you for surviving Michael we fully appreciate it more than we could tell you ❤
@shemanic1
sad to be the one to post a R.I.P. to such a great musician, play on in that great gig in the sky Michael Chapman.
@LuiNogueira
love the bass line on this one.
@mattenflogel1781
Yes Lui...she`s so smooth and gentle deep...i cant stop listening👌
@robertabushal231
First heard this in the middle of Bavaria last year on Funk Kultur, but I'll remember it forever.
@NiinaSKlove
Unique voice and great guitar playing - wow, I can listen to this guy over and over! Thanks for uploading and sharing this little gem!!