[Instrumental]
[Instrumental]
Love
Is a burnin' thing
And it makes
A fiery ring
I was bound by
Wild desire
I fell into a
Ring of fire
Chorus:
I fell into a burnin' ring of fire
I fell down, down, down, and the flames got higher
And it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire
The ring of fire
The ring of fire
Chorus repeat
The taste
Of love is sweet
When hearts
Like ours meet
I fell for ya
Like a child
Oh
But the fire went wild
Chorus:
I fell into a burnin' ring of fire
I fell down, down, down, and the flames got higher
And it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire
The ring of fire
The ring of fire
Yes¨C¨Cit burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire
The ring of fire
The ring of fire
Is there a home, a home for me?
Where the people stay until eternity?
Is there a road that winds up
Underneath the big green tree?
Is there a home, a home for me?
Is there a place, somewhere around?
Maybe out in space, or inside a sound?
And is there a room that always
has a swinging door?
Is there a place? I don't know anymore...
I was dreaming 'bout you yesterday out on the pier
And I felt you close at hand, your presence in the sand
I could hear you whispering so softly in my ear
Then your words ring true, accept just what you do
Is there a home, a home for me?
Is there a place, a place to be?
Or is there a road that winds up
Underneath the big green tree?
Is there a home, a home for me?
A home for me?
Bring your offering¨C¨Cside door, she's your ride
Born to carry you to the other side
I will know you when things don't quite add up
Bring your parasol and your coffee cup
Chorus:
Dry¨C¨Cthe wind blows dry, so dry
Crack the vent¨C¨Chere comes a cool breeze
And chances are we'll always be on the other side of town
But the wind will always whistle for Louise
Working at the pump, she knew gasoline
Maps and geography, beer and methedrine
No one showed when they put her six feet down
The day her garage blew the dog was all they found
Chorus repeat last line x2
Watch the planes take off and touch the clouds
Thinkin' I'm in a mess, in trouble now
Buried her in a hole last night
Underneath a tree
Chorus:
My life went wrong
When I met Valerie
My life went wrong
When I met Valerie
One night we walked into a field
Behind the trailer park she kneeled
The moon was hangin' like a mask
I lost my temper for the last time then¡ª
Chorus repeat
Repeat this stanza 4x:
Valerie is gone now
Valerie is sleeping
Valerie is sleeping now...
Chorus:
You're twisted, that's what you are
Just like a bee buzzin' in a jar
Frayed and ragged, spent and strained
Watchin' that water spin down the drain
You think that no one sees ya hidin' your dirt
And no one sees the spots and stains on your shirt
There's a big empty room there behind your eyes
When you look in the closet, you'll find a surprise
What do you do in the middle of the night
When no one sees you there?
Does your head start to shrink? Do your eyes bug out?
Do you wonder what's cheatin' and what's playin' fair?
I bet you've got an awful itch
A scratch that you can't touch
You're rollin' and weavin' all over the floor
You're scrappin' and scrapin' your nails at the door
Chorus repeat x2
Now what do you do in the middle of the night
When no one sees you there?
Does your head start to shrink? Do your eyes bug out?
Do you wonder what's cheatin' and what's playin' fair?
I bet you send out for all your food
I bet you think this that phone call is rude
Your body's all bent and hairy and warped outta shape
So take this number and call it, 'cause the zoo needs an ape
Chorus repeat x2, then repeat the first line x4
I was standing in line, I was biding my time
I was watchin' a clock on the wall
And it was two minutes till lunch, so I got good and ready
Just then I heard the telephone call
It was she, she told me not to worry
She told me ";take life a little more in stride
Remember the books I bought-cha, bought-cha";¨C¨Cnever really read 'em
Just don't rememeber much inside anymore
I was standing in line, I was biding my time
I was watchin' a clock on the wall
And it was two minutes till lunch, so I got good and ready
Just then I heard my foreman call
Don't-touch-that-you'll-blow-this-place-up!
I was walking through the jungle, and I
Was looking for good business
Something to take away the risk
Break or bust or call it quits
See an object in the air
See an object touch my hair
I was walking through the jungle, and I
Was looking for good business
My energy is draining
Touching down on my arm
I'm feeling kinda sleepy now
Chorus:
I was bitten by a tse-tse fly
I was bitten by a tse-tse fly
I was walking through the jungle, and I
Was looking for good business
Gotta invest in insect bombs
No-pest strips and firearms
On the tickertape came the note
";Tse-tse fly: no antidote";
I was walking through the jungle, and I
Was looking for good business
My energy is draining
Touching down on my arm
I'm feeling kinda sleepy now
Chorus repeat x2
Swat that fly!
I've wandered far and wide
This road keeps winding on
Can't stop these hands of time
Or right a world gone wrong
Chorus:
And I guess somewhere way out along the way
There was a vision I got
But then I lost my train of thought
Now I don't mean to stall
Or keep you here too long
Like echoes off the wall
It's here and then it's gone
Chorus:
And once all and everything came back to me
All the battles we'd fought
But then I lost my train of thought
I lost my train of thought
All the world and history
Burns Like a bad sign
And here within my reach revealed
The clouds part in my mind
I see the love that I sought
But then I lost my train of thought
I lost my train of thought
The road is winding down
I'll need another clue
This seems familiar now
Or is this deja vu
Chorus:
And I guess somewhere way out along the way
There were feelings I fought
But then I lost my train of thought
I lost my train of thought
My train of thought
My train of thought
A telepathic line to a shadow
On the wall, just a passenger and that is all
Taking off on a midnight flight
The airline ticket in his hand held tight
Polar route, destination: oblivion
";Can I take that little box that you're sitting on, sir?";
";No, that's alright, miss, I'll hold it right here
I'll need it later on when I go up in the air";
And one false move will give it all away
Just one false move will give it all away
Long distance calling everyone around
Bad connection, better let the operator dial
I feel the speed of the traffic zoom
A train in a tunnel and an empty room
Time for take-off, extinguish all cigarettes
In emergency, you know where the exits are
His hands are white on the box he grips
No one knows but it's their last trip
And one false move will give it all away
Just one false move will give it all away
Long distance calling everyone around
Bad connection, better let the operator dial
Taking off on a midnight flight
The airline ticket in his hand held tight
And one false move will give it all away
Just one false move will give it all away
Who's got a hand on the crackdown?
Who's got the word on the double talk?
Hands on the wheel in a flash of steel
We got a secret letter with a government seal
And a ticket for a doomsday run
We're goin' on a doomsday run
Ticket for a doomsday run
Bombs away
Chorus:
Gotta ticket for a doomsday run
We're goin' on a doomsday run
Ticket for a doomsday run
I never get it wrong
Uh-oh, get it right!
Nerves are pinched but the heads are calm
The cargo's all loaded and the red light's on
Check the map, you navigator sap
Or we'll all end up with our heads in our laps
Chorus repeat x2
Who's in charge? Better ask the sarge
If ya wanna go there
He's got the word on the double-talk
If you run, well, you better walk
This way out
This way out
This way out
This way out
They don't want me
They used to want me
But they don't want me
Anymore
I used to belong
Now I don't belong
It's not the same song
Anymore
We used to play games
We used to trade names
But we don't play games
Anymore
They don't want me
They used to want me
But they don't want me
Anymore...
Now I'm all alone
No one left to help chip the stone
And now this awful weed begins to grow
'Cause they don't want me
repeat until fade:
They don't want me
(We don't want you)
They used to want me
Not anymore
spoken
Hello, hello, this is Monkeywrench, come in,
Calling Money Hutch headquarters.
Tell Smoky Grayhead the « bus stopper » is a guy.
Tell « Mister Magden » to check on the « chocolate (shotput?). »
And I thought this was a glamorous job.
Well, there's that man who's got everything that he needs
And when the world is falling in he'll never bleed
He goes by Jones in Istanbul and Smith in Peru
His job's never through
It's time to start this little game of cat and mouse
And try to keep one step ahead¨C¨Cthere's strangers in the house
His watch is really a radio, his gun a pen
He knows that it's all gone, no mom, nobody wins
Chorus:
Spy world x16
spoken
Shaken, not stirred, okay?
I'm really tired of wearing these sunglasses.
She was standin' near the railroad track when she first flagged me down
I was drivin' outta town
All alone
Her face held every feelin' in but her eyes gave her away
One look and you would say
No way home
Walkin' through an airport lounge
Somewhere way off in Spain
Through a scratchy intercom it came
Loud and clear...
Chorus:
You're worn and used and you can't talk
Your flight has been postponed, now you must walk
Straight up that hill¨C¨Cnow you must push your own rock
The iceburg cut into the hull while the captain rang the bell
How he went down, who could tell
Cold as ice
Beneath the waves the ocean liner sank into the sand
You still could hear the band
Auld Lang Syne
Out in space their orbit then just started to decay
She was burnin' up the atmosphere
Burn away
Chorus repeat
[Instrumental]
Here where the carousel spins
On an ocean of blame
We pick pockets in the crowds
Near the gold mines of shame
And I will wear a red ruby ring
That reflects the full moon
Meet me on the corner tonight
And we'll sleep deep down in the sand dunes
Chorus:
Susie climbed a mountain of tacks
She lost control of the facts
She put all of the clothes in a brown paper sack
And drove outta state the next day before sunrise
Before sunrise
Susie climbed a mountain of tacks
Walkin' by the old funzone1
South of the gutter of doubt
Past a broken mirror glass
The reflection faded in and out
And I saw her there
Chorus repeat x3
[Instrumental]
If it's the rough stuff ya want
You can point yer finger at me
'Cause I can dish it out good
But I don't give it away for free
There's a price for my vice
And I want it in cash
In a plain brown bag
You can put it out by the trash
Chorus:
There'll be a red light by the window
And a blue light by the car
He'll be running
But he won't get far
There'll be a red light by the window
And a blue light by the car
He'll be running
But he won't get far
This modern world deserves a
Modern attitude
You've gotta stick it to them
Before they stick it to you
I want the money
And I want it in cash
In a plain brown bag
You can put it out, put it out, put it out by the trashChorus repeat
Red light
Blue light
Red light
Blue light
This modern world deserves a modern attitude
A signal swings and the lights turn off
And a missing man begins to cough
And no one knows the lost ones from the found
And lady luck, well, she can't explain
To a hardened coin or a bill, the game
It seems everything changes hands when it hits the ground
They said it's dog eat dog, cat eat mouse
And mouse eat cheese and the cheese just smells
The warning systems ring but help won't come.
And all the calling cards and the walking sticks
and the hidden punches and the coward's kicks
Say we got a big mouthful now
Chorus:
Pick it up and put it in your pocket
or somebody else will
Pick it up and put it in your pocket
or somebody else just will
repeat as necessary
Now the world's a road and for miles around
On every inch of unclaimed ground, hide rewards for some but all the rest
Spin a creepy wheel or they trip the stair
While the new school boys just can't play fair
In a place that leaves its money in its mess
Chorus repeat
Now an old man with a paper bag
And a list so long on a dirty rag
Checks each item that he will throw or keep
But he'll never thank the coin that's bent
Or a greenback bill that a stranger sent
But he'll pick 'em just the same
And then he'll thank the street
He turns and says it's dog eat dog
And cat eat mouse
And mouse eat cheese
And the cheese just smells
Now I don't wanna seem to say
That the time ahead won't be okay
But the scale is loaded down
With the weight of sixteen tons
And the ones that have
Tell the ones that don't
To tell the ones that can't
About the ones who won't
And there's no place left here
'Round to run
Chorus repeat endlessly
Like a monster back from hell
I sit and watch the river flow
And if I lose you on a turn
Or stopping at the yellow glow
I'll meet you back right here
Same time tomorrow night
Inside Picasso's tear
In this apocalyptic night
Now if the purple sky
Will turn another shade of green
And if the world will burn
In this apocalyptic sheen
I still remember you and me
We were partners pulling time
Mixing blue and green
And hangin' up our sign
And through a highball glass
Yeah, I could see inside your fear
Oh, you never knew it then
But the feeling was so clear
And if the target never moves
Yeah, but then it always does
Oh, the kids can fuck themselves
Yeah they'll find out soon enough
[Instrumental]
[Instrumental]
[Instrumental]
Me and my dad
We've got a good thing going
Fishing trips, the hard way's the best
Man-to-man talks, when the going gets tough
The tough get going
Follow me, son
I'll guide you the right way
Fix my car when the engine falls apart
Show me where the piston goes
Can you get this thing to start?
Father talks big business with authority
He's the big boss, he knows the levels of consistency
Father knows how to read his morning paper
Tellin' me how he died to live, workin' hard labor
Chorus:
Me and my dad
Me and my dad
Me and my dad
We've got a good thing going
Father talks big business with authority
He's the big boss, he knows the levels of consistency
Father knows how to read his morning paper
He's tellin' me how he died to live, workin' hard labor
Chorus repeat until fade
[Instrumental]
Mission bell is ringin' for you
No one 'round and nothin' to do
Memory will fly and will fall
It's something you used to write on the wall
Chorus:
Wrong, so wrong, we're wrong
People pass and walk a road that's
Long, so long, it's long
See you when the sun is high
Wind is wild and blowin' too fast
The first in line will soon be the last
And when you go, somebody will cite
Ground control, better cancel this flight
Chorus repeat
Maybe someday you'll finally reveal
Something you stole, or something you'll steal
Now everyone is pulling their load
And do they grow, or do they explode
Chorus repeat x2
[Instrumental]
Drivin' outta Vegas in their automobile
She was in the back seat while he was at the wheel
With the windows wide open
All the money from the store, they'd gambled away
He said ";the best laid plans often go astray";
She took the page of a book and turned it down
She lit a cigarette, she didn't make a sound
";And I know, if we'd had just one more chance,"; he said
";I know, we'd finally hit the big one at last";, she said
Chorus:
(Instead of) another lost weekend
Lost weekend
Another lost weekend
Lost weekend
";Pull over soon,"; she said, ";it's no big deal,
You can take any exit that you happen to feel
Is the right one";
The right one
As she slowly blew her smoke out the rear wind vent
She thought back on all the letters she'd sent
For a contest to be on a quiz game show
";Maybe I shoulda stayed in school,"; he said
";Yeah, I know¨C¨Cstart your own business cleanin' swimming pools,"; she said
Chorus repeat x2
She leaned over the front seat and twiddled with the radio dial
She looked out the window, saw a sign, and both of them began to smile
";There's a place we can stay at... it's up another mile.";
Look at the way they're walking
All these people around are givin' me looks
Keep a big secret on the quiet side
Where's the nearest place to hide?
