Joe Henry — Stop
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Length: 4:38
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Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup
They slither wildly as they slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my opened mind
Possessing and caressing me
Jai guru deva, om
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes
They call me on and on across the universe
Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letterbox they
They tumble blindly as they make their way across the universe
Jai guru deva, om
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Sounds of laughter shades of life are ringing
Through my open ears inciting and inviting me
Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns
It calls me on and on across the universe
Jai guru deva, om
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Jai guru deva
Jai guru deva
Jai guru deva
Jai guru deva
Jai guru deva
Jai guru deva
Two, one-two-three-four!
Ev'rybody's talking 'bout
Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism, Ragism, Tagism
This-ism, that-ism, is-m, is-m, is-m
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
Hit it
C'mon, ev'rybody's talking about
Ministers, sinisters, banisters and canisters
Bishops and Fishops and Rabbis and Popeyes and bye-bye, bye-byes
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
Let me tell you now
Ev'rybody's talking 'bout
Revolution, evolution, masturbation, flagellation, regulation, integrations
Meditations, United Nations, congratulations
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
Ev'rybody's talking 'bout
John and Yoko, Timmy Leary, Rosemary, Tommy Smothers, Bobby Dylan, Tommy Cooper
Derek Taylor, Norman Mailer, Alan Ginsberg, Hare Krishna, Hare, Hare Krishna
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
Heaven on earth
We need it now
I'm sick of all of this
Hanging around
Sick of sorrow
Sick of the pain
And sick of hearing again and again
That there's gonna be
Peace on earth
Where I grew up
There weren't many trees
Where there was we'd tear them down
And use them on our enemies
They say that what you mock
Will surely overtake you
And you become a monster
So the monster will not break you
And it's already gone too far
Who said that if you go in hard
You won't get hurt?
Jesus can you take the time
To throw a drowning man a line?
Peace on earth
Tell the ones who hear no sound
Whose sons are living in the ground
Peace on earth
No who's or why's
No one cries like a mother cries
For peace on earth
She never got to say goodbye
To see the colour in his eyes
Now he's in the dirt
Peace on earth
They're reading names out over the radio
All the folks the rest of us won't get to know
Seán And Julia Gareth, Ann and Breda
Their lives are bigger than any big idea
Jesus can you take the time
To throw a drowning man a line?
Peace on earth
To tell the ones who hear no sound
Whose sons are living in the ground
Peace on earth
Jesus in this song you wrote
The words are sticking in my throat
Peace on earth
Hear it every Christmas time
But hope and history won't rhyme
So what's it worth?
This peace on earth
Peace on earth
Peace on earth
Peace on earth
When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be
Let it be, let it be
A-let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be
And when the broken-hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will be an answer
Let it be
For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer
Let it be
Let it be, let it be
A-let it be, let it be
Yeah, there will be an answer
Let it be
Let it be, let it be
A-let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be
Let it be, let it be
A-let it be, yeah, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be
And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow
Let it be
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be-e
Yeah, let it be, let it be
Let it be, yeah, let it be
Oh, there will be an answer
Let it be-e
Let it be, let it be
A-let it be, yeah, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be
We livin' in a mean time and an aggressive time
a painful time, a time where cynicism rots to the vine
in a time where violence blocks the summer shine
lifetimes, go by in a flash
in search for love, in search for cash
everybody wanna be some fat tycoon
everybody wanna be on a tropic honeymoon
nobody wanna sing a little bit out of tune
or be the backbone of a rebel platoon
it's too soon to step out of line
you might get laughed at you might get fined
but do you feel me when I say I feel pain everyday
when I see the way my friends gotta slave
and never get ahead of bills they gotta pay
no way no way!
some make a living doing killilng Colombian penicillin
some are willing to play the villain they just chillin'
to pass the time, pass the information
or pass the wine
pass the buck or pass the baton
but you can't pass the police or the pentagon
the I.R.S. or the upper echelon
I think it's time to make a move on the contradiction
Bam-Bam, rock the nation
take over television and radio station
Bam-Bam the truth shall come
give the corporation some complication!
This is the dawning of our time I say it one more time
to emphasize the meaning of my rhyme
to rise above all the dirt and grime
add the right spice at the right time
fuck the constitution
are we part of the solution or are we part of the pollution
sittin' by and wonderin' why,
things ain't the way we like to find them to be, to be
for you and for me the people over there and the ones in between
check our habitation are we a peace lovin' nation
peace lovin' nation
I have a reasonable doubt I think I'll just spell it out
there's no need to scream or to shout
the N.R.A. just bought a man's soul
then he jumps up and shouts gun control
the government says that killin's a sin
unless you kill a murderer with a lethal syringe
so I ask again "are we peace lover's then"
some of them slang guns when they six years old
some of them end up in some six foot hole
this whole damn place seems to, lost control
so I raise my voice before I lose my soul
Bam-Bam, rock the nation
take over television and radio station
Bam-Bam the truth shall come
give the corporation some complication!
Bam-Bam, rock the nation
take over television and radio station
Bam-Bam the truth shall come
give the corporation some complication!
Radio Ragga Mike!
This is the way I'll express my feelings
vibe revealed and revolved spinnin on a record y'all
try to confiscate take what I communicate with
it's ancient gift of the lip steady creating
activating passin vocal vibrations to the blind plus the seeing
human doesn't mean just being
be coming don't believe it just belife it
belongings or beloved rehearse it or recite it
while shining drop your guns and move your tongues
battle motivation in no time lyrics come
sometimes fun others run their mouth or away
my mind co beaming like an early sunray
one day we'll get the picture and all combine
less the talking bout mines is mine and become one mind
every piece of the puzzle has its place
to build the piece of the puzzle called the human race
Taking it long enough we crush the formal journalistic
dyslexic critters talk backwards to rap words
I'm sure raising my hands with questions and demands
statements and a plan with a map of the land
Bam-Bam, rock the nation
take over television and radio station
Bam-Bam the truth shall come
give the corporation some complication!
Photographs of fancy tricks
To get your kicks at sixty-six
He thinks of all the lips that he licks
And all the girls that he's goin' to fix
She gave a little flirt, gave herself a little cuddle
But there's no place here for the mini-skirt waddle
Capital punishment, she's last year's model
They call her Natasha when she looks like Elsie
I don't want to go to Chelsea
Oh no, it does not move me
Even though I've seen the movie
I don't want to check your pulse
I don't want nobody else
I don't want to go to Chelsea
Everybody's got new orders
Be a nice girl and kiss the warders
Now the teacher is away
All the kids begin to play
Men come screaming, dressed in white coats
Shake you very gently by the throat
One's named Gus, one's named Alfie
I don't want to go to Chelsea
Oh no, it does not move me
Even though I've seen the movie
I don't want to check your pulse
I don't want nobody else
I don't want to go to Chelsea
Photographs of fancy tricks
To get your kicks at sixty-six
He thinks of all the lips that he licks
And all the girls that he's goin' to fix
She gave a little flirt, gave herself a little cuddle
But there's no place here for the mini-skirt waddle
Capital punishment, she's last year's model
They call her Natasha when she looks like Elsie
I don't want to go to Chelsea
Oh no, it does not move me
Even though I've seen the movie
I don't want to check your pulse
I don't want nobody else
I don't want to go to Chelsea
Ridin' down the highway
Goin' to a show
Stop in all the byways
Playin' rock 'n' roll
Gettin' robbed
Gettin' stoned
Gettin' beat up
Broken-boned
Gettin' had
Gettin' took
I tell you, folks
It's harder than it looks
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll
If you think it's easy doin' one night stands
Try playin' in a rock roll band
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll
Hotel, motel
Make you wanna cry
Ladies do the hard sell
Know the reason why
Gettin' old
Gettin' grey
Gettin' ripped off
Underpaid
Gettin' sold
Second hand
That's how it goes
Playin' in a band
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll
If you wanna be a star of stage and screen
Look out, it's rough and mean
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll
Well it's a long way
Well it's a long way, you should've told me
It's a long way
Such a long way
I would die for you
I would die for you
I've been dying just to feel you by my side
To know that you're mine
I will cry for you
I will cry for you
I will wash away your pain with all my tears
And drown your fear
I will pray for you
I will pray for you
I will sell my soul for something pure and true
Someone like you
See your face every place that I walk in
Hear your voice every time that I'm talking
You will believe in me
And I will never be ignored
I will burn for you
Feel pain for you
I will twist a knife and bleed my aching heart
And tear it apart
I will lie for you
Beg and steal for you
I will crawl on hands and knees until you see
You're just like me
Violate all the love that I'm missing
Throw away all the pain that I'm living
You will believe in me
And I can never be ignored
I would die for you
I would kill for you
I would steal for you
I'd do time for you
I will wait for you
I'd make room for you
I'd sail ships for you
To be close to you
To be part of you
'Cause I believe in you
I believe in you
I would die for you
Ooh it's so good, it's so good
It's so good, it's so good
It's so good
Ooh I'm in love, I'm in love
I'm in love, I'm in love
I'm in love
Ooh I feel love, I feel love
I feel love, I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
Ooh fall and free, fall and free
Fall and free, fall and free
Fall and free
Ooh you and me, you and me
You and me, you and me
You and me
Ooh I feel love, I feel love
I feel love, I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
Ooh, I got you, I got you
I got you, I got you
I got you
Ooh, What you do, what you do
What you do, what you do
What you do
Ooh, I feel love, I feel love
I feel love, I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
With one light on in one room
I know you're up when I get home
With one small step upon the stair
I know your look when I get there
If you were a king up there on your throne
Would you be wise enough to let me go?
For this queen you think you own
Wants to be a hunter again
I want to see the world alone again
To take a chance on life again
So let me go
The unread book and painful look
The TV's on, the sound is down
One long pause, then you begin
Oh, look what the cat's brought in
If you were a king up there on your throne
Would you be wise enough to let me go?
For this queen you think you own
Wants to be a hunter again
I want to see the world alone again
To take a chance on life again
So let me go, let me leave
For the crown you've placed upon my head feels too heavy now
And I don't know what to say to you, but I'll smile anyhow
And all the time I'm thinking, thinking
I want to be a hunter again
I want to see the world alone again
To take a chance on life again
So let me go
I want to be a hunter again
I want to see the world alone again
To take a chance on life again
So let me go, let me leave
Let me go
It's the dark night of my soul
And temptation's taking hold
But through the pain and the suffering
Through the heartache and trembling
I feel loved
I feel loved
As the darkness closes in
In my head, I hear whispering
Questioning and beckoning
But I'm not taken in
I feel loved
I feel loved
I feel loved
From the depths of my emptiness
Comes a feeling of inner bliss
I feel wanted, I feel desired
I can feel my soul on fire
I feel loved
I feel loved
I feel loved
I feel loved
I feel loved
I feel loved
I feel loved
I feel loved
I feel loved
I feel loved
Can you feel a little love?
As your bony fingers close around me
Long and spindly death becomes me
Heaven, can you see what I see?
