Dear sir or madam, I don't normally write to the press
But the neighborhood where I grew up is really quite depressed
Society is crumbling but the media's obsessed with boobs, bums
Dot-com millionaires, fame, fashion, FTSE shares
But people they couldn't care less
While parliamentary yobbos shout abuse around the house
Do-gooders and reformers lead our nation to defeat
While murderers and terrorists get compassionate release
You're out now, you're back on the street, yeah, back on the street
That's why I remain yours truly, confused N10
I close my eyes and lay back and I think of England
I dream about that green and pleasant land we knew as England
That throne of kings, that sceptred isle set in a silver sea
Has turned into a laughing stock divided without harmony
That's why I remain yours truly, confused N10
The burglars have ransacked all the houses in the street
While Mercs and Posches double park with sheer impunity
When towed away the ponces plead to all and sundry
Referee, what about me?
So forgive my lack of confidence and total low esteem
But the dog eat dog society has deemed us all has-beens
While our smiling bland spin doctors slyly lead us down the track
To a stab in the back
I'm much too terrified to go out at night but the television's boring
They're vandalizing all the cars on the street
But I won't lay down and take defeat
That's why I remain yours truly, confused N10
You're asking me, "What's it leading to?
Will we live a long life, will it treat us fair?"
No point asking me because I haven't got a clue
You're asking me, "Will it be alright?"
If you're asking me don't take my advice
And don't make me responsible for you living your life
I could say there will be laughter, you will never cry
I could just as easily go tell a lie, couldn't I? Yeah
What would come after, that would be unwise
If that's what you really want
Then get a life, get a life, get a life
You're asking me, "Will it be alright?"
Because I've been around, I have the insight
And I was there the first time so I must know what it's like
If you're asking me, don't take my advice
Do we learn from all the questions that we ask?
Do we listen to the past? We never do
It's up to you to go and make your own mistakes
Have a go and break a leg
But please don't come home crying when you do
You're asking me, don't take my advice
Because I've been there before, doesn't come to pass
That I have all the answers to the questions that you ask
I'm telling you because you're asking me
Anyway, what am I supposed to say?
Could say everything is really brilliant
Anything to make your worries disappear
Put your conscience in the clear
And make you think there's nothing left to fear
You're asking me, "What's it leading to?
Will we live a long life, will it treat us fair?"
No point asking me because I wasn't even there
First time around it was really grand
But inside something said to me
Go get a life, get a life
Now that I'm here I can't understand
Why anyone is asking me, if I could give a damn
I could say there will be laughter, you will never cry
I could just as easily go tell a lie, couldn't I?
Then what would come after, that would be unwise
If that's what you really want then
Get a life, get a life, get a life
Featuring: Metallica, Ray Davies
Girl, you really got me goin
You got me so I don't know what Im doin, yeah
Yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I can't sleep at night
Yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I don't know what Im doin, yeah
Oh yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I can't sleep at night
You really got me
You really got me
You really got me
See, don't ever set me free
I always wanna be by your side
Girl, you really got me now
You got me so I can't sleep at night
Yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I don't know what Im doin, now
Oh yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I can't sleep at night
You really got me
You really got me
You really got me
Oh no...
You really got me!
You really got me!
You really got me!
You really got me!
See, don't ever set me free
I always wanna be by your side
Girl, you really got me now
You got me so I can't sleep at night
Yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I don't know what Im doin, now
Oh yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I can't sleep at night
You really got me
You really got me
You really got me
Don't be fooled by appearances,
It only shows what the world already knows
Don't rely on the physical evidence
Of what the x-ray pictures show
Because inside every straight upright citizen a
tormented
Emotionally impaired psychologically damaged
personality resides
And beside every crooked man stands an angel with wings
And the spirit can do truly wondrous things
As I watch the hump-backed man hobble down the high
street
I say a silent prayer for myself
I was taken to the local doctor
For a consultation about my physical health
I heard him ask about my family - history
"You see, Mrs. Davies, it might be hereditary. Yes it
might"
Maybe think about my family, 'cause socially could be
"You were a physical deformity"
''cause the world only sees what it believes and is
revealed in the x-ray
It only knows what it knows, photographs, video and the
printed word
Yes/But there is more in this heaven on earth
Than (what)/(what those scientists now and) is revealed
on/in the x-ray
Every morning I got up and looked in the mirror to see
if the hump had
Appeared on my back. To my disappointment I was not a
freak.
You see, maybe there'd be side benefits to become in a
cripple,
Side benefits like priority seating at football
matches. And I thought
"If I'm gonna be a cripple, I'll go all the way"
They could photograph reality,
But they can't picture your fantasy
''cause the world only sees what it believes and is
revealed in the x-ray
It only knows what it knows, photographs, video and the
printed word
Yes/But there is more in this heaven on earth
Than (what)/(what those scientists now and) is revealed
on/in the x-ray
''cause the world only sees what it believes and is
revealed in the x-ray
It only knows what it knows, photographs, video and the
printed word
Yes/But there is more in this heaven on earth
Than (what)/(what those scientists now and) is revealed
I sat down and started to write a song on the old upright
piano.
I played these crude chords with my left hand and thumbed
out a kind of
A blues riff. I thought of a melody to go with the phrase
"Girl, you really got me going
You got me so I don't know what I'm doing"
Then I called Dave in from the kitchen where he was
having dinner
With the rest of the family. And he picked up his guitar
and plugged it in
To the green amp. He started playing along with the riff
I was playing
On the piano and as the amp warmed up I heard that
wonderful
Distorted sound. I taught Dave the song and some of our
sisters came in
To listen to it. Mum hovered around by the door, half
afraid that the
Neighbors would call the police again.
When we got through the song for the first time our small
audience
Applauded. I'd written "You really got me" and it
happened in the
Frontroom. Because all the important things happened
Looking for the working man's café
In the shopping center of the town
Looking for somewhere to fit in
In among the retail outlets
Bought a pair of new designer pants
Where the fruit and veg man used to stand
I always used to see him there
Selling old apples and pears
Chatting up the pretty girls
With knocked off goods in the van
Don't you know he was a working man?
Long ago he was a working man
And we sat in the working man's café
The working man's café
Everything around me seems unreal
Everywhere I go it looks and feels like America
We've really come a long way down this road
Improving our surroundings as we go
Changing our roots and culture but don't you know?
Long ago there was a working man
Don't you know we were all working men
And we'd sit and pass the time of day
At the working man's café?
I thought I knew you then but will I know you now?
There's gotta be a place for us to meet
I'll call you when I've found it
I only hope that life has made us a little more grounded
Hey man, I see you now
Oh, we were all working men
And here we are at the working man's café
It's really good to see us come so far
But haven't we forgotten who we are?
Taking out a larger loan
Equity relief and mortgages
We all seem to pass the time of day
Online at the Internet café
And if you forget my face
In case you've forgotten just who I am
I'm the kid with the greasy spoon
Firmly held in my hand
Don't you know I was a working man?
Long ago we were all working men
And we sat and spent the time of day
At the working man's café
Voices in the subway
Looking for the overnight
Echo in the darkness
Lonely cries within a sound
A voice that has no face
Is lost in time and inner space
Chasing dreams that got lost in the dark
Reaching out, always searching
Lonely voices in the dark
Lonely voices in the dark
Lonely voices in the dark
A voice that has no face
Is lost in time and inner space
Chasing dreams that got lost in the dark
Reaching out, always searching
Lonely voices in the dark
Lonely voices in the dark
You better top up your suntan
Otherwise your skin is going to turn to leather
We'll make a movie in Vietnam
The tax break said, 'We're going to shoot on location'
The rug says, 'Made in Korea'
Manufactured in a factory using cheap labor
And all over Asia
The third world becoming a major league player
Mass production in Saigon
While all the workers laid off in Cleveland
Hot jacuzzi in Taiwan
With empty factories in Birmingham
Now it's baby boomers in Hong Kong
And cowboys in Vietnam making their movies
Big confusion in Hollywood
Now it's American Major League in Japan
Hamburgers in China with sushi bars in Maine and Boston
The dollar signs said, 'Expand on it'
Cowboys in Vietnam making their movies
Wake up in the White House
Zip up your pants and gather together
Take a look at your overseas neighbor
Look at their strange behavior
Take a look at your wigwam
Inside it says the product is Asian
Once it was only in movies
Now it's a product invasion
Mass production in Saigon
While all the workers laid off in Cleveland
Hot jacuzzi in Taiwan
With empty factories in Birmingham
Now it's sweatshops in Hong Kong
Dressing cowboys in Vietnam making their movies
Let's make up movie in Vietnam
You better top up your suntan
Looks like we're in for heavy weather
Economic meltdown
Nobody said it would last forever
Let's make a movie in bad debt
Take the culture out to the third world
Blow up the grand new civilization
In the name of globalisation
Big confusion in Hollywood
Now it's American Major League in Japan
Hamburgers in China, with sushi bars in Maine and Boston
Dollar signs said, 'Expand on it'
Cowboys in Vietnam making their movies
Watch out!