Chorus:
Look at their way
Been around long enough now
And they'll be around after everyone's gone
A mother makes love to her only son
Turn on the lights and watch them run
Chorus:
Look at their way
Look at their way
Look at their way on the floor today
All together now they'll rub their long legs
And play a sad melody, the only one they know
To air and earth and the quiet side
And the mind built a million years ago
Chorus:
Look at their way
Look at their way
Look at their way on the calendar
Look at their way
Look at their way
Look at their way on the floor today
They say that I'm a loner
They say that I'm a stooge
But all I've ever wanted
Was back in Baton Rouge
We'd paddle up the river
Go fishin' in a stream
We'd see the people drinkin'
On the Mississippi Queen
Chorus:
And Mama had a stove
And Daddy had a still
Then Daddy ran away
With his second cousin Jill
I left home at ten
I joined a carnival
Washin' down the elephants
Life was never dull
One night when the clowns
Had all got drunk
I sneaked into your wagon
And rifled through your trunk
Chorus repeat
And Mama raised us up
To never tell a lie
Except when there's a secret
Where the neighbors tend to pry
Mama had a stove repeat x2
Chorus:
repeat these three lines three times
Jack talked
Jack talked like
Jack talked like a man on fire
(Man on fire!)
Jack talked like a man on fire and his eyes moved like two shiny steel ball bearings
And when they moved the ground beneath him shook and split open
No one got too close to Jack but Jack never got too close anyway
And when he dreamed, his ears drooled thirty-weight engine oil
He took personality tests
And stapled them to his lower lip
No one ever came out on a visit with Jack
But Jack never visited anybody anyway
Chorus repeat
Jack made false contributions to charity telethons
Jack made crank phone calls to elected officials
His arms shook and his legs twitched and his tongue darted out of his mouth every few seconds
And when it did it touched the tip of his nose
And when it touched the tip of his nose
He yelled out as loud as he could
";I have artistic sensibility,
I am a damn good risk,
I am the messenger and here is the message";
They all say that it's a lonely town
They all say that it's a lonely town
Wide open spaces¨C¨Cempty rooms
If the weather holds out, you can get there by noon
Shadows crawl on the highway line
Don't rush, you've got time
Pull into a donut shop
And get a cup of mud
Ask for directions from a plumber outside
He says ";don't go there, bud";
Chorus:
'Cause they all say
That it's a lonely town
And they all say
That it's a drag
And they all know
Those people in a lonely town
All those people are
Lonely and mad
Now I've got my foot on the gas
As I'm crossin the midwest county line
And I think about those mosquitos on my windshield
How they don't give a damn about Christmas-time
And as the passing trucks all flash their lights
Just as I top the hill
I'll remember two green eyes and some flowers
Dyin' on a windowsill
Chorus:
They all say
That it's a lonely town
And they all say
That it's a drag
They all know
Those people in a lonely town
And all those people
Are lonely and mad
They're just lonely and mad
Out here in a lonely town
I think we're all going to hell in a handbasket. x9
[Instrumental]
On a crowded street, or from a passing car
I can see the world from where I am
People stand in line so they can buy their things
They buy a vegetable or a can
I taste the water and the water tastes hot
I taste the water and the water tastes hot
Chorus:
Hands of love
They keep on slipping
Hands of love
They keep on gripping
My home, it might as well just be a cave
And the ones next door don't talk to me
And when I'm lyin' in bed at night, I hear the sounds
Of the sirens and the dogs and the people screaming
I taste the water and the water tastes hot
I taste the water and the water tastes hot
Chorus repeat 1.5x
I taste the water and the water tastes hot
I taste the water and the water tastes hot
Whistle down the... whistle down the road
(Hands of love, they keep on slipping)
Whistle down the... whistle down the road
(Hands of love, they keep on gripping)
Whistle down the... whistle down the road
(Hands of love, they keep on slipping)
Hands of love repeat until fade
There's something pulling on my sleeve
Full of tension
There's something breathing down my neck
Full of tension
Now if you wanna take it to the hilt
You can take it 'til you tilt
Something pulling on my sleeve
Full of tension
Watchin' out my window at the people in the street
I try to keep it quiet¨C¨Cthis feeling's got me beat
I can't contain myself no matter what I try
There's something breathing down my neck
Full of tension
A tiny hole burnt with a cigarette
Full of tension
And now I start to see the little spots
Stickin' to the wall and on the floor
Something pulling on my sleeve
Full of tension
Hup!
There's something tightening 'round my neck
Full of tension
There's something pulling on my sleeve
Full of tension
And I hear it knock-knock-knockin' at my door
I just can't take it anymore
Something pulling on my sleeve
Full of tension
Full of tension
Full of tension¨C¨Ctension
Stand at full attention!
Movin' kinda slow, no I never had much balance
Why does everyone I know keep makin' lots a' dough
I guess I'll find out soon when I get to that crystal palace in the sky
I've heard stories second hand about its grand interior
Its gold and silver strands, cathedral ceilings way up high
All the furnishing's unique when you get to your crystal palace in the sky
Well, I've worked as a part time circus boy
Collected cans down Saticoy
And patiently put forth my master plan
I've imagined futures and full plates
And slept with every subliminal tape
But now I'm so angry at someone
My contract is in breach
Why must my crystal palace be on hold this week?
I feel lucky I suppose, at least we're all still breathin'
Stuck here in escrow, just a' waitin' out our loan
But no big armed patrol will stop me when I get to my crystal palace by and by
And it'll be my way or the highway
Gettin' to my crystal palace in the sky
He got the high sign so he jumped a bus
Along the roads that wind on through
The hot Mojave and the Jericho
He'd start his whole life anew
And what he left behind he hadn't valued
Half as much as some things
He never knew
Right around sundown...
He got dropped off on a street in town
Where a grey old man looked him up and down and said
";Son, this ain't no western movie matinee
You're a long way off from yippie-yi-yay
'Cause I can tell at a glance you're not from 'round these parts
You've got a green look about'cha¨C¨Cthat's a gringo for starts
Sometimes the only thing a western savage understands
Are whiskey and rifles and an unarmed man
Like you";
";So you gotta keep on the move!
Don't let that fancy paint job fool you!";
Then the old timer pulled him close and said
You've got a long way, I know
You've got a longer drive ahead
Through the bones of the buffalo
Through the claims of the western dead, and¨C¨C
Just like the spokes of a wheel
You'll spin 'round with the rest
You'll hear the drums and the brush of steel
You'll hear the call of the west, call of the west
You'll hear the call of the west, call of the west
spoken
Harshly awakened by the sound of six rounds of light-caliber rifle fire
Followed minutes later by the booming of nine rounds from a heavier rifle
But you can't close off the wilderness
He heard the snick of a rifle bolt
And found himself peering down the muzzle
Of a weapon held by a drunken liquor store owner
";There's a conflict,"; he said, ";there's a conflict
Between land and people
The people have to go
They've come all the way out here to make mining claims
To do automobile body work
To gamble
Take pictures
To not have to do laundry
To own a mini-bike
Have their own CB radios and air conditioning
Good plumbing for sure
And to sell Time/Life books and to work in a deli
To have a little chili every morning
And maybe... maybe to own their own gas stations again
And take drugs
Have some crazy sex
But above all, above all, to have a fair shake
To get a piece of the rock and a slice of the pie
And spit out of the window of your car and not have the wind blow it back in your face";
Now, from the high timberline to the deserts dry
Who'll risk dangling on some hangman's tree
To stake their claims on these prarie plains
While they say this lunch is not had for free?
Just like the spokes of a wheel
Who'll spin 'round with the rest
They'll hear the drums and the brush of steel
And I'll hear the call of the west, call of the west
(Yippie-yi-yo, yippie-yi-yo-ki-yay, yippie-yi-yo-ohh-ohh)
I'll hear the call of the west, call of the west
(Yippie-yi-yo, yippie-yi-yo-ki-yay, yippie-yi-yo-ohh-ohh)
I'll hear the call of the west, call of the west
(Yippie-yi-yo, yippie-yi-yo-ki-yay, yippie-yi-yo-ohh-ohh)
I'll hear the call of the west, call of the west
(Yippie-yi-yo, yippie-yi-yo-ki-yay, yippie-yi-yo-ohh-ohh)
spoken/shouted:
I used to be somebody!
I used to be somebody, do you hear me?
Do you hear me? I've been there!
I used to be somebody, god damn you!
I've been there before!
Don't walk away!
Well, you¨C¨Cyou wanted unleaded?
Unleaded¨C¨Cthat's next pump over, so keep on movin', okay?
No, it's out of order.
Runnin' down a purple shallow, goin' down somewhere
Goin' down the alleyway, lookin' for a dead dog with a custard pie
I am looking for a dildo in the sky
And if I find it soon, I think I'll call the Menendez boys
Chorus:
Think I'll call the Menendez boys
Turnin' on the TV set¨C¨Chypnotic neon queen
Rollin' underwater in a green narcotic dream
Buy a big baseball bat, then call up the Rubberman
« In plastic frown, » blow up this town, think I'll call the Menendez boys
Chorus repeat x3
Coolin' out at Big 51, got a sleepin' bag and a new canteen
Shave my body of every hair¨C¨Crub me down with amphetamine
Jump back in my rail¨C¨Cpunchin' it I got spooked2
Remove tattoos, the Bel Air blues¨C¨Cthink I'll call the Menendez boys
Chorus repeat
Livin' on a crooked road¨C¨Clike a dust bowl refugee
Crawlin' on the freeway¨C¨Ccleanin' my teeth with a barbecue comb
You can call me Sam, or you can bark my hole
And you can use my dick for a walkin' pole
« Slattery has his wake¨C¨Ca boomer in my stash »
An angle slide in Baltimore¨C¨CTop 40 pederast
Everybody got another 'nother plan
Everybody got another 'nother land
Never never never never never never never!
Never never never!
Chorus repeat x4
[Instrumental]
Now when the city was in flame you were on the phone
Sellin' fire hoses at a premium loan
Yeah the bankers all smile but when you pass they frown
You're just a little too smart for a big dumb town
Now we seen you drivin' down the boulevard
You throw that trash but not in your backyard
But like Newton and the apple what goes up comes down
You're still a little too smart for a big dumb town
We'll all applaud when you break on through
";He's a genius, boys, but then we always knew...";
Yeah, lofty possibilities, you never had a doubt
We'd all scream from the bleachers when you'd always strike out
But now you're way out in front and you look glory bound
You're just a little too smart for a big dumb town
Now when the world is over, clocks run outta wind
Somebody will scrape through the ruins and find
A little picture of you and in a file they found
Sayin' just a little too smart for a big dumb town
Now you speak so soft but in your heart you're cold
In a tower of glass you've got a mountain of gold
Yeah you talk real sharp but we'll soon cut you down
You're still a little too smart for a big dumb town
As I went out one morning to breathe the air around Tome Paine's
I spied the fairest damsel that ever did walk in chains
I offered her my hand, she took me by the arm
I knew that very instant she meant to do me harm
Depart from me this moment I told her with my voice
She said but I don't wish to, said I but you've got no choice
I beg you sir, she pleaded from the corner of her mouth,
I will secretly accept you and together we'll fly south
Just then Tom Paine himself came a-runnin' across the field
Shouting at this lovely girl and commanding her to yield
And as she was letting go her grip, up Tom Paine did run
I'm sorry sir, he said to me, I'm sorry for what she's done
Well, I've been doodling on this notepad
And I been taking telephone calls
I can tell this job's at the end of the line
And I'm ready for the fall
But I been watchin' the boss carefully
And he always seems to be havin' a ball
And then I scratch my head and wonder
Why I'm down here and he's up the hall
Now, all of my paychecks aren't worth
The paper they're printed on
I get 'em friday
But monday they're all gone
There must be some way to change my situation
It's time that I took up a brand new vocation
I wanna take a two-week vacation
Twenty-six times a year, add 'em up
When I fly to exotic places
My jet will be a lear
I'll need several secretaries
Just to jot down notes
I'll wear gucci loafers
And expensive shirts
And blue, executive, exotic coats
Chorus:
'cause i, I said I wanna be a boss
(I wanna be, I wanna be)
I, I said I wanna be a boss
And I'll have people workin' under me
And this lousy job I'll toss
I, I said I wanna be a boss
Well, I'll drive in fancy cars
Well, no, maybe I'll just cruise
With a limo¨c¨cand a chauffeur,
Tv, telephone, and booze
Tinted windows so the common folk
Can't see me here inside
Maybe every now and then for fun
I'll give some old coot a ride
Then maybe I'll slip him
A thousand dollar bill
Then he'll smile and shake my hand
And I'll put him in my will
I'm gonna count up all my widgets
And digits, and all my stuff
I'll make millions in a day
But it'll never be enough
Nope¨c¨cnot enough!