Hey, you pale and sickly child
You're death and living reconciled
Been walking home a crooked mile
Paying debt to karma you party for a living
What you take won't kill you
But careful what you're giving
Mmm
There's no time for hesitating
Pain is ready, pain is waiting
Primed to do it's educating
Unwanted, uninvited kin
It creeps beneath your crawling skin
It lives without it lives within you
Feel the fever coming, you're shaking and twitching
You can scratch all over
But that won't stop you itching
Can you feel a little love?
Can you feel a little love?
Dream on, dream on
Mmm, mmm, mmm
Blame it on your karmic curse
Or shame upon the universe
It knows its lines, it's well rehearsed
It sucked you in, it dragged you down
To where there is no hallow ground
Where holiness is never found
Paying debt to karma you party for a living
What you take won't kill you
But careful what you're giving
Can you feel a little love?
Can you feel a little love?
Dream on, dream on
Can you feel a little love?
Can you feel a little love?
Dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on
Hey man, take a look out the window 'n' see what's happ'nin'
Hey man, it's rainin'
It's rainin' outside man
Aw, don't worry 'bout that
Everything's gonna be everything
We'll get into somethin' real nice you know
Sit back and groove on a rainy day
Yeah
Yeah I see what you mean brother, lay back and groove.
Rainy day, dream away
Ah let the sun take a holiday
Flowers bathe an' ah see the children play
Lay back and groove on a rainy day.
Well I can see a bunch of wet creatures, look at them on the run
The carnival traffic noise it sings the tune splashing up 'n'
Even the ducks can groove rain bathin' in the park side pool
And I'm leanin' out my window sill diggin' ev'rything
And ah and you too.
Rainy day, rain all day
Ain't no use in gettin' uptight
Just let it groove its own way
Let it drain your worries away yeah
Lay back and groove on a rainy day hey
Lay back and dream on a rainy day.
Well I don't have as many friends because
I'm not as pretty as I was
I've kicked myself at times because I've lied
So I will have to learn to stand my ground
I'll tell 'em I won't be around
I'll move on over to your town and hide
And you be the Captain
And I'll be no-one
And you can carry me away if you want to
And you can lay low
Just like your father and if
I tread upon your feet you just say so
'cause you're The Captain, I am no-one,
I tend to feel as though I owe one to you
Well I have handed all my efforts in
I searched here for my second wind
Is there somewhere here to let me in I asked
So I slammed the doors they slammed at me
I found the place I'm meant to be
I figured out my destiny at last
Did I forget to thank you for the ride
I hadn't tried I tend to runaway and hide
Must have been mid afternoon
I could tell by how far the child's shadow stretched out
And he walked with a purpose in his sneakers down the street
He had many questions like children often do
He said, "Tell me all your thoughts on God
Tell me, am I very far?"
Must have been late afternoon
On our way the sun broke free of the clouds
And we count only blue cars, skip the cracks in the street
And ask many questions like children often do
We said, "Tell me all your thoughts on God
'Cause I'd really like to meet her
And ask her why we're who we are"
Tell me all your thoughts on God
'Cause I'm on my way to see her
So tell me am I very far, am I very far now?
It's getting cold picked up the pace
How our shoes make hard noises in this place
Our clothes are stained
We pass many cross-eyed people
And ask many questions like children often do
Tell me all your thoughts on God
'Cause I'd really like to meet her
And ask her why we're who we are
Tell me all your thoughts on God
'Cause I'm on my way to see her
So tell me am I very far?
Am I very far now?
Am I very far now?
Am I very far now?
(Tell me all your thoughts on God)
(Tell me all your thoughts on God)
Sometimes I wanna take you down
Sometimes I wanna get you low
Brush your hair back from your eyes
Take you down, let the river flow
Sometimes I'm gonna walk the street
Behind the green sheet of glass
A million miles below their feet
A million miles, a million miles
I'll be with you, girl, like being low
Hey-hey-hey, like being stoned
I'll be with you, girl, like being low
Hey-hey-hey, like being stoned
A million poppies gonna make me sleep
Just one rose, it knows your name
A fruit is rusting on the vine
A fruit is calling from the trees
Hey, don't you wanna go down
Like some junkie cosmonaut?
A million miles below their feet
A million miles, a million miles
I'll be with you, girl, like being low
Hey-hey-hey, like being stoned
I'll be with you, girl, like being low
Hey-hey-hey, like being stoned
Blue, blue is the sun
A brown, brown is the sky
And green, green are her eyes
A million miles, a million miles
Hey, don't you wanna go down
Like some disgraced cosmonaut?
A million miles below their feet
A million miles, a million miles
I'll be with you, girl, like being low
Hey-hey-hey, like being stoned
I'll be with you, girl, like being low
Hey-hey-hey, like being stoned
I'll be with you, girl, like being low
Hey-hey-hey, like being stoned
I'll be with you, girl, like being low
Hey-hey-hey, like being stoned
Centred on silence
Counting on nothing
I saw you standing on the sea
And everything was
Dark except for
Sparks the wind struck from your hair
Sparks that turned to
Wings around you
Angel voices mixed with seabird cries
Fields of motion
Surging outward
Questions that contain their own replies
You were dancing
I saw you dancing
Throwing your arms toward the sky
Fingers opening
Like flares
Stars were shooting everywhere
Lines of power
Bursting outward
Along the channels of your song
Mercury waves flashed
Under your feet
Shots of silver in the shell-pink dawn
Once again she steals away
Then she reaches out to kiss me
And how she takes my breath away
Pretending that she don't miss me
Ooh, I would bleed to love her
Ooh, bleed to love her
Ooh, I would bleed to love her
And once again she calls to me
Then she vanishes in thin air
And how she takes my breath away (breath away)
Pretending that she's not there
Ooh, I would bleed to love her
Ooh, bleed to love her
Ooh, I would bleed to love her
Somebody's got to see this through
All the world is laughing at you
And somebody's got to sacrifice
If this whole thing's going to turn out right
Ooh, I would bleed to love her
Ooh, bleed to love her
Ooh, I would bleed to love her
Bleed to love her
Bleed to love her
Eurus
Afer Ventus
So the world goes round and round
With all you ever knew
They say the sky high above
Is Caribbean blue?
If every man says all he can
If every man is true
Do I believe the sky above
Is Caribbean blue?
Boreas
Zephyrus
If all you told was turned to gold
If all you dreamed was new
Imagine sky high above
In Caribbean blue
Eurus
Afer Ventus
Boreas
Zephyrus
Africus
If you can play on fiddle
How's about a British jig and reel?
Speaking King's English in quotation
As railhead towns feel the steel mills rust
Water froze
In the generation
Clear as winter ice
This is your paradise
There ain't no need for ya
There ain't no need for ya
Go straight to hell, boys
Go straight to hell, boys
Wanna join in a chorus of the Amerasian blues
When it's Christmas out in Ho Chi Minh City
Kiddie say, papa papa papa papa papa-san, take me home
See me, got photo, photo, photograph of you
And mama, mama, mama-san
Of you and mama mama mama-san
Let me tell ya 'bout your blood bamboo, kid
It ain't Coca-Cola, it's rice
Straight to hell, boy
Go straight to hell, boy
Go straight to hell, boys
Go straight to hell, boy
Oh, papa-san, please take me home
Oh papa-san, everybody, they wanna go home
So mama-san says
"You wanna play mind-crazed banjo
On the druggy-drag ragtime USA?
In Parkland International, hah, Junkiedom USA
Where Procaine proves the purest rock man groove and rat poison"
The volatile Molatov says
"Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh
Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, straight to hell"
Can you cough it up, loud and strong?
The immigrants, they wanna sing all night long
It could be anywhere, most likely could be any frontier
Any hemisphere
No man's land
There ain't no asylum here
King Solomon, he never lived 'round here
Straight to hell, boy
Go straight to hell, boy
Go straight to hell, boys
Go straight to hell, boys
Oh, papa-san, please take me home
Oh papa-san, everybody, they wanna go home now
Watcher of the skies, watcher of all
His is a world alone, no world is his own
He whom life can no longer surprise
Raising his eyes, beholds a planet unknown
Creatures shaped this planet's soil
Now their reign has come to end
Has life again destroyed life?
Do they play elsewhere?
Do they know more than their childhood games?
Judge not this race by empty remains
Do you judge God by his creatures
When they are dead?
For now, the lizard's shed its tail
This is the end of man's long union with Earth
From life alone to life as one
Think not now your journey's done
For though your ship be sturdy
No mercy has the sea
Will you survive on the ocean of being?
Come ancient children, hear what I say
This is my parting counsel for you on your way
Sadly now, your thoughts turn to the stars
Where we've gone
You know you never can go
Watcher of the skies, watcher of all
This is your fate alone, this fate is your own
On your own, your own
On your own, your own
Take me to another place, she said
Take me to another time
Run with me across the oceans
Float me on a silver cloud
If I could I would, but I don't know how
If I could I would, but I don't know how
If I could I would and I'd take you now
Stay with me till time turns over
I want to feel my feet leave the ground
Take me where the whispering breezes
Can lift me up and spin me around
If I could I would, but I don't know how
If I could I would, but I don't know how
If I could I would and I'd take you now
Hear you laughing as we go
Flipping backward through the doors and through the windows
I'm melting into nothing
If I could I would, but I don't know how
If I could I would, but I don't know how
If I could I would and I'd take you now
And if there's someone you can live without, then do so
And if there's someone you can just shove out, go do so
You can be my Yoko Ono
You can follow me wherever I go
Be my, be my
Be my, be my Yoko Ono
Isn't it beautiful to see two people so much in love?
Barenaked as two virgins hand in hand and hand and hand in glove
But now that I'm far away it doesn't seem to me to be such a pain
To have you hanging off my ankle like some kind of ball and chain
(If you like) You can be my Yoko Ono
You can follow me wherever I go
Be my, be my
Be my, be my Yoko Ono
(Be my Yoko) Oh, no, here we go
Our life is one big pun
Oh, no, here we go as Yoko sings
Aieee!
