Lizzie Shirley singer and songwriter,  music and singing leader,  drama teacher and workshop leader, song arranger, actor, comedian and published poet.

Scotsman …’sings as sweetly as anyone in Edinburgh’

Time Out …’equally talented in both arts…a rare and ringing voice’.

5 Stars …’a blithe acoustic stance…utterly lovely’

South London Press : …’highly recommended’ …’a born performer’.


 email: Lizzieshirley@hotmail.co.uk

telephone: 07877143548

Available for performances of a political/Socialist set of radical songs, (including Brecht, anti-nuclear, Leon Rosselson, etc) In a performance called 'Sing and Survive'. with accompanist on piano.

And for performances as singer/songwriter - including political and social comment songs, love songs, and quirky fun songs.

 

 

 

 

 

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HUMAN-NESS
C 2018


The bus draws me in
Like sardines to a tin.
Avoiding the eyes of strangers,
The man next to me breathes in,
‘Please don’t brush against my tummy’
He might as well say,
But a strict social code
Has taken his voice away.

Does the next person smile?
Or just vaguely move
The edges of her lips
UP ?
With eyes obviously closed.
Nobody shouts ‘seats upstairs’ anymore
Like years ago.
No bus conductor dings a dong
To tell the driver ‘Let’s go’.

A person mumbles “excuse me please”
Ashamed of their own voice.
Hiding their human-ness
Away in their large woollen coat.
Two friends exchange banter
In a strange hushed croak.
Someone shuffles passed
Still breathing uncomfortably inward
Uncomfortably disowning his own human-ness
In order to fit himself off the bus,
Displaced and ready,
Raring to get onto a train,
In order not
to meet
Anyone else’s eyes again.

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