Chorus:
'cause i, I said I wanna be a boss
And I just wanna take a four-hour lunch
And eat a steak with a1 sauce
I, I said I wanna be a boss
And I'll buy up every stock there is
From itt to doctor ross
I, I said I wanna be a boss
(I wanna be, I wanna be)
Now if I find a product I like
I'll buy up the whole company
Shave my face, and grin and smile
And then I'll sell it on tv
And everyone will know me
I'll be more famous than howard hughes
I'll grow a long beard and watch
Ice station zebra in the nude
And grow my nails like fu-manchu
Keep a row of specimen jars
Get other people to work for me¨c¨cwell
Maybe I'll buy the planet mars, and
Build an amusement park up there
Better than old walt's place
You'll have to be a millionaire to go
We'll smoke cigars and lounge in lace
Talk the talk of businessmen
And bosses that we are
So here's to me¨c¨cthe drinks are free¨c¨c
'cause I just bought this bar
Yeah¨c¨cyeah, I wanna be a boss
I wanna be a boss, boss, boss!
(Kurt Weill/Bertolt Brecht/Marc Blitzstein)
Performed by Stan Ridgway and the Fowler Brothers
John was all present and Jim was all there
And Georgie was up for promotion
Not that the Army gave a bugger who they were
When confronting some heathen commotion
CHORUS
The troops live under the cannon's thunder
FromSind to Cooch Behar
Moving from place to place
When they come face to face
With a different breed of fellow
Whose skin is black or yellow
they quick as winking chop them into beefsteak tartar
Johnny found his whiskey too warm
And Jimmy found the weather too balmy
But Georgie took them both by the arm and said,
"Don't ever disappoint the Army!"
CHORUS
John is a write-off and Jimmy is dead
And Georgie was shot for looting
And young men's blood goes on being red
While the Army just goes on ahead recruiting
CHORUS
I was a PFC on a search patrol hunting charlie down, it was in the jungle wars of ‘65.
My weapon jammed and I got stuck way out and all alone and I could hear the enemy moving in close outside.
Just then I heard a twig snap and I grabbed my empty gun and I dug in scared while I counted down my fate. And then a big marine, a giant with a pair of friendly eyes appeared there at my shoulder and said wait.
When he came in close beside me he said don’t worry son I’m here, if Charlie wants to tango now he’ll have two to dodge. I said well thanks a lot and told him my name and asked him his and he said the boys just call me camouflage.
Whoa oa oa oa camouflage, things are never quite the way they seem,
Whoa oa oa oa camouflage, I was awfly glad to see this big marine.
Well I was gonna ask him where he came from when we heard the bullets fly, coming through the brush and all around our ears. It was then I saw this big marine light a fire in his eyes and it was strange but suddenly I forgot my fears.
Well we fought all night and side by side we took our battle stance and I wondered how the bullets missed this man,cause they seemed to go right through him just as if he wasn’t there and in the morning we both took a chance and ran.
And it was near the river bank when the ambush came on top of us and I thought it was the end and we were had. Then a bullet with my name on it came buzzing through a bush, and that big marine he just swat it with his hand, just like it was a fly.
Whoa oa oa oa camouflage, things are never quite the way they seem,
Whoa oa oa oa camouflage, this was an awfly strange marine.
And I knew there was something weird about him cause when I turned around he was pulling a big palm tree right up out of the ground and swatting those charlies with it, from here to kingdom Come
When he led me out of danger I saw my camp and waved goodbye, he just winked at me from the jungle and then was gone. And when I got back to my hq I told them about my night and the battle I’d spent with a big marine named camouflage.
When I said his name a soldier gulped and a medic took my arm and led me to a green tent on the right. He said you may be telling true boy but his here is camouflage, and he’s been right here since he passed away last night, in fact he’s been here all week long.
But before he went he said Semper Fi and said his only wish, was to save a young marine caught in a barrage. So here take his dog tags son I know he’d want you to have it now, and we both said a prayer for a big marine named camouflage.
Whoa oa oa oa camouflage, things are never quite the way they seem,
Whoa oa oa oa camouflage, this was an awfly big marine.
So next time you’re in a jungle fight and you feel a presence near or hear a voice that in your mind will lie, just be thankful that you’re not alone and you’ve got some company from a big marine the boys call camouflage
Whoa oa oa oa camouflage, things are never quite the way they seem,
Whoa oa oa oa camouflage, this was an awfly big marine.
Whoa oa oa oa camouflage, things are never quite the way they seem,
Whoa oa oa oa camouflage, this was an awfly big marine.
Whoa oa camouflage, Whoa oa camouflage, Whoa oa camouflage
Now, south of Drag-strip Hollow
Right past Deadman's Curve
There's a message in a bottle
It's a scandal, have you heard
Now, the bishop's wife just closed the door
The birds don't fly there anymore
And the whole town is talking
The whole town is talking
Triangle head
He sets a big steel trap
He'll find you out with a secret map
He's a phantom spook and he drinks pink champagne
He lives at the end of a cul-de-sac
He got a crossbow with a hairpin sight
Targets change from night to night
So when you hit his big blockade
Into his muddy water you will wade
They call him Triangle Head
He got three ways to go
One's just past the hairpin turn
The rest are down below
Triangle Head
He's got a wide-brim hat¨C¨Cin his hand there's a hole
He uses his dick for a walkin' pole
He walks a big black dog with a collar of spikes
He wears a belt of skin from a killin' last night
They call him Triangle Head
Triangle Head
He got three ways to go
One's just past the hairpin turn
The other is down below4
Triangle Head
He knows just what to do
Triangle Head
The rest is up to you
Triangle Head
Low vibration of the human skull
Clean the cobwebs from my head
Twisted ribbon of my DNA
It's like the spaceman said
A million miles from reality, that's where
« The line will form a hero »
Where dimensions sleep and dreams collide
Chorus:
Take us all down in time wave zero
Time wave zero
Time wave zero
Time wave zero
The end of history today
« See the ships spinnin' round the phone
Braniac trust in a garden of goons »
I'm feelin' dizzy like I lost my way
Take me now to the planet of gray
Planet of gray
Please be « solid (sorry?) »¨C¨Cdon't wanna be no hero
Chorus repeat
I've seen the eyes of Ant Man Bee3
They laugh and chuckle while attending me
« Read my fungus » from the days of Nero
Fiddle while Rome burned
Chorus repeat
Where the end of the world collides
And the food keeps comin' down
And everybody knows the rug
That's coverin' the ground
Monkey man knows what he's shuckin
Drivin' on down, take the road to the south side
Radio for backup, Code 2, say it's caution time
I found the body, deep square in a world of crime
Streets are wet with rain, wash away and blur my thin blue line
Chorus:
Think I'll make a police call
No one knows, no one cares at all
Think I'll make a police call
Breakin' up a sex club, Pelican and Jacko
Tappin' telephones butt-naked with your Hollywood ho
Crawl back in my Chevy, call dispatch and hit the party light
Bust 'em up with billy clubs, go home and light my crack pipe
Chorus repeat x2
Breakin' down a door somehwere way out in Diamond Bar
Hangin' at the roadblock, shootin' at a passin' car
Goin' undercover, bustin' heads at the Sugar Shack.
Gimme gimme drugs. Gimme crack, gimme Prozac...
Sometimes I feel like an old bent coin
Comin' on down the road
I'm just a face in the crowd, stuck in the cheap seats
Waitin' for Lady Luck to show
Dealer! Dealer! Deal me a hand
Not like the one you just threw
I'm goin' down to my last dollar tonight
And if you make me a winner, I'll split it with you
I'll split it with you
And I'm torn like a sail on a ship
Caught in low tide
And I'm waitin' for a card that'll tell me
Let it ride
Let it ride
Let it ride
She knew when she got pregnant she could finally catch a man to bring the money home
Blessed with no ambition, she was tired of selling sex on the telephone
The father of her unborn child worked at night, with two guys in a Chrysler van
Breakin' into cars and stealin' radios, and sellin' 'em through some fencing scam
Chorus:
We are takin' back America, he said, as he popped out the ignition lock
on a new blue Mercedes in an underground parking lot
Rich people got the money, we got nothin' but these big swingin' balls between our legs
Gonna take back America, gonna take our share, no we ain't gonna beg
Standin' in the schoolyard, he knew there was trouble when he heard the shots ring out
Turnin' towards the corner he could hear the car approaching and someone shout
From the side window, there's a flash, and he could feel the bullet go deep into his back
And as he fell to the ground, the last thing he said was small fries, and a Big Mac
Chorus repeat
Round the south bay near the airport, in a back garage behind a convenience store
There's a meeting going on with some people who ain't gonna take it anymore
And in the west side of the city in a chic Italian restaurant, some people sit outside in the sun
Some talk about the weather, some talk about the earthquake, most talk about some mutual fund...
Can I get a light from you, Mr. Smith?
And do you know where the party is?
I've been walking a blue streak all night long
And I'm tired of looking for a place to piss
Can you tell me about yourself, Mr. Smith?
Yeah, me, you can read like an open book
I don't hide myself like some other people do
When there's gristle in the meat, I just swallow and chew
Chorus:
Pleased to meet you, Mr. Smith,
(And) do you know where the party is?
Pleased to meet you, Mr. Smith,
(And) do you know where the party is?
Cast your eyes around, Mr. Smith
Do you see that dog lying in the road?
Coughin' up stuff from a pigeon that died
Hit an eighteen wheeler on the 405
Chorus repeat
Do you know this neighborhood, Mr. Smith?
Used to be someplace, sometime, somewhere
People built it up from the dirt and dust,
Loanin' out money from an Eastern trust
Chorus repeat x2
Everybody knows a highway song
Sing it with me people¨C¨Cit won't be long
Underneath the stars, the devil you say
What you can't sing now, you better throw away
Chorus:
I sing a-la-la-la-la-lalalala
And everybody knows how to sing a highway song
Like a needle in a haystack, I've been searchin' round
I got a bluesteel gun, and an old bloodhound
Slept in a hollow log, make some porcupine wine
The highwayman tells me to walk this time
Now everybody here knows a highway song
Sing it loud, now, I've been singin' so long
Sing a-la-la-la-la-lalalala
And everybody knows how to sing a highway song
« Smoke that wood! »
I'm screamin' down the road, my brain on fire
I'm lookin' for the scarecrow with a tractor tire
« I've got myself in dust with a TV eye
And nobody knows but the media guy »
Chorus repeat
Let's hit the highway
Ah-wooooo!
Chorus:
I've got a big American problem
Somethin' that I cannot solve by myself
I've got a big American problem
Somethin' that I need some help from the shelf
Way down in Somalia
Where the starving children play
Where our soldiers are sittin' around
Wonderin' just what to do with the day
There are many people in the hills
And the hills have eyes
There is someone that waits for me
Like a spider waits for a fly
Chorus:
I've got a big American problem
Somethin' that I cannot solve by myself
I've got a big American problem
Somethin' that I better take off the shelf
In Sarajevo, there's lots of people standin'
Standin' there in the street, waitin' for you
Someone's comin' down to give them the answers
« And if they'd know just what they don't want to do »
Chorus:
I've got a big American problem
Somethin' that I cannot solve by myself
I've got a big American problem
« We'd better take that book from the shelf »
Have you got a big American problem too?
Somethin' that you cannot solve by yourself
Have you got a big American problem too?
Somethin' that you cannot solve by yourself?
I've got a big American problem (x4)
A problem! Problem! Problem! A problem! A problem!
A yellow moon hung low in the sky
The snake will crawl, the raven fly
And guilty hands will grip the wheel
Keep on the road, no skid or peel
And then I drove right down the road
I saw myself in a cloud of dust
I wanna drive, I wanna drive
With a trunkload of sin
I don't know the mess I'm in
The mess I'm in
I wanna fly high in the sky
Look right into the red bird's eye
I'm goin' east, I'm flyin' west
North and south¨C¨Cyou take the test
In a rear view mirror¨C¨Ccheck for « red and tin »
I don't know the mess I'm in
The mess I'm in
I got a trunkload a' trash and tar
And I've been drivin' down that road
Back towards Diamond Bar
Diamond Bar...
Diamond Bar...
Diamond Bar...