I know that when I say this, I may be stepping on pins and needles
But I don't like all these people slagging her for breaking up the Beatles
(Don't blame it on Yokey) I mean, if I was John and you were Yoko I would gladly give up musical genius
Just to have you as my very own personal Venus
(Hit it) You can be my Yoko Ono
You can follow me wherever I go
Be my, be my
Be my, be my Yoko Ono
Be my, be my, be my, be my, be my Yoko Ono
Be my, be my, be my, be my, be my Yoko Ono
Be my, be my, be my, be my, be my Yoko Ono
coming of age during the plague
of reagan and bush
watching capitalism gun down democracy
it had this funny effect on me
I guess
I am cancer
I am HIV
and I am down at the blue jesus
blue cross hospital
just lookin' up from my pillow
feeling blessed
and the mighty multinationals
have monopolized the oxygen
so it's as easy as breathing
for us all to participate
yes they're buying and selling
off shares of air
and you know it's all around you
but it's hard to point and say "there"
so you just sit on your hands
and quietly contemplate
your next bold move
the next thing you're gonna have to prove
to yourself
what a waste of thumbs that are opposable
to make machines that are disposable
and sell them to seagulls flying in circles
around one big right wing
yes, the left wing was broken long ago
by the slingshot of cointelpro
and now it's so hard to have faith in
anything
especially your next bold move
or the next thing you're gonna need to prove
to yourself
you want to track each trickle
back to its source
and then scream up the faucet
'til your face is hoarse
cuz you're surrounded by a world's worth
of things you just can't excuse
but you've got the hard cough of a chain smoker
and you're at the arctic circle playing strip poker
and it's getting colder and colder
everytime you lose
so go ahead
make your next bold move
tell us
what's the next thing you're gonna have to prove
to yourself
the sky is grey
the sand is grey
and the ocean is grey
and i feel right at home
in this stunning monochrome
alone in my way
i smoke and i drink
and every time i blink
i have a tiny dream
but as bad as i am
i'm proud of the fact
that i'm worse than i seem
what kind of paradise am i looking for?
i've got everything i want and still i want more
maybe some tiny shiny key
will wash up on the shore
you walk through my walls
like a ghost on tv
you penetrate me
and my little pink heart
is on its little brown raft
floating out to sea
and what can i say
but i'm wired this way
and you're wired to me
and what can i do
but wallow in you
unintentionally
what kind of paradise am i looking for?
i've got everything i want and still i want more
maybe some tiny shiny key
will wash up on the shore
regretfully
i guess i've only got three
simple things to say:
why me?
why this now?
why this way?
with overtones ringing
and undertows pulling away
under a sky that is grey
on sand that is grey
by an ocean that's grey
what kind of paradise am i looking for?
i've got everything i want
and still i want more
maybe some tiny shiny key
will wash up on the shore
I see your shadow on the street now
I hear you push through the rusty gate
Click of your heels on the concrete
Waiting for a knock coming way too late
It seems an age since I've seen ya
Count down as the weeks trickle into days
So you come in and put your bags down
I know there's something in the air
How can I do this to you right now?
You're over there when I need you here
My happiness
Is slowly creeping back now you're at home
If it ever starts sinking in
It must be when you pack up and go
It seems an age since I've seen ya
Count down as the weeks trickle into days
I hope that time hasn't changed ya
All I really want is for you to stay
So you come in and put your bags down
I notice something in the air
How can I do this to you right now?
You're over there when I need you here
My happiness
Is slowly creeping back now you're at home
If it ever starts sinking in
It must be when you pack up and go
But I know, I know, I know, what is inside
Yeah, I know, I know, I know, what is inside
Yeah, I know, I know, I know, what is inside
I know, I know, I know, what is inside
You're over there when I need you here
My happiness
Is slowly creeping back now you're at home
If it ever starts sinking in
It must be when you pack up and go
My happiness
Is slowly creeping back now you're at home
If it ever starts sinking in
It must be when you pack up and go
Space Oddity
Ground Control to Major Tom
Ground Control to Major Tom
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
Ground Control to Major Tom
Commencing countdown, engines on
Check ignition and may God's love be with you
(spoken)
Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One, Liftoff
This is Ground Control to Major Tom
You've really made the grade
And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear
Now it's time to leave the capsule if you dare
"This is Major Tom to Ground Control
I'm stepping through the door
And I'm floating in a most peculiar way
And the stars look very different today
For here
Am I sitting in a tin can
Far above the world
Planet Earth is blue
And there's nothing I can do
Though I'm past one hundred thousand miles
I'm feeling very still And I think my spaceship knows which way to go
Tell my wife I love her very much she knows"
Ground Control to Major Tom
Your circuit's dead, there's something wrong
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you...
"Here am I floating round my tin can
Far above the Moon
Planet Earth is blue
And there's nothing I can do."
Crimson autograph is what we leave behind
Everywhere man set foot.
War mongers laughing loud behind a painted face
Throwing titbits to the crowd then blowing up the place.
Hey Lord don't ask me questions, Hey Lord don't ask me questions
Hey Lord don't ask me questions please!
Hey Lord don't ask me questions, Hey Lord don't ask me questions
Hey Lord ain't no answer in me. (Solo)
Well I stand up for liberty but can't liberate
Pent up agony I see you take first place.
Well who does this treachery I shout with bleeding hand
Is it you or is it me well I never will understand.
Hey Lord don't ask me questions, Hey Lord don't ask me questions
Hey Lord don't ask me questions please!
Hey Lord don't ask me questions, Hey Lord don't ask me questions
Hey Lord ain't no answer in me. (Solo)
Well I see the thousands screaming rushing for the cliffs
Just like lemmings into the sea, Well well well
Who waves his mighty hand and breaks the precious rules?
Well the same one must understand who wasted all these fools.
Hey Lord don't ask me questions, Hey Lord don't ask me questions
Hey Lord don't ask me questions please!
Hey Lord don't ask me questions, Hey Lord don't ask me questions
Hey Lord ain't no answer in me. (Solo)
Ain't no answer in me no, Ain't no answer in me
Fade on Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh
I can't help my feelings, I'll go out of my mind
These players come to get me 'cause they'd like my behind
I can't love my business if I can't get a trick
Down on Santa Monica where tricks are for kids
Oh, come on and kick me
Oh, come on and kick me
(Whoa) Come on and kick me
You've got your problems (Whoa)
I've got my eyes wide (Whoa)
You've got your big G's
I've got my hash pipe
I can't help my boogies, they get out of control
I know that you don't care, but I want you to know
The knee-stocking flavor is a favorite treat
Of men that don't bother with the taste of a teat
Oh, come on and kick me
Oh, come on and kick me
(Whoa) Come on and kick me
You've got your problems (Whoa)
I've got my eyes wide (Whoa)
You've got your big G's
I've got my hash pipe
I've got my hash pipe
Oh, come on and kick me
Oh, come on and kick me
(Whoa) Come on and kick me
You've got your problems (Whoa)
I've got my eyes wide (Whoa)
You've got your big G's
I've got my hash pipe
I've got my hash pipe
I've got my hash pipe
I've got my hash pipe
There's a smart young woman on a light blue screen
Who comes into my house every night.
And she takes all the red, yellow, orange and green
And she turns them into black and white.
But you tease, and you flirt
And you shine all the buttons on your green shirt
You can please yourself but somebody's gonna get it
Better cut off all identifying labels
Before they put you on the torture table
'Cause somewhere in the "Quisling Clinic"
There's a shorthand typist taking seconds over minutes
She's listening in to the Venus line
She's picking out names
I hope none of them are mine
But you tease, and you flirt...
Never said I was a stool pigeon
I never said I was a diplomat
Everybody is under suspicion
But you don't wanna hear about that
'Cause you tease, and you flirt...
Better send a begging letter to the big investigation
Who put these fingerprints on my imagination?
You tease, and you flirt...
You can please yourself but somebody's gonna get it
You can please yourself but somebody's gonna get it
Just outside there waiting
Just outside the circle
Waiting for that finger to point your way
Just keep running, just keep running
New ones quickly burning
Old ones die away
Fires lit to say goodbye or hello
Which way you looking, which way you looking?
Count all wounds that brought you here
Lay your blessings end to end
Rid yourself of all regrets
Because here is where it all begins
A bumbler's game, a cheaters wheel
Where the winner pays the highest cost
You've laid your marker, now watch the ball
Hold your breath, it's about to fall
Just outside there waiting
Just outside the circle
Waiting, there is someone, I don't know who
And I'm so open, I'm so open
I don't sleep most nights
Just lie awake and count my blessings
I'll take this endless life
Of perfect pointless mornings
I'll hold you 'til the morning comes
'Cause it's all that I can do
I'm so open, I'm so open
I don't like these last goodbyes
I don't like goodbyes
Stealing down an ally on a cold dark night
I see a halo in the rain 'round a street light
I stop and look, and listen to the sound
As the raindrops penetrate the silence all around
Alone, I gaze into the glistening street
The distant thunder echoing my heartbeat
Urging me on to a secret goal
Away from the light, from this lamp on a pole
So I turn, slip away into the rain
Drifting like a spirit through the shadows in the lane
Clutching the tools of my trade in my hand
An old box of matches and a gasoline can
Darkness envelopes the scene like a shroud
A veil of emptiness hangs from the clouds
Filling up the cracks in this desolate place
Cradled by the night in an icy embrace
Moving through the town like a ghost in the rain
A dim reflection in a dark windowpane
Blackness beckons from every side
Creeping all around like an incoming tide
A broken window in an empty house
I slip inside and begin to douse
The whole place with the fuel that will feed the fire
And push back the night, taking me higher
On out of the darkness in a deafening roar
The match in my hand is the key to the door
A simple turn of the wrist will suffice
To open a passage to paradise
I pause, I think about the past in the gloom
The smell of gasoline permeates the room
Everyone has a little secret he keeps
I light the fires while the city sleeps
(Like the Fourth of July)
The match makes a graceful arc to the floor
And time stands still as I turn for the door
Which explodes in a fireball and throws me to the street
I hit the ground running with the flames at my feet
Reaching for the night which recoils from the fire
The raindrops hiss like a devilish choir
Dying in the flames with a terrible sound
Calling all the names of the sleepers all around
But dead in the arms of the night they lay
Their dreams sprout wings and fly away
Out of the houses in a gathering flock
Swarming overhead as I hurry down the block
I make my escape with the greatest of ease
And safe in the darkness drop to my knees
At a lightless window, my hand on the latch
I reach in my pocket, and pull out a match
(Like the Fourth of July)
(Like the Fourth of July)
Charades, pop skill
Water hyacinth
Named by a poet
Imitation of life
Like a koi in a frozen pond
Like a goldfish in a bowl
I don't want to hear you cry
That sugarcane that tasted good
That's cinnamon, that's Hollywood
Come on, come on
No one can see you try
You want the greatest thing
The greatest thing since bread came sliced
You've got it all, you've got it sized
Like a Friday fashion show teenager
Freezing in the corner
Trying to look like you don't try
That sugarcane that tasted good
That's cinnamon, that's Hollywood
Come on, come on
No one can see you try
(No one can see you cry)
That sugarcane that tasted good
That's freezing rain, that's what you could
Come on, come on
No one can see you cry
This sugarcane, this lemonade
This hurricane, I'm not afraid
Come on, come on
No one can see me cry
This lightning storm, this tidal wave
This avalanche, I'm not afraid
Come on, come on
No one can see me cry
That sugarcane that tasted good
That's who you are, that's what you could
Come on, come on
No one can see you cry
That sugarcane that tasted good
That's who you are, that's what you could
Come on, come on
No one can see you cry
You don't remember what to say
You don't remember what to do
You don't remember where you've been
And you don't remember who to choose
You wheel
And you steal
But you feel
When you kneel down
Down... down... down
Down... down... down
All the stony people
Walking 'round in christian licorice clothes
Lord, I can't hesitate
I know I can't wait
For Pleasant Street
For Pleasant Street
The sunshine reminds you of concreted skies
You thought you were flying
But you opened your eyes
And you found yourself falling
Back down to yesterday's lies
Hello, Pleasant Street
You know she's back again
You wheel
You steal
You feel
You kneel down
Down... down... down
Down... down... down
All the stony people
Walking 'round in christian licorice clothes
Lord, I can't hesitate
I know I can't wait
For Pleasant Street
My little Pleasant Street
At twilight, your lover comes to your room
He's gonna spin you, darling
He's gonna weave you 'round
All around his emerald loom
Oh, but softly he'll whisper
All around your ear
"Sweet lover
Lord, I love my Pleasant Street
Lord, I wheel
And Lord, I steal
Lord, I feel my way down to kneel"
She grew up with the children of the stars
in the Hollywood hills and the boulevards.