Long ago life was clean
Sex was bad and obscene
And the rich were so mean
Stately homes for the Lords
Croquet lawns, village greens
Victoria was my queen
Victoria, Victoria, Victoria, 'toria
I was born, lucky me
In a land that I love
Though I am poor, I am free
When I grow I shall fight
For this land I shall die
Let her sun never set
Victoria, Victoria, Victoria, 'toria
Victoria, Victoria, Victoria, toria
Land of hope and gloria
Land of my Victoria
Land of hope and gloria
Land of my Victoria
Victoria, 'toria
Victoria, Victoria, Victoria, 'toria
Canada to India
Australia to Cornwall
Singapore to Hong Kong
From the West to the East
From the rich to the poor
Victoria loved them all
Victoria, Victoria, Victoria, 'toria
Things are gonna change
This is the morning after
When reality bites
The morality kicks in
To those damaged limitations
This is the morning after
All that went before
All of the song and laughter
The morning after, gets up from the floor
To do it all again
But things are gonna change
This is the morning after
My turn to get pushed in the face
Feeling right down, resurrecting the clown
Yeah, I bloody well will
You look around for which way to go
But where you gonna turn?
And when the morning after
Pleads to take no more
We patch up the last disaster
Slower, faster, crawl out through the door
And do it all again
But things have gotta change
This is the morning after
You feel shit, the air bites
Oh, will I ever learn?
Your ear's deaf, your girl's left
Never to return
But it's the morning after
All that went before
And now you've paid your debt
Get up you wreck, and crawl out through the door
Oh, love will return
This is the morning after
You will learn
The barrier we cross
Is somewhere between Heaven and Hell
Ah, but the world will never change
So we must dig inside and crawl outside ourselves
I will, I bloody well will
Things are gonna change
Things are gonna change
This is the morning after
I will, I bloody well will
When the heat stops you sleeping at night
And the dead leaves rustle around
And the calmness keeps you awake
And you pace around the room
That's the zombie in you manifesting itself
And you cry out loud and nobody can help
And it's a one way sign to the gates of hell
And there's no way back, no, there's no way back
Ain't no wonder you can't sleep at night
You just heard the voodoo call
So you pace around, do the zombie crawl
And you shuffle around in the prison cell
Doing the voodoo walk, dancing with yourself
And you just can't blame the zombie inside of you
Or the voodoo curse hanging over you
Or the zombie walk like an old soft shoe
Where the voodoo man's talking inside of you
Doing the voodoo walk, voodoo walk
Ain't no evil spirits round here
Or zombie people or demons with pointy ears
Ain't no spooks waiting to appear
Doing the voodoo walk
Talking the voodoo talk
Or the voodoo howl
Doing the voodoo walk, voodoo walk
Voodoo walk, voodoo walk
Doing the voodoo walk, voodoo walk
And the days are like living in hell
You're not well but you just did it to yourself
You know the look
You can tell by that haunted stare
You're never quite here, you're never quite really there
And the cemetery's empty ?cause the zombies are everywhere
Doing the voodoo walk
Talking the voodoo talk
Or the voodoo howl
Doing the voodoo walk
Doing the voodoo walk
Talking the voodoo talk
Or the voodoo growl
the natives are getting restless in the tropical heat
work in scarce and children play while the dogs fight in the street
and in the hotels all the tourists dine on local fare
while the waiters stand and stare
and in the street taxi cabs crawl around for voice
to the sound of the tourist in the casino
rattling the dice
MONEY MONEY
I'm just another tourist checking out the slums
with my plastic Visa drinking with my chums
I dance and swing while ABBA sing
and I flash my platinum
to the sound of Livin-La-Vida-Loca
yes Livin-La-Vida-Loca
while in the heat of the street
the native beats his drum
take the money 'cos it's just another tourist
having lots of fun
oh let's go to the Mardi Gras
oh let's kiss the Blarney Stone
oh let's hear the Wailing Wall
oh the Empire State is so very tall
and the Taj Mahal really has a pretty dome
and everwhere that I go I say
I want to make it my home
I'm just another another tourist checking out the slums
with my plastic Visa drinking with my chums
The phone rang, it was a call from Larry. "Hello, cock.
Cock, it's time for
The third single". If this is a flop, if the third
single doesn't make it, our
Career would be over. I'd written another song that we
played on stage
Quite a lot. It was called You really got me. And the
audiences loved it,
No, the audiences loved it. They liked it because they
could dance to it.
But the record company hated it. They said "You can't
record that piece
Of rubish. And we don't like the sound of that terrible
distorted green
Amplifier. No, no. You can't record it, that's final".
But Robert and
Grenville thought it was marvelous. "Don't you think
so, Grenville?".
"Oh, every time they play 'You really got me' I get
shivers up my spine".
"I think it's a hit, cock, I gotta tell ya, I'll state
my reputation on it".
Now, with management like that, how could we fail?
But the record company said "Look, we don't believe in
it. We're very
Sorry, we don't believe in it. If you want to make the
record, fine, but you
Have to pay for the recording yourselves". And that was
really cruel,
Because they knew we were broke. But Robert knew a man.
"Here, Ray, here's 200 quid. Go in the bloody studio
and make that
Record. And make sure it's a bloody hit, what?".
You see, Mick Avory hadn't signed the recording
contract, and they said
He couldn't play on the record. We'd have to get a
session drummer in,
He's a guy that'd come in and play for hire. And they
said this thinking
That we'd be loyal to Mick and cancel the session. But
we weren't
Gonna do that. But at the last minute we snug Mick into
the studio.
He can only play tambourine, but at least he was on the
record.
I'd written 'You really got me' as tribute to all those
great blues people
I love: Leadbelly and Big Bill Broonzy. And Dave was
playing the song
In the studio that day, but he was playing it in the
style I'd written it.
But then Dave plugged the guitar into the green amp,
and he plugged
The green amp into a Vox AC30, and it sounded hugh.
And when Dave played the opening chords to 'You really
got me'
They were so loud that the session drummer forgot the
complicated
Little patern he was gonna play at the beginning and
just hit one beat
On the snare drum as loud as he could, pow, as if to
say to Dave
"You noisy little bleeder. I can play just as loud as
you can. And I've got
A big stick". But that's exactly what we wanted, you
see, we wanted to
Sound loud. Now we sounded like a group.
Halfway through the song it was time for Dave's guitar
solo.
This moment had to be right. So I shouted across the
studio to Dave,
Give him encouragement. But I seemed to spoil his
concentration.
He looked at me with a dazed expression. "Fuck off".
If you doubt me, if you doubt what I'm saying, I
challenge you to listen
To the original Kinks recording of 'You really got me'.
Halfway through the song, after the second chorus,
before the guitar
Solo, there's a drum break. Boo ka, boo boo ka, boo ka,
boo boo.
And in the background you can hear "fuckoff". You can,
you can.
When I did the vocal I tried to cover it up by going
"Oh no", but in the
Background you still hear it "fuckoff". And it's even
clearer on CD,
It's really embarrassing.
Well then Dave looked like you'd done something wrong,
his mouth
Relaxed and his jaw dropped. But it was halfway through
the most
Important track we'd ever do. And if it wasn't a hit,
it would be the last
Track we'd ever do. And the lead guitarist stops
playing before the solo.
But then Dave's eyes squinted and his face broke into
that arrogant
Sideways grin I've learnt to love and hate over the
years. You see,
He hadn't heard me shout at all. He just thought of
looking at me
At the same time as I looked at him, a kind of
telepathic way of saying
"This is it, remember, the front room". Then he gritted
his teeth and
Sneered at me one more time and cocked an attitude
before turning
Away into the corner of the studio to play himself into
You danced and partied at the Mardi Gras
Threw back all the beads at the parade
Fake worlds and logos in the shopping mall where you came from
Everything seemed the same the whole world now
So you headed down south, left your old home town
Relocated so far away from the real world
But where is the real world?
Get out of the bar and follow the stars
Now you've relocated so far away from the real world
But where is the real world?
Ambitious eyes set firmly on the future
So keen to leave your old home town
But you're a lost soul looking for the great illusion in another state
You had to escape, you know you just couldn't wait
You thought the real world let you down
So you headed down south, left another home town
Now you don't have the time to think
Who's left behind in the real world
Watching game shows all day was no kind of deal
It all seemed oh so surreal had to break from the real world
But where is the real world?
One day you'll wake up and you will feel
I am alive, this is real
Your friends came down to visit from all over
To see first hand the brand new start you made
But you were overqualified for the tips you earn in a bar
It won't work here and it didn't work there but you tried it anyway
So head off in the car and follow the stars
There's someone waiting not far away in the real world
Hope you get there this time but just bear in mind
There's a lot of lost souls looking out for a sign for the real world
But where is the real world?
One day you'll wake up and you will feel
(Ray Davies)
Every time I hear that lonesome train roll down the
track
Going away to unknown destinations
I believe there's someone out there making the great
escape
Just moving on, suddenly gone and so unexpectedly
It might hit you on a sunny afternoon
Without a warning there's a thought, it just comes over
And it's a shadow on a sidewalk, someone like you
In a blink of an eye, waving goodbye
It's time you made your getaway
In a suburb somewhere someone's quietly planning their
getaway
Traveling light, in case they might get a change of
heart
It's the bravest move they'll ever make, but they have
to make the break
That's the risk that they take, so don't hesitate, then
so unexpectedly
It might hit you on a sunny afternoon
Without a warning there's a thought, it just comes over
And it's a shadow on the sidewalk, someone you knew
It's time you made your getaway
It might hit you on a sunny afternoon
Without a warning there's a thought, it just comes over
And it's a shadow on the sidewalk, someone like you
It's time you made your getaway
You'll make the great escape
Get out that door before it's too late
Hear that lonesome train
It was back to the drawing board, and I think it was
out of frustration
We wanted to sound as distorted as Chuck Berry's guitar
on Memphis
Tennessee. We played the record so many times on that
old radiogram
And so loud, that some of the speakers were crackling
in the radiogram,
Completely distorted. And the valves were rattling in
the machine.
So, in fact, you know, God save the Queen sounded like
Chuck Berry.
Everything sounded really distorted. And Dave and I
thought
"How can we make the green amp sound that distorted?".
So Dave took one of mums knitting-needles and he stuck
it into the
Speakers of the little green amp. The Dave played a
chord. Pfft.
It sounded great, yes! Brilliant. That's the sound.
Dave rechristened the green amp "the fart box".
Now as I said the front room was a place where we had
celebrations
Usually, singsongs.
When we very young, when I was 13 years old, our oldest
sister came
Back from Canada where she had emigrated after the war
and she died
In tragic circumstances. So at the age of 30 she was
burried and we had
A new experience in the front room: a wake.
But Dave and I were surprised that these adults, still
drinking and singing
Songs. We thought that was odd as they were all dressed
in black,
That it was a sad time.
It's hard to describe the front room. It had a really
magical quality to it,
Really spiritual in a way. I went to a church school,
but the closest I felt to
Religion was not when I was singing in the school choir
or when I was at
Sunday school which I always went to. But it was more
when I rehearsed
That old black magic has me in it's spell
That old black magic that you weave so well
Those icy fingers up and down my spine
That same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine
That same old tingle that I feel inside
and then that elevator starts it's ride
And round and round I go, up and down I go
like a leaf that's caught in the tide
[Ray's dialog continues...]
I think my mother was right.
Later on, later on Dave and I took our own records into
the front room
and played early guitar heroes like Chet Atkins, Chuck
Berry,
Duane Eddy and James Burton, Charlie Christian and
Leadbelly.
But to me the greatest of all these guitar players was a
blues man from
Chicago called Big Bill Broonzy. We played all of these
records,
constantly, on that radiogram.
When Dave and I had our first rehearsals with our school
skiffle group,
Are you going on Thanksgiving Day
To those family celebrations?
Passing on knowledge down through the years
At the gathering of generations
Every year it's the same routine
All over, all over
Come on over, it's the Thanksgiving Day
Papa looks over at the small gathering
Remembering days gone by
Smiles at the children as he watches them play
And wishes his wife was still by his side
She would always cook dinner on Thanksgiving Day
It's all over, it's all over, it's all over the American way
But sometimes the children are so far away
And in a dark apartment on the wrong side of town
A lonely spinster prays
For a handsome lover and a passionate embrace
And kisses all over, all over, all over her American face
It's all over, it's all over, it's all over
'Cause today she feels so far away
From the friends in her hometown
So she runs for the Greyhound
She'll spend hours on the bus
But she'll reach town for Thanksgiving Day
Come on over, come on over
Come on over, it's Thanksgiving Day
Come on over, come on over
Come on over, come on over
Come on over, it's Thanksgiving Day
At a truck stop a man sits alone at the bar
Estranged in isolation
It's been a while now and he seems so far
From those distant celebrations
He thinks back to all the mistakes that he made
To a time when he was so young and green
Innocent days when they both looked forward to that
Great American dream
Now it's all over, it's all over, all over
And all over America people are going home
On Thanksgiving Day
Now Papa looks out of the window
The sight brings a smile to his face
He sees all his children coming back home
Together on this special day
Come on over, come on over
Come on over, it's Thanksgiving Day
Come on over, come on over
Come on over, it's Thanksgiving Day
Come on over, come on over
Come on over, it's Thanksgiving Day
Come on over, come on over
I'll tell you a story to pass on to the end
As told to me so long ago by my good friend
As we hollowed ?round the log fire
We laughed the whole night long
As he told me a tale, passed on to him
By a wanderin' vagabond
My friend told me the story
And I'll pass it on to you
It was handed down this century
And he swore that it was true
And in the morning I could see him fade
Was it fact or fiction? Who can say?
(Storyteller)
I believe ev'ry word you say
(Storyteller)
I bet you told a good tale in your day
He tried to tell the people
But the people wouldn't hear
Him spinning yarns
And telling tales from yesteryear
Then he smiled and finished his story
He said, "Will you pass it on for me?"
(Storyteller)
I'll tell that tale for you
(Storyteller)
Somehow I'll get your message through
My friend told me the story
And I'll pass it on to you
It was handed down this century
feat. The 88
I am dull and simple lad
Cannot tell water from champagne
And I have never met the Queen
And I wish I could have all he has got
I wish I could be like David Watts
And when I lie on my pillow at night
I dream I could fight like David Watts
And lead the school team to victory
Take my exams and pass the lot
Wish I could be like, wish I could be like
Wish I could be like, wish I could be like
He is the head boy at the school
He is the captain of the team
He is so gay and fancy free
And I wish I could have all he has got
I wish I could be like David Watts
And all the girls in the neighborhood
Try to go out with David Watts
They try their best but can't succeed
For he is of pure and noble breed
Wish I could be like, wish I could be like
Wish I could be like, wish I could be like.
Now I don't mind if fifty thousand yobos pick me up
Outside a football ground on a Saturday afternoon
I'll still come out fighting, do you know why?
You've seen me on television, I'm the lowest common denominator
And this is all about your culture, so welcome to jolly Ol' England
I'm the stand up comic
Jack the lad has become Oscar Wilde
And the followers of style say, "It's the latest thing"
And William Shakespeare is the schmooze of the week
And anyone who says different is a fuckin' antique
And Noel Coward has become very hard and the comic says
"Bullocks" and everybody laughs and that's that
Style, I mean, never was much, never has been
But the little bit that was was all that we had
And the clown does a belch and we all belch back
And that's that
Jack the lad has become Fancy Dan
And creating agro culture with a rub on tan
And all the tearaways, have got savior faire
And the working class hero's got a tinted hair
And a well spoken hero from a yesteryear
Walks out onto a stage and they all shout
(Queer)
And that's that
Manners, I mean, never was much, never has been
But the little bit that was was all that we had
And now the clown does a fart and we all fart back
And that's that
Stand up, stand up, can you hear me at the back?
All you white boys standing in a row
And the comic shouts and we all shout back
And the mob says, "Follow", so we go
Stand up, stand up, can you hear me at the back?
All you white boys standing in a row
And the comic shouts and we all shout back
And the mob says, "Follow", so we go and that's that
What do you think of it so far?
I knew you'd say that
You've been watching too much television
Together now
Jack the lad has become Oscar Wilde
And the followers of style say it's the latest thing
And William Shakespeare is the schmooze of the week
And anyone who says different is an antique
And Noel Coward has become very odd and the comic says
"Bollocks" and everybody laughs and that's that
Style, I mean, never was much, never has been
But the little bit that was was all that we had
And the clown does a belch and we all belch back
And that's that, all together now
Stand up, stand up, can you hear me at the back?
