Hope
Album
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2025 • 11 songs, 49 mins
ALBUM TRACKSOpen Our Hearts • 5:58
Mother • 4:49
Hope • 4:03
What Can We Do • 3:27
Two • 5:23
What You See Is What You Get • 5:37
Bully Boy • 4:23
We Got To Rise • 3:57
Try My Best • 4:29
Life’s Too Short • 3:44
I'm A Hippy And Proud To Be • 4:00
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASEMARK KELLY & THE PEACEFUL WARRIORS
Origin: CH – Vevey
Title: Hope
Format: Album
Label: Hairy People
Release date: 06.06.2025
After releasing several solo albums, Mark Kelly missed being part of a group, the way other people push you and your music to be better. He now returns accompanied by a full band, The Peaceful Warriors, on an album that is, at its core, about growth, forgiveness and how we can change for the better. Questions and lessons to change through 11 wonderfully warm, uplifting and impeccable songs that explore genres ranging from folk to Afro-pop and country music.
The Peaceful Warriors formed back in November 2020 at the Casino de Saxon (Switzerland) during a founding residency. The different musicians, however, had worked with Mark over the years, strong friendships serving as a basis for the collaboration. After a few lineup changes, the band is now composed of Mark Kelly (acoustic + electric + bass guitar, vocals, gongs, percussion, ukulele, banjo), Tony Leggett (trombone, bugle, percussions, harp, backing vocals, flute and tin whistle), Marine Le Mouël (double bass and backing vocals), Robins Azonnoudo (udu, drums, congas and backing vocals), Ernest Ikwanga (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Betty Patural (Guitar).
Musically, the album covers many grounds, ranging from folk to afro-pop, funk, pop as well as Irish and country songs. Together with The Peaceful Warriors, they managed to weave all those different approaches into a sound that is both coherent and singular. And if listening to each other’s inputs and influences shaped the sonic identity of the album, the approach is also at the core of the themes that are explored throughout the lyrics.
On the 11 songs of the record, Mark explores dealing with what life peacefully throws at you, striving to surround yourself with love, support and people who don’t shy away from giving you the wake-up calls and hard truths you sometimes need to hear. It’s a record about hope and the will to change yourself, and by extension, the world. That double layering of growth is interwoven into every single line of the record: what can be done to make things better for everyone, not just oneself (‘What Can We Do’), the duty to help people back up when they are down, regardless of how well we know them, if at all (‘We Got To Rise’), and the sometimes self-destroying power of anger (on the mantra-like ‘Life’s Too Short’). As Mark said through his first solo album back in 2012, ‘Nothing’s Perfect’: but that doesn’t mean one can’t work towards being better, constantly. More kind, more patient, more loving, more sharing, more aware, and more truthful, to others and oneself.
The album, produced by the band itself, was recorded by Benoit Gerard at Ritmo Studio in Leysin, Switzerland. The tracks were then sent to Romain Equey (La Digue 18) for the mix, before landing on the desk of Grégoire Du.
IRASCIBLE MUSICPlace du Nord 7, 1005 Lausanne
Geroldstrasse 33, 8005 Zürich
www.irascible.ch
Kontakt D-CH:
Fabienne Schmuki, fabienne@irascible.ch, 044 271 32 83
Contact F-CH / I-CH:
Gilles Kaeser, gilles@irascible.ch, 0041 78 976 00 25
ALBUM LYRICS-
We got look inside
We’ve got to look inside
We’ve got to to shine our light
We got to shine our lightOpen our hearts
Open our heartsWe got look inside
We’ve got to look inside
We’ve got to to shine our light
We got to shine our lightOpen our hearts
Open our heartsWide open
Wide open
Wide openWe gotta
We gotta
We gotta
We gottaOpen our hearts
Open our hearts
Open our hearts
Open our heartsWe’ve got to let go
We’ve got to let go
We’ve got to let go
We’ve got to let go
We’ve got to let go
We’ve got to let go
We’ve got to let go -
Nanyé
Nanyé
NanyéTo many people walking around
With their eyes closed
To many people in denial
With what’s going on yeah
We must reach them
Teach them how to care
We must reach them
Teach them how to shareChanging one thing at a time
Starting with our minds
Changing one thing at a time
Cause humans can be kind
Humans can be kindMother Earth is mother to us all
Mother Earth is mother to us all
But she’s cryin though
But she’s crying yeah
But she’s crying now
And we got to dry her tears
Yeah we got to dry her tearsChanging one thing at a time
Starting with our minds
Changing one thing at a time
Cause humans can be kind
Humans can be kindI make a promise
That I will do my best
To take care yeah
Of this beautiful planet
Of this beautiful planet
Of this beautiful
Of this beautiful
Of this beautiful
Of this beautiful
Of this beautiful planet ah yeahChanging one thing at a time
Starting with our minds
Changing one thing at a time
Cause humans can be kind
Humans can be kind
Humans can be kindMother… Mother
Mother please forgive us
Mother please forgive usChanging one thing at a time
Starting with our minds
Changing one thing at a time
Cause humans can be kind
Humans can be kind -
i’m not responsible
for how you feel
thought you were my friend
but you didn’t play fair
you’ve always got to be right
even if you’re the wrong
can’t believe that you convinced me
that no one was good enough for me
for years and yearshope you can find
what you’re looking for
hope you can find what you need
hope you can find
what you’re looking for
hope you can find what you need
you used me cause i love life
cause your scared to confront the world
i took you by the hand but you pulled me under
thanks for showing me how naive i was
but now it’s time to say goodbyehope you can find
what you’re looking for
hope you can find what you need
hope you can find
what you’re looking for
hope you can find what you needand i’m angry at myself
cause i choose not to see
cause i told you all my secrets
and you chose to control
chose to control mehope you can find
what you’re looking for
hope you can find what you need
hope you can find
what you’re looking for
hope you can find what you need -
What can we do
What can we do
To make it better
For everybody else
Not just ourselves X 3We must be grateful
For everything we have
Must know where it’s from
And what it’s made of
We think clever
But who are we kidding
Cause we keep on digging
Our hole so much deeperWe are the medicine
Can’t you see
We got to change our ways now
We are the medicine
Can’t you see
We got to change our ways now
We got to change our waysWhat can we do
What can we do
To make it better
For everybody else
Not just ourselves X2What will it take
For us to really
Start caring
What will it take
To stop ourselves
From all that we’re
LosingWe are the medicine
Can’t you see
We got to change our ways now
We are the medicine
Can’t you see
We got to change our ways now -
i can’t give you what you want
no there’s nothing that i’ve got for you
no there’s nothing i can give
that will help you with what you’ve got
so please believe me
and leave me alone
so please believe me
and leave me aloneso please don’t put me on no pedestal
cause I will only disappoint
your projecting what you think i am
just to fill the hole that you havei’m no saviour
I’m just trying to save myself
I’m no saviour
I’m just trying to save myselfi was clear from the very start
i didn’t leave no room for doubt
but you thought
That you’d be the one
to mend this broken heart
to mend this broken heartyes i had my part to play
Oh i might have lead you on
Oh come on now
be honest baby
This is the wrong kind of love
Oh come on now
be honest baby
This is the wrong kind of loveso please accept my apology
and let’s move on -
all these years i sat and waited
for the world to come to me
all my dreams and hopes and wasted
cause i couldn’t see what was in front of meall that i used to say
all that I’ve done
all that i pushed aside and
all that i ran from
i’ve unclouded my mind
i see how lucky i amwhat see you see is what you get
what see you see is what you get
what see you see is what you get
what see you see is what you getgot my friends and my family
got a roof over my head
got the clothes on my back
and food in my belly
got my heart wide open
got a bag full of self respectwhat see you see is what you get
what see you see is what you get
what see you see is what you get
what see you see is what you geti remember when i was young
all the love that got
all these sweet memories that i have
running through the forest with sisters and my brother
laughing out loud
loving from my mother loving from my father
keeping us safe away from harm
yes there were some hard times
but i don’t choose to focus on that no more
cause nobodies perfect
nobody gets it right all the time
Nobody perfectwhat see you see is what you get
what see you see is what you get
what see you see is what you get
what see you see is what you get -
used to be a bully and push everyone around
took what wasn’t mine
and left them crying on the ground
enjoyed seeing people run and hide
when ever i came close
made me feel powerful
and important
didn’t matter if they we’re big or small
wanted to see if i could freak them out
and see the fear in their eyesthank god i’ve grown up
and changed my ways
thank god i’ve grown up
no longer the same nohaven’t we hurt enough
haven’t we killed enough
haven’t we learnt enough
by nowAnd thought violence was the only way
That i could get my point across
was only doing
what had been done to me
back home
but then a angel
came and showed me another way
told me that i could let go of my rage
taught me how to forgive
and leave the past in the pastthank god i’ve grown up
and changed my ways
thank god i’ve grown up
no longer the samehaven’t we hurt enough
haven’t we killed enough
haven’t we learnt enough
by nowhaven’t we hurt enough
haven’t we killed enough
haven’t we learnt enough
by nowhaven’t we hurt enough
haven’t we killed enough
haven’t we learnt enough
by now -
Getting older now and time feels
Like its speeding up with each passing day
We understand and learn a little more
And we all know what must be done
Cause this world can’t go on like this
For longWe’ve got to
Tell each other how we feel
With no fear of not being enough
We’ve got to tell each other how we feel
With no fear of not being judgedOh we’ve got to rise
Oh we’ve got to rise
Oh we’ve got to riseWe’ll keep knocking on these walls
Till they all come down
So can we can learn
How to be free inside ourselves
Got to dropThe guilt and shame that
We carry around
Gotta learn to live
Gotta learn to live
Gotta learn to liveWe’ve got to
Tell each other how we feel
With no fear
Of not being enough
We’ve got to
Tell each other how we feel
With no fear
Of not being judgedOh we’ve got to rise
Oh we’ve got to rise
Oh we’ve got to riseWe’ve all
Got to help each other out
We’ve all
Got to help each other outShaky shaky , Shaky shaky
When you see someone
Who is feeling down
We’ve got to pick them up
Doesn’t matter if you know them or not
We are all human
We’ve got to pick them up
We’ve gotta share our love
We’ve gotta share our love
We’ve gotta share our love -
I don’t know if i got what you want
I don’t know if i got what you need
But if you stick around i’ll try my best
Oh but if you stick around i’ll try my bestI’m complicated i’m not the easiest man to live with
I’m like the wind no i can not be held no
And i can’t promise you will be there
when you need me the most
Cause my moods they swing from
High to low
Oh i’ll give you what you can
And i hope that it’s enough
Oh i’ll give you what you can
And i hope that it’s enoughI don’t know if i got what you want
I don’t know if i got what you need
But if you stick around i’ll try my best
Oh if you stick around i’ll try my bestNow i must be honest
I do not have all of my teeth
And i play video games from the morning till the end of the day
And I know looks are be deceiving
But sometimes i’m scared of my own shadow
And sometimes i wake up in the middle of the night
Screaming outOh i’ll give you what you can
And i hope that its enough
Oh i’ll give you what you can
And i hope that its enoughI don’t know if i got what you want
I don’t know if i got what you need
But if you stick around i’ll try my best
Oh if you stick around i’ll try my bestEven if I speak a little harshly
And Say things maybe I shouldn’t say
Hide away fro days on end
And I probably won’t give you no news
But I’ll try my best
But I’ll try my best -
life’s too short to be angry
life’s too short to be sad
life’s too short to worry ourselves
we’ve got to learn
learn to be gladlife can be hard sometimes
can drive us to tears
make us wish that we could run away and hide
but while our hearts still beating
there’s plenty of good reasons
Now yeah
to keep on smiling everydaylife’s too short to be angry
life’s too short to be sad
life’s too short to worry ourselves
we’ve got to learn
learn to be gladlife is a gift
every breath that we take
how lucky we are
to be alive
to be alive ah yeah
to be alive
to be alive ooh yeahlife’s too short to be angry
life’s too short to be sad
life’s too short to worry ourselves
we’ve got to learn
learn to be glad
life’s too short to be angry
life’s too short to be sad
life’s too short to worry ourselves
we’ve got to learn
learn to be glad -
Things inside our minds
Will keep us wondering all our lives
mysteries of the unknown
locked inside in our hearts and soul
all these questions why
all these beliefs
that stop us from reaching
where we want to go
reaching where we want to go
o o o we can be free my friends
o o o we can be free my friends
o o o we can live in our dreamswe’ve got to live our lives
taking risks
instead of waiting around
til the day that we die
all wrapped in cotton wool
can get boring after a while
we’ve got to brainwash ourselves
with things that lift us back up
instead of leading us to self destruction
o o o we can be free my friends
o o o we can be free my friends
o o o we can live in our dreamssomewhere in the distance in the corner of our hearts
is a whispering voice telling us which way to go
so sit, and listen carefully
Cause its the only way to know
Which way that we’re meant to gooh yes we can find out who we are
oh yes we can find out who we are
o o o we can be free my friends
o o o we can be free my friends
o o o we can live in our dreams
o o o we can live in our dreams