Her parents threw big parties. Everyone was there.
They hung out with folks like Dennis Hopper and Bob Seger and
Sonny and Cher.
She feels safe now in this bar on Fairfax.
And from the stage I can tell that she can't let go and she can't
relax.
And just before she hangs her head to cry,
I sing to her a lullaby
I sing:
(chorus)
Everything's gonna be all right.
Rock-a-bye, rock-a-bye.
Everything's gonna be all right.
Rock-a-bye, rock-a-bye, rock-a-bye.
She still lives with her mom outside the city
down that street about a half a mile.
And all her friends tell her she's so pretty
but she'd be a whole lot prettier if she smiled once in a while.
'Cause even her smile looks like a frown.
She's seen her share of devils in this angel town.
(chorus)
I told her I ain't so sure about this place.
It's hard to play a gig in this town and keep a straight face.
Seems like everybody's got a plan.
It's kind of like Nashville with a tan.
(chorus)
I'd lift my head with each sunrise
If I had a simple soul
When I was weary I'd close my eyes
If I had a simple soul
Not too complicated to shiver when I'm cold
I'd make my home where I am bound
If I had a simple soul, simple soul
I say my prayers and hope to God
And I know he will know
I will break my daily bread
When hunger starts to grow
It doesn't have to be that hard
If it hurts you let it go
What you see is what you are
If you've got a simple soul, simple soul
It might take an alchemist
To turn your dust to gold
But it only takes a child to see
The diamonds in the coal
It's not so easy when a habit takes a hold
I never knew it would be so hard
To keep my simple soul, simple soul
if you ask me
i'll say
yes please
to you today
so don't ask me
cuz i'm weak that way
just don't ask me
o.k.
i'm so glad we got that
straightened away
if you see me
walk by
you better just let me
walk by
you better not
bat your pretty eyes
you better not
stop me to say hi
i got a sweet tooth today
so you better not cut that pie
if you ask me
i'll say
yes please
to you today
so don't ask me
cuz i'm weak that way
just don't ask me
o.k.
Where are you walking, I've seen you walking
Have you been there before?
Walk down your doorsteps, you'll take some more steps
What did you take them for?
There's a private in my boat and he wears
Pins instead of medals on his coat
There's a chicken in my nest and she won't
Lay until I've given her my best
At her request she asks for nothing
You get nothing in return
If you want she brings you water
If you don't then you will burn
You go through changes, it may seem strange
Is this what you're put here for?
You think you're happy and you are happy
That's what you're happy for
There's a man who can't decide if he should
Fight for what his father thinks is right
There are people wearing frowns who'll screw you up
But they would rather screw you down
At my request I ask for nothing
You get nothing in return
If you're nice she'll bring me water
If you're not then I will burn
This is the time and life that I am living
And I'll face each day with a smile
For the time that I've been given's such a little while
And the things that I must do consist of more than style
There are places that I am going
There'll be time for you to start all over
This is the only thing that I am sure of
And that's all that lives is gonna die
And there'll always be some people here to wonder why
And for every happy hello, there will be good-bye
There'll be time for you to put yourself on
Everything I've seen needs rearranging
And for anyone who thinks it's strange
Then you should be the first to want to make this change
And for everyone who thinks that life is just a game
Do you like the part you're playing
I see your picture
It's in the same old frame
We meet again...
You look so lovely
You with the same old smile
Stay for a while...
I need you so, oh, oh, oh, oh
And if you take it easy
I'm still teethin'
I wanna love you, but
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh...
This is the time and life that I am living
And I'll face each day with a smile
For the time that I've been given's such a little while
And the things that I must do consist of more than style
There are places that I am going
There'll be time for you to start all over
This is the time and this is the time and
It is time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time...
At my house I've got no shackles
You can come and look if you want to
In the halls you'll see the mantles
Where the light shines dim all around you
And the streets are paved with gold and if
Someone asks you, you can call my name
You are just a thought that someone
Somewhere somehow feels you should be here
And it's so for real to touch
To smell, to feel, to know where you are here
And the streets are paved with gold and if
Someone asks you, you can call my name
You can call my name
I hear you calling my name yeah all right now
By the time that I'm through singing
The bells from the schools of wars will be ringing
More confusions, blood transfusions
The news today will be the movies for tomorrow
And the water's turned to blood, and if
You don't think so
Go turn on your tub
And it it's mixed with mud
You'll see it turn to gray
And you can call my name
I hear you call my name...
Look at the world through a rose tint lens
I get mine from a poison pen
I've got a negative attitude
And I don't mind
You want to paint the renaissance fair
I want to try to relate to your colourful hair
Is that a negative attitude?
Why be content with the sky
when there's higher to go?
Get off the floor
Help your self to some more
Because it's free to be you
And it's free to be me
and I know
Look at the girl on the bad hair day
Look very close, I think I like what she's trying to say
She's got a negative attitude
Why be content with the sky
when there's higher to go?
Get off the floor
You can dance if you're bored
Because it's free to be you
And it's free to be me
and I know
I heard it on my radio
You want to sleep in an Ono sack
We want to live in a prefab shack in New Hampshire
We've got a negative attitude
Why be content with the sky
when there's higher to go?
Get off the floor
Help your self to some more
Because it's free to be you
And it's free to be groovy, I know
I heard it on my radio
Excuse me, could I use your pen
I have mislaid my own
Somewhere out here in space and time
Between this place and home
Maybe she lies on the subway platform
Forsaken and forlorn
All of this and more and that's not all
I can't recall
What was on my mind in Amsterdam
In 1984?
And what did I want from the pouring rain
Was it phonographic score?
And why was my head in the unmade bed
With a girl who's name I lost?
I can't unwrite the tune
Or discount the cost
I can't recall
I met a bartender at 3 of Clubs
Which is somewhere in LA
I thought, maybe, he was a friend of mine
I almost knew his face
Reluctantly impressionist
No star to chart my course
Ships pass in the night and take on board
More than I recall
Excuse me, could I use your pen
I have mislaid my own
Somewhere out here in all this space and time
Between this place and home
Maybe she lies on the check out station
Forsaken and forlorn
I've half a mind to find myself
And half...
I can't recall
Precise Coordinates
I can't recall
Entire relationships
I can't recall
The colour of her eyes
Or the feeling of her skin
Pressing against mine
I can't recall
Don't tell me to stop
Tell the rain not to drop
Tell the wind not to blow
'Cause he said so
Tell me love isn't true
It's just something we do
Tell me everything I'm not
Don't tell me to stop
Tell the sun not to shine
Not to get up this time
Let it fall by the way
Leave me where I lay
Tell the leaves not to turn
Don't tell me, I'll learn
Take the black off a crow
But don't tell me to go
Tell the bed not to lay
Like the mouth of a grave
Not to stare up at me
Like a calf on its knees
Tell me love isn't true
It's just something we do
Tell me everything I'm not
But don't tell me to stop
Tell me everything I'm not
Don't tell me to stop
They slither wildly as they slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my opened mind
Possessing and caressing me
Jai guru deva, om
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes
They call me on and on across the universe
Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letterbox they
They tumble blindly as they make their way across the universe
Jai guru deva, om
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Sounds of laughter shades of life are ringing
Through my open ears inciting and inviting me
Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns
It calls me on and on across the universe
Jai guru deva, om
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Jai guru deva
Jai guru deva
Jai guru deva
Jai guru deva
Jai guru deva
Jai guru deva
Two, one-two-three-four!
Ev'rybody's talking 'bout
Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism, Ragism, Tagism
This-ism, that-ism, is-m, is-m, is-m
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
Hit it
C'mon, ev'rybody's talking about
Ministers, sinisters, banisters and canisters
Bishops and Fishops and Rabbis and Popeyes and bye-bye, bye-byes
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
Let me tell you now
Ev'rybody's talking 'bout
Revolution, evolution, masturbation, flagellation, regulation, integrations
Meditations, United Nations, congratulations
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
Ev'rybody's talking 'bout
John and Yoko, Timmy Leary, Rosemary, Tommy Smothers, Bobby Dylan, Tommy Cooper
Derek Taylor, Norman Mailer, Alan Ginsberg, Hare Krishna, Hare, Hare Krishna
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
Heaven on earth
We need it now
I'm sick of all of this
Hanging around
Sick of sorrow
Sick of the pain
And sick of hearing again and again
That there's gonna be
Peace on earth
Where I grew up
There weren't many trees
Where there was we'd tear them down
And use them on our enemies
They say that what you mock
Will surely overtake you
And you become a monster
So the monster will not break you
And it's already gone too far
Who said that if you go in hard
You won't get hurt?
Jesus can you take the time
To throw a drowning man a line?
Peace on earth
Tell the ones who hear no sound
Whose sons are living in the ground
Peace on earth
No who's or why's
No one cries like a mother cries
For peace on earth
She never got to say goodbye
To see the colour in his eyes
Now he's in the dirt
Peace on earth
They're reading names out over the radio
All the folks the rest of us won't get to know
Seán And Julia Gareth, Ann and Breda
Their lives are bigger than any big idea
Jesus can you take the time
To throw a drowning man a line?
Peace on earth
To tell the ones who hear no sound
Whose sons are living in the ground
Peace on earth
Jesus in this song you wrote
The words are sticking in my throat
Peace on earth
Hear it every Christmas time
But hope and history won't rhyme
So what's it worth?