[Instrumental]
Let's go
Wanted:
Strong and able-bodied worker
Minimum wage
Fifty-eight hour week
An average joe from the grand design
He breaks his back for big talk
He pulls up, he pulls down
He's the one over at the lever that puts the lids on the jars
Chorus:
Big talk
Big talk
Big talk
Big talk
Mister Simpson says this business needs a strong arm
Some new part to clear out all the deadwood
So be sure and install that new long arm by next week
'Cause that short arm over there is through
Woah-oh, replace all parts with long arm
Woah-oh, this business needs a strong arm
It's big talk
Chorus:
Big talk (start to fall in line)
Big talk (I was watching you)
Big talk (when efficiency is cut)
Big talk (better buy more glue)
repeat once
An average joe from the grand design
He breaks his back for big talk
He pulls up, he pulls down
He's the one over at the lever that puts the lids on the jars
Woah-oh, replace all parts with long arm
Woah-oh, this business needs a strong arm
Woah-oh, replace all parts with long arm
Woah-oh, this business needs a strong arm
Woah-oh, replace all parts with long arm
Woah-oh, this business needs a strong arm
It's big talk
When you're out on the street, he's a face in the crowd
He's a voice in the back, and he's never very loud
In a tribal mask, or a business suit
He'll stab your back and steal your loot
Chorus:
Invisible¨C¨Cinvisible man
Invisible¨C¨Cinvisible man
Invisible¨C¨Cinvisible man
Invisible¨C¨Cinvisible man
Well, I saw him one night and he gave me a chill
He was drivin' down the freeway in a Coupe de Ville
Pulled up like a ghost and he hit his lights
Saw his shades¨C¨Cman, they're outta sight
Chorus repeat x2
Well, I saw him one night and he gave me a chill
The end of the daydream
The end of the side
The end of relations
The end of my mind
The end of the shoreline
The end of the heat
The end of the cold
The end of an era
My conscience calls me to the phone
Speaking voice telling me it's time to go
I think of the past, and the present, and the future
I start to say
The end of the almost
The end of the sigh
It's the end of the highway
It's the end of the lie
The end of the girl
The end of the world
The end of the romance
It's the end of an era
My conscience calls me to the phone
Speaking voice telling me it's time to go
I think of the past, and the present, and the future
It's all the same
Speaking voice telling me it's time to go
I think of the past, and the present, and the future
spoken in bad Italian accent:
I sink of ze past, and ze present, and ze future
And it's all de same
It's all de same
Well, I can't make love
To the girls in this city
'Cause the girls
Say I abuse them
And I won't go out
With girls because
Girls will fall in love with you
Everybody's lonely, that's true
Maybe it's psychology
I don't know, I gotta move someplace
I can't make love
To the girls in this city
'Cause the girls
Say I abuse them
And I won't go out
With girls because
Girls will fall in love with you
Everybody's lonely, that's true
Maybe it's psychology
I don't know, I gotta move someplace
Where the girls are easy
And it makes me miss my lonely city
And the girls are so easy
And it makes me miss my lonely city
And it seems so easy
But I can't say the words that are on my mind
Chorus:
";I'm a nice guy but I don't love you¨C¨C
I just wanna sleep with you.";
";I'm a nice guy but I don't love you¨C¨C
I just wanna sleep with you";
Well, I can't make love
To the boys in this city
'Cause the boys
Say I abuse them
And I won't go out
With boys because
Boys will fall in love with you
Everybody's lonely, that's true
Maybe it's psychology
I don't know, I gotta move someplace
Where the boys are easy
And it makes me miss my lonely city
And the girls are so easy
And it makes me miss my lonely city
And everybody's so easy
But I can't say the words that are on my mind
Chorus repeat
";I'm a nice guy..."; repeat until fade
News travels fast in a small desert town
So it wasn't long at all before the word got around
That a killin' mad car was headed their way
So the sheriff andthe boys were gonna stop him
Out on the highway
Right where it intersected big black rock
So it wasn't long at all
Before the whole town was out standin' 'round
Hammerin' a nail and buildin' up a pride
In a roadblock
The mayor's wife sat in the shade
And talked her way through a few good lies
While her husband practiced his acceptance speech
For a medal from the F.B.I.
And Granny rocked backin her chair and said,
"Just what did this man do?"
While some idiot kids from school
Ate the dirty sno-cones colored red, white and blue
At the roadblock
Then the local paper jumped the gun
And printed the big headline
"Town is saved from killer car with roadblock at stateline"
Three miles down the highway in a Chevy '69
Were a pair of crazy eyeballs
Jumpin' left and right in time
To an eight track tape playin' Foghat and Jethro Tull
And a gasoline soaked hand shiftin'
A little plastic skull
And on the arm a blue tattoo that read
"I'm a son of a bitch"
A map open on the front seat
Leather black as pitch
One foot slammed on the gas, no shoe
Just an argyle sock
Andthat car was screamin' wild down the highway
Like lightnin' towards the roadblock
Then all eyesturned down the highway
To a big cloud of smoke
And Granny went into a mild state of shock and started to choke
And then a boy up in a tree yelled out, "Here he comes..."
Then twenty men strong aimed and firedpoint blank
Nineteen shotguns...
Well the next day the sheriff just tried to stall
While they buried the body out behind a wall
The newspaper said, "Killer still on the lam
Seems the boys at the roadblock shot the wrong man
Nobody really knew just who he was
He was drivin' a Camaro with dashboard fuzz
They all burned the car right there at big black rock
And no one ever said a word at all again
There is a big click clack machine
Whose engines don't pump gasoline
It's a poundin' crazy arm that works all day
It's run by all the people who
Have got some blueprint plan to do
So don't shake your head¨C¨Cno, just nod and say ";okay";
And before I knew it, I got shoved in line
Marchin' south in single file, and countin' off in time
Chorus:
(So, And) Bring that pile driver over here and be quick
We've got to dig a hole right now, so we can put in this stick
We've got a hundred fourty-seven done, we only got a day
So bring that pile driver over here right away
Now here's a big wide open space
So wipe that smile right off your face
And replace it now with a look of stern regard
It's the early bird that gets the worm
So what happens when the worm will learn
It's the older ways for new we will discard
And someone sent us this big machine that guarantees
There'll be no argument at all when we're packin' one of these
Chorus repeat
But wait a minute
Did you hear it cough
This crazy arm
We can't turn off
It's rollin' round
And diggin' down a mile
Look out¨C¨Cthis big machine
Has gone hog wild!
So look out, world, we're buildin' now
When the hammer hits, the thumb says ";Ow!";
Somewhere you know there's progress made
One thing's for sure, we'll get our asphalt laid
This big machine has run amuck
And someone somewhere passed the buck
So keep an ear out for that whistle call
And duck when you see that wreckin' ball
And hey, Bob, don't light that match, we could explode
I'll move some dirt while you block off the road
Chorus repeat until fade
As I got on a city bus and found a vacant seat
I thought I saw my future bride walking up the street
I shouted to the driver, ";Hey, conductor, you must
Slow down, I think I see her, please, let me off the bus";
Nadine
Oh, honey, is that you
Woah, Nadine
Oh, honey, is that you
Seems every time I see you, baby, you've got somethin' else to do
Woah, I saw from the corner when she turned and doubled back
And started walkin' toward a coffee-colored Cadillac
Pushin' through the crowd, tryin' to get to where she's at
I was campaign-shouting like a Southern diplomat
Chorus repeat
You're off with someone, someone new!
Downtown, searchin' for her, lookin' all around
Saw her getting in a yellow cab heading uptown
I caught a loaded taxi, picked up everybody's tab
Tipped a twenty dollar bill, I said ";you catch that yellow cab";
Chorus repeat last line repeat x4
Nadine
Nadine
Nadine
Make a scene
Nadine
Keep it clean
Nadine
Eat a bean, Nadine
Originally published on the B-side of the Camouflage single in the United Kingdom.
Your love is colder than a foggy river
Flowin' o'er a heart of stone
You left me stranded on this foggy river
Driftin' helpless and alone
I can't escape this broken heart of mine
There's no freedom anymore
Heaven help me on this foggy river
Help me find a distant shore
There's no tomorrow on this foggy river
Only memories linger on
A mist of sorrow chills this foggy river
Everything I love is gone
Oh, I always knew that someday you'd let me down
I've got troubles, troubles, on my mind
I guess I knew to sail this foggy river
'Til I leave your love behind
spoken:
Yes, this love is colder than a foggy river
It's flowin' over a heart of stone
You left me here stranded on this foggy river
I'm just driftin' helpless and alone
Well, I always knew that someday you'd let me down
I've got, I've got troubles on my mind
I guess I, I guess I knew to sail this foggy river
'Til I leave your love behind
Until I leave it all behind
Until I leave it behind
Until I leave it be¨C¨Call behind, yeah,
I'm gonna mow you down
I'm gonna call your name, yes I do
I'm gonna call your name when I do
I'm gonna mow you down
Yes, I'm gonna mow you down
I'm gonna call your name
I'm gonna call your name
Yes I do
When I do
Yeah.
Commissioned for the French film Terminus.
You are my only confidant
And my only friend
Together we will share everything
Until the very end
Chorus:
There's no one here who shares my views
Or sees the way I can see
But there's just one thing that you'll understand
You'll have to even up with me
At the end of the line (x2)
I've bet it all before
But not everything I own
There are some things that you can't buy or steal
Or learn to leave alone
Chorus repeat last line x4
I toss the dice and skin the cat
And I always pay the fine
So we'll settle up even-steven
When we reach the end of the line
Hey, I hear you calling me back home
To fly or fall to the news of it all
There's no dark destiny
Fate will receive what our love will believe
'Til we reach the end of the line
Chorus repeat last line x10
Sittin' right behind me
I could smell her perfume
It was somethin' I'd smelled before
Went through a red light
While I spilled my drink
I could feel somethin' sticky on the floor
I said ";Miss, you've gotta tell me
Where you wanna go to
I can't keep drivin' round the same block";
So I crumpled my cup
And pulled the gum off my shoe
And then she told me ";Just shut up
And keep your eyes on the road";
Chorus:
";And just drive,"; she said
";Just drive,"; she said
";Just drive,"; she said
Well, I watched her put her hands
On the bag in her lap
While I scratched the bald spot on my head
I knew then that my cab was just
A getaway car
But I shut up and drove, like she said
I took a bite of my doughnut
And I offered her one
And I said ";Lady, are you in a fix?";
Then she reached in her purse
And she pulled out a gun, and said
";Now just shut up, and keep your hands on the wheel";
Chorus repeat (Okay, okay!)
spoken
Then the moon disappeared, and it started to rain,
So I put the wipers on full.
And on the bag in her lap I saw the name of a big bank downtown.
And I said, ";You don't have to worry about me, nope!";
When I turned the headlights on¨C¨Cjust for a minute¨C¨C
I thought I saw the both of us on some kinda tropical island someplace.
Walkin' down a white sandy beach.
Eatin' somethin'...
Chorus repeat
We pulled outta traffic
Down a dark side street
She was fixin' her hair in the mirror
I made a left turn
At a yellow light
Drove my cab fast towards the pier
She boarded the boat
And turned and blew me a kiss
And later on, when the squad car came 'round
I ate a handful of peanuts
And I told 'em this
";I don't rememeber much, except 'Just keep your hands on the wheel'";
Chorus repeat until fade
spoken:
Hey, hey, uh¨C¨C
Hey, y'all, get outta my way!¨C¨Call ya sunday drivers!
Hey, you want one of these, ah, Slim Jims? They're good!
What?¨C¨Cwhat? You don't¨C¨Cyou don't want one?
Well they're 100% meat!
Haven't I seen you somewhere before?
I know, I know, Anchorage, that's where I seen ya, Anchorage.
Well, where you goin'?
I'm sorry, I don't go in that part of town anymore.
I don't need my windows washed.
Comin' into Southbend, headed towards the graveyard shift
Blockin' off the fallen fences there with my hardware grip
Watchin' out and waitin' for a signal seen
That could level out the quiet side
And if you say you're lonely
I'm the one you'll find there on the side
Your one and only
And you will know when this deed has died
I was chasin' a ghost––pale and white
And hard to see
The boys in blue from peculiar school
Are hangin' out in the dark and they're lookin' for me
And if you say you're lonely
I'm the one you'll find there on the run
Your one and only
And you will know when this deed is done
Chorus:
Somebody is walkin' away
While everybody's ridin' on the snaketrain
Somebody is walkin' away
While everybody's ridin' on the snaketrain
Snaketrain
Remember how the wind would blow
And how warm the sun would feel
If you say you were lonely
And you can't decide what's fair is fair
You're dreaming only
And I will try and catch you there
{spoken:} Thanks a lot, thanks a whole lot.
Lulu sends her friends
They cover the mouths with one hand
Well, I keep waiting here
Drifting around in a dark land
And the lone hunter
« I push the staff and stick it »
Chorus:
And I know there's a bell to crack
And I know there's a bell to crack
Well, I hear crosstalk now
Coming through the wire
One voice tells me yes
The other is a liar
Chorus:
And I know there's a bell to crack
I know there's gotta be one more bell to crack
« Click-clack, joint, » this thing is on my sleeve
All this mess around and I gotta clean it up
Okay, Mister Questions, you tell me, when are we gonna leave?
And can you design a heart¨C¨Ca heart that doesn't bleed?
Chorus:
I know there's gotta be one more bell to crack
I know there's gotta be one more bell to crack
Seen a bell, so I crack it
You just can't find good bells anymore!
Yah! Yah! Sure!
Tom Shane's a friend of mine!
I really like him¨C¨Che's in the industry!
I know there's gotta be one more bell to crack
I know there's gotta be one more bell to crack
I press the buttons now
Voice keeps poppin' on the call box out
Mop-man, do you receive?
Ten-four, I gotta pull out
I got an ETA, five-thirty on the dot
A little bit later, it'll thicken the plot
Chorus:
They always tell me what's not is not
I just gotta get that 1-2-3
It's funny how these things always happen to me
I just gotta get that 1-2-3
Now, by the force of circumstance
And by the belt that holds up my pants
I'm held responsible
For this idea that never had a chance
When they call out the guard tonight
He'll cut the alarm and switch off the light
Chorus:
I get a funny feeling that wrong is right
I just gotta get that 1-2-3
It's funny how these things always happen to me
I just gotta get that 1-2-3
1 2 3
A B C
Like you and me
Like 1 2 3
1 2 3
1-2-3
A B C
1-2-3
1 2 3
1-2-3
It's a combination...
I press the buttons nowwww!
I press the buttons now
Voice keeps poppin' on the call box out
Mop-man, do you receive?
Ten-four, I gotta pull out
I got an ETA, five-thirty on the dot
A little bit later, it'll thicken the plot
Chorus:
They always tell me what's not is not
I just gotta get that 1-2-3
It's funny how these things always happen to me
I guess I gotta get that 1-2-3
1 2 3
A B C
Like you and me
Like 1 2 3
Not is not, not is not!
