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Total ratings: 3457
Length: 4:33
Plays (last 30 days): 2
She had a thirst for knowledge.
She studied sculpture at Saint Martin's College.
That's where I caught her eye.
She told me that her Dad was loaded.
I said, in that case I'll have a rum and coca-cola.
She said fine, and in thirty seconds time she said,
I want to live like common people.
I want to do whatever common people do.
I want to sleep with common people.
I want to sleep with common people, like you.
Well, what else could I do?
I said, I'll see what I can do.
I took her to a supermarket.
I don't know why, but I had to
Start it somewhere, so it started there.
I said, pretend you've got no money.
She just laughed, and said
Oh you're so funny. I said, yeah?
Well, I can't see anyone else smiling in here.
Are you sure you want to live like common people?
You want to see whatever common people see?
You want to sleep with common people?
You want to sleep with common people, like me?
But, she didn't understand,
(Jackson)
She just smiled and held my hand.
Rent a flat above a shop.
Cut your hair and get a job.
Smoke some fags and play some pool.
Pretend you never went to school.
But still, you'll never get it right.
When you're lying in bed at night
Watching roaches climb the wall,
If you called your Dad he could stop it all.
Yeah.
(Shatner)
You'll never live like common people
You'll never do whatever common people do.
You'll never fail like common people.
You'll never watch your life slide out of view,
And dance and drink and screw
(Jackson and Shatner)
Because there's nothing else to do.
(Shatner and Chorus)
Sing along with the common people.
Sing along, and it might just get you thru.'
(Chorus)
Laugh along with the common people.
(Shatner and Chorus)
Laugh along, even though they're laughing at you
(Shatner)
And the stupid things that you do
'cause you think that poor is cool.
(Jackson)
Like a dog lying in a corner,
They'll bite you and never warn you.
Look out.
(Shatner)
They'll tear your insides out
'cause everybody hates a tourist.
(Jackson)
'Cause Everybody hates a tourist,
Especially one who thinks
It's all such a laugh.
(Shatner)
Yeah, and the chip stains' grease
Will come out in the bath.
(Shatner and Jackson)
You will never understand
How it feels to live your life
With no meaning or control
And with nowhere left to go.
You're amazed that they exist
And they burn so bright,
While you can only wonder why.
Rent a flat above a shop.
Cut your hair and get a job.
Smoke some fags and play some pool.
Pretend you never went to school.
But still, you'll never get it right.
'Cause When you're lying in bed at night
(Shatner)
Watching roaches climb the wall,
If you called your Dad he could stop it all.
Yeah.
You'll never live like common people
(Shatner and Jackson)
You'll never do what common people do.
You'll never fail like common people.
You'll never watch your life slide out of view
And dance and drink and screw
Because there's nothing else to do.
(Chorus)
I want to sing with common people, like you.
I want to sing with common people, like you.
I want to sing with common people, like you.
Laughing and singing....
"I want to sing with common people, like you."
No thanks... those klaxon sounds on the chorus just ruin it.
Honestly, I can't stand Shatner. He's not only a dreadful actor and a worse singer, he's a pompous egomaniac neoconservative asshole who is despised by everyone he's ever worked with, and for good reason.
... and I love this song. Just love it. Easy 9 for me. I put it up to the genius of Ben Folds for figuring out that Shat's flat spoken-word delivery complements perfectly Joe Jackson's postpunk screaming. This came out better than the original by a long mile.
Fuck you, Bill Shatner. Fuck you for making something that I can't live without. God damn it, Bill.
THANK YOU for this comment! :-)
Forget about what should be the norm in music, forget about Shatner's personality, forget about how people should approach when doing covers - just dive in and enjoy the quirkiness of this piece.
(pretend you've never heard the original)
I gave it a 9 just because it's o much fun (I'd give it a 10 but OK I'll restrain myself - but if I had 2 or 3 beers this would be a 10).
Woooooo! Go Shatner!
... and I love this song. Just love it. Easy 9 for me. I put it up to the genius of Ben Folds for figuring out that Shat's flat spoken-word delivery complements perfectly Joe Jackson's postpunk screaming. This came out better than the original by a long mile.
Fuck you, Bill Shatner. Fuck you for making something that I can't live without. God damn it, Bill.