This peace on earth
Peace on earth
Peace on earth
Peace on earth
When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be
Let it be, let it be
A-let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be
And when the broken-hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will be an answer
Let it be
For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer
Let it be
Let it be, let it be
A-let it be, let it be
Yeah, there will be an answer
Let it be
Let it be, let it be
A-let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be
Let it be, let it be
A-let it be, yeah, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be
And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow
Let it be
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be-e
Yeah, let it be, let it be
Let it be, yeah, let it be
Oh, there will be an answer
Let it be-e
Let it be, let it be
A-let it be, yeah, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be
We livin' in a mean time and an aggressive time
a painful time, a time where cynicism rots to the vine
in a time where violence blocks the summer shine
lifetimes, go by in a flash
in search for love, in search for cash
everybody wanna be some fat tycoon
everybody wanna be on a tropic honeymoon
nobody wanna sing a little bit out of tune
or be the backbone of a rebel platoon
it's too soon to step out of line
you might get laughed at you might get fined
but do you feel me when I say I feel pain everyday
when I see the way my friends gotta slave
and never get ahead of bills they gotta pay
no way no way!
some make a living doing killilng Colombian penicillin
some are willing to play the villain they just chillin'
to pass the time, pass the information
or pass the wine
pass the buck or pass the baton
but you can't pass the police or the pentagon
the I.R.S. or the upper echelon
I think it's time to make a move on the contradiction
Bam-Bam, rock the nation
take over television and radio station
Bam-Bam the truth shall come
give the corporation some complication!
This is the dawning of our time I say it one more time
to emphasize the meaning of my rhyme
to rise above all the dirt and grime
add the right spice at the right time
fuck the constitution
are we part of the solution or are we part of the pollution
sittin' by and wonderin' why,
things ain't the way we like to find them to be, to be
for you and for me the people over there and the ones in between
check our habitation are we a peace lovin' nation
peace lovin' nation
I have a reasonable doubt I think I'll just spell it out
there's no need to scream or to shout
the N.R.A. just bought a man's soul
then he jumps up and shouts gun control
the government says that killin's a sin
unless you kill a murderer with a lethal syringe
so I ask again "are we peace lover's then"
some of them slang guns when they six years old
some of them end up in some six foot hole
this whole damn place seems to, lost control
so I raise my voice before I lose my soul
Bam-Bam, rock the nation
take over television and radio station
Bam-Bam the truth shall come
give the corporation some complication!
Bam-Bam, rock the nation
take over television and radio station
Bam-Bam the truth shall come
give the corporation some complication!
Radio Ragga Mike!
This is the way I'll express my feelings
vibe revealed and revolved spinnin on a record y'all
try to confiscate take what I communicate with
it's ancient gift of the lip steady creating
activating passin vocal vibrations to the blind plus the seeing
human doesn't mean just being
be coming don't believe it just belife it
belongings or beloved rehearse it or recite it
while shining drop your guns and move your tongues
battle motivation in no time lyrics come
sometimes fun others run their mouth or away
my mind co beaming like an early sunray
one day we'll get the picture and all combine
less the talking bout mines is mine and become one mind
every piece of the puzzle has its place
to build the piece of the puzzle called the human race
Taking it long enough we crush the formal journalistic
dyslexic critters talk backwards to rap words
I'm sure raising my hands with questions and demands
statements and a plan with a map of the land
Bam-Bam, rock the nation
take over television and radio station
Bam-Bam the truth shall come
give the corporation some complication!
Photographs of fancy tricks
To get your kicks at sixty-six
He thinks of all the lips that he licks
And all the girls that he's goin' to fix
She gave a little flirt, gave herself a little cuddle
But there's no place here for the mini-skirt waddle
Capital punishment, she's last year's model
They call her Natasha when she looks like Elsie
I don't want to go to Chelsea
Oh no, it does not move me
Even though I've seen the movie
I don't want to check your pulse
I don't want nobody else
I don't want to go to Chelsea
Everybody's got new orders
Be a nice girl and kiss the warders
Now the teacher is away
All the kids begin to play
Men come screaming, dressed in white coats
Shake you very gently by the throat
One's named Gus, one's named Alfie
I don't want to go to Chelsea
Oh no, it does not move me
Even though I've seen the movie
I don't want to check your pulse
I don't want nobody else
I don't want to go to Chelsea
Photographs of fancy tricks
To get your kicks at sixty-six
He thinks of all the lips that he licks
And all the girls that he's goin' to fix
She gave a little flirt, gave herself a little cuddle
But there's no place here for the mini-skirt waddle
Capital punishment, she's last year's model
They call her Natasha when she looks like Elsie
I don't want to go to Chelsea
Oh no, it does not move me
Even though I've seen the movie
I don't want to check your pulse
I don't want nobody else
I don't want to go to Chelsea
Ridin' down the highway
Goin' to a show
Stop in all the byways
Playin' rock 'n' roll
Gettin' robbed
Gettin' stoned
Gettin' beat up
Broken-boned
Gettin' had
Gettin' took
I tell you, folks
It's harder than it looks
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll
If you think it's easy doin' one night stands
Try playin' in a rock roll band
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll
Hotel, motel
Make you wanna cry
Ladies do the hard sell
Know the reason why
Gettin' old
Gettin' grey
Gettin' ripped off
Underpaid
Gettin' sold
Second hand
That's how it goes
Playin' in a band
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll
If you wanna be a star of stage and screen
Look out, it's rough and mean
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll
Well it's a long way
Well it's a long way, you should've told me
It's a long way
Such a long way
I would die for you
I would die for you
I've been dying just to feel you by my side
To know that you're mine
I will cry for you
I will cry for you
I will wash away your pain with all my tears
And drown your fear
I will pray for you
I will pray for you
I will sell my soul for something pure and true
Someone like you
See your face every place that I walk in
Hear your voice every time that I'm talking
You will believe in me
And I will never be ignored
I will burn for you
Feel pain for you
I will twist a knife and bleed my aching heart
And tear it apart
I will lie for you
Beg and steal for you
I will crawl on hands and knees until you see
You're just like me
Violate all the love that I'm missing
Throw away all the pain that I'm living
You will believe in me
And I can never be ignored
I would die for you
I would kill for you
I would steal for you
I'd do time for you
I will wait for you
I'd make room for you
I'd sail ships for you
To be close to you
To be part of you
'Cause I believe in you
I believe in you
I would die for you
Ooh it's so good, it's so good
It's so good, it's so good
It's so good
Ooh I'm in love, I'm in love
I'm in love, I'm in love
I'm in love
Ooh I feel love, I feel love
I feel love, I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
Ooh fall and free, fall and free
Fall and free, fall and free
Fall and free
Ooh you and me, you and me
You and me, you and me
You and me
Ooh I feel love, I feel love
I feel love, I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
Ooh, I got you, I got you
I got you, I got you
I got you
Ooh, What you do, what you do
What you do, what you do
What you do
Ooh, I feel love, I feel love
I feel love, I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
With one light on in one room
I know you're up when I get home
With one small step upon the stair
I know your look when I get there
If you were a king up there on your throne
Would you be wise enough to let me go?
For this queen you think you own
Wants to be a hunter again
I want to see the world alone again
To take a chance on life again
So let me go
The unread book and painful look
The TV's on, the sound is down
One long pause, then you begin
Oh, look what the cat's brought in
If you were a king up there on your throne
Would you be wise enough to let me go?
For this queen you think you own
Wants to be a hunter again
I want to see the world alone again
To take a chance on life again
So let me go, let me leave
For the crown you've placed upon my head feels too heavy now
And I don't know what to say to you, but I'll smile anyhow
And all the time I'm thinking, thinking
I want to be a hunter again
I want to see the world alone again
To take a chance on life again
So let me go
I want to be a hunter again
I want to see the world alone again
To take a chance on life again
So let me go, let me leave
Let me go
It's the dark night of my soul
And temptation's taking hold
But through the pain and the suffering
Through the heartache and trembling
I feel loved
I feel loved
As the darkness closes in
In my head, I hear whispering
Questioning and beckoning
But I'm not taken in
I feel loved
I feel loved
I feel loved
From the depths of my emptiness
Comes a feeling of inner bliss
I feel wanted, I feel desired
I can feel my soul on fire
I feel loved
I feel loved
I feel loved
I feel loved
I feel loved
I feel loved
I feel loved
I feel loved
I feel loved
I feel loved
Can you feel a little love?
As your bony fingers close around me
Long and spindly death becomes me
Heaven, can you see what I see?
Hey, you pale and sickly child
You're death and living reconciled
Been walking home a crooked mile
Paying debt to karma you party for a living
What you take won't kill you
But careful what you're giving
Mmm
There's no time for hesitating
Pain is ready, pain is waiting
Primed to do it's educating
Unwanted, uninvited kin
It creeps beneath your crawling skin
It lives without it lives within you
Feel the fever coming, you're shaking and twitching
You can scratch all over
But that won't stop you itching
Can you feel a little love?
Can you feel a little love?
Dream on, dream on
Mmm, mmm, mmm
Blame it on your karmic curse
Or shame upon the universe
It knows its lines, it's well rehearsed
It sucked you in, it dragged you down
To where there is no hallow ground
Where holiness is never found
Paying debt to karma you party for a living
What you take won't kill you
But careful what you're giving
Can you feel a little love?
Can you feel a little love?
Dream on, dream on
Can you feel a little love?
Can you feel a little love?
Dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on
Hey man, take a look out the window 'n' see what's happ'nin'
Hey man, it's rainin'
It's rainin' outside man
Aw, don't worry 'bout that
Everything's gonna be everything
We'll get into somethin' real nice you know
Sit back and groove on a rainy day
Yeah
Yeah I see what you mean brother, lay back and groove.
Rainy day, dream away
Ah let the sun take a holiday
Flowers bathe an' ah see the children play
Lay back and groove on a rainy day.
Well I can see a bunch of wet creatures, look at them on the run
The carnival traffic noise it sings the tune splashing up 'n'
Even the ducks can groove rain bathin' in the park side pool
And I'm leanin' out my window sill diggin' ev'rything
And ah and you too.
Rainy day, rain all day
Ain't no use in gettin' uptight
Just let it groove its own way
Let it drain your worries away yeah
Lay back and groove on a rainy day hey
Lay back and dream on a rainy day.
Well I don't have as many friends because
I'm not as pretty as I was
I've kicked myself at times because I've lied
So I will have to learn to stand my ground
I'll tell 'em I won't be around
I'll move on over to your town and hide
And you be the Captain
And I'll be no-one
And you can carry me away if you want to
And you can lay low
Just like your father and if
I tread upon your feet you just say so
'cause you're The Captain, I am no-one,
I tend to feel as though I owe one to you
Well I have handed all my efforts in
I searched here for my second wind
Is there somewhere here to let me in I asked
So I slammed the doors they slammed at me
I found the place I'm meant to be
I figured out my destiny at last
Did I forget to thank you for the ride
I hadn't tried I tend to runaway and hide
Must have been mid afternoon
I could tell by how far the child's shadow stretched out
And he walked with a purpose in his sneakers down the street
He had many questions like children often do
He said, "Tell me all your thoughts on God
Tell me, am I very far?"
Must have been late afternoon
On our way the sun broke free of the clouds
And we count only blue cars, skip the cracks in the street
And ask many questions like children often do
We said, "Tell me all your thoughts on God
'Cause I'd really like to meet her
And ask her why we're who we are"
Tell me all your thoughts on God
'Cause I'm on my way to see her
So tell me am I very far, am I very far now?