Not is not, not is not...
Grandma is a rhino
My brother is a dog
I can tell it's Animal Day
'Cause my best friend just turned into a frog
Mommy is a monkey
My girlfriend is a horse
But I'm not turning into anything¨C¨C
I never caused animal wars!
Uh-oh!
Fur has covered my hands!
I'd better run to the mirror!
I'm an animal!
Chorus:
It's Animal Day
It's Animal Day
It's Animal Day
It's Animal Day
Now the animals have cars
They're starting to run us over
Notches on the steering wheel
My pet is calling me Rover
Deers are hunting for humans
Seals keep crushing our heads
Animals betting on us at the track
My animal's in my bed
Chorus repeat
Now, I know I had somethin' to say
But the problem is, to say somethin'
Uh, you've got to say it
And I still don't remember a thing
Since the funny gas come out of that pipe next to me
I guess they didn't okay it
Now I remember¨C¨Cdid I tell ya?¨C¨Ccut my thumb off
At the knuckle on a broken band saw
Didn't see the belt buckle or the blade slip
And I remember when the doctor did it up with a stitch
Funny thing¨C¨Cstill got a scratch that I can't itch
Where my thumb was
Well, I've brought the same piece of chicken in a bag
To work every day for the last twenty years or so
And I really don't mind, work assembly line
Got an intercom blastin' the news and the latest on the baseball scores
Come around every Friday, well, I get a paycheck
Take the same road home that I come to work on¨C¨Check
It's a living
Chorus:
And I've got another factory back home
I've got a barbecue, pink Mustang, fenders chrome
And at nine o'clock I sit there in my chair
And I don't know why I lose my hair
And then I go to...
And then I go to...
And then I go to sleep
Well, I like to know what I'm doin' when I do it
And I do what I'm doin' 'cause I don't know what to do
When I'm not doin' it
Sometimes I remember as a boy my father told me
I could grow up To be anything I wanted
Anything
And every day at lunch I still look for my lost
Digit¨C¨Cstill got that funny scratch
So maybe when I find it I can itch it
And I got a little rubber pool in the backyard
For the kids to wade in
And I? I? I... I, I, I.
Chorus:
I've got another factory back home
I got a little backyard, pink Mustang, fenders chrome
At nine o'clock I'm in my chair sat down
Just lately, when my wife talks back to me I slap 'er around
And then I go to...
And then I go to...
And then I go to sleep
Whoah-oh-oh-oh! until fade
In a time between two wars
When a slip could get you killed
A man appeared with a master plan
And they called him Wild Bill
He talked you 'round in circles
When he was done, yeah, you knew less
And he started up the company1
From what was left of the O.S.S.2
Chorus:
Wild Bill, Wild Bill
The secrets that he'd hold
Wild Bill, Wild Bill
He slept out in the cold
Now he was there in '45
When the good war had wound down
The enemy had all been caught
But some could not be found
The price of information
Sometimes takes a sacrifice
A secret traded for a life
But someone pays the price
Chorus repeat
The world was on fire for Bill
He had to take control
The enemy was close at hand
The tanks were told to hold
But deep inside Bill's massive head
A master plan did bloom
Buy the information out
By sellin' a brand new tune
Chorus repeat
Now we were young and we were bold
We were three out on the road
Stayin' up all night and drivin' past the dawn
Me and two from Tennessee, up in lights on that marquee
From Folsom Prison to San Quentin, oh but now those days are gone
His guitar was dark and deep, he played in the lower range
Even now it sends a shiver up my spine
He played a twangin' metal string, and his tone was round and strange
He left too soon and no one's ever took his place inside my mind
Luther, can you hear me where you are?
I'm still out here on the road and travelin' so far
Yeah Luther?
Yes, and I still miss the time, when we'd three play ";Walk The Line";
With Marshall on the bass, I sang
And Luther played guitar
Now my heart still skips a beat, when I look at that back seat
And think back on those crazy times and one night stands
And all through the early days, past the booze and pills and haze
Oh, time just moves along and no one's left but God to understand
Luther, can you hear me where you are?
I still hear your guitar play at every honkey tonk and bar
Yeah Luther?
And late at night when I close my eyes I see black suits and bolo ties
And Marshall on the bass, I sing
And Luther played guitar
Luther, can you hear me where you are?
Now we're sleepin' in this big jet plane instead of your old car
Yeah Luther?
And while through this old world I roam, if the Lord should call me home
Put Marshall on the bass, I'll sing
And Luther play guitar
Chorus:
I'm comin' back home to you
Stuck to you like crazy glue
Don't wanna go on living without
Something left to shout about
We'll play the game of love and fate
I'll be the knife and fork, and you be the plate...
Now welcome baby to my pad of delights
Have a drink... do you like my tights?
This switch here'll make the lights go down low
And this one here makes all the bubbles go
The water's warm, yes, a sunken tub
Tonight you'll be joinin' my exclusive club
Here now do you wanna see somethin' fine?
Straight from Singapore... cost me five and nine
It's a picture of a man and an Egyptian queen
Kept in the family, if you know what I mean
Chorus repeat
Now I know you'll say my approach is direct
But don't throw out this mail before you check
We go together like fish and fin
Aphrodite and Zeus, water and Gunga Din
We'll perform here on this sacrificial slab
For your sweet, sweet love, I'll even go back to rehab
Chorus repeat
For you I'll even grow a pencil thin moustache
You can put me in chains... I'll wear that wolf mask
And you can starve me in your basement for a couple of weeks
Just please let me squeeze one of your rosy cheeks
I wanna float with you on a cumulus cloud
I wanna take you far away from this maddening crowd
You can scratch up my back with your long fingernails
We'll drink some weird wine and eat psychedelic snails
I hear that bird chirpin' in the tree
I wonder what he's seein' I don't see
Now everybody's happy, but today I feel so wrong
So I guess I'll just shut up and move along
Chasin' dreams that float like dust in th' air
Grab 'em once, but twice, they disappear
Up in smoke they hover, like dope rings from a bong
So I guess I'll just shut up and move along
I was thinkin' 'bout you just the other day
And if you could see me now, and what you'd say
Some things do get better¨C¨Cyeah, the « weak (week?) » goes to the strong
But then I guess I'll just shut up and move along
I hear that bird chirpin' in the tree
I wonder what he's seein' I don't see
Everybody's happy, but today I feel so wrong
So I guess I'll just shut up and move along
Guess I'll just shut up and move along
Guess I'll just shut up and move along
Just move along
He took a drive down the coast highway
Blowin' where the air was fresh and clean
He had a plan that said I'll do it my way
Rollin' from the desert to the sea
Hit twenty-one years old up in prison
Just a little night job with a stolen key
Two years liftin' weights and pumpin' iron there in his cell
He came out lookin' just like Mohammed Ali
He drove around tailgating trucks and busses
Whistling some new Michael Jackson tune
He thought back on his momma and what she told him long ago
Do it right son, please, don't do it wrong
He's goin' home
Gonna buy some stuff down at the pier
He's all alone
He's got a radio, a gun, and some japanese beer
And on the highway he saw the big cars in line
And he thought, behind every fortune... there's got to be a crime
He took a drive down the coast highway
Blowin' where the air was fresh and clean
He had a plan that said I'll do it my way
But he could not plan for what he couldn't see
He's goin' home
All alone
And he stopped at a couple of markets and drug stores along the way
He'd just walk up and down the aisle and smile¨C¨Cfunny that way
The last place he drove into had to be my place
They said he'd run out of gas anyway
And as he walked up to the counter with a blue steel gun in his hand
I took out my long rifle and I blew him away
I blew him away
The door swung wide, I walked right in
I was a long way off from where I'd been
From behind a desk, inside a cool green cloud
A strange low voice told me then to join the crowd
Chorus:
At Uba's
Uba's
Uba's
Fashions
Fashions
Uba said to Jumbo ";Won't you take my child¨C¨C
I have a walked a million miles
Changin' my clothes, changin' what I wear
Used to worry about things, now I just don't care";
Chorus repeat
A long line formed at the door to the back
Everybody wanted a dress off the rack
They wanted somethin' from her that made her shake
She screamed ";Everybody gotta pay for what they take";
Chorus repeat
I'm leavin' town now, and changin' my name
I'm never going to be the same
Jumbo had a baby, lives on Blueberry Hill
And everybody got a mama, 'cause she's hangin' out there still
Chorus repeat x2
Uba's House Of Fashions (x12)
snoihsaF ,s'abU s'abU ,s'abU tA
llits ereht tuo 'nignah s'ehs esuaC'
Wake up in the morning, pull myself outta bed
Think about the night before and everything I said
I've made lots of promises I know that I can't keep
So I'll do 'em tomorrow
That seems like a pretty good idea to me
Life is movin' faster¨C¨CI can feel it everyday
I have trouble keepin' up with what other people say
Big problems in the world, my life's just a social swirl
But I'll do it tomorrow
That seems like a pretty good idea to me
What's wrong with tomorrow?
I'm watchin' him, and who's watchin' me?
Out my window there's nothin' where a city used to be
Phone line dead, the power gone, there's nothin' on TV
Can't understand what happened to all the plans I made
I turn on the radio and hear the signal fade
(It's pretty loud in here...)
But I'll do it tomorrow
Life is moving faster, I can feel it every day
So I'll do it tomorrow
That seems like a pretty good idea to me
What's wrong with tomorrow?
I'm watchin' him, and who's watchin' me?
I'll do it tomorrow
Hope I've got enough time
I'll do it tomorrow
And things'll be fine
I'll do it tomorrow
Can't spare today
I'll do it tomorrow
That'll be okay
I'll do it tomorrow
I'll do it tomorrow
Let's do it tomorrow
I'll stop the clock
Let's do it tomorrow
Talk, talk, talk
Let's do it tomorrow
I'll do it tomorrow
What's wrong with tomorrow
It just goes on now, y'know,
I'll do it tomorrow
The money starts rollin' in, yah.
Sixteens Tons
===========
Some people say a man is made out of mud
A poor man's made out of mud and muscle and blood
Muscle and blood and skin and bones
A mind that's weak and a back that's strong
You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
St. Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store
I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine
I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine
I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal
And the strawboss said, ";Well, bless my soul!";
(Chorus)
I was born one mornin', it was drizllin' rain
Fightin' and trouble are my middle name
I was raised in the cane break by an ol' mama lion
Cain't no high-tone woman make me walk the line
(Chorus)
If you see me comin' better step aside
A lot of men didn't, a lot of men died
One fist of iron, the other of steel
And if the right one don't get you, then the left one will
(Chorus)
Kind ladies and good gentlemen
You've thrown your dollar down
Walk in and please experience
Feel free to stroll around
We take it to the limit
The competition's fierce
Big Judy at the table here
Will help you with your pierce
Chorus:
And when it's done,
Jack will show you to the door¨C¨C
Or have you seen this before?
Or have you seen this before?
We've got everything in bottles
Stored in formaldehyde
For a dollar you can climb on that guy
Take him for a ride
Now do you want a leash,
Or a collar, or a whip?
And have you tasted this?
Well, everybody's had a sip
Chorus repeat
Now there's a man
He's hangin' from a hook
The lady with tattoos just looks like
A coloring book
Our club is like no other
We've got a big surprise
Tonight a man will bake a dog
And put it in a pie
And when the pie is open
The dog begins to sing
And Judy will administer
That party favor thing
Now everything is hot
And everything is fine
We never close the place
Because the cops are now in line
Chorus repeat
Your pink parakeet still waits for you to free her
So I've kept this cage closed tightly when I feed her
Your room is locked up solid and the key's here 'round my neck
Your soul and property I still protect
No this world won't understand you or accept you
You'll need someone just like me to hold the wolves at bay
I love you like a sculptor loves his chistle and his stone
How can you go with all the love I've shown
I've invested many precious hours of training
Your poise, your grace, your youthful face is fading
And without me you will falter, and confuse and soon go blind
I know what scares you there inside your mind
Now without you to advise I'm feeling weaker
This game's no fun to play without a teacher
And without my guide and councel you will surely die alone
I demand you back, look at the love I've shown
Now I've never been unfaithful 'til this moment
You've made me now investigate my life
My scars and stitches shown, I've been stripped now to the bone
Look what you've done with all the love I've shown
Now what word, maybe somewhere will finally trip you?
How cool of you to do this thing to me
And I know you'll always fail, I always did
But I hold no grudge or groan
How could I now, with all the love I've shown
With all the love I've shown
i can feel the life runnin' out of me workin' here at pete's
two years ago it was just the thing
workin' cars part time every week
i met 'em both at a drag race
they both dressed pretty snappy that day
pete's wife peg put the make on me
while pete just looked the other way
now no one can say what your future will hold
or what your life will have in store
we went home that night
pete passed out on the couch
and then peg pulled me down on the floor
well, i know she knew what she was doing
forbidden fruit, but what the hell, i bit
that's all it took, my fate was sealed
that night the flame was lit
and every night when the lights go out
pete drinks his booze and then he passes out
and i hear a footstep outside my door
and then i remember what i started working here for
peg and pete and me
one and one and one make three
peg and pete and me
one and one and one make three
now tell me what would you do if you were in my shoes?
tonight peg, we gotta stop this thing
i don't know if we can, peg said
"don't worry, now pete's asleep and i've got a certain plan
you know everything is in my name," she said,
"and anyway i love you so very much
he'll never feel a thing
just like he never woke up
and after that it will be just us."
every night when the lights go out
pete drinks his booze and then he passes out
and i hear a footstep outside my door
and then i remember what i started working here for
peg and pete and me
one and one and one make three
peg and pete and me
one and one and one make three
now tell me what would you do if you were in my shoes?
the next morning when i woke up peg was gone
but the detective said, "son, you gotta come downtown with me
'cause we know you killed pete dead."
the jury found me guilty
and sent me up for ninety-nine to life
and if there's any advice i can give from this cell
never trust a rich, dead man's wife
peg and pete and me
one and one and one make three
peg and pete and me
one and one and one make three
It could have been a million years ago or maybe yesterday
I crawled out of this wilderness, a debt I had to pay
I must have tipped the scales somewhere way back
Never saw the seeds I'd sewn
So now I travel backwards looking for a man of stone
A foggy night, a neon light... I've seen him standing there
Movin' where the shadows creep¨C¨Cno he never did play fair
And one night I almost got him, but I knew you'd tapped my phone
And communication is dangerous, lookin' for a man of stone
With Juan in Argentina I thought I saw him in the street
In a seaplane over Hydra he sat in the captain's seat
And I've chased him from the Colosseum down the Spanish steps in Rome
And history just gets hazy lookin' for a man of stone
In the mornin' out your I saw him leanin' on a tree
Wearin' a snappy suit of grey and then he motioned to me
He pointed with his finger, as if to say my soul he owned
But I had sold that long ago to you lookin' for a man of stone
Now I sit in this burnt out barn they call The Raven's Nest
Drinkin' bloody monkeys, your name tattooed on my chest
Sometimes I think of Juan or you¨C¨Cor sometimes I think of hime
And sometimes I don't think of anything but lookin' for (that's right) a man of stone
Night, the city
Its dark and lonely streets
Rain falls on my face
Mixed with salty tears
Confirm your happiness
Everything is looking good
Look down, feel the pain
Falling teardrops to the ground
Chorus:
Think back through the phrases
Restore sanity to the mind
You know she's gone now
Are these not the good times?
Good times, good times
Believe in them pretty soon
When I'm over the pain of missing you
Good times, good times
Arrivin' just as soon as
The flames extinguish the memories that I knew
Thinking these old things
Had worked out fine
When I knew it'd hurt you
If you knew you were hurting me
Day breaks, clouds move
And the sun comes through the rain
But for now I'm livin' back
In the stormy night
Chorus:
I gotta think back through the phrases
Restore sanity to the mind
You know she's gone now
Are these not the good times?
Think back through the phrases
Restore sanity to the mind
You know she's gone now
Are these not the good times?
Good times? Good times?
Good times, good times
Believe in them pretty soon
When I'm over the pain of missing you
Good times, good times
Arrivin' just as soon as
The flames extinguish the memories that I knew
Ocean wide and water deep
Noddin' off you fall asleep
No one understands their pain
Look outside it's about to rain
Fallin' out of a blue sky
Walk the dog and swat the fly
No one's 'round to recognize
Shades of black behind blue eyes
Now you've gotta prove it all to me
Or you can let it pass just like a speeding car
Is there something left here you gotta see?
Or is it all a million miles from where you are?
Trees are tall and grass is green
One's alone and two's a team
Play guitar and make a scene
Read about it in a magazine
Tired of playin' what to be?
Friend is now an enemy
Slam a door and break a glass
From there to here has gone too fast
Now you've gotta prove it all to me
Then you let it slide to somewhere far
Is there something left here you gotta see?
Or is it all a million miles from where you are?
There's a man in a booth with a quarter in there
And a girl out on the runway with peroxide in her hair
Move 'em in quick, they pay out
And then they just sit there and stare
Now drink that drink and smoke that smoke
Old Mister Johnson turns blue and starts to choke
Somebody slap him on the back
Now the curtains go up
And both lights go on
And Betsy's out there in her birthday suit
Spinnin' her baton
Chorus:
And they don't know what we know
Nobody knows what we know
(And) No matter what they try to do
They can't stop the show
Now, girls, I'm proud of every one of you
Cass, spit out your gum, it don't look good when you chew
And I've told you time and time before
You're a showgirl, not a whore
Jack, pick up the phone, is it those jerks again?
You'd think they'd know by now that these girls just dance and grin
Just good clean entertainment
We don't handle no tricky-business in here
The curtains go up
And both lights go on
And Betsy's in her birthday suit
Spinnin' her baton
But I think she did it better last year
Before her boyfriend broke her arm
Chorus:
And they don't know what we know
Nobody knows what we know
And No matter what they try to do
They can't stop the show repeat four more times
Someone smashed my alarm
It's got me on the edge
You know it's so sharp
(Aaaaaaaa...)
And you know I won't go
You know I won't go
I don't wanna go
(He won't go)
The corporation's boiling over
Everybody's taking over
Chorus:
And I'm back in flesh
Back in flesh
Back in flesh
Back in flesh
Back in flesh
You better sign your time card now
They don't care about you anyhow
Sign in, your minimum cut
You're late again, your salary's cut!
Someone smashed my alarm
It's got me on the edge
You know it's so sharp
(Aaaaaaaa...)
And you know I won't go
You know I won't go
I don't wanna go
(He won't go)
The corporation's boiling over
Everybody's taking over
Chorus repeat
I won't go
(He won't go.)
I don't wanna go
(You must go!)
Is it time to go?
(The orders are in!)
Well, I'd rather go bowling!
(The lanes are closed!)
Maybe a little tennis?
(Your racket's got a hole.)
How about some baseball?
(Field's rained out.)
Maybe a little fishing?
(The fish are on vacation.)
Well, how about some golfing?
(The greens are overgrown.)
Well, what about some swimming?
(I don't think so!)
Well, what about this¨C¨Cand that¨C¨C
(No, no, no, no, no!)
Well, you can't tell me what to do!
Well, you can't tell me what to do!
(Hey, fuck you!)
Swimmin' in the slime
Peelin' off th' dock
Baby got a purple skirt that is polka-dot
Beauty in decay can be the only way when you are not
Wind is blowin' strong
Rainin' in the world
Nothin' but a sag where there used to be a curl
Cloud is comin' on
The weatherman was wrong¨C¨Cit's hot
Kill the referee
I'm callin' off the match
Gimme somethin' real¨C¨CBabyface will need a peel tonight
Chorus:
Where they go
We don't know
But deep inside we're blue
Catch that fish
Your only wish
Deep inside we're blue
Blow that horn
From you I'm torn
No one has a clue
So pass that glass
Did you have to ask
Deep inside we're blue
Collision traffic mess
Failure or success
Who you lookin' at and tryin' to impress
Join you in your pain
Are you lookin' for the same tonight
Place me in your web
I will obey your plan
Gimme somethin' real¨C¨CBabyface will need a peel tonight
Chorus repeat
Ringin' on the telephone, pick it up and say
What's a man to do with all the trouble 'round today?
Heard it takes a worried man to sing a worried song
Sing it now, but Lord, don't let it all go on too long
Chorus:
Somethin' in the air, and it's movin' like a southbound train
Sun is goin' down, and it seems like I'll be the same
World keeps spinnin' 'round, people say there's debt to pay
I don't knowtoo busy with my life from day to day
But whosoever journeys up against that border line
The shadows of an ancient flame burn away in time
I was down in Arkansas, workin' graveyard shift
Movin' crates for exportation with a big forklift
Most were crackers, Coca-Cola, shoes and ceiling fans
Two were marked Top Secret, headed for Afghanistan
Chorus repeat
See shadows on the sun, see a comin' thundercloud
Nothin' will persuade, but all will be allowed
And some will seek their god from a heaven in the sky
Defendin' their affliction with a holy alibi
Ringin' on the telephone, pick it up and say
What's a man to do with all the trouble 'round today?
I'm callin' up the president, ask him what he say
No answer, left a message, when he's back from holiday
Chorus repeat
Now the drums are poundin', hear them blowin' on the horn
Two hands are on the hammer, and the fabric has been torn
Dam's about to burst, floods are all around
No more water, little Sylvie, 'cause I think I'm gonna drown
Ringin' on the telephone, pick it up and say
What's a man to do with all the trouble 'round today?
Heard it takes a worried man to sing a worried song
Sing it now, but Lord, don't make it all go on too long
CHORUS
Jack talked, Jack talked like
Jack talked like a man on fire
Jack talked, Jack talked like
Jack talked like a man on fire
Jack talked like a man on fire
And his eyes looked like two shiny steel ball berrings
And when he moved the ground beneath him shook and split open
No one got too close to Jack
Jack never got too close anyway
And when he dreamed his ears drolled
Thirty weight engine oil
He took personality tests
And stapled them to his lower lip
no one ever came over to visit with Jack
Jack never visited anybody anyway
CHORUS
Jack made false contributions
To charity telethons
Jack made prank phone calls
To elected officials
His arms shook and his legs twitched
And his tongue dart out of
His mouth every few seconds
And when it did
It touched the tip of his nose
And when it touched the tip of his nose
He yelled out as loud as he could
"I have artistic sensibility,
I am a damn good risk,
I am the messenger and
Here is the message."
CHORUS
John Wayne was always bald
And he had a woman's name
Valentino was a momma's boy
He cried in his tent all night long
And Harry Truman finally dropped the bomb
So they could go to sleep at night
So they could go to sleep at night
I got a plaque up on the wall
And an office in the sky
I give birth to major deals
Lookin' down on the passersby
I pass the torch, I follow the code
I'm steerin' straight ahead, I don't stray from the road
To be a warrior with a king
To put your hand in the flame without burning
And go to sleep at night
And go to sleep at night
And go to sleep at night
John Wayne was always bald
And he had a woman's name
Valentino was a momma's boy
I cried in my tent all night long
And Harry Truman finally dropped the bomb3
So I could go to sleep at night
So I could go to sleep at night
Tell not a word that you heard it here
But there's a big truck waitin' tonight at the pier
Comin' in on an east-bound boat
Now, don't be late for delivery¨c¨chere, put this in your coat
It's a strange weight from an exotic locale
Don't worry about the cops, 'cause they're in on it, pal
Just pick it up no later than tonight at three o'clock
And bring it to the warehouse¨c¨chere, put this in your sock
No one left to save you
Nobody will return
You run so fast, you catch on fire
You've just gotta burn
Yeah¨c¨c
Chorus:
Goin' southbound
Follow that sound
Long line of cars
Just a-movin' out of town
You've got this job
But you don't know how
And everybody does
What nobody will allow
Full moon shines like a big cue ball
Someone fishin' on the pier, might as well stall
Repaint the car, change your license plate
How ya spell relief? must be somethin' that you ate
All this is a secret
As common as that dirt
We'll rely on your expert eye
Here, put this in your shirt
Yeah¨c¨c
Chorus repeat x2
And we'll all be waiting so long
Wait so long
We'll all be waiting so long
Wait so long, wait so long
Now if you get caught, don't tell 'em about me
The last one who did, well, we tied him to a tree
Out in the high desert, by an ant hill
Haven't been back there since¨c¨cguess he's swingin' there still
All this is a secret
As common as that dirt
We'll rely on your expert eye
Here, put this in your shirt
Yeah¨c¨cyeah! yeah! yeah!
Chorus repeat x2
Goin' southbound...
We're goin' southbound...
We're goin' southbound...
You walk
I'll run
And follow right behind you
You call
I'll come
And I won't remember where I come from
Over there
At the end of the bar
This fish keeps swimming
In a jar
I feel
A tug on the line
Which end
Will I be on this time?
Don't box me in
Don't box me in
One day
I'll show them
Just what I'm made of
The'll be
A time
When I won't remember what I was afraid of
And I'll be swimming
In the sea
No banging on this glass
For me
My eyes saw red
When my world turned blue
So I'm leaving
Everyting that's true
And I'll jump into
A brand new skin
And then you won't be able
To box me in
Don't box me in
Don't box me in
Don't box me in
Let go!
There's a few places 'round
That I've never been
There's an ocean out there
That I gotta swim
There's a river that flows
Right past my door
I wonder...
I wonder...
What?!
And if sometimes
I can't seem to talk
You'll know this blackboard lacks
A piece of chalk
Don't box me in
I told you not to
Don't box me in
Don't box me in
Don't box me in
she lives with an orange tree and a girl that does yoga
she picks the dead ones from the ground when we come over
and she gives i get without giving anything to me
like a morning sun
like a morning
like a morning sun
like a good good morning sun
the girl that does yoga
when we come over
the girl that does yoga
he lives in a little house on the side of a little hill
picks the litter from the ground, litter little brother spills
he gives i get without giving anything to me
and the dogs they run
and the dogs they
and the dogs they run
in the good good morning sun
side of a little hill
litter little brother spills
side of a little hill
and she's always dressed in white
she's like an angel man she burns my eyes
when she turns she pulls a smile
we drive her 'round man she drives us wild
and she moves like a little girl
i become a child man she moves my world
and she gets splashed in paint and turns away and leaves me standing...
she lives with an orange tree and a girl that does yoga
got a wolf to keep her warm when he comes over
she gives he gets without giving anything to see
and the day it ends
and the day it
and the day it ends
and there's no need for me
with a girl that does yoga
when we come over
"How you doin', Bert?" "Well, not so good, Charlie,
My back's gone out and I got my finger cut gnarly.
The job's the same, and so's the boss.
He's still a big ass, and my wallet got lost.
My wife's sick in bed, she says she'll never get well.
And all these kids today have gone to hell.
And all that government paperwork caught up with me––
Had to hire a beancounter for an outrageous fee.
And I don't know if the chicken or the egg is to blame
But all things considered, I guess I can't complain."
"Cheer up," Charlie said, "things could be worse."