All you white boys standing in a row
And the comic shouts and we all shout back
And the mob says, "Follow", so we go
Stand up, stand up, can you hear me at the back?
All you white boys standing in a row
And the comic shouts and we all shout back
And the mob says, "Follow", so we go and that's that
Well, I'm going down the pub now, you're welcome
To join me if you like but I know you won't
You've all been watching too much television
I always knew that they'd get me somehow sooner or
later,
But with a bullet in the head, a knife in the back,
Not a pocket calculator.
Sorry mister, you're all wiped up,
You're all washed up,
Sold you out.
Got no dreams, got no ambition,
Can't decide, 'cause there's no decision,
Got no claim to any position,
Can't compete with the competition.
You're always complaining,
It's so depressing,
But if you're old enough,
Start to confess it.
You say, you sold me out,
To get a better deal for yourself,
You sold me out,
And now we want some of your precious wealth,
Because you sold me out.
Sold me out,
Sold me out,
Sold me out.
You sold me out,
To get a better deal for yourself.
You sold me out,
And now it's every man for himself.
Work all your life, put the money in the bank,
Sign on the dotted line.
Try to draw it out, the joke's on you,
Put up the empty sign.
Sorry mister, we're all sold out.
Sold me out,
Sold me out,
Sold me out,
Sold me out.
You, I'm talkin' to you.
You sold me out,
To get a better deal for yourself.
You sold me out,
And now we want some of your precious wealth.
And sell you out,
Like you sold me out.
Are you in so deep, that you can't get out?
Got no dreams, got no ambition,
Can't decide, 'cause there's no decision,
Got no claim to any position,
Can't compete with the competition.
Sold me out,
Sold me out,
Sold me out,
Sold me out.
Set me free, little girl.
All you gotta do is set me free, little girl.
You know you can do it if you try,
All you gotta do is set me free, free,
Free.
Set me free, little girl.
All you gotta do is set me free, little girl.
You know you can do it if you try,
All you gotta do is set me free, free,
Free, free.
I don't want no one,
If I can't have you to myself.
I don't need nobody else.
So if I can't have you to myself,
Set me free.
Set me free.
Oh set me free, little girl.
All you gotta do is set me free, little girl.
You know you can do it if you try,
All you gotta do is set me free, free,
Free, free.
I don't want no one,
If I can't have you to myself.
I don't need nobody else.
So if I can't have you to myself,
Set me free.
Set me free.
Oh set me free, little girl.
All you gotta do is set me free, little girl.
You know you can do it if you try,
All you gotta do is set me free, free,
Free.
Set me free,
See my friends,
See my friends,
Layin' 'cross the river,
See my friends,
See my friends,
Layin' 'cross the river,
She is gone,
She is gone and now there's no one left
'Cept my friends,
Layin' 'cross the river,
She just went,
She just went,
Went across the river.
Now she's gone,
Now she's gone,
Wish that I'd gone with her.
She is gone,
She is gone and now there's no one left
'Cept my friends,
Layin' 'cross the river,
She is gone and now there's no one else to take her place
She is gone and now there's no one else to love
'Cept my friends,
Layin' 'cross the river,
See my friends,
See my friends,
Layin' 'cross the river,
See my friends,
See my friends,
Hey, my friend
You can't run away from time
They say you can't fight fate
Time won't wait
You can't run away from time
And time is the avenger
But why should we just surrender to it?
Why go through it?
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away
Let's run away from time
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away
Girl, you and me
We've got to set ourselves free this time
We must try to escape
Because it's never too late
Liberation is ours to find
Hey, hey, let's run away
Let's run away from time
Hey, hey, let's run away
Hey, girl
Let's run away from time
We've still got mountains to climb
A day at a time
It's never too late, so why should we wait?
Take me, save me, maybe, baby
Run, run, run away
Run, run, run away
Run, run, run away
The world is too obsessed
By the continual quest
For the fountain of youth
They will never find
And time is the avenger
But why should we just surrender to it?
Why go through it?
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away
Let's run away from time
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away
Run, run, run away
Run, run, run away
Run, run, run away
Look at all the people around me
Same old faces joining the queue
For return to Waterloo
Return to Waterloo
Started off this morning as usual
Checkin' out the mail and all the bills to pay
Maybe something special's gonna happen
Maybe this is my lucky day
The forecast says heavy weather
So take your umbrella just in case
Will I get away? Will I see it through
On the return to Waterloo?
Return to Waterloo
Return to Waterloo
Somehow you feel that the world's been passin' you by
Can't help thinkin' somehow they're living a lie
Now I'm asking questions, I never thought I'd ask them before
Like "Why?" Or, "How?" Or, "What am I doing it for?
Will I reach my destination
Or will I get off along the way?
Will I reach my destination?
Will I reach my destination?
Have I stopped or am I only going slow?
Have we got a couple more stations
Or is this as far as we all go?
The headlines cry out from the papers
"Inflation", "Murder", "Wars", who really wants to know?
If I return to Waterloo
It'll cost me more in 1992
Will I get away? Will I see it through
And come back home to you
Something's happenin' but I'm just gonna turn a blind
eye.
If I see no evil, ask no questions, and I hear no lies.
Can't communicate with minds that are small,
With some people it's like talkin' to the wall
And a fellow who walks away,
Lives to battle another day.
And I've really got no appetite
For a fight,
Not tonight.
All I want is a quiet life.
Anything for a quiet life.
No ambition to rock the boat
When I can just stay afloat.
Be content with a quiet life
All I want is a quiet life.
Anything for a quiet life.
Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil at all.
Confidentially, between these walls,
I'm on top of it all.
I'd rather have 'em think I'm deaf, dumb, and blind
Than aggravation every time I speak my mind
Keep ? at a quiet life.
Anything for a quiet life.
I could easily blow my top,
Start a row,
But why start now?
Give your daddy a quiet life.
Give your mother a quiet life.
Anything for a quiet life.
Give your daddy a quiet life.
Give your mother a quiet life.
Anything for a quiet life.
Confidentially, between these walls,
Hey girl, let's begin again and try to help ourselves
We're like weary warriors who just came back from hell
You can keep your territory, I will stay in mine
Carefully negotiate and leave this battleground behind
All we deserve is some peace in our time
Unconditional love is better, peace in our time
And it really doesn't matter
'Cause the world keeps going round
Just like a roller coaster
If you let it, it will crush you down
All we deserve is some peace in our time
I don't need no sympathy, just some peace of mind
The two of us can't take it
Gotta have a truce so we can start
To pull it back together
Otherwise we're gonna fall apart
I'm tearing up the bunch of angry letters that you sent
The living room's a wreck from all the rows
The atmosphere is stifled with aggression
Ultimatums, deadlines and depression
Oh, we both deserve a better life
This friction's killing me
Don't want to be a Buddhist
But I need some peace and harmony and
All that I ask is some peace in my time
A little bit of understanding peace in our time
And I know that we can make it
But we got to compromise
Don't want no more division
So end this war and live our lives
'Cause all we deserve is peace in our time
Unconditional understanding peace in our time
I'm tearing up the bunch of angry letters that you sent
(Ray Davies)
Wakin' up, feeling rough
Totally stressed
Every day it's a dead[?] time
Step by step
Hit a wall, took a fall
To a new depth
Count to ten, focusin'
Take a deep breath
In a world that is close to breakin'
I thought that you were my friend
In a world that is full of hatin'
And[I'm?] about to descend
I just smile and pretend[?]
I'm a million miles away from it all
And let it go right over my head
Let 'em chase and the winner take all
And let it go right over my head
Over my head, yeah
Over my head
Over my head
Everywhere, everyone
Questioning me
Are you ill? Are you well?
Do you like being free?
Didn't know you were close to breaking
So you thought it should end
Left it all for a new location
So you could start up again
So keep keep smilin' till then
Right now I want some peace of mind
So let it go right over my head
Just want to give myself a little more time
And every single word that you said
Went over my head, yeah
Over my head
Over my head
Little girl I was so mistaken
Thought that you were my friend
In a world that is full of hatin'
I'm about to descend
Didn't know you were close to breakin'
So you thought it should end
Left it all for a new location
So you could start up again
So keep smilin' till then
I'm a million miles away from it all
And let it go right over my head
Let 'em chase and the winner take all
And let it go right over my head
Right now I want some peace of mind
So let it go right over my head
Just want to give myself a little more time
And every single word that you said
Went over my head, yeah
Over my head
Over my head
Close the door, let me please
Get to my bed
I wanna take stock, see my life
In perspective
Tomorrow I'll be back in the race, till then
Live and let live
So let all the anger pass me by
Over my head
Over my head
Ooh, darlin', what can I do? I feel so afraid
And even my friends don't know, what to say
That's why I'm asking you
I'm so afraid, I know I should be strong
But when affection is gone it's hard to face each day
Knowin' love has drifted away
Somehow I can't hide the pain
Is he gonna come back again?
Dear Lonely Hearts
I wish things could be the way that they were at the start
But you must face the facts if he's goin' to leave
There's no way that you'll win him back
You gotta try to hold back the tears
Don't give into your fears
Darlin', I'm so afraid, I can get through the night
But when affection is gone it's hard to face each day
Oh, will he please come home?
Dear Lonely Heart, dear Lonely Heart, dear Lonely Heart
I wish things could be the way that they were at the start
But you must face the fact if he's goin' to leave
There's no way that you'll win him back, yeah, yeah, yeah
Dear Lonely Heart, dear Lonely Heart, dear Lonely Heart
Darlin', I'm so afraid, I can get through the night
But I can't face the day knowin' you are far away
(Ray Davies)
Can't believe what I just read
Gossip on the Internet
Now the tabloids have the news
Cross my heart it just ain't true
I never thought it of you
Name names and every line
Is feeding their suspicious minds
I'm not bitter or angry
I'm only feeling sympathy
You really found the time
To feed the reporter with your views
See the reporter break the news
Read the reporter, join the queue
Spread the news, scandalize
Words cut like a thousand knives
Take the cash, bag the prize
For playing games with other people's lives
See the reporter break the news
Read the reporter, join the queue
Eat it up, take a bite
Feed the reader's appetite
They'll swallow anything you write
As long as it's in black and white
And full of titillation
I can't believe what I just read
Excuse me, I just vomited
Tell your story, it's your call
So autobiographical
But oh, so trivial
Feed the reporter
They put it on the Internet
To help improve the circulation
They'll pepper it with lies
It's only other people's lives
Feed the reporter
Read the reporter
Politicians dressed in drag
Careers stopped with quick back stab
While anonymous informer flees
And leaves us with our fantasy
And erotic visions
Who did what, when, to whom
In the dominatrix room?
Tabloids daily titillate
Each sordid tale reverberates
All across the nation
(What can I say?)
Feed the reporter
(It's a vendetta)
Read the reporter
A rumor then a vicious phrase
A poison pen can wreck your day
And weather[?] words that crucify
As tabloid judges sharpen up their knives
Read the reporter
Black and white
See the reporter
Victimize
See a poor sucker
Crucified
To stop the truth, so tell your lies
Betray your friends and get the prize
The dagger's in, now twist the knife
I was walking on the coast road
When the harbor came in view
It was there I saw the hilltop
That I used to walk with you
We'd sing of the old country
Now it's such a lonesome climb
Our world faded once when you were mine
Why is true love so difficult to find
Wish you were here to see it with me one more time
Lala lala, lala lala, lala lala, lala
Wish you were here to sing it with me one more time
Those economic vultures
Stole our dreams and told us tales
Then they towed away our culture
To their depot in south Wales
Corporations get the tax breaks
While the city gets the crime
The profit's going somewhere
But it isn't yours or mine
Still we blindly trust in the divine
Let's sing for the old country, come on, one more time
Lala lala, lala lala, lala lala, ooh
Let's sing it loud with feeling, come on, one more time
You know I must be leaving
And I know you've got to stay
But you know that I'll be grieving
When you're so far away
And if this should be the last time
I should ever see your face
Let's part with no hard feeling
And a positive embrace
And I will speak well of you
When they ask when you were mine
Till then the jet stream up above
Shows us the warning signs
Till we meet again bravely walk the line
Let's sing it loud with feeling, come on, one more time
Lala lala, lala lala, lala lala, ooh
This is the end, this is the last time
Take what you want, why wait a lifetime?
Why wait till tomorrow when you can just take it today
And it's not far away
Live all your life according to a plan
Live by the rules, the best way you can
So the system that fed you and bred you can throw you away
And it's not far away, not far away
Ohh, ohh
The system that fed you and bred you will throw you away
And it's not far away, not far away
Not far away, not far away
Not far away, not far away
Ohh, ohh
There's a system that bred you and fed you will throw you away
And it's not far away, not far away
Ohh, ohh
Total chaos, total destruction, not far away, not far away
Social collapse, moral corruption, not far away
I feel it in my bones, it gets closer each day
The future is here and it won't go away
They're gonna segregate the people
They're gonna put you in your place
And no one's gonna listen when you try to plead your case
And those who think they are immune will get slapped in the face
Chaos will rule, no one will be safe
The ending is near and it's not far away
The future is here and it's ours to dictate
The ending is closer, so why hesitate
Ohh, ohh
Why is it difficult to get things done
In the age of computers and communication?
The powers that be say they can't keep a hold
Of a world that is escalating out of control
Out on the street there's a war going on
And everything is going wild
But a bureaucrat says, "We've lost your file
So we'll put you on hold for a while"
Hey man, call the D.A.
Call the National Guard, call the president
Call anyone in the land of the free
'Cause they ain't gonna listen to me
Call the P.D., the emergency ?vacuation
The Dalai Lama, Kofi Annan
And they ain't gonna listen to me
The voice on the phone says, 'We'll get right back'
But they say all the computers are down
And the chief prosecutor had to go out of town
No one listen, nobody listens, no one listens to me
Now we've got you in the system
Somebody's gonna get back to you
Then in a few more years we'll give your case a review
No one listen, nobody listens, they ain't gonna listen to me
Hey man, call the Government
Write to City Hall, United Nations
Tell the preacher at the missionary
'Cause they ain't gonna listen to me
Blame the hurricane, blame the drug trade, the economy
Blame the ghettos in the land of the free
'Cause they ain't gonna listen to me
They ain't gonna listen to me
Everybody knows it's a cryin' shame
How the little guy gets kicked around
Everybody I talk to agrees that if you wanna get heard
It's connections that count
I was minding my business
When a bad situation occurred, shock, horror and fear
Now the outcome is still unclear
Hey man, I am the innocent party here
They ain't gonna listen to me
Tell the National Guard
Tell the talk show on the TV
Tell the winos in the old man bar
?Cause they ain't gonna listen to me
Now I'm stuck here in their system
They ain't gonna listen, nobody listens
(Ray Davies)
Mr. Jones, my next door neighbour
I feel I've known you all my life
I haven't seen you for a while now
How's the family? How's that beautiful wife?
I hope your dreams were not forgotten
And you've become downtrodden
Get your health together
Get your wealth together
Get yourself together
Jones, you were my next door neighbour
Mr. Brown, you're so ambitious
You ran off with an Essex blond
You've broke the bank to keep two women
You're over extended, now it's all gone wrong
Now you're right back where you started
Still, you shouldn't be broken hearted
Get your mind together
We can still climb together
A step at a time together
Brown, your world was turned upside down
I know it's not the same
And everything changes
But behind front doors people think that they can hide
We win and lose, we laugh and cry
Live and learn, at least we try
Oh, give it a try
Ba ba ba, together
Ba ba ba, together
And we can go miles together
All of my next door neighbours
Get your style together
Put a smile together
And we'll go miles together
All of my next door neighbours
Mr. Smith, another story
I wonder what became of him?
They say he threw the telly through the window
He went bizerk and jacked the whole world in
They say he may have hit rock bottom
Still, he went out with a bang and so he is not
forgotten
We had our tiffs together
Our rows and our rifts together
But let's learn to forgive together
Smith, you were my next door neighbour
Jones, you were my next door neighbour
My name is of no importance. You see, I'm a product of a
century
Which started at the height of class-conscious
imperialism and ended
With a society so reduced to totalitarian commonness that
in my final
Years at college the saying 'mediocrity rises' became
very popular.
And being mediocre, I rose. But you're not supposed to
laugh at that.
My generation has been taught to be so in touch with the
latest fashion
That we have become faceless; we're victims of design.
But, oddly enough, although I was taught to think of
myself as a man
With no face, somewhere inside my soul I believe that one
I come form a very large family. I've got five older
sisters, yes, five.
But it was wonderful to be the only boy in a family of
girls.
Life was paradise, until one day my mother surprised
everybody,
including my father I think, and at the ripe old age of
45 she gave birth
to another baby boy. And his name was David.
But it's the sisters. You see, our older sisters played
all of their
beebop records on the radiogram in the front room where
we lived.
The front room. It was the center of our world, because
that's where we
helt all of our family parties. Any excuse for a party,
really.
Weddings, birthdays, funerals, you name it. A party
would take place
in the front room.
But it was my big sisters. You see, they put on records
by pop idols of
their generation. People like Johnny Ray and Perry
Como.
The girls did all the latest dances with their most
recent boyfriends.
And it's interesting to note that the dances they did
resembled the
various boyfriends. They did the creep, the smooch, the
boogie woogie,
jive, right down to early rock 'n roll.
Now, my big sister had a certain record and my mother
refused to have
this record played in the house, because, according to
mum, it had
sexy lyrics. But whenever mum was out of the house, my
sister would
entertain her boyfriend in the front room and my young
accomplist,
David, remember him?, he'd get the record in question
and put it on
the radiogram and I looked through the key hole into
the front room
to see how my sister was doing, and at the appropriate
moment
I'd turn up the volume and the whole house would throb
to these
Listen to my heartbeat
Yeah, all fall down
Someone help me off of the ground
Listen to my heartbeat
Yeah, all fall down
Someone help me off of the ground
Nelson and Starr
He's got ten grandkids, she's the third missus
He grooves around intensive care
Strutting his stuff
He's got the perfect mullet hanging down his back
And Starr walks in, gives a little wiggle
Makes old Nelson grin
He tucks me in, touches my feet
"Hey buddy, you know you got a slow heartbeat"
Listen to my heartbeat
Yeah, listen to my heartbeat
And the marching band plays along
Plays the morphine song on charity ward
Yeah, the marching band plays its song
Yeah, all fall down
Someone help me off of the ground
Yeah, all fall down
Someone help me off of the ground
And opposite me Brenda the alkie coughs so deep
It's the drugs and the drink, it could happen to anyone
Sure makes me think
And the bed beside her is full of cables and leaves
Nobody visits, nobody grieves
Listen to my heartbeat
Yeah, listen to my heartbeat
Nelson and Starr
He's got ten grandkids, she's the third missus
Starr takes some blood out of my arm
Rolls me over just like that
Listen to my heartbeat, slow but clean
While Brenda the alkie looks so mean
They wheel her out, she starts to cry
"If I don't get better, I'm gonna die
I'll go cold turkey till I'm clean
I'll go to jail but you get the morphine"
Listen to my heartbeat
Yeah, listen to my heartbeat
And the marching band song
Plays in the morgue at the charity ward
Yeah, the marching band plays its song
Yeah, all fall down
Someone help me off of the ground
Listen to my heartbeat
Yeah, all fall down
Have you seen this face?
Does it ring a bell?
Does it strike a chord somewhere in your mind?
And there's a big reward,
If you help us solve this crime,
And if you recognize this face, dial 999.
Have you seen this face?
Dig deep in your mind.
Has anybody seen that little girl of mine?
She was always a rover,
But I'm afraid to say she's strayed
Too far this time.
Now I'm sitting at home, staring at the wall.
Waiting for the missing person to call.
Waiting for the message I'm dreading to hear.
Waiting to confirm my darkest fears.
She's a missing person, I wish I could see
All of the places she might be.
Maybe I stopped her from being free.
Maybe there was something missing in me.
Wherever she is, I hope she's doing fine,
But I wish that she would phone or drop us a line.
Till then I've got nothing to ease my mind,
There's a room in a house, in a street in a manor in a borough
That's part of a city that is generally referred to as London
It's a dark place, a mysterious place
And it is said that if you're born within the sound of Bow-Bells
You have the necessary qualifications to be christened a Londoner
(It's a cruel place, it's a hard place)
But when you think back to all the great Londoners
William Blake, Charles Dickens, Dick Whittington
Pearly kings, barrow boys, Arthur Daley, Max Wall
And don't forget the Kray twins
But if you're ever up on Highgate Hill on a clear day
You can see right down to Leicester Square
(London, London)
Crystal Palace, Clapham Common, right down to Streatham Hill
North and South, I feel that I'm a Londoner still
(London, London)
Chiswick Bridge to Newham and East Ham
Church bells ring out through the land
You were born in London, England
(London, London, through the dark alley-ways
And passages of London)
And there's a tap by a reservoir, leading to a stream
That turns into a river estuary that eventually opens to the sea
(London, London)
And there's a docker by a wharf, sending cargo overseas
Unloading foreign trade from a large ocean vessel
In the mighty metropolitan port of London
(London, London, through the dark alley-ways
And passages of London)
When I think of all the Londoners still unsung
East-enders, West-enders, Oriental-enders
Fu Manchu, Sherlock Holmes, Jack Spock, Henry Cooper
Thomas A'Becket, Thomas Moore, and don't forget the Kray twins
There's a part of me, that says, "Get out"
Then one day, I'll hear somebody shout
"Sounds to me like you come from London Town"
But if you're ever up on Highgate Hill on a clear day
I'll be there
(I'll be there)
Yes, I will be there
(There)
Through the dark alley-ways and passages of London, London
London, London, through the dark alley-ways
And passages of London, London
London, London, through the dark alley-ways
In the book X-Ray the decrepit old rock 'n' roll singer
talks about this
Mystery girl he used to know when he was on the road.
It's a girl he calls
Julie Finkle. Julie Finkle was really a mixture of lots
of different people.
And on tours, night after night, you go to these one-
night stands,
There's always a Julie Finkle in the audience. Maybe
she's imaginary,
They were soon joined by a third manager. This guy was
amost as tall as
they were. His name was Larry. And Larry spoke in a
very slow deliberate
way. And Larry always smokes his long Havana cigar. He
always had one
lit. And he always refered to me as cock. No no. Cock
is a London
expression for mate, chum.
"Hello cock. How are you cock? How's your cock, cock,
alright?".
But Larry was crucial. Larry was very important.
Because he knew people
in the music industry. Robert and Grenville had failed
to get us a recording
contract. But Larry knew a man who knew a man. Larry
said
"Now we gotta be opportunistic. We gotta find you a
name".
One evening we were having a drink in pub with Larry
and somebody
commented on the fake leather caps that Dave and Pete
were wearing.
Someone else said that we were wearing kinky boots. A
few days later
Larry showed us the mock-up of the artwork for the
advertisement.
And there we were. We were called: The Kinks. And I
hated it.
But Larry's eyes were glowing with excitement. "Kinks,
cock, Kinks.
"Kinks, cock, Kinks. It's short, five letters. You'll
be bottom of the bill,
but you need something that will stand out and Kinks
will stand out.
I can see it. The curiousity value will be incredible.
That's a gimmic,
me old cocker. We'll all dress in leather with whips
and riding boots,
very kinky. We'll put the pictures in the trades,
they'll love it. Maybe we
got to get a new stage gear, my boys, lots of buckles
and leather strips".
I hated the name Kinks, but what did I know.
But Larry knew a man who knew a man, and this man got
us a three
single deal with Pye Records. The first record was a
cover of Little
Richard's Long tall Sally, but it died a death. The
follow-up was significant
in that it was the first song I had composed for The
Kinks, a very naive
optimistic song called You still want me. Unfortunately
nobody did.
The third record had to be hit, otherwise we'd get
(Ray Davies)
Lift yourself out of the doldrums
Make yourself a cuppa tea
Drag your emotions out of the gutter
Don't wallow in self pity
When you wake up, all of a fluster
Thinking life has passed you by
Give yourself a kick up the backside
Jump out of bed and punch the sky
Is there life after breakfast
Full of possibilities
Is there life after breakfast?
Yes there is, after breakfast
So don't live in agony
Is there life after breakfast?
Yes there is, after breakfast
Cheer up some, put on the kettle
There's no point in being down[?]
Make your mind up, try to forget her
Boil the tea and I'll be [?]
Is there life after breakfast?
Yes there is, after breakfast
So don't live in agony
Is there life after breakfast?
Yes there is, after breakfast
After breakfast
Life after breakfast
After breakfast
Just because all of the plumbing
Isn't all it used to be
Turn the tap, see, a little bit's coming
That must make you feel relieved
Don't turn into a total embarrassment
To your friends and family
Get out of bed, the whole day's ahead
So take the pills and drink your tea
Is there life after breakfast
Full of possibilities
Is there life after breakfast?
Yes there is, after breakfast
So don't be so depressive
Is there life after breakfast?
Yes there is, after breakfast
Is there life after breakfast
Full of possibilities
Is there life after breakfast?
Yes there is, after breakfast
Is there life after breakfast?
Is there life after breakfast?
Tonight I'm going to read from the black book, the black
book of X-Ray,
the tormented rantings of a sex-crazed rock 'n roller.
I want you to imagine that's it's the beginning of a new
century.
Not the next century because that's too predictable.
I'm talking about the last century because hundred years
ago.
That was the time when Great Britain had an empire.
And it's crucial to our story this evening.
You see, hundred years ago there was a queen on the
throne of England.
Her name was Victoria.
Now I want ev'rybody clap your hands. Let's hear clap
your hands.
Sunlight and the city is barely awake
As all the early morning drifters make their way
Headlights in the distance, too bright for my eyes
Still I love the dusk, the dawn, between times
They are mine
?Cos you can't tell if it's day or night
Do we see the moon or the sunlight?
Everything around is so transitional
Momentary lapse of rational
Walking past the writing on the wall
Something apocalyptic
Then a momentary lapse of faith
Before I become more optimistic
Like a momentary loss of sight
Fleetingly it went so wrong from right
In a second it can change from night to day
Any second love can turn to hate
Sunlight and the city is barely awake
As all the seconds in our lifetime drift away
So live every moment and hold me so tight
A second changes day to night
I had a momentary loss of sight
Fleetingly it went so wrong from right
In a second you would change your point of view
In my hesitation I lost you
It only takes a moment sometimes
The difference between joy and pain
In a second you can look away
Turn around to find it's all changed
Because you can't tell if it's day or night
Do we see the moon or the sunlight?
Everything around is so transitional
Momentary lapse of rational
Like a momentary loss of sight
Fleetingly it went from dark to light
In a second it can change from night to day
Is this really it? Is this the final station?
It's really been quite a trip
You know it's been great to watch the sights
Playing the edited highlights
And all the out-takes you did not see
Were only my unreality
I am, I am imaginary
I am, I am imaginary
I'm the imaginary man, imaginary man
Yes, I am imaginary, imaginary
I was always in your head
Trade your expectations
And always let it be said
I offered my very best to you
Gave you my dreams towards [Incomprehensible]
Then vowed you in all my crazy [Incomprehensible]
And took you to places you never seen
Walked down to Preservation Hall
Looking for the old trad band
It was just a momentary glance
I saw my reflection in the glass
Watched as the world went flashing past
I knew the face but could not tell
Why I couldn't recognize myself?
I am, I am imaginary
I am, I am imaginary
I'm the imaginary man, imaginary man
Yes, I am imaginary, imaginary
I'm the imaginary man
Imaginary man, imaginary man
Yes, I am imaginary, imaginary
I don't believe that God is a man
With white hair, sitting in a big chair
Judging the world and its morals
Forgiving today so we can sin again tomorrow
But I believe, I need something to look up to
I believe, I wanna pray but don't know what to
I'm not a born again preacher
My soul's too far gone to be saved
The world is wild and at this stage
We need a hymn for a new age
Ooh, have you heard the news?
Bible bashers, where are the queues?
A saint played a gig but he got crap reviews
The punters didn't like the product or the venue
I need something to connect to
Someone to help me through, something I can pray to
This is my hymn for a new age
Rewrite the book on a fresh page
If I'm to find God and be saved
I need a hymn for a new age
We need a hymn for a new age
The invader's arrived now here comes the war
Satan keeps knocking at my door
Time has come for a new crusade
Cast out the evil before they blow the world away
We need a hymn
I believe, I need something to look up to
I believe, I wanna pray but don't know what to
We need a hymn for a new age
Rewrite the book on a fresh page
If I'm to find God and be saved
I need a hymn for a new age
We need a hymn for a new age
Each man build your own cross
For every soul that's ever been lost
Life is cheap people take it at no cost
And as I walked round those tidy streets I thought to
myself
"How can anybody be at all unhappy in such a perfect
world?"
How wrong I was!
There's a little hunchback man, he used to walk round
the streets
Of North London. His head was bowed, forced to look at
the ground by
This cruel, debilitating hump on his back. And all of
my school friends
Had a name for this hunchback. They called him the
freak.
And every time the freak walked down the street my
friends would laugh
And I laughed with them.
Now my dad was a sports fan. But in order to achieve
all the ambitions
My father had for me, I trained really hard and
eventually I became the
Captain of the school team, until one cold winters
afternoon I sustained
An injury. Actually it was kick up the arse, but ...
hey.
I was sent to a specialist and he took x-rays of my
back, examened me
And he said "Well you're gonna have to give up all
sport for all time,
Otherwise you're going to end up a hunchback like that
man I see you
Laughing at".
Maybe that was meant to scare me, I don't know, but all
of a sudden I
Started to look at that freak in a new light, because
in him I saw my future.
I would become a freak.
But we all know that ugliness, like beauty, is only
She left a message after the tone,
I hear it over and over on the answer phone.
No one can find her, address unknown.
She just decided to go out and make it alone.
Solo, solo,
My little child is going solo.
Solo, solo,
My little child is going solo.
I feel like crying, I'm in a rage.
I can't understand why she just ran away.
What made it happen, guess we'll never know.
She just decided to go out and make it solo.
Solo, solo, solo, solo, solo.
We work like dogs all of our lives,
Like millions of other husbands and wives.
Sent her through college, didn't care what we spent.
Think of how we feel,
She didn't say, she didn't ask, she just went.
Solo, solo,
My little child, you're going solo.
It's like a pattern, it's like a crime,
We see it happen time after time.
You raise your children, you watch them grow,
Then one day it's good-bye, they've decided they're
going solo.
Solo, solo, solo, solo, solo.
The toys are forgotten, now it appears,
You've let them down after all of these years.
Sacrificed all, now there's nothing to show,
Ungrateful youth, decided you're going solo.
Solo, solo,
My little child, you're going solo.
Solo, solo,
Ungrateful youth, you're going solo.
The obligations, all of the ties,
Have got to be broken so you can survive.
Just because they gave you life, they can't stop if you
grow,
Now all the lies are beginning to show
And you're not the country that I used to know
I loved you once from my head to my toe
But now my belief is shaken
And all your ways are so untrue
No one breaks promises the way that you do
You guided me, I trusted you
But now my illusion's shaken
Thought this empire would be here
At least a thousand years
But all the expectations and aspirations
Slowly disappear
Now all the lies have gone on too long
And a million apologies can't right the wrong
Soldiers die but the lies go on
But soon we will awaken
In our expectations for the future
We were not to know
We had expectations, now we've reached
As far as we can go
And all your manners are too, too polite
Just to prove that your conscious is white and bright
You had your day so get ready for the night
For another dawn is breaking
We had expectations, now we've reached
(ft. Amy MacDonald)
There's a crack up in the ceiling
And the kitchen ..the..
Other work ain't got no money
I song to join the bread and honey.
What are we livin' for?
Two room department on the second floor
No money coming in, and red collectors are try to get in.
We are straight the second class
And the door on the stairs (dead end)
Why we should be on dead end street
(Dead end) people are living on dead end street
(Dead end)don't wanna die on dead end street
Dead end street, dead end street
Dead end street, head to my feet.
All my ...frost morning
Wipe my eyes and stop me onion
And my feet are nearly frozen
.. and put some toast on.
What are we livin' for?
Two room department on the second floor
No chance to emigrate
And different..now it's much too late.
We both want to work so hard but we can't
Can't be changed.
Chorus:
(Dead end) people are living on dead end street
(Dead end)don't wanna die on dead end street
Dead end, people are dyin on dead end street
Dead end, I'm gonna die on dead end street
Dead end street, dead end street
Dead end street head to my feet.
Uhhh uhhh
We are ..second .. and we're .. on the ..
[Chorus:]
Dead end street, dead end street
Dead end street, dead end street
How do you feel?
I feel Ok
Are you sure?
Absolutely.
Where do you live?
...nice working with you
The pleasure is all mine.
Tschus!
No problem.
Dead end street, dead end street
Dead end street head to my feet.
(Ray Davies)
You caught me with my pants down
But I was only taking a shower
Still you looked for the evidence
Like the smell of perfume, or lipstick on my collar
You're always suspicious, and terrified I'd made a
mistake
We are such creatures of little faith
We are such creatures of little faith
And when I come home late, you always ask me
"Have you been drinking?"
"I swear I've been working"
You say I'm lying as if you know just what I'm thinking
You say you don't trust me, and you quiz me till I
finally break
Oh, we are such creatures of little faith
Such creatures of little faith
You say that love is blind
I wish you were out of sight, and out of mind
I take you out fist fighting[?]
But still I find you keep looking for those telltale
signs
I didn't mean to follow you,
But I suspected you were meeting somebody
I was playing detective
Thought you were fooling around, now it's too late to
say I'm sorry
Still I'm optimistic, my trust has not been betrayed
Forgive me
I'm still a sad creature of little faith
We are such creatures of little faith
And all we need
All we need
All we need is a little bit of faith
We are such creatures of little faith
Such creatures of little faith
Don't you know that
Got back to the front room, Dave was plugged in to the
green amplifier
Pete was on the bass, they sounded great
Dave had this great way of playing the guitar
The way Dave played was very individual
I'd been overwhelmed by all the culture
Art School prays the life I'd never really understand
I sat down and started to jam,
Was astounded by the speed of Dave's hands
The way Dave played guitar was very similar to the way
he spoke
Exactly
I thought to myself "This is the way it's gonna be.
I'm gonna join this band, leave college behind.
Forget culture, rock 'n' roll is where it's at"
And daytime was dawning
We were up all night, we were all yawning
But we were playing, raving
Sometimes so loud, to the early morning
Our friends keep knocking at the door
The neighbours shouted out "No more"
They even sent the police around to hear us play
And this is the way we played
We thought "If we could annoy all of the neighbours
with the green amp
Think of what we could do with a four piece band"
But there was no doubt Dave was the star,
A connoisseur of the old twelve bar
And even dad said "That boy is bloody marvelous"
As I said Pete was on the bass,
So the only way I could SLY my way into the band
Was to become the rhythm guitar player
While we were bouncing up and down
The house was shaking to the sound
Of the full distortion from the gramophone
We had stayed up playing all night long
Ran out of other people's songs
So we started making music of our own
And dawn was breaking, my mind was calculating
This time there's no more waiting
I was awake, my mind was clear
I could see a way out of here
And then the cops knocked at the door
With letters from solicitors
We'd disturb the peace and woke up all the neighbours
But dad says "Forget the neighbours.
From the dew-soaked hedge creeps a crawly caterpillar,
When the dawn begins to crack.
It's all part of my autumn almanac.
Breeze blows leaves of a musty-coloured yellow,
So I sweep them in my sack.
Yes, yes, yes, it's my autumn almanac.
Friday evenings, people get together,
Hiding from the weather.
Tea and toasted, buttered currant buns
Can't compensate for lack of sun,
Because the summer's all gone.
La-la-la-la...
Oh, my poor rheumatic back
Yes, yes, yes, it's my autumn almanac.
La-la-la-la...
Oh, my autumn almanac
Yes, yes, yes, it's my autumn almanac.
I like my football on a Saturday,
Roast beef on Sundays, all right.
I go to Blackpool for my holidays,
Sit in the open sunlight.
This is my street, and I'm never gonna to leave it,
And I'm always gonna to stay here
If I live to be ninety-nine,
'Cause all the people I meet
Seem to come from my street
And I can't get away,
Because it's calling me, (come on home)
Hear it calling me, (come on home)
La-la-la-la...
Oh, my autumn Armagnac
Yes, yes, yes, it's my autumn almanac.
La-la-la-la...
Oh, my autumn almanac
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
Bop-bop-bopm-bop-bop, whoa!
Bop-bop-bopm-bop-bop, whoa!
It was clear to everybody in the family that as a
cripple I was a complete
Failure. I did no better at college, actually. I went
to the Hornsey College
Of Art. Hornsey, with the emphasis on horn.
But being at Art College in the mid till late sixties
was quite an experience.
Everything was changing in Britain: fashion, style,
art, theater.
But the thing I enjoyed most about Art College were the
chicks.
Exactly. Don't think of me as crumpet man, do you? Do
you?
But there was one chick in particular. She was in the
sculpture
Department. She was a complete goddess. She was like
one of these
Continental film stars. Her body was shaped like a
Gretch country
Gentleman guitar. But like a Gretch country gentleman,
she was too
Expensive for me.
But every night I persevered. I carried her easel up
the stairs to her bedsit.
All these stairs to this attic apartment. But once I
was inside her bedsit
I'd sit down and talk to her about politics, art,
literature, ...revolution!
The usual crap, do you know what I mean? And this girl
would lean
Against the refrigerator, sip her cocoa and stare at me
as if to say
"You can talk all the bullshit you want. You ain't
gonna get anywhere
With me". And she was right, so I like to dedicate this
next piece
All she wrote was a goodbye letter
"It's over for us, to tell you the truth
I've met this person in a disco
He's really special, reminds me of you?
"Now you can mix in those swinging circles
Single bars and gay cafes
With pickup lines to impress young schoolgirls
And big Australian barmaids"
That's all she wrote
On the back of that old brown envelope
A few killer lines to get my goat
That's all she wrote
All she wrote on that goodbye letter
"It's over for us, to tell you the truth
And my new man is a vegetarian
He laughs a lot, not like you"
Picked up one of her old love letters
"You are such a caring man"
Such a change from that cold, bitter scam
Of what I was and what I am
That's all she wrote
On the back of an old brown envelope
A few killer lines to get my goat
That's all she wrote
"Did you ever really love me?
Did you ever really care?
Now, you're free to live your fantasy
And I'm not there
To cramp your style and blow your cover
Now, you're free to take your lover
To titty bars and low life clubs"
All she wrote is a goodbye letter
"It's over for us, to tell you the truth
I've met this person in a disco
He's really special, reminds me of you?
"So, don't pretend to be a new man
Be chauvinistic, that's your way
Now, you're free to make your play
For that big Australian barmaid
(Big Australian barmaid)
Big Australian barmaid"
That's all she wrote
On the back of that old brown envelope
A few killer lines in that suicide note
I just had a really bad fall
And this time it was harder to get up than before
I shouted to the heavens and a vision appeared
I cried out, ?Can you help?? it replied, "Not at all"
After the fall is over
You'll be on your own
After the fall is over
There'll be wrecks to clear in this war zone
There'll be much to clean and time to atone
But while it's dark you can shelter here
In the bleak midwinter when you're feeling the fear
Ah, but when the mist clears, the sun will shine again
A life's gotta have direction after the deals are done
You gotta ask the question, ask yourself why you go through it all
When morality kicks in, who will catch you when you fall?
I'm a sinner waiting at the traveler's rest
Seeking refuge from the storm, and I'm a grateful guest
Then a prophet cries out in high platitudes
I smile and say, "Hey, I was just passing through"
Then an angel cries, "Wait, we'll tell you when to move"
Even at the gates of Heaven, I'll be waiting in a queue
Seems like I'm falling upwards into the great white blue
And all my imperfections, you can learn your lines and fabricate a show
But the way we come in, yeah, that's the way we're gonna go
We cheat and lie to conquer our fears
We can put on a smile just to cover up the tears
Ah, but when the mist clears, the sun will shine again
After the fall
(After the fall is over)
There'll be a better day
After the fall is over
So, I fell on my arse, now, I'm feeling the pain
But the feeling will pass and so will the shame
The bigger the ego, the bigger the fall
When your reputation counts for nothing at all
Ah, but when the mist clears, the sun will shine again
I will greet you when the sun shines again
After the fall
(After the fall is over)
There'll be a better day
This is the age of machinery,
A mechanical nightmare,
The wonderful world of technology,
Napalm, hydrogen bombs, biological warfare,
This is the twentieth century,
But too much aggravation
It's the age of insanity,
What has become of the green pleasant fields of
Jerusalem.
Ain't got no ambition, I'm just disillusioned
I'm a twentieth century man but I don't wanna be here.
My mama said she can't understand me
She can't see my motivation
Just give me some security,
I'm a paranoid schizoid product of the twentieth
century.
You keep all your smart modern writers
Give me William Shakespeare
You keep all your smart modern painters
I'll take Rembrandt, Titian, Da Vinci and Gainsborough,
Girl we gotta get out of here
We gotta find a solution
I'm a twentieth century man but I don't want to die
here.
I was born in a welfare state
Ruled by bureaucracy
Controlled by civil servants
And people dressed in grey
Got no privacy, got no liberty
Cos the twentieth century people
Took it all away from me.
Don't wanna get myself shot down
By some trigger happy policeman,
Gotta keep a hold on my sanity
I'm a twentieth century man but I don't wanna die here.
My mama says she can't understand me
She can't see my motivation
Ain't got no security,
I'm a twentieth century man but I don't wanna be here.
This is the twentieth century
But too much aggravation
This is the edge of insanity