It's getting cold picked up the pace
How our shoes make hard noises in this place
Our clothes are stained
We pass many cross-eyed people
And ask many questions like children often do
Tell me all your thoughts on God
'Cause I'd really like to meet her
And ask her why we're who we are
Tell me all your thoughts on God
'Cause I'm on my way to see her
So tell me am I very far?
Am I very far now?
Am I very far now?
Am I very far now?
(Tell me all your thoughts on God)
(Tell me all your thoughts on God)
Sometimes I wanna take you down
Sometimes I wanna get you low
Brush your hair back from your eyes
Take you down, let the river flow
Sometimes I'm gonna walk the street
Behind the green sheet of glass
A million miles below their feet
A million miles, a million miles
I'll be with you, girl, like being low
Hey-hey-hey, like being stoned
I'll be with you, girl, like being low
Hey-hey-hey, like being stoned
A million poppies gonna make me sleep
Just one rose, it knows your name
A fruit is rusting on the vine
A fruit is calling from the trees
Hey, don't you wanna go down
Like some junkie cosmonaut?
A million miles below their feet
A million miles, a million miles
I'll be with you, girl, like being low
Hey-hey-hey, like being stoned
I'll be with you, girl, like being low
Hey-hey-hey, like being stoned
Blue, blue is the sun
A brown, brown is the sky
And green, green are her eyes
A million miles, a million miles
Hey, don't you wanna go down
Like some disgraced cosmonaut?
A million miles below their feet
A million miles, a million miles
I'll be with you, girl, like being low
Hey-hey-hey, like being stoned
I'll be with you, girl, like being low
Hey-hey-hey, like being stoned
I'll be with you, girl, like being low
Hey-hey-hey, like being stoned
I'll be with you, girl, like being low
Hey-hey-hey, like being stoned
Centred on silence
Counting on nothing
I saw you standing on the sea
And everything was
Dark except for
Sparks the wind struck from your hair
Sparks that turned to
Wings around you
Angel voices mixed with seabird cries
Fields of motion
Surging outward
Questions that contain their own replies
You were dancing
I saw you dancing
Throwing your arms toward the sky
Fingers opening
Like flares
Stars were shooting everywhere
Lines of power
Bursting outward
Along the channels of your song
Mercury waves flashed
Under your feet
Shots of silver in the shell-pink dawn
Once again she steals away
Then she reaches out to kiss me
And how she takes my breath away
Pretending that she don't miss me
Ooh, I would bleed to love her
Ooh, bleed to love her
Ooh, I would bleed to love her
And once again she calls to me
Then she vanishes in thin air
And how she takes my breath away (breath away)
Pretending that she's not there
Ooh, I would bleed to love her
Ooh, bleed to love her
Ooh, I would bleed to love her
Somebody's got to see this through
All the world is laughing at you
And somebody's got to sacrifice
If this whole thing's going to turn out right
Ooh, I would bleed to love her
Ooh, bleed to love her
Ooh, I would bleed to love her
Bleed to love her
Bleed to love her
Eurus
Afer Ventus
So the world goes round and round
With all you ever knew
They say the sky high above
Is Caribbean blue?
If every man says all he can
If every man is true
Do I believe the sky above
Is Caribbean blue?
Boreas
Zephyrus
If all you told was turned to gold
If all you dreamed was new
Imagine sky high above
In Caribbean blue
Eurus
Afer Ventus
Boreas
Zephyrus
Africus
If you can play on fiddle
How's about a British jig and reel?
Speaking King's English in quotation
As railhead towns feel the steel mills rust
Water froze
In the generation
Clear as winter ice
This is your paradise
There ain't no need for ya
There ain't no need for ya
Go straight to hell, boys
Go straight to hell, boys
Wanna join in a chorus of the Amerasian blues
When it's Christmas out in Ho Chi Minh City
Kiddie say, papa papa papa papa papa-san, take me home
See me, got photo, photo, photograph of you
And mama, mama, mama-san
Of you and mama mama mama-san
Let me tell ya 'bout your blood bamboo, kid
It ain't Coca-Cola, it's rice
Straight to hell, boy
Go straight to hell, boy
Go straight to hell, boys
Go straight to hell, boy
Oh, papa-san, please take me home
Oh papa-san, everybody, they wanna go home
So mama-san says
"You wanna play mind-crazed banjo
On the druggy-drag ragtime USA?
In Parkland International, hah, Junkiedom USA
Where Procaine proves the purest rock man groove and rat poison"
The volatile Molatov says
"Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh
Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, straight to hell"
Can you cough it up, loud and strong?
The immigrants, they wanna sing all night long
It could be anywhere, most likely could be any frontier
Any hemisphere
No man's land
There ain't no asylum here
King Solomon, he never lived 'round here
Straight to hell, boy
Go straight to hell, boy
Go straight to hell, boys
Go straight to hell, boys
Oh, papa-san, please take me home
Oh papa-san, everybody, they wanna go home now
Watcher of the skies, watcher of all
His is a world alone, no world is his own
He whom life can no longer surprise
Raising his eyes, beholds a planet unknown
Creatures shaped this planet's soil
Now their reign has come to end
Has life again destroyed life?
Do they play elsewhere?
Do they know more than their childhood games?
Judge not this race by empty remains
Do you judge God by his creatures
When they are dead?
For now, the lizard's shed its tail
This is the end of man's long union with Earth
From life alone to life as one
Think not now your journey's done
For though your ship be sturdy
No mercy has the sea
Will you survive on the ocean of being?
Come ancient children, hear what I say
This is my parting counsel for you on your way
Sadly now, your thoughts turn to the stars
Where we've gone
You know you never can go
Watcher of the skies, watcher of all
This is your fate alone, this fate is your own
On your own, your own
On your own, your own
Take me to another place, she said
Take me to another time
Run with me across the oceans
Float me on a silver cloud
If I could I would, but I don't know how
If I could I would, but I don't know how
If I could I would and I'd take you now
Stay with me till time turns over
I want to feel my feet leave the ground
Take me where the whispering breezes
Can lift me up and spin me around
If I could I would, but I don't know how
If I could I would, but I don't know how
If I could I would and I'd take you now
Hear you laughing as we go
Flipping backward through the doors and through the windows
I'm melting into nothing
If I could I would, but I don't know how
If I could I would, but I don't know how
If I could I would and I'd take you now
And if there's someone you can live without, then do so
And if there's someone you can just shove out, go do so
You can be my Yoko Ono
You can follow me wherever I go
Be my, be my
Be my, be my Yoko Ono
Isn't it beautiful to see two people so much in love?
Barenaked as two virgins hand in hand and hand and hand in glove
But now that I'm far away it doesn't seem to me to be such a pain
To have you hanging off my ankle like some kind of ball and chain
(If you like) You can be my Yoko Ono
You can follow me wherever I go
Be my, be my
Be my, be my Yoko Ono
(Be my Yoko) Oh, no, here we go
Our life is one big pun
Oh, no, here we go as Yoko sings
Aieee!
I know that when I say this, I may be stepping on pins and needles
But I don't like all these people slagging her for breaking up the Beatles
(Don't blame it on Yokey) I mean, if I was John and you were Yoko I would gladly give up musical genius
Just to have you as my very own personal Venus
(Hit it) You can be my Yoko Ono
You can follow me wherever I go
Be my, be my
Be my, be my Yoko Ono
Be my, be my, be my, be my, be my Yoko Ono
Be my, be my, be my, be my, be my Yoko Ono
Be my, be my, be my, be my, be my Yoko Ono
coming of age during the plague
of reagan and bush
watching capitalism gun down democracy
it had this funny effect on me
I guess
I am cancer
I am HIV
and I am down at the blue jesus
blue cross hospital
just lookin' up from my pillow
feeling blessed
and the mighty multinationals
have monopolized the oxygen
so it's as easy as breathing
for us all to participate
yes they're buying and selling
off shares of air
and you know it's all around you
but it's hard to point and say "there"
so you just sit on your hands
and quietly contemplate
your next bold move
the next thing you're gonna have to prove
to yourself
what a waste of thumbs that are opposable
to make machines that are disposable
and sell them to seagulls flying in circles
around one big right wing
yes, the left wing was broken long ago
by the slingshot of cointelpro
and now it's so hard to have faith in
anything
especially your next bold move
or the next thing you're gonna need to prove
to yourself
you want to track each trickle
back to its source
and then scream up the faucet
'til your face is hoarse
cuz you're surrounded by a world's worth
of things you just can't excuse
but you've got the hard cough of a chain smoker
and you're at the arctic circle playing strip poker
and it's getting colder and colder
everytime you lose
so go ahead
make your next bold move
tell us
what's the next thing you're gonna have to prove
to yourself
the sky is grey
the sand is grey
and the ocean is grey
and i feel right at home
in this stunning monochrome
alone in my way
i smoke and i drink
and every time i blink
i have a tiny dream
but as bad as i am
i'm proud of the fact
that i'm worse than i seem
what kind of paradise am i looking for?
i've got everything i want and still i want more
maybe some tiny shiny key
will wash up on the shore
you walk through my walls
like a ghost on tv
you penetrate me
and my little pink heart
is on its little brown raft
floating out to sea
and what can i say
but i'm wired this way
and you're wired to me
and what can i do
but wallow in you
unintentionally
what kind of paradise am i looking for?
i've got everything i want and still i want more
maybe some tiny shiny key
will wash up on the shore
regretfully
i guess i've only got three
simple things to say:
why me?
why this now?
why this way?
with overtones ringing
and undertows pulling away
under a sky that is grey
on sand that is grey
by an ocean that's grey
what kind of paradise am i looking for?
i've got everything i want
and still i want more
maybe some tiny shiny key
will wash up on the shore
I see your shadow on the street now
I hear you push through the rusty gate
Click of your heels on the concrete
Waiting for a knock coming way too late
It seems an age since I've seen ya
Count down as the weeks trickle into days
So you come in and put your bags down
I know there's something in the air
How can I do this to you right now?
You're over there when I need you here
My happiness
Is slowly creeping back now you're at home
If it ever starts sinking in
It must be when you pack up and go
It seems an age since I've seen ya
Count down as the weeks trickle into days
I hope that time hasn't changed ya
All I really want is for you to stay
So you come in and put your bags down
I notice something in the air
How can I do this to you right now?
You're over there when I need you here
My happiness
Is slowly creeping back now you're at home
If it ever starts sinking in
It must be when you pack up and go
But I know, I know, I know, what is inside
Yeah, I know, I know, I know, what is inside
Yeah, I know, I know, I know, what is inside
I know, I know, I know, what is inside
You're over there when I need you here
My happiness
Is slowly creeping back now you're at home
If it ever starts sinking in
It must be when you pack up and go
My happiness
Is slowly creeping back now you're at home
If it ever starts sinking in
It must be when you pack up and go
Space Oddity
Ground Control to Major Tom
Ground Control to Major Tom
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
Ground Control to Major Tom
Commencing countdown, engines on
Check ignition and may God's love be with you
(spoken)
Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One, Liftoff
This is Ground Control to Major Tom
You've really made the grade
And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear
Now it's time to leave the capsule if you dare
"This is Major Tom to Ground Control
I'm stepping through the door
And I'm floating in a most peculiar way
And the stars look very different today
For here
Am I sitting in a tin can
Far above the world
Planet Earth is blue
And there's nothing I can do
Though I'm past one hundred thousand miles
I'm feeling very still And I think my spaceship knows which way to go
Tell my wife I love her very much she knows"
Ground Control to Major Tom
Your circuit's dead, there's something wrong
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you...
"Here am I floating round my tin can
Far above the Moon
Planet Earth is blue
And there's nothing I can do."
Crimson autograph is what we leave behind
Everywhere man set foot.
War mongers laughing loud behind a painted face
Throwing titbits to the crowd then blowing up the place.
Hey Lord don't ask me questions, Hey Lord don't ask me questions
Hey Lord don't ask me questions please!
Hey Lord don't ask me questions, Hey Lord don't ask me questions
Hey Lord ain't no answer in me. (Solo)
Well I stand up for liberty but can't liberate
Pent up agony I see you take first place.
Well who does this treachery I shout with bleeding hand
Is it you or is it me well I never will understand.
Hey Lord don't ask me questions, Hey Lord don't ask me questions
Hey Lord don't ask me questions please!
Hey Lord don't ask me questions, Hey Lord don't ask me questions
Hey Lord ain't no answer in me. (Solo)
Well I see the thousands screaming rushing for the cliffs
Just like lemmings into the sea, Well well well
Who waves his mighty hand and breaks the precious rules?
Well the same one must understand who wasted all these fools.
Hey Lord don't ask me questions, Hey Lord don't ask me questions
Hey Lord don't ask me questions please!
Hey Lord don't ask me questions, Hey Lord don't ask me questions
Hey Lord ain't no answer in me. (Solo)
Ain't no answer in me no, Ain't no answer in me
Fade on Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh
I can't help my feelings, I'll go out of my mind
These players come to get me 'cause they'd like my behind
I can't love my business if I can't get a trick
Down on Santa Monica where tricks are for kids
Oh, come on and kick me
Oh, come on and kick me
(Whoa) Come on and kick me
You've got your problems (Whoa)
I've got my eyes wide (Whoa)
You've got your big G's
I've got my hash pipe
I can't help my boogies, they get out of control
I know that you don't care, but I want you to know
The knee-stocking flavor is a favorite treat
Of men that don't bother with the taste of a teat
Oh, come on and kick me
Oh, come on and kick me
(Whoa) Come on and kick me
You've got your problems (Whoa)
I've got my eyes wide (Whoa)
You've got your big G's
I've got my hash pipe
I've got my hash pipe
Oh, come on and kick me
Oh, come on and kick me
(Whoa) Come on and kick me
You've got your problems (Whoa)
I've got my eyes wide (Whoa)
You've got your big G's
I've got my hash pipe
I've got my hash pipe
I've got my hash pipe
I've got my hash pipe
There's a smart young woman on a light blue screen
Who comes into my house every night.
And she takes all the red, yellow, orange and green
And she turns them into black and white.
But you tease, and you flirt
And you shine all the buttons on your green shirt
You can please yourself but somebody's gonna get it
Better cut off all identifying labels
Before they put you on the torture table
'Cause somewhere in the "Quisling Clinic"
There's a shorthand typist taking seconds over minutes
She's listening in to the Venus line
She's picking out names
I hope none of them are mine
But you tease, and you flirt...
Never said I was a stool pigeon
I never said I was a diplomat
Everybody is under suspicion
But you don't wanna hear about that
'Cause you tease, and you flirt...
Better send a begging letter to the big investigation
Who put these fingerprints on my imagination?
You tease, and you flirt...
You can please yourself but somebody's gonna get it
You can please yourself but somebody's gonna get it
Just outside there waiting
Just outside the circle
Waiting for that finger to point your way
Just keep running, just keep running
New ones quickly burning
Old ones die away
Fires lit to say goodbye or hello
Which way you looking, which way you looking?
Count all wounds that brought you here
Lay your blessings end to end
Rid yourself of all regrets
Because here is where it all begins
A bumbler's game, a cheaters wheel
Where the winner pays the highest cost
You've laid your marker, now watch the ball
Hold your breath, it's about to fall
Just outside there waiting
Just outside the circle
Waiting, there is someone, I don't know who
And I'm so open, I'm so open
I don't sleep most nights
Just lie awake and count my blessings
I'll take this endless life
Of perfect pointless mornings
I'll hold you 'til the morning comes
'Cause it's all that I can do
I'm so open, I'm so open
I don't like these last goodbyes
I don't like goodbyes
Stealing down an ally on a cold dark night
I see a halo in the rain 'round a street light
I stop and look, and listen to the sound
As the raindrops penetrate the silence all around
Alone, I gaze into the glistening street
The distant thunder echoing my heartbeat
Urging me on to a secret goal
Away from the light, from this lamp on a pole
So I turn, slip away into the rain
Drifting like a spirit through the shadows in the lane
Clutching the tools of my trade in my hand
An old box of matches and a gasoline can
Darkness envelopes the scene like a shroud
A veil of emptiness hangs from the clouds
Filling up the cracks in this desolate place
Cradled by the night in an icy embrace
Moving through the town like a ghost in the rain
A dim reflection in a dark windowpane
Blackness beckons from every side
Creeping all around like an incoming tide
A broken window in an empty house
I slip inside and begin to douse
The whole place with the fuel that will feed the fire
And push back the night, taking me higher
On out of the darkness in a deafening roar
The match in my hand is the key to the door
A simple turn of the wrist will suffice
To open a passage to paradise
I pause, I think about the past in the gloom
The smell of gasoline permeates the room
Everyone has a little secret he keeps
I light the fires while the city sleeps
(Like the Fourth of July)
The match makes a graceful arc to the floor
And time stands still as I turn for the door
Which explodes in a fireball and throws me to the street
I hit the ground running with the flames at my feet
Reaching for the night which recoils from the fire
The raindrops hiss like a devilish choir
Dying in the flames with a terrible sound
Calling all the names of the sleepers all around
But dead in the arms of the night they lay
Their dreams sprout wings and fly away
Out of the houses in a gathering flock
Swarming overhead as I hurry down the block
I make my escape with the greatest of ease
And safe in the darkness drop to my knees
At a lightless window, my hand on the latch
I reach in my pocket, and pull out a match
(Like the Fourth of July)
(Like the Fourth of July)
Charades, pop skill
Water hyacinth
Named by a poet
Imitation of life
Like a koi in a frozen pond
Like a goldfish in a bowl
I don't want to hear you cry
That sugarcane that tasted good
That's cinnamon, that's Hollywood
Come on, come on
No one can see you try
You want the greatest thing
The greatest thing since bread came sliced
You've got it all, you've got it sized
Like a Friday fashion show teenager
Freezing in the corner
Trying to look like you don't try
That sugarcane that tasted good
That's cinnamon, that's Hollywood
Come on, come on
No one can see you try
(No one can see you cry)
That sugarcane that tasted good
That's freezing rain, that's what you could
Come on, come on
No one can see you cry
This sugarcane, this lemonade
This hurricane, I'm not afraid
Come on, come on
No one can see me cry
This lightning storm, this tidal wave
This avalanche, I'm not afraid
Come on, come on
No one can see me cry
That sugarcane that tasted good
That's who you are, that's what you could
Come on, come on
No one can see you cry
That sugarcane that tasted good
That's who you are, that's what you could
Come on, come on
No one can see you cry
You don't remember what to say
You don't remember what to do
You don't remember where you've been
And you don't remember who to choose
You wheel
And you steal
But you feel
When you kneel down
Down... down... down
Down... down... down
All the stony people
Walking 'round in christian licorice clothes
Lord, I can't hesitate
I know I can't wait
For Pleasant Street
For Pleasant Street
The sunshine reminds you of concreted skies
You thought you were flying
But you opened your eyes
And you found yourself falling
Back down to yesterday's lies
Hello, Pleasant Street
You know she's back again
You wheel
You steal
You feel
You kneel down
Down... down... down
Down... down... down
All the stony people
Walking 'round in christian licorice clothes
Lord, I can't hesitate
I know I can't wait
For Pleasant Street
My little Pleasant Street
At twilight, your lover comes to your room
He's gonna spin you, darling
He's gonna weave you 'round
All around his emerald loom
Oh, but softly he'll whisper
All around your ear
"Sweet lover
Lord, I love my Pleasant Street
Lord, I wheel
And Lord, I steal
Lord, I feel my way down to kneel"
She grew up with the children of the stars
in the Hollywood hills and the boulevards.
Her parents threw big parties. Everyone was there.
They hung out with folks like Dennis Hopper and Bob Seger and
Sonny and Cher.
She feels safe now in this bar on Fairfax.
And from the stage I can tell that she can't let go and she can't
relax.
And just before she hangs her head to cry,
I sing to her a lullaby
I sing:
(chorus)
Everything's gonna be all right.
Rock-a-bye, rock-a-bye.
Everything's gonna be all right.
Rock-a-bye, rock-a-bye, rock-a-bye.
She still lives with her mom outside the city
down that street about a half a mile.
And all her friends tell her she's so pretty
but she'd be a whole lot prettier if she smiled once in a while.
'Cause even her smile looks like a frown.
She's seen her share of devils in this angel town.
(chorus)
I told her I ain't so sure about this place.
It's hard to play a gig in this town and keep a straight face.
Seems like everybody's got a plan.
It's kind of like Nashville with a tan.
(chorus)
I'd lift my head with each sunrise
If I had a simple soul
When I was weary I'd close my eyes
If I had a simple soul
Not too complicated to shiver when I'm cold
I'd make my home where I am bound
If I had a simple soul, simple soul
I say my prayers and hope to God
And I know he will know
I will break my daily bread
When hunger starts to grow
It doesn't have to be that hard
If it hurts you let it go
What you see is what you are
If you've got a simple soul, simple soul
It might take an alchemist
To turn your dust to gold
But it only takes a child to see
The diamonds in the coal
It's not so easy when a habit takes a hold
I never knew it would be so hard
To keep my simple soul, simple soul
if you ask me
i'll say
yes please
to you today
so don't ask me
cuz i'm weak that way
just don't ask me
o.k.
i'm so glad we got that
straightened away
if you see me
walk by
you better just let me
walk by
you better not
bat your pretty eyes
you better not
stop me to say hi
i got a sweet tooth today
so you better not cut that pie
if you ask me
i'll say
yes please
to you today
so don't ask me
cuz i'm weak that way
just don't ask me
o.k.
Where are you walking, I've seen you walking
Have you been there before?
Walk down your doorsteps, you'll take some more steps
What did you take them for?
There's a private in my boat and he wears
Pins instead of medals on his coat
There's a chicken in my nest and she won't
Lay until I've given her my best
At her request she asks for nothing
You get nothing in return
If you want she brings you water
If you don't then you will burn
You go through changes, it may seem strange
Is this what you're put here for?
You think you're happy and you are happy
That's what you're happy for
There's a man who can't decide if he should
Fight for what his father thinks is right
There are people wearing frowns who'll screw you up
But they would rather screw you down
At my request I ask for nothing
You get nothing in return
If you're nice she'll bring me water
If you're not then I will burn
This is the time and life that I am living
And I'll face each day with a smile
For the time that I've been given's such a little while
And the things that I must do consist of more than style
There are places that I am going
There'll be time for you to start all over
This is the only thing that I am sure of
And that's all that lives is gonna die
And there'll always be some people here to wonder why
And for every happy hello, there will be good-bye
There'll be time for you to put yourself on
Everything I've seen needs rearranging
And for anyone who thinks it's strange
Then you should be the first to want to make this change
And for everyone who thinks that life is just a game
Do you like the part you're playing
I see your picture
It's in the same old frame
We meet again...
You look so lovely
You with the same old smile
Stay for a while...
I need you so, oh, oh, oh, oh
And if you take it easy
I'm still teethin'
I wanna love you, but
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh...
This is the time and life that I am living
And I'll face each day with a smile
For the time that I've been given's such a little while
And the things that I must do consist of more than style
There are places that I am going
There'll be time for you to start all over
This is the time and this is the time and
It is time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time...
At my house I've got no shackles
You can come and look if you want to
In the halls you'll see the mantles
Where the light shines dim all around you
And the streets are paved with gold and if
Someone asks you, you can call my name
You are just a thought that someone
Somewhere somehow feels you should be here
And it's so for real to touch
To smell, to feel, to know where you are here
And the streets are paved with gold and if
Someone asks you, you can call my name
You can call my name
I hear you calling my name yeah all right now
By the time that I'm through singing
The bells from the schools of wars will be ringing
More confusions, blood transfusions
The news today will be the movies for tomorrow
And the water's turned to blood, and if
You don't think so
Go turn on your tub
And it it's mixed with mud
You'll see it turn to gray
And you can call my name
I hear you call my name...
Look at the world through a rose tint lens
I get mine from a poison pen
I've got a negative attitude
And I don't mind
You want to paint the renaissance fair
I want to try to relate to your colourful hair
Is that a negative attitude?
Why be content with the sky
when there's higher to go?
Get off the floor
Help your self to some more
Because it's free to be you
And it's free to be me
and I know
Look at the girl on the bad hair day
Look very close, I think I like what she's trying to say
She's got a negative attitude
Why be content with the sky
when there's higher to go?
Get off the floor
You can dance if you're bored
Because it's free to be you
And it's free to be me
and I know
I heard it on my radio
You want to sleep in an Ono sack
We want to live in a prefab shack in New Hampshire
We've got a negative attitude
Why be content with the sky
when there's higher to go?
Get off the floor
Help your self to some more
Because it's free to be you
And it's free to be groovy, I know
I heard it on my radio
Excuse me, could I use your pen
I have mislaid my own
Somewhere out here in space and time
Between this place and home
Maybe she lies on the subway platform
Forsaken and forlorn
All of this and more and that's not all
I can't recall
What was on my mind in Amsterdam
In 1984?
And what did I want from the pouring rain
Was it phonographic score?
And why was my head in the unmade bed
With a girl who's name I lost?
I can't unwrite the tune
Or discount the cost
I can't recall
I met a bartender at 3 of Clubs
Which is somewhere in LA
I thought, maybe, he was a friend of mine
I almost knew his face
Reluctantly impressionist
No star to chart my course
Ships pass in the night and take on board
More than I recall
Excuse me, could I use your pen
I have mislaid my own
Somewhere out here in all this space and time
Between this place and home
Maybe she lies on the check out station
Forsaken and forlorn
I've half a mind to find myself
And half...
I can't recall
Precise Coordinates
I can't recall
Entire relationships
I can't recall
The colour of her eyes
Or the feeling of her skin
Pressing against mine
I can't recall
Don't tell me to stop
Tell the rain not to drop
Tell the wind not to blow
'Cause he said so
Tell me love isn't true
It's just something we do
Tell me everything I'm not
Don't tell me to stop
Tell the sun not to shine
Not to get up this time
Let it fall by the way
Leave me where I lay
Tell the leaves not to turn
Don't tell me, I'll learn
Take the black off a crow
But don't tell me to go
Tell the bed not to lay
Like the mouth of a grave
Not to stare up at me
Like a calf on its knees
Tell me love isn't true
It's just something we do
Tell me everything I'm not
But don't tell me to stop
Tell me everything I'm not
Don't tell me to stop
Comments (32)add comment
kcar wrote:
Waitsean. Not Madonnerly.
What you said. Dude’s listened to his share of Tom Waits.
Waitsean. Not Madonnerly.
What you said. Dude’s listened to his share of Tom Waits.
Speaking of Madonna covers, there is a band called Thanks To Gravity that does a very fine rendition of Justify My Love (YouTube link).
fans of his would probably enjoy this interview:
https://www.onbeing.org/program/joe-henry-the-mystery-and-adventure-of-life-and-songwriting/7313
https://www.onbeing.org/program/joe-henry-the-mystery-and-adventure-of-life-and-songwriting/7313
dc_zee wrote:
I heard or read an interview with him and he said that he'd written it and Madonna is his cousin or something and when she heard it she said that she wanted to do it but she would do it her way.
I think both versions work!
Oopsie. Replied to my self and meant to reply to you. Mr. Henry indicated that they co-wrote the song. I really should have looked at the credits by now...
I heard or read an interview with him and he said that he'd written it and Madonna is his cousin or something and when she heard it she said that she wanted to do it but she would do it her way.
I think both versions work!
Love, love, love, love, love!
Catecaneverall wrote:
Oopsie. Replied to my self and meant to reply to you. Mr. Henry indicated that they co-wrote the song. I really should have looked at the credits by now...
This is a Madonna song? I just know and like Lizz Wrights performance of this. Now I'm confused...
Oopsie. Replied to my self and meant to reply to you. Mr. Henry indicated that they co-wrote the song. I really should have looked at the credits by now...
dc_zee wrote:
Madona is his sister-in-law. I saw him live at Wolf Trap Barnes where he introduced this song with a comment that he recorded the co-written tune as a "tango" and she "recorded it as a hit".
The Madonna version is really good too. I've loved that song for years... this version is new to me and i think it's great in it's own right.
Madona is his sister-in-law. I saw him live at Wolf Trap Barnes where he introduced this song with a comment that he recorded the co-written tune as a "tango" and she "recorded it as a hit".
The Madonna version is really good too. I've loved that song for years... this version is new to me and i think it's great in it's own right.
Catecaneverall wrote:
Madona is his sister-in-law. I saw him live at Wolf Trap Barnes where he introduced this song with a comment that he recorded the co-written tune as a "tango" and she "recorded it as a hit".
This is a Madonna song? I just know and like Lizz Wrights performance of this. Now I'm confused...
Madona is his sister-in-law. I saw him live at Wolf Trap Barnes where he introduced this song with a comment that he recorded the co-written tune as a "tango" and she "recorded it as a hit".
What is with this guy and his body parts. The album cover of his, with a guy standing in his tighty whiteys on the bed always creeps me out.
majdim7th wrote:
Waitsean. Not Madonnerly.
Wilcoesque
Waitsean. Not Madonnerly.
This is a Madonna song? I just know and like Lizz Wrights performance of this. Now I'm confused...
Interesting take on a song I last heard from Madonna.
Madonna! It finally hit me why I recognized this.
I've always liked Joe Henry. A unique sound.
Wilcoesque
Uh huh, yeah.
All his stuff sounds the same. Don't care for his voice.
absolutely delicious
Great song. The more I hear of his music, the more I appreciate him.
Whereas Madonna is fine as marshmallow fluff......not much depth and not many uses. I never knew of marshmallow fluff to steal credit, though.
TreborG2 wrote:
Thanks to those that posted info on the song (below).. Unfortunately I'm one of those that really liked the Madonna version of this song...
Its amazing, having never heard this version before, I dislike it because I'm used to madonna's I wonder how I would have felt if I'd heard his version first...
...interresting.
I'm right there withya on this one! I love the Madonna version and this one makes me cringe. I was thinking he was covering her version and wondering why. Now I'm thinking, just, yikes. Maybe its because the lyrics sound so much more convincing and apropos coming from a woman?
weena wrote:
I used to dislike Joe Henry; thought he was pretentious. Then I got a copy of "fuse" (I was a music director at a radio station) and tried to find something to like...the cd wound up being one of my all time favorites ever, after a few listenings. There's a lot going on in his stuff. Like this cd, "scar", as well. He's also known as a production genius; he produced Ani DiFranco's most recent cd (wait! She may have released another inbetween my keystrokes, as she's quite prolific).
And yes, he wrote this song. Interesting how people post without doing research when they're SO SURE about something.
Absolutely Love it!
andrewpickford81 wrote:
can someone explain why this guy is played on here? awful, rubbish, tripe
I used to dislike Joe Henry; thought he was pretentious. Then I got a copy of "fuse" (I was a music director at a radio station) and tried to find something to like...the cd wound up being one of my all time favorites ever, after a few listenings. There's a lot going on in his stuff. Like this cd, "scar", as well. He's also known as a production genius; he produced Ani DiFranco's most recent cd (wait! She may have released another inbetween my keystrokes, as she's quite prolific).
And yes, he wrote this song. Interesting how people post without doing research when they're SO SURE about something.
This is his own song folks. Madonna covered it (and then claimed co-credit to make some more money). He's her brother in law I believe. Anyways i think he's fantastic. I love this song - reminds me somewhat of Tom Waits. Joe Henry rocks!
Originally Posted by andrewpickford81:
can someone explain why this guy is played on here? awful, rubbish, tripe
I concur 
:(
can someone explain why this guy is played on here? awful, rubbish, tripe
Originally Posted by rgj13:
Anyone know who did this originally? It's pretty old, I think--I suspect J. Henry didn't write it, despite comments below.
Sorry for the ignorance...
According to AMG, he wrote it.
Anyone know who did this originally? It\'s pretty old, I think--I suspect J. Henry didn\'t write it, despite comments below.
Sorry for the ignorance...
Much better than Madonna\'s version - darker, with more melancholy. And I bet he\'s not dancing around with cowboys in his video.
Does anyone else keep thinking about Madame Defarge when they hear this song? \"Then tell wind and fire where to stop, but don\'t tell me.\"
Only know his \"old\" work well. He has become a lot more fashionable and decided, according to this song, which I find quite allright.
Thanks to those that posted info on the song (below).. Unfortunately I\'m one of those that really liked the Madonna version of this song...
Its amazing, having never heard this version before, I dislike it because I\'m used to madonna\'s I wonder how I would have felt if I\'d heard his version first...
...interresting.
So much vanilla ice cream these days...sure I like vanilla ice cream, but man...when can I expect the rum raisin?