"Well, yeah, I know, but did I tell ya that
My landlord's a cop? My neighbor's insane?
But all things considered, I guess I can't complain."
Chorus:
Out on the water
Where the sailing men all go
The water's high,
While all the fish swim low
Out on the water
Where the sailing men all go
The water's high,
While all the fish swim low
"You know what, Bert?" Charlie said, "You've got the wrong attitude.
Sometimes life's a big game, and the paths, you can choose.
Things may go wrong, but you've gotta stand tall."
"Well, I know," Bert said, "But well, that ain't all.
My hair's fallin' out. The roof leaks when it rains.
But all things considered, I guess I can't complain."
Chorus repeat
"You know what, Bert?" Charlie said, "You're a real loser.
So I'll see you next week––if you live 'til then."
As Bert walked out to the sidewalk, ten floors up
Two men lost control of a hoist at just the right time
And a big Steinway grand flattened Bert like a dime.
And as a crowd gathered 'round and asked, what was his name?
And could it be the chicken, or the egg to blame?
Well, the only thing heard was that he couldn't complain.
So if you're a loser in life, and your gun's outta ammo,
Just remember the story of Bert and the piano.
'Cause if you can't string the bow––and you're clean outta rosin1
Someone may have planned for a music lesson.
Keep your eyes to the sky; it could be a brand name
Calling out to carol
She could really twist the screws
What'cha doin' monday
And are you back on the booze?
Now, I've been dooin' some thinkin'
About colorado springs
A dirty denim jacket
And a seven-dollar ring
Well, I've been keepin' busy
I've got lots of pots boiling on the stove
Who's that in the background
I'm sorry that I asked¨c¨ci guess I should have known
Chorus:
Callin' out to carol on the telephone call
Message on a wire comin' through a wall
Talk about old times but not too long ago
Carol was the girl that everybody got to know
When'd you change your number? hey, carol!
It's different than you had
Have you got protection?
I know some police are bad
But that's not why I called you up, now
You know I quit that scene
I told ya 'bout your pictures
I guess I'll buy that magazine
And I still remember
All those days we spent alone
You went one way while I went the other
Sometimes, I guess, that's the way things go
Chorus:
Callin' out to carol on a telephone call
Message on a wire comin' through a wall
Talk about old times but not too long ago
Carol was the girl that everybody got to know
Callin' out to carol gets a busy tone
Sees a lot of people but she lives alone
Pick up the reciever¨c¨clove will come and go
But carol was the girl that everybody got to know
When they called me in the morning
And told me that she'd gone
I didn't want to hear it
So I just hung up the phone
Chorus:
Callin' out¨c¨ccallin' out to carol
Callin' out¨c¨ccallin' out to carol
Callin' out¨c¨ccallin' out to carol
Callin' out to carol
Callin' out to carol on a telephone call
Message on a wire comin' through a wall
Is this line in service¨c¨coperator says no
Chorus:
Beyond tomorrow
Beyond tomorrow
Beyond tomorrow
Beyond tomorrow
We will be driving in
Little time bombs everywhere
On a street in a skyscraper
With aluminum hair
There'll be someone downstairs
Collecting all our names
Numbers all in a file somewhere
Everyone will be saved
Chorus repeat
Someone will be in the air
In a plane by the sea
I could be anywhere at all
If I could just be
I'll eat candied policemen
You'll eat farmers from hell
Everyone will be very modern
Can't you tell?
Chorus repeat
There could be another one
Come from the East
With a mark on his head
The sign of the beast
Then we will all extinguish
From this thing we call yeast
Did we come from yeast?
Chorus repeat
Way back when––in a petri dish
We were mated with some weird kind of fish
Then we grew arms and legs
Now we have 'em alive, no eggs
In a room far away near the capitol
There's a box that sits on someone's skull
We'll all be waitin' for the word comin' down
Meantime... let's blow this town
Sue, turn out the lights
It's time to close up––we're through
Gotta clear it out
So let's drink up, it's past two
Girl, don't push 'em out
They can walk out on their own
How many times I gotta tell you, Bob,
You gotta drink up and go home
I don't run a business
Just to talk to you all day
Clear out the backroom, Sue
Stack up the chairs
Who broke this glass?
No one really cares
Go take the trash out
And vacuum the stairs
What do I
Pay you for?
And don't forget to sweep up
The glass off the floor
Once I had plans
To fix up this place
A room where you could go to
And meet people with taste
They'd talk and they'd laugh
And forget the rat race
And I'd be just like one of those guys
With the moustache and face
Hey, help me pick up this case
Hey, I'm really sorry I blew up then
I've had no sleep
I've been up all night with my wife and brother-in-law
You know, Pete
At times, this world can seem
Just like a cold icy ball
But don't let that discourage you
'Cause you're young––take that call
And if it's my wife
Just try and stall
I was just wondering
How you get home
Do you have a boyfriend?
Or do you live alone?
I'm going your way
If you're going mine
No, I feel fine
But before you go
Let me just pass on one thing
Chorus:
You've got a mission in life
To hold out your hand
To help the other guy out
Help your fellow man
That's why I own this bar
They're thirsty outside
I give 'em oceans to drink
Then they drown in the tide
There's a man in a booth with a quarter in there
And a girl out on the runway with peroxide in her hair
Move 'em in quick, they pay out
And then they just sit there and stare
Now drink that drink and smoke that smoke
Old mister johnson turns blue and starts to choke
Somebody slap him on the back
Now the curtains go up
And both lights go on
And betsy's out there in her birthday suit
Spinnin' her baton
Chorus:
And they don't know what we know
Nobody knows what we know
(and) no matter what they try to do
They can't stop the show
Now, girls, I'm proud of every one of you
Cass, spit out your gum, it don't look good when you chew
And I've told you time and time before
You're a showgirl, not a whore
Jack, pick up the phone, is it those jerks again?
You'd think they'd know by now that these girls just dance and grin
Just good clean entertainment
We don't handle no tricky-business in here
The curtains go up
And both lights go on
And betsy's in her birthday suit
Spinnin' her baton
But I think she did it better last year
Before her boyfriend broke her arm
Chorus:
And they don't know what we know
Nobody knows what we know
And no matter what they try to do
The room was dark, it looked like someone had to get out fast
A window open by the fire escape
How long have you been following this guy, the bellboy asked
Not long enough, 'cause we got here too late
And everybody wants another piece of the pie today, he said
You gotta watch the ones who always keep their hands clean
Chorus:
It's the big heat, there's someone followin' you
It's the big heat, step aside, we're comin' through
Well, we followed him from Tuscon, ended up in Baton Rouge
We trailed him with information by
A woman he knew in Barstow that would like to see him dead
That was four weeks ago––well, maybe five
And everybody wants another piece of the pie today," she said
You gotta watch the ones who always keep their hands clean.
Chorus repeat x2
A block away he wondered if he'd left behind a clue
The front page of the paper dated 19921
He remembered when he used to be the chairman of the board
But that was when the world was young and long before the war
And everybody wants another piece of the pie today, he said
You gotta watch the ones who keep their hands clean
Originally published on the B-side of the Camouflage single in the United Kingdom.
The tires roll the gutters and you can hear the beer cans crunch
Two ladies sit together on a park bench, feed the pigeons, and eat lunch
And the window's always broken and the corner has a street light that's burnt out
And everyone walks away when the cops drive by, roll down their windows, and shout
So if you're wonderin' where the trouble starts when you hear the sirens sound
It's where the trouble always ends––on the stormy side of town
Where it keeps rainin' all the time
Now there's a young girl leanin' on the fender of a long black car
And a man built like a buddha––used to box, and now he works at paintin' tar
And the kids play in the streets, while their parents stick their fingers in the fans
And the trash is piled up high by the bus stop where the riders wait and stand
And everyone has said the big show-off doesn't seem to be around
And no one asks for names or business cards on the stormy side of town
Where it keeps rainin' all the time
Chorus:
On the stormy side of town
It's rainin' all the time
On the stormy side of town
It's rainin' all the time
On the stormy side of town
It's rainin' all the time
On the stormy side of town
And all the empty eyes that don't look up
Still say it every time––
"You've got your job, and I've got mine"
Shadows from the buildings creep along the parking cars
While the women spank their babies and the old men just drink all day in bars
And the people that "never see it" always end up as the ones who've seen it all
And the liquor store is crowded, while an empty phone booth rings another call
And the hills that used to all seem green now look an ugly brown
And no one ever found any movie stars on the stormy side of town
Where it keeps rainin' all the time
Chorus repeat
So bring a bottle and a paper bag
And expect to pass it all around
And last one out's a rotten egg
They all say that it's a lonely town
They all say that it's a lonely town
Wide open spaces––empty rooms
If the weather holds out, you can get there by noon
Shadows crawl on the highway line
Don't rush, you've got time
Pull into a donut shop
And get a cup of mud
Ask for directions from a plumber outside
He says "don't go there, bud"
Chorus:
'Cause they all say
That it's a lonely town
And they all say
That it's a drag
And they all know
Those people in a lonely town
All those people are
Lonely and mad
Now I've got my foot on the gas
As I'm crossin the midwest county line
And I think about those mosquitos on my windshield
How they don't give a damn about Christmas-time
And as the passing trucks all flash their lights
Just as I top the hill
I'll remember two green eyes and some flowers
Dyin' on a windowsill
Chorus:
They all say
That it's a lonely town
And they all say
That it's a drag
They all know
Those people in a lonely town
And all those people
Are lonely and mad
They're just lonely and mad
One-double-oh-seven (100.7)
This is for you fellas
Ha ha ha
Something I cooked up the Dope House
In my kitchen ha ha ha yeah
Roll Cadillacs never lie on ravs
Smoke killer herb till my lungs collapse
Lost two grand last night shooting craps
The I hit the Ritz and bought a few laps
Just got a letter from my old best friend
Doing twenty-five in the federal pen
Wanna come home but he said until then
Could I look over his three children
They wake em up at five am for Fruit Loops
Draped in white overalls and black boots
Used to drive a Lac sipping gin and juice
Now we need money for some chips and soups
Run around town with a sack of rocks
Polo shirt with the matching socks
Mom I promise one day I'ma stop
I'ma grow up and be a astro-naut
I'm on the Mexican radio radio radio
I'm on the Mexican I-Oh radio radio radio radio
I'm on the Mexican radio radio radio
I'm on the Mexican I-Oh radio radio radio radio
Now daddy come first and daddy come next
Daddy represent that Screwston, Tex
Silly punks jealous of the S-P-Mex
But your whole crew should be wearing Kotex
I'ma get by and I'ma get high
Thirteen five I'ma let my birds fly
Everybody knows that my back is not dry
If you say it is you a d-d-damn lie
Rolling through life like a tumbleweed
I'm the young pres of my company
Home catching hell cause I love my weed
Baby can you please let your husband breathe
Trying to dodge death and trying to dodge jail
Old damn friends trying to do my gal
People use to call me a bum from hell
Laughed at my car when my muffler fell
Pull another bud from the fat ass dime
Grippin wood grain let the seat recline
Got the Asian girl with the big behind
Take her to the telly and she love me long time
Remember when I begged you to buy my tapes
Now I buy cribs on the sides of lakes
Pray to the Lord and ask why they hate
Cuz they got the nuts 'bout the size of grapes
Twenty-two inches on the thirty-two ton
And the candy paint cost eighty-five hun
Even if I'm in my swimming pool having fun
Still I stay strapped with the waterproof gun
I'm asking you please can you pray for me reverend
When I die will I go to heaven
Trying to count the tvs in my car I got eleven
Pioneer read one-double-oh-seven
The day is here
What up baby
Hustle Town
Two double 0 one hun
And it just don't quit
No it just don't stop
Chunk duce
I work for the newspapers
Any news is good news, I always say
But I don't write no daily column
Talk is cheap, and so's my pay
And when my workday's over
I pocket five or ten from the tray
And then I start it up again at five a.m.
I stack 'em up just to throw 'em away
Now lately, I've been thinkin'
What would the world do without the news?
You wouldn't know when wars were started
Or when they ended––win or lose
It'd probably be a much better world to live in
But the question would be whose
And what side you're on, or who's right or wrong
You'd never have to choose
Sometimes, late at night
I can see the streets like no one else can
There's a lot of things goin' on here
That even newspapers don't understand
Some people got too much money
Some rob with a gun or a ballpoint pen
Maybe I'll get me a big black cape
And then they'll be runnin' from me
Lookin' over their shoulder for me
What's buried in the back pages
Was on the front page yesterday
And old news never dies
Though they say it just fades away
Crime and murder, business and politics
And international strife
It's all the same, find someone to blame
A gamblin' man was dealin'
I drew a jack a' spades
A-way down in the swamp somewhere
Deep in the Everglades
The candle on the table
Lit up your face and hair
I lost it at the game but then
I won your rockin' chair
Chorus:
Your rockin' chair
Your rockin' chair
Now, I can hear the creakin'
The sound there on the floor
The way ya rock that chair with me
Just makes me want some more
The legs are carved and slender
The seat is soft as snow
And when we get to sittin' down
It's back and forth we go
Chorus repeat
Now other chairs I sat in
May I pay you regard
None never fit me quite as snug
Or rocked me quite as hard
Now when you think of sittin' down
In some new rockin' chair
No other one's in mind but yours
And nothin' will compare
So now the night is darker
Don't know what's 'round the bend
I'm back there at the table
And I'm losin' once again
The years go by like lightnin'
A year seems like a week
But I still every night think of
Rockin' there in your seat
Chorus repeat
The way you move in moonlight
Yeah, you always took me in
The wind blow through your curtains
And the way ya burned the gin
And then you'd start to dancin'
Hear the music from the shore
You'd pull out that old rockin' chair
And rock me on the floor
I wake up in the mornin'
Here in this vacant lot
That bottle in my hand
So I just took another shot
Sometimes in life a hand is dealt
That you don't think is fair
But you can fold, or maybe bluff
Or ride that rockin' chair
I press the buttons now
Voice keeps poppin' on the call box out
Mop-man, do you receive?
