We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

The Second City

by Shameem

/
  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $10 AUD  or more

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Stunnning album photography by Katey Manuchehri and artwork by Angelyne Wolfe. 4-panel digicase, plus liner notes with all lyrics.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Second City via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 5 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $10 AUD or more 

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 6 Shameem releases available on Bandcamp and save 20%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Time Does Not Reverse, I Love You, But, The Second City, Beautiful Soul, Shameem (self-titled), and Universe for Afternoon Tea. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      $24 AUD or more (20% OFF)

     

1.
Every boy and every girl Born with such a beautiful soul Is taught ugliness in this world Haven’t you heard? Haven’t you heard? Such an innocent creature Born into this life Carries no preconceptions, no wrongs But we teach them to be cautious of the other Not to just trust and love one another “It’s dangerous”, we say Every boy and every girl Born with such a beautiful soul Is taught ugliness in this world Haven’t you heard? Every boy and every girl Born with such a beautiful soul Is taught ugliness in this world Haven’t you heard? Haven’t you heard? And wherever you go now Those little eyes are watching Every evil you harbour, they’ll see Please don’t behave as if you think only of yourself Without considering the needs of anyone else You know what is at play [Chorus] It’s so absurd How we teach them to choose darkness over light They heed our word When we tell them they should fight Instead of stand up for what is right [Chorus x2] Haven’t you heard? Haven’t you heard? Haven’t you heard? Haven’t you heard?
2.
I give thanks for the morning sunrise I give thanks for the clouds of rain I give thanks for the joy and peace in life I give thanks for the times of pain I give thanks...
3.
We are taught from young that you must have fun If you’re feeling down, feeling blue Then there must be something that’s wrong with you So we play charades, join in the parade Wear our happy makeup and then We will be kept safe in the masquerade Pre-chorus: It’s the face to meet the faces that I’ll meet It’s the voice to speak the words I’ll never say And the eyes to seek the things I’ll never try But they lie Chorus: It’s all illusion Quiet confusion Optic intrusion It’s all illusion We could best get by on a natural high Meditate, eat greens, volunteer, exercise No, we won’t need an alibi But we can’t keep pace in the cut-throat race Trying to get ahead we fall back And to cope we choose to self-medicate [Pre-chorus] [Chorus] And if only we didn’t have to pretend We might find that we’d sooner be on the mend [Chorus x2]
4.
Chorus: It takes just one moment, just one dream ‘Cause you know we all need to be loved We come from one ancestor, just one forefather And one earth mother, under one sun We are but one, we are but one Don’t you know that everyone’s dreaming under one sun? We are all living in an old, cold world Where we have forgotten where we come from We’re fighting each other like two schoolkids would Ain’t it time that we learnt what we really should? Oh, look what a mess we’ve made Is it too late for us to change? [Chorus] We are but one, we are but one Don’t you know that everyone’s dreaming under one sun? Everyone’s dreaming under one… Isn’t it funny how we seem to believe Only certain of people deserve our love? Wake up! It’s so obvious It’s the same love we’re all made of Oh, we’re still so far away It’s not too late for us to change [Chorus] We are but one, we are but one Don’t you know that everyone’s dreaming under one sun? Everyone’s dreaming under one… Sun, one sun… [Chorus x2] We are but one, we are but one Don’t you know that everyone’s dreaming under one sun? We are but one, we are but one Don’t you know that everyone’s dreaming under one sun? Everyone’s dreaming under one…
5.
What can I do? My heart is dripping, leaking, and I Just need a clue to fill the void What can I do? The seam is ripping, breaking, and I Will self-destruct or be destroyed Maybe I will study real hard, become a doctor’s lawyer And watch the dollars rolling in for the rest of my life Maybe I will go to the mall, make fashion my employer Let spending take me for a spin; will that relieve my strife? Somebody help me find the remedy to take this emptiness away There’s a hole in my heart, I don’t know where to start Somebody help me find the right thing to come and brighten up my day There’s a hole in my heart, there’s a hole in my heart What can I do? My heart is dripping, leaking, and I Just need a clue to fill the void What can I do? The seam is ripping, breaking, and I Will self-destruct or be destroyed Maybe I will find me a friend to warm my coldest night-times He’ll turn my insides out and I readily will succumb And then when he don’t call me again, I’ll make the night my pastime There’s plenty more where he came from, so much more it makes me numb [Chorus] Somebody help me find the remedy to take this emptiness away [Keys solo] Maybe there’s a chemical fix to dull the pain inside me It leads to higher planes where I never ventured before And then in the hysterical mix I’ll feel the madness blind me My senses left me at the door; there must be something more There must be something more [Chorus x 2] Somebody help me find the remedy to take this emptiness away There’s a hole in my heart, there’s a hole in my heart There’s a hole in my heart, there’s a hole in my heart
6.
I give thanks for the green grass that grows I give thanks for nectarines and mangoes I give thanks for all the people who’ve crossed my path I give thanks to all the people who’ve touched my heart I give thanks...
7.