Lol, It was a Pulp hit, Jarvis Cocker is from Sheffield and sounds like a real Yorkshireman. You're just down the road and must live in a rough part of Nottingham if you think he sounded like a southerner.

They are quite good lyrics- good narrative, but I'm not sure what Nickelback has to do with it.
Couldn't agree more.
I also couldn't agree more....the Shat makes me laugh so much, yet there's a definite artistic quality to his "singing" that I find I want to hear this track (and a few others) more often than not...still leaving my rating at 8....maybe one day I'll go 8→9....
Long Live RP!!
Couldn't agree more.
I'd never listened to it before this version.
Very astute lyrics.
In 2011, Jarvis Cocker praised the cover version: "I was very flattered by that because I was a massive Star Trek fan as a kid and so you know, Captain Kirk is singing my song! So that was amazing."

No argument this is pretty weird, but somehow I like it.
Everybody in my hotel room is so happy to see you, ambrebalte! We love this marvelous song... we be dancing like bowlegged gypsy muleskinners... love Radio Paradise...
DONNY CRANE !
Captain Kirk is climbing a mountain
Why?
Because he loves that mountain.
He wants to make love....to the mountain.
The stupid things that you do, cause you think that poor is cool.
I disagree completely. I think JJ’s vocal adds a sense of urgency and a healthy juxtaposition. This weird remake just works for me.

It's been a long while since the last time I've danced in your hotel room Lazarus Romeo, it's a pleasure to meet you again.
Correction, this IS PSD to the rescue.
KHAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!!!!!
Live, love and stay Wild my friends
Masterful
And The Shat!

KHAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!!!!!
Live, love and stay Wild my friends
Agree...don't know why it's so catchy. Maybe because it’s kitschy…
Yeah, it's kitschy, but it's got a lot of fun, frenetic energy too. The production is great and given the content of the lyrics, Shatner's delivery seems much more convincing and angry than the original.
Good for him.
William Shatner has had his share of tragedy too. His wife died in a pool accident and he was accused of killing her.
Good for him.
So damn weird...
Agree...don't know why it's so catchy. Maybe because it’s kitschy…

It's called hip hop music. Rap is the name for the style of vocalization. If you're going to burn down an entire genre of music you should at least know what what it's called.
Who cares really :)
It's called hip hop music. Rap is the name for the style of vocalization. If you're going to burn down an entire genre of music you should at least know what what it's called.
Ben folds and joe Jackson should get more credit for a fantastic arrangement.
So damn weird...
Hear! Hear!
Definitely not true. A cover can be that, or it can be telling someone's story with your own twist, your own voice, or hell - sometimes just exactly the same way they did it, because why not?
Art is meant to be shared, and that is not limited to consumption; it's participation, in a glorified and complex form. Covers are beautiful, even when they kind of suck like this one.
Its a 10 if it is on rarely and then it is like a really rich chocolate cake that you saver that once or twice a year.
The original was great, but had a petulant and moody tone.
Ben Folks added anger, reimagining it as something closer to punk. Using Shatner was just the MacGuffin that got people to listen to it, and think about it. Folks used Shatner to present the a bitter and less ironic version of the original's sarcasm, and Joe Jackson to provide the anger that was implied by the original, but maybe ignored because Cocker was, after all, attending an elite art college and wasn't as unprivileged as the song's imagery asserts.
It's a brilliant re-telling of the story.
It is true, Radio Paradise is not for those with a narrow view of what constitutes music.
...and still living life to the fullest.
She came from Greece - but is this the woman from Common People?
"...one Greek newspaper thinks it has worked out her identity - it says she is the wife of the Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis."