Laughter and Pain, by Natalie Yule Yeoman

Laughter and Pain

by Natalie Yule Yeoman

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Producer / arranger - Stephen Bell-Booth
Recording engineer - Phil Yule
Mix engineer - Roland Morris

All songs written, composed and sung by Natalie Yule Yeoman.

Recorded at Mascot Studios and mixed at Mandrill Studios, Auckland, June 1989.

Photography - Malcolm Sproull
Artwork /Layout- John Berkley

Originally released on cassette tape by Pastoral Record Company Ltd, Wellington.

Digitally remastered by Phil Yule at The Voice Box, Auckland © 2019. ... more

$10 NZD or more

1.	Full Circle 04:18	lyrics	buy track
We come before you today Away from you we lose our way Help us if you will, what is empty, fill We are hungry, thirsty, to know you still We have travelled many miles We have walked upon many paths You have been before us, you have been behind It is you that draws us, and it's you we find We have come full circle in your love You have been there all along the way We have come full circle, we were not alone You have always, always, been our home Thank you for the friends that we have made Thank you for the laughter and the pain You can take it all now and make it what you will We want to be yours today, tomorrow, and until Thank you for the beauty of your Son Thank you for the love that makes us one Help us serve each other and together serve your world Share with us your beauty and your love revealed
2.	Where Could I Go (Psalm 139) 03:54	lyrics	buy track
Lord you know me you see everything that I do Even my innermost thoughts are not hidden from you Your knowledge of me is so deep You surround me on every side And before I open my mouth you know what I will say Where could I go to get away from your touch? Neither depths of the earth nor the heights of the heavens above For the whole universe cannot contain all your love The east and the west are not far apart in your sight The night is not darkness to you, your presence is light You're before me wherever I go From behind you guide my path When I lay down to sleep you keep watch When I wake I'm with you You shaped me and formed me long before I was born You alone understand all that I am Search every part of my mind Expose every thought that you find Cleanse me and help me to live for you all of my life
3.	Song for the Poor 03:54	lyrics	buy track
Not many noticed, not many bothered Not many realised the night he was born His birth held no romance, his cries made no difference To the people who passed by that first Christmas morn Alone in the stable his parents were fearful Worried and wary and worn But not many noticed and not many bothered Not many realised the night he was born He didn't have riches, he didn't have honour Of no reputation the events of that night He turned from himself to the poor and the lonely He didn't think twice of what could be his right This king with a difference, he lived among the people And suffered, and shared in their lives But not many noticed and not many bothered Not many realised that night of all nights And if we would worship, and if we would love him And if we would show him the praise that we feel We'll think of his words and remember his warning That he comes to us now in the needs of his world As we do it in love to the least of his people We pour out our love to the Lord And he will notice, and he will bother And he will realise the love that's been shown
4.	Downwardly Mobile 04:03	lyrics	buy track
What a way to go when you're riding high You can kiss the crowd below good bye And while you balance your books you don't have to look And see who got left off your flight All you've invested is doing just fine And now you never have to come from behind For some the only way round is the lonely way down And they're always at the back of the line But the bottom of the pile Just doesn't suit your style And your bottom line is so high And now you feel you have landed at last And you seem to have climbed so fast But for everyone who's flown there's so many more at home Who haven't even got off the grass And while you're sitting back enjoying the view Wondering what's left still to do For some the only way round is the lonely way down Maybe you should go there too Now there was one who came right down to earth He never put himself into first And he was downwardly mobile and he gave all his love while Others kept theirs in reserve There were many didn't like his choice of friends But he stood with them right to the end For him the only way round was with those who were down And he calls us now to live his life again At the bottom of the pile He's sure to change your style He has no bottom line
5.	Alexander 06:19	lyrics	buy track
They came and took him in the night His name was Alexander He'd always feared this day would come Many years he'd been harassed Subject to their attentions But his faith and hope never died They sent him far away from friends And from his wife Yelena To try and break his heart and his mind Sentenced him to labour camp And internal exile Now he cries out in the night, now he cries This matter of indifference to you Makes all the difference to me A delo-ta bezrazlichya tebe Imeet znachenie mne Water weeping down the walls Concrete floor beneath him Never dreamt he could be so cold Never known such agony Or seen such degradation Never known men could be so cruel Oh my God, why have you forgotten me, Forsaken me? Day and night, tears become my only food, My only food Many days and nights alone In solitary confinement Even tried to take his own llife And in the darkness of his world Thought he'd been forgotten Now he cries out in the night, now he cries
6.	Reminiscence 05:41	lyrics	buy track
I have wintered and summered with you Loved you in peace and in storm I have loved you in so many ways Loved you in cold and in warm Tried through labour and tried through pain Shattered pieces of night Tried through fire and tried through rain But the morning is light And delphiniums stand tall at the window Geraniums sit by the door And we drink our tea as the sun goes down And the foam melts away on the shore I watched you working the garden tonight And remembered long moments ago When the children were happy just to be at your side They knew all they needed to know You bring me your offerings of lettuce and beans And I smile, yes that's cheaper by far But I'll not put a price on this treasure we share It's our jewel in the dark And delphiniums stand tall at the window Geraniums sit by the door And we drink our tea as the years roll by And the foam melts away on the shore
7.	Loved like that 04:32	lyrics	buy track
What should I say, what should I do, What should I imagine when I'm face to face with you? Drop my eyes down low, turn my life away Do my best to find if there's any other way? 'Cause when I wounded you You came right back again You loved me through my tears And you held me through all of my pain And I've never been loved like that before. I know I'm very weak and even when I'm strong I choose to make mistakes, I choose to get it wrong And at my very worst, try to drive you underground Don't want your interference, don't want you around But when I wound you You come right back again Your love me through your tears And you hold me through all of your pain And I've never been loved like that before. Where could I go to find such a love Where would I be apart from you? Like a child torn from the breast I'm a soul with no rest Until I take my rest at your side And so I'm going home, to where I belong I feel you waiting there and I've been gone too long But now I hesitate - perhaps you'll change your mind And then I see you come I leave it all behind And when I come back home Your doors are open wide Your magic draws me in And you're holding me to your wounded side And I've never been loved like that before Oh no, I've never been loved like that before, You know I've never been loved like that before.
8.	Ready for You 02:52	lyrics	buy track
Well we're one of those families where the library books Are always overdue And when the doctor says the baby will be coming in May We're all still waiting in June And when we put our milk bottles out at the gate The milk truck is just pulling out of our street But when you return Lord We're going to be ready for you Ready for you, ready for you We're all gonna try and be ready for you Not a minute too late, we won't make you wait We'll be ready for you. Well I sprint from the toilet to the telephone But it stops ringing just as I arrive When I get my children down to school on time They take 10 minutes to walk down the drive And when I take my coupons to the New World store They tell me they expired just the day before But when you return Lord We're gonna be ready for you.
9.	Sing your Love 05:13	lyrics	buy track
When the way is hard and the road is long When the rain is cold and the winds are strong You'll be there I know to lean upon And I'll lean on you until I'm through When the night is dark and the lights are few When I need a friend I can turn to you You're the one I never want to live without And you've changed my life without a doubt Yes you've turned my life all about. When the night is past and the day brings light When the clouds are gone and the sun shines bright We will run together and laugh such cheer And I'm oh so thankful that you're here I thank the Lord that you're near And I know at times we're very weak And I know at times we're very wrong But there's a love much stronger than ours To keep us holding on I will give to you all the hope I have I will strengthen you when you're feeling bad And I'd rather be with you in hard times together Than to live it easy on my own For you've loved me more than I've ever known before And I'll sing your love for evermore And I'll sing your love for evermore.
10.	All we Want 03:47	lyrics	buy track
Many times we've tried to walk your road Often we are weary, grown cold But we've drunk your cup and know that you are good And where else could we go to find such love? And all we want to do is live for you All we want to be is what you are And all we want to say is we love you more each day Please shine your light to guide us in your way. Your cross is such a heavy load to bear Sometimes we feel you're distant and don't care But when the darkness disappears in morning light We'll know you've gently led us through the night

about

Keyboards/piano: Stephen Bell-Booth, Cam Hyde, Natalie Yule Yeoman
Bass: Pale Sauni
Drums: Steve Garden
Acoustic guitar: Derek Lind, Pale Sauni, Natalie Yule Yeoman
Electric guitar: Pale Sauni
Mandolin: Derek Lind
Saxophone: Denys Mason, Dean Yeoman
Accordion: Alan Brown, Dallas Graham
Backing vocals: Stephen Bell-Booth, Derek Lind, Pale Sauni,
Natalie Yule Yeoman
Family choir: Members of the Yule, Tiller, Yeoman, and Riddell whānau
L'il Gurgler: Elliot Yule (aged 1)
Effects and Voices: Phil Yule

Natalie supports and commends to you the work of TEAR Fund.

credits

released February 14, 2021

A NOTE FROM NATALIE (Dunedin, 2021)

As soon as I returned from recording ‘New Beginnings’, I wrote a whole heap of new songs. The experience of recording released a new wave of energy and inspiration, ideas came thick and fast.

I returned to the Mascot Studio and made Laughter and Pain mid-1989, my second album. This time I was far more confident and certain of my own directions and ideas. I had much more input into the process, the old terrors had disappeared.

There are love songs, a protest against 1980’s Rogernomics, the story of a prisoner of conscience in the (then) Soviet Union, concern for the growing poverty gap in New Zealand, and a mix of worship songs and others from my own journey and family life, both intense and light-hearted.

Some of my extended whanau came and joined in the chorus of ‘Full
Circle’ and Phil’s small son did a gurgle on the end of the song. Our own pre-schooler, Monica, came to Auckland with me this time and wallowed in the joy of the studio and other wee ones present. I played more piano and guitar myself and sang more of my own backing vocals. I was learning lots and trusting myself more.

Stephen Bell-Booth produced me; he is a genius, as a producer and a musician! It probably surprised him that I had so much more to say this time around. We debated a few things! I loved the energy and creativity of a collaborative approach. Working with Phil as engineer was more satisfying and reassuring than ever.

I am proud of this album. A personal highlight and favourite is ‘Reminiscence’ which I wrote while out running, for our 15th wedding anniversary. Still one of my favourites!
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FROM FRAN CAMMOCK (Wellington, 2020)

I have listened to Laughter and Pain for over 30 years. When I first listened as an 18-year-old, many of the things Natalie sang of were not things I had in my life. The hopeful, joyful music in Laughter and Pain is filled with gratitude. It inspired me and I aspired to be what I heard.
I experienced some trauma through my childhood. My late teens and early twenties were often dark and painful times, and this music was a lifeline to me. By age 24 I had started to know at least one of the blessings described in these songs, a loving relationship. I went on to have three beautiful children, flowers growing in my garden and many cups of tea and moments listening to the sea and the wind as described in ‘Reminiscence’.
My husband and I have been through hard times, but we both know and often sing the words of ‘Sing Your Love’ to each other, “I’d rather be with you through hard times together than to live it easy on my own” (well mostly!).
Laughter and Pain has strengthened, confronted, and encouraged me, the lyrics have resonated relevance to me down through the years and do still. I love the clear, polished sounds and I thoroughly recommend this album.

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about

Natalie Yule Yeoman Dunedin, New Zealand

Singer, songwriter, composer, musician, teacher, poet, writer, smitten by great words and tunes. Player of guitar, uke and keys. Fan of Te Reo Māori and Kapa Haka. In awe of nature.

Imperfect and very grateful follower of Jesus.

Daughter of two, sister of seven, wife of one, mother of five, Nana Nat of thirteen, Auntie Nat of...hmmm, lost count ...and friends galore...blessed to be alive. ... more