No one knows my pain like you do (like you do) No one feels my shame like you do (like you do) No one shares my joy like you do (like you do) No one sees right through my lies like you do (like you do) Chorus: You are the other half of my heart You are the other half of my heart You are the o-o-o-other half of my heart You are the other half (other) Other half, other (other) Other half my heart No one knows my pain like you do (like you do) No one feels my shame like you do (like you do) No one shares my joy like you do (like you do) No one sees right through my lies like you do (like you do) [Chorus] If they could feel the vibe between you and me They’d see that we are joined so mysteriously Together we are sharing an energy Intangibly attached are we We swim together like the fish in the sea Existing in a beautiful harmony ‘cause no one knows your heart quite as well as me No one knows me like you do (no one knows me) [Chorus] You are the other half of my heart (you are the pen to my paper) You are the other half of my heart (nearer to me than my neighbour) You are the o-o-o-other half of my heart You are the other half (other) Other half, other (other) Other half my heart
8.
Impostor 04:43
You are a sneaky weasel With all your two-faced treason Attacked without a reason Didn’t leave a clue I was your one defender But you were one pretender Who bit the arm that leant a Helping hand to you I watch the smoke clear It’s just as I feared The crime scene appears The truth, apparent You killed the man I love You broke my heart in two You killed the man I love And the man I love was you You stripped the colour from my life And painted it dark blue You killed the man I love And the man I love was you Impostor, you are Impostor, you are Impostor, you – who the hell are you? Impostor, you are Impostor, you are Impostor, you I stood by you when you were low Gave you a leg up to go But then you spat at me, so I withdrew my heart And now you come back in here Want to return where we were But that don’t work for me sir It’s best that I depart [Pre-Chorus] [Chorus] Love, love with all your soul But don’t sell it to the traitor Guard what’s good and true and whole Or you’ll regret it later [Guitar solo] [Chorus] Impostor, you are Impostor, you are Impostor, you – who the hell are you? Impostor, you are Impostor, you are Impostor, you – who the hell are you? Impostor, you are Impostor, you are Impostor, you – who the hell are you? Impostor, you are Impostor, you are Impostor, you – who the hell are you?
9.
Your word was a glass crystallised vase You turned and you knocked it off my table And I watched as it shattered, and there I wept And the sky, it wept with me Please give me a reason to trust you again I loved you but then It cost me a friend It’s been a grey season since you went away And I want to believe everything that you say But you’re too afraid To ever tell me Please give me a reason to trust you again Just give me one good reason You lay on the floor, twisted and broken They told me that you would not be woken And I looked on you, shattered; you were so battered The sky, it wept with me [Chorus] I wanna trust you, trust you again I wanna love you, love you, oh when Will you give me one decent reason? I wanna trust you, trust you again Because I love you, love you, oh when Will you give me one decent reason? [Chorus x2] Just give me one good reason Just give me one good reason
10.
نشان عاشق آن باشد که سردش بینی از دوزخ نشان عارف آن باشد که خشکش بینی از دریا که خشکش بینی از دریا
11.
Search for my Love in the desert of the world Each mirage is magic; each horizon tragic I drink the seven seas and yet still I thirst And the fire inside me has burned up all logic Oh, it burns in me Oh, the agony To be so close to You, yet so far, Ever wondering where You are It's so mystical, this desire, A chill in the fire To be so close to You, yet so far, Ever wondering where You are It's a mystery, this desire, A chill in the fire Your venom is sweeter than honey on my lips, Your destruction fairer than a hundred thousand lives I've wounded wise men, I keep hostages In the flames I'm freezing, in the sea I dry Oh, it burns in me Oh, the ecstasy [Chorus] A chill in the fire Oh, a lover is he who is chill in hell fire نشان عاشق آن باشد که سردش بینی از دوزخ Oh, a knower is he who is dry in the sea نشان عارف آن باشد که خشکش بینی از دریا که خشکش بینی از دریا Oh, a lover is he who is chill in hell fire [Chorus] A chill in the fire
12.
I give thanks for all the love all around me I give thanks for the truth that has found me I give thanks for family and for friends I give thanks for being able to give thanks I give thanks...
13.
Expectation 04:18
Watching time fly away Ages pass in one way [Instrumental interlude] Expectation, expectation Expectation… How long we have waited How long we have waited Children are born before our eyes Mountains fall to their demise The old are made fools; the young are wise The sun runs a race across the skies We look to the heavens for surprise We search but we do not realise That here on the earth the secret lies Here on the earth the secret lies Children are born before our eyes Mountains fall to their demise The old are made fools; the young are wise The sun runs a race across the skies We look to the heavens for surprise We search but we do not realise That here on the earth the secret lies Here on the earth the secret lies [Instrumental interlude] How long we have waited How long we have waited How long we have waited How long we have waited How long we have waited How long we have…
14.
I give thanks for the morning sunrise I give thanks for the clouds of rain I give thanks for the joy and peace in life I give thanks for the times of pain I give thanks for the green grass that grows I give thanks for nectarines and mangoes I give thanks for all the people who’ve crossed my path I give thanks to all the people who’ve touched my heart I give thanks, I give thanks I give thanks, I give thanks I give thanks, I give thanks I give thanks, I give thanks I give thanks for the green grass that grows I give thanks for nectarines and mangoes I give thanks for all the people who’ve crossed my path I give thanks to all the people who’ve touched my heart I give thanks for all the love all around me I give thanks for the truth that has found me I give thanks for family and for friends I give thanks for being able to give thanks [Chorus] I give thanks for all the love all around me I give thanks for the truth that has found me I give thanks for family and for friends I give thanks for being able to give thanks I give thanks for every day that is breaking I give thanks for every day that I’m waking I give thanks for these gifts in which I’m partaking I give thanks for the music I’m making
15.
I give thanks, I give thanks I give thanks, I give thanks I give thanks, I give thanks I give thanks, I give thanks I give thanks, I give thanks I give thanks, I give thanks I give thanks, I give thanks I give thanks, I give thanks