Ten-four, I gotta pull out
I got an eta, five-thirty on the dot
A little bit later, it'll thicken the plot
Chorus:
They always tell me what's not is not
I just gotta get that 1-2-3
It's funny how these things always happen to me
I just gotta get that 1-2-3
Now, by the force of circumstance
And by the belt that holds up my pants
I'm held responsible
For this idea that never had a chance
When they call out the guard tonight
He'll cut the alarm and switch off the light
Chorus:
I get a funny feeling that wrong is right
I just gotta get that 1-2-3
It's funny how these things always happen to me
I just gotta get that 1-2-3
1 2 3
A b c
Like you and me
Like 1 2 3
1 2 3
1-2-3
A b c
1-2-3
1 2 3
1-2-3
It's a combination...
I press the buttons nowwww!
I press the buttons now
Voice keeps poppin' on the call box out
Mop-man, do you receive?
Ten-four, I gotta pull out
I got an eta, five-thirty on the dot
A little bit later, it'll thicken the plot
Chorus:
They always tell me what's not is not
I just gotta get that 1-2-3
It's funny how these things always happen to me
I guess I gotta get that 1-2-3
1 2 3
A b c
Like you and me
Like 1 2 3
Not is not, not is not!
Didn't want no MTV,
Didn't want no VH-1
Was a time so long ago
Yeah, we had some punk-rock fun
Made a great big noise
For all the girls and boys
It was 1977
Now two are gone to heaven
Yeah, I was in an office space
There across the street
Down an alley, dirty stairs,
And a basement underneath
Brendan ran The Masque
He played drums, we drank a lot
We started playing underground
People started comin' round
Comin' round.
Mark Moreland played his guitar
And I clawed there at the keys
Little brother Bruce showed up one day
And now we're three
I had this rhythm box
That I got from Yogi Bear
And Joe and Chas jumped on to play
And we practiced music night and day
Night and day.
Hey, the scene was growin' out
People everwhere
Old hippies, beatniks, glam-rock kids
Goin' punk rockcut their hair
One night we played The Whiskey
With Miss Ivy and Mister Lux
Backstage the record man approached
Yeah, we thought we had hit the bucks
Big bucks.
So we put out a record EP
Jim Hill was our engineer
And when it got played on the radio
We could not believe our ears
There it was.
So we went out on the road
Started playin' near and far
Drivin' in that beat-up van
Or two or three old cars
Drivin' everywhere.
Then the sharks showed up and circled
A big manager for Sting
Said sign here, boys, you'll all be stars
We'll go for that brass ring
The contract was like a book
Two hundred pages long
We signed there on that dotted line
Just a dollar for each song
Just a dollar.
Things started gettin' wild
With the band and me and Marc
We did that methedrine a lot
And drank that Cutty Sark
Richard Mazda came from the UK
Helped us to record in a brand new way
One weekend, Marc's song fell out
The single they still talk about
We made a video
With Frank Delia behind the lens
Labor Day in Mexico,
Lots of beans 'n drugs 'n friends
But all was gonna bust
Hey, how are chumps like us to know
We took off on that tour so long
And played and sang our radio song.
Oh-woah.
Now, it seemed like that old voodoo dog we had
Was payin' for its fees
We lost control of our own band
To the record company
Yeah, I guess we blew it big time
Business got us bent
We played a show for fourty grand
And the manager took every cent
Every goddamn cent.
Yeah, things got worse, and pretty soon
It was time for me to go
I did my best to patch it up
But we were all just big assholes
So, if you wanna make a band,
Get ready for a good ride
Don't let weasels, sharks, and fiends, and creeps
Force you to comprimise
Uh-huh.
Didn't want no MTV,
Didn't want no VH-1
Was a time so long ago
Yeah, we had some punk-rock fun
Made a great big noise
For all the girls and boys
It was 1977
News travels fast in a small desert town
So it wasn't long at all before the word got around
That a killin' mad car was headed their way
So the sheriff and the boys were gonna stop 'im out on the highway
Right where it intersected Big Black Rock
So it wasn't long at all
Before the whole town was standin' round
Hammerin' a nail and buildin' up a pride in a roadblock
Just hangin' round a roadblock
The mayor's wife sat in the shade
And talked her way through a few good lies
While her husband practiced his acceptance speech
For a medal from the F.B.I.
And Granny rocked back in her chair and said
"Just what did this man do?"
While some idiot kids ate dirty
Sno-cones colored red white and blue
At the roadblock
Just hangin' round a roadblock (x3)
Then the local paper jumped the gun
And printed the big headline
Town is saved from killer car
With roadblock at stateline
Three miles down the highway in a Chevy '69
Were a pair of crazy eyeballs jumpin' left and right in time
To an eight-track tape playin' Foghat and Jethro Tull
And a gasoline-soaked hand shiftin' a little plastic skull
And on the arm, a blue tattoo that read "I'm a son of a bitch!"
A map open on the front seat––leather, black as pitch
One foot slammed on the gas––no shoe, just an argyle sock
And that car was screamin' wild down the highway, like lightning
Toward the roadblock
Right towards the roadblock
Then all eyes turned down the highway towards a big cloud of smoke
And Granny went into a mild state of shock and started to choke
And a boy up in a tree yelled out, "Here it come"
Then twenty men strong aimed and fired point-blank nineteen shotguns
Well, the next day, the sheriff just tried to stall
While they buried the body out behind a wall
The newspaper said "Killer still on the lam––
Seems the boys at the roadblock got the wrong man"
Nobody really knew just who he was
He was drivin' a Camaro with dashboard fuzz
They all burned a car right there in Big Black Rock
And no one ever said a word at all again1
About a roadblock
Not about a roadblock
Whooo! About a roadblock
Not about a roadblock, yeah...
Well I been breakin' rocks up on coolie #3
I know it's been forever, thought you'd never hear frome
The weather up here is rotten, rainin' granite all the time
And both moons are glowin' purple and there is no sun to shine
I been diggin' deep down in a tunnel that goes twenty miles down
And I know my life is cheap when I hear that rumbln' sound
CHORUS
Oh the overlords
Got me workin' overtime
Oh the overlords
They never make it rhyme
And there is something in the air that is burnin' in my throat
A big black cloud is passin' droppin' acid on my coat
The overlords got me workin' overtime
CHORUS
It's been ten years and a day after world war nine
They pushed us to make meaning and from their meaning was our crime
Last night I had a dream where the guards all fell asleep
I jumped the fence outside this pen and then I hotwired up
The warden's Jeep
And I took a walk
CHORUS
I still rmember all those nights we had together up on Mars
We both stood in line t get some new tattoos
While the kids got cut some scars
And when they check the beds tonight,
They'll find a note scratched in the pine
You now can seek me underground where' I7ll be monkey-wrenchin' all the
time
CHORUS
>From a planet out in space
A signal you could trace
Controllin' what you feel but you never see their face
Oh the overlords, got me workin' overtime
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lost Weekend
(Wall of Voodoo)
Performed by Wall of Voodoo
Driving out of Vegas in their automobile
She was in the backseat while he was at the wheel
With the windows wide open
All the money frome store they'd gambled away
He said, "the best laid plans often go astray."
She took the page fromher book and turned it down
She lit a cigarette
She didn't make a sound
"And I know if we'd had just one more chance," he said,
"I know-we'd finally hit the big one at last," she said
CHORUS
Instead of another lost weekend
Lost weekend
Another lost weekend
Lost weekend
"Pull over soon," she said, "it's no big deal, you can take any exit that
you happen to f feel is the right one. The right one."
Aas she slowly blew her somke out the rear wind vent
She thought back on all the letters she'd sent
For a contest to be on a quiz game show
"Maybe I shoulda stayed in school," he said.
"Yeah, I know-start your own business cleaning swimming pools," she said
CHORUS
She leaned forward over the front seat
And twiddled with the radio dial
She looked out the window
Sw a sign and both of them began to smile
a crowd came in and sat down
and then a man began to yell
about savin' souls to heaven
and for the sinner there was hell
well later on that night
in a motel room down the road
he kept his meeting for a cat-o-nine beating
from a leather-clad man named moe
an honest man
we're looking for the last honest man
an honest man
keep searching for the last honest man
there's a man that moves the masses
on a big city radio dial
he shouts and screams at all he's seen
runs a talk show like a trial
and there's a bartender keeping secrets
about a boxer that took a dive
and in an office way uptown a deal is going down
that could get somebody four to five
an honest man
we're looking for the last honest man
an honest man
keep searching for the last honest man
now we'll keep looking high and low
and we'll keep searching 'round
is everybody, everyone, dishonest in this town?
well, they'll stab you in the back
you get a handshake and a smile
but if one don't get ya, the other one will
and ya gotta walk that mile
an honest man
we're looking for the last honest man
an honest man
Water is crashin'
On the rocks down below
A side window rolls down
On an El Dorado
Hear the hush of the voices
There's a flash from inside
And nobody bothers to conceal
What they cannot hide
Chorus:
So if you see the gumbo man
Tell him now he's gotta change his plan
Stir it left and stir it right
Eat it up until it's gone from sight
From the top of a lighthouse
A beacon shone out
I draw a map to remember
What nobody found out
I woke up in the morning
Stared in the glass
I took a walk down the street
And saw you comin' past
Chorus repeat x2
There's a worry on the burner
A cold wind rushin' in
And nobody did get out
But somebody did get in
I hear a creak on the stairway
Outside the door
Blue metal voices
Are beggin' for more
Look them in the eye
To show them you're brave
But no one but me
Knows you're just a slave
To this part in the play
You never mean what you say
You come on so strong
You run with the hunt
Don't know what's behind you
Don't show what's in front2
Sometimes you do it to show
To someone you don't know
Like a bird on a limb
Starin' down at its toes
No song he could sing
No his voice––it just froze
And the fear that you keep
Is bottled up there inside
Chorus:
And I see right through you
Right on through
But I know you see right through me too
You put on a good show
Act so in control
But you're laughin' too loud
At a joke no one told
You're not what you appear
You're just a ghost in the mirror
Sometimes what you say––
Yeah, you do for effect
You wanna show someone power
You wanna get some respect
But most times you don't know
Nothin' about it all
Chorus repeat
I'm chippin' the rock
But it's dark in the mine
Don't look away now
You drive me outta my mind
But I try to act sure
I try to endure
The things that I wanted
So much outta you
A feelin' to share
A love that was true
Or maybe I just made it up
Well, I been breakin' rocks
Up on coolie number three
I know it's been forever
Thought you'd never hear from me
The weather here is rotten
Rainin' granite all the time
And both moons are glowin' purple
And there is no sun to shine
I keep diggin' deep down in a tunnel that goes
Twenty miles down
And I know my life is cheap
When I hear that rumblin' sound
Oh, the overlords
Got me workin' overtime
Oh, the overlords
No, they never make it rhyme
And there is somethin' in the air
That is burnin' in my throat
A big black cloud is passin'
Droppin' acid on my coat
Oh, the overlords
Got me workin' overtime
It's been ten years and a day
After World War Nine
They pushed us to make meaning
And from the meaning was our crime
Last night I had a dream––
When the guards all fell asleep
Oh, I jumped a fence outside this pen
And then I hot wired up the warden's jeep
And then I took a walk...
Chorus repeat
I still remember all the nights
We had together up on Mars
We both stood in line to get some new tattoos
While the kids got cut some scars
When they check the beds tonight
I'll leave a note scratched in the pine:
"You now can seek me underground
Where I'll be monkey-wrenchin' all the time"
Chorus repeat
From a planet out in space
A signal you could trace
Controlling what you feel
But you never see their face
Oh, the overlords
Got me workin' overtime
Oh, the overlords
Oh, the overlords
Oh, the overlords
Oh, the overlords
Yeah, the overlords
Now, I've been travelin' long and hard
And all over this big land
And I've got somethin' here in my bag
For every woman and man
And nowhere is too far
'Cause I cover a pretty wide base
From way down south to way up north
I'll shake hands with any friendly face
Chorus:
Salesman, salesman
Why don't you sell me somethin'
Salesman, salesman
Why don't you sell me somethin'
Now I've got a box in my hand
And I'm gonna travel that land
I'm a salesman for hire
And I never get tired
So just plug it in and it'll work
Don't worry about it breakin'
It's factory made and guaranteed
And we're not fakin'
Chorus repeat
Now, I keep bangin' on my case
And smilin' broad and make the deal
But sometimes my feet begin to shake
Like I'm slippin' on a banana peel
Stan slips about
And I've been everywhere around this world
I fly on the edge of the ball
I keep the numbers all up here
I just read the map and steer, that's all
Chorus repeat
Now I'll never give up this way of life
This life has called me to
I've gotta get to New Orleans by noon
If I can only find my shoe
'Cause I'm a salesman! Pleased to meetcha!
And I've seen the dirt and dust
Of a hundred towns like this
I just work my way on through
Sometimes it's just hit and miss
And I got a little something here in my bag
To help me burn the leaves
But I gotta watch it close this time
I know, because nothin' comes for free
No, nothin' comes for free
I know a little girl in Idaho
I guess I'll look her up now in a week or so
She was always good for a drink and a laugh
And what the traffic would allow
Chorus repeat
Everybody wants a real deal, everybody wants a real deal