Faces – Debris

I was going to post this song a few weeks ago but I posted The Poacher instead by Ronnie Lane. Either way, we all win with those two songs. As with The Poacher…Ronnie Lane wrote and did the vocals for this song. It’s a gorgeous song and is one of the Faces best known songs.

This song was on the album that I would say ranks in the Hall Of Fame for names… A Nod Is As Good As a Wink… to a Blind Horse. It doesn’t get much better than that. The album was released in 1971. Debris is said to be about his East End working class roots. The album also contained their biggest hit…Stay With Me. The album peaked at #6 on the Billboard Album Charts, #5 in Canada, and #2 in the UK in 1971.

Lane didn’t seem the kind of person who wanted just fame…or for that matter money. He pretty much proved that when he left the Faces two years later to start a solo career that toured under a big top travelling around not meeting expenses most of the time.

Ronnie started his own folk-country band named “Slim Chance” and released a surprise hit single “Come On” in 1973 and it went to #11 in the UK. Ronnie had a unique idea of touring. His tour was called “The Passing Show” which toured the countryside with a circus tent and included a ringmaster and clowns.

Lane had been ripped off along along with the other Small Faces so he wasn’t drawing money from those old records. Pete Townshend tried to talk him out of quitting the Faces because as Pete told him…you are on the verge of making good royalties and money from the Face’s concerts will set you up for life. He ignored Pete and followed his heart. Lane had a lot of great music in him though and those albums with Slim Chance and Rough Mix with Pete Townshend are great.

Lane diagnosed with was Multiple Sclerosis around 1976.

In 1983 Ronnie called some of his musician friends to do some charity concerts for the Research for Multiple Sclerosis. They were known as the ARMS (Action into Research for Multiple Sclerosis) Charity Concerts. Musicians such as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, and more came out to support Ronnie.

Ronnie Lane died of Pneumonia while in the final stages of Multiple Sclerosis in 1997

Debris

Two, three, four

I left you on the debris
At the Sunday morning market
You were sorting through the odds and ends
You was looking for a bargain

I heard your footsteps at the front door
And that old familiar love song
‘Cause you knew you’d find me waiting there
At the top of the stairs

I went there and back
Just to see how far it was
And you, you tried to tell me
But I had to learn for myself

There’s more trouble at the depot
With the general workers union
And you said, “They’ll never change a thing
Well, they won’t fight and they’re not working”

Oh, you was my hero
How you are my good friend
I’ve been there and back
And I know how far it is

But I left you on the debris
Now we both know you got no money
And I wonder what you would have done
Without me hanging around

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

33 thoughts on “Faces – Debris”

  2. not too bad, though it doesn’t really reach out and grab me , but it’s in no way unlikable. What it does for me though is show again there was more to Faces than merely Rod Stewart… I remember ‘Stay with Me’ when I was a kid, quite liked it, but where I was the radio consistently referred to it as ‘Rod Stewart’ rather than ‘Faces.’

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    1. I personally like Lane’s songs a lot. They are not as commercial but good songs.
      Different than the songs he wrote for The Small Faces

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    1. Yes he was Obbverse…I’m really fascinated with his music. He was much deeper than the Small Faces…although I still like them as well.

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      1. I love the Faces of the ‘Afterglow’ period- they could knock out the hit songs so easily, they were in that rare sweet spot where everything synchs… and then the magic just…fades away.

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  9. I’m glad to know more about Ronnie Lane. That was helpful advice he got from Pete, but I can see why Lane was too disillusioned to follow it. This song was nice, and Rod’s voice in the background helps it a bit. What an unfair blow from the MS.

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    1. I agree… hey man I hope you don’t mind…I’m linking your youtube channel tomorrow…I’m covering Sway.

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    1. I know what you mean about Rod…love his early music but then came the slick LA productions.
      Lane’s solo career is a good listen for down to earth music.

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