about

Australian neo-soul songstress Shameem presents a collection of passionate, personal, socially conscious and spiritually inspired original songs. This stylistically diverse sophomore album is best listened to from beginning to end.

credits

released January 16, 2015

All songs written by Shameem Taheri-Lee, except track 4 – written by Shameem Taheri-Lee and James Bryan, and tracks 10 and 11 – written by Shameem Taheri-Lee and Persian chant composed by Shidan Toloui-Wallace
Lyrics for Persian chant in tracks 10 and 11 taken from “The Seven Valleys” by Bahá’u’lláh

All tracks produced by Shameem Taheri-Lee and Rob Agostini *
Drums programmed by Shameem Taheri-Lee and Rob Agostini #
Strings for tracks 8 and 11 arranged by Shameem Taheri-Lee
* Except track 4 – produced by James Bryan
# Except track 4 – drums programmed by James Bryan

Shameem Taheri-Lee – lead vocals on all tracks except track 10; backing vocals on tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 14; keyboard on tracks 2, 3, 6 and 12; additional keyboards on tracks 1, 8, 9, and 11
Domenic Barrett – electric guitars on tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 13; acoustic guitar on track 15
Harry Mitchell – keyboard on tracks 1, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 13; Rhodes on track 11; Hammond organ on track 9
Callum Morrison – bass on tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13 and 14
James Bryan – electric guitars on track 4; bass on track 4; keyboard on track 4
Glen Scott – backing vocals on track 4; piano on track 4; Wurlitzer on track 4
Astrid Ripepi – vocals on track 7
Alix Hamilton – violin on tracks 8 and 11; viola on tracks 8 and 11
Laura McGrogan – ’cello on tracks 8 and 11
Shidan Toloui-Wallace – lead vocals (in Persian) on tracks 10 and 11
Bronton Ainsworth – live drums on track 13
Crowd vocals on tracks 14 and 15: Juliana Areias, Domenic Barrett, Luki Binol, Kate Janfaza, Harry Mitchell, Callum Morrison, Ehsan Nasheri, Zarin Salter-Beyzaie, Zarinne Seow, Jonathan Warwick, Penny Wong and Boshra Yazahmeidi

All tracks recorded by Rob Agostini at Soundbaker Studios, except:
Track 4 – instruments recorded by James Bryan at Kensaltown Studios; Glen Scott’s vocals recorded by Glen Scott at Kensaltown Studios; Shameem’s vocals recorded by Rob Agostini at Soundbaker Studios
Track 10 – vocals recorded by Louie Shelton at Gold Coast Studio
Mixed by Rob Agostini at Soundbaker Studios
Mastered by Lee Buddle at Crank Recording

Photography by Katey Manuchehri
Graphic design by Angelyne Wolfe
Dress designed by Ayesha Parsons of Decisively Ambiguous
Make up by Michaela Ivory
Hair by Kelly at Shendals Signature Salon
Shameem would like to thank Nasrin Manouchehri and Jaleh Sarvaryan for their assistance with the dress, and Naseem Taheri-Lee for her assistance at the photo-shoot

Supported by the Department of Culture and the Arts Western Australia

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Shameem Perth, Australia

Shameem is an Aussie of Chinese-Malaysian and Iranian descent, whose unique fusion of 90s R&B, 70s soul and a subtle twist of jazz is imbued with personal stories and socially conscious lyrics.

Shameem keeps a busy performing schedule, having supported such artists as Michael Bolton, George Benson, Ronan Keating and Belinda Carlisle, and toured in Australia as well as the USA and Canada.
... more

contact / help

Contact Shameem

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

Shameem recommends:

If you like Shameem, you may also like: