David Knights

My amazon six-triggered bride
Now searching for a place to hide
Still sees the truth quite easily
But shrouds all else in mystery
While madmen in top hats and tails
Impale themselves on six-inch nails
And some Arabian also-ran
Impersonates a watering can

Some Santa Claus-like face of note
Entreats my ears to set afloat
My feeble sick and weary brain
And I am overcome with shame
And hide inside my overcoat
And hurriedly begin to quote
While some Arabian sheikh most grand
Impersonates a hot-dog stand

The Red Cross ambulance outside
Can only mean that I must hide
'Til dusk and finally the night
When I will make a hasty flight
Across the sea and far away
To where the weary exiles stay
And some Arabian oil-well
Impersonates a padded cell

We skipped the light fandango
우리는 경쾌한 판당고춤을 추었죠
Turned cartwheels cross the floor
마루를 가로질러 옆으로 재주넘기를 하면서요
I was feeling kind of seasick
난 멀미가 날 것 같았지만
The crowd called out for more
사람들은 더 하라고 떠들어 댔어요
The room was humming harder as the ceiling flew away
방안은 마치 천장이 날아갈 듯 더욱 웅성거리고 있었어요
When we called out for another drink
우리가 술을 더 시키자
But the waiter brought a tray
웨이터가 쟁반에 술을 받쳐 왔지요




And so it was later
이미 너무 늦은 시간이었어요
As the miller told his tale
술집주인이 자기의 이야기를 하기 시작하자
That her face at first just ghostly
그저 파리했던 그녀의 얼굴에
turned a whiter shade of pale
더욱 창백한 그림자가 드리워졌지요




She said, 'I'm home on shore leave,’
그녀는 말했죠 '난 휴가차 집에 와 있어요'
though in truth we were at sea
그러나 사실 우리는 바다에 있었죠
so I took her by the looking glass
그래서 난 그녀를 거울앞으로 데려갔죠
and forced her to agree
그리고 동의할것을 강요했어요
saying, ‘You must be the mermaid
이렇게 말하면서요 '넌 분명히 인어야
who took Neptune for a ride.’
해신을 타고 온...'
But she smiled at me so sadly
그러나 그녀는 너무나도 서글픈 미소를 지었어요
that my anger straight way died
그래서 내 분노는 곧 사그러들었죠




And so it was later
이미 너무 늦은 시간이었어요
As the miller told his tale
술집주인이 자기의 이야기를 하기 시작하자
That her face at first just ghostly
그저 파리했던 그녀의 얼굴에
turned a whiter shade of pale
더욱 창백한 그림자가 드리워졌지요




She said there is no reason
그녀는 아무 일도 아니라고 말했지만
And the truth is plain to see
진실은 뻔히 보일정도로 명백했죠
But I wander through my playing cards
그러나 나는 카드게임에만 빠져있었어요
And would not let it be
나는 그녀를
one of the sixteen vestal virgins who are leaving for the coast
해안을 향해 떠나는 열 여섯명의 성녀 중 한 사람이 되도록 둘 수는 없어요
And although my eyes were open
난 눈을 뜨고 있었지만
They might just as well been closed
차라리 감겨져 있었다고 해야겠네요




And so it was later
이미 너무 늦은 시간이었어요
As the miller told his tale
술집주인이 자기의 이야기를 하기 시작하자
That her face at first just ghostly
그저 파리했던 그녀의 얼굴에
turned a whiter shade of pale
더욱 창백한 그림자가 드리워졌지요




And so it was later
이미 너무 늦은 시간이었어요
As the miller told his tale
술집주인이 자기의 이야기를 하기 시작하자
That her face at first just ghostly
그저 파리했던 그녀의 얼굴에
turned a whiter shade of pale
더욱 창백한 그림자가 드리워졌지요

Outside the gates of Cerdes sits the two-pronged unicorn
who plays at relaxation time a rhinestone flugelhorn
whilst mermaids lace carnations into wreaths for ailing whales
and Neptune dances hornpipes while Salome sheds her veils

Phallus Phil tries peddling his pewter painted pot
but Sousa Sam can only hear the screams of Peep the sot
who only sips his creme de menthe from terra cotta cups
and exhales menthol scented breath whilst spewing verbiage up

Down technical blind alleys live the wraiths of former dreams
And Greeps who often crossed them are no longer what they seem
And even Christian Scientists can but display marble plaques
Which only retell legends whilst my eyes reach out for facts

Yeah, my eyes reach out for facts

Outside the gates of Cerdes sits the two-pronged unicorn
who plays at relaxation time a rhinestone flugelhorn
whilst mermaids lace carnations into wreaths for ailing whales
and Neptune dances hornpipes while Salome sheds her veils

Phallus Phil tries peddling his pewter painted pot
but Sousa Sam can only hear the screams of Peep the sot
who only sips his creme de menthe from terra cotta cups
and exhales menthol scented breath whilst spewing verbiage up

Down technical blind alleys live the wraiths of former dreams
And Greeps who often crossed them are no longer what they seem
And even Christian Scientists can but display marble plaques
Which only retell legends whilst my eyes reach out for facts

Yeah, my eyes reach out for facts

Conquistador your stallion stands
in need of company
and like some angel's haloed brow
you reek of purity
I see your armour-plated breast
has long since lost its sheen
and in your death mask face
there are no signs which can be seen

And though I hoped for something to find
I could see no maze to unwind

Conquistador a vulture sits
upon your silver shield
and in your rusty scabbard now
the sand has taken seed
and though your jewel-encrusted blade
has not been plundered still
the sea has washed across your face
and taken of its fill



And though I hoped for something to find
I could see no maze to unwind

Conquistador there is no time
I must pay my respect
and though I came to jeer at you
I leave now with regret
and as the gloom begins to fall
I see there is no, only all
and though you came with sword held high
you did not conquer, only die

And though I hoped for something to find
I could see no maze to unwind

Still scowling black
good Captain Clack
must eat his humble pie
His bed is made
the colours fade
his eyes once wet are dry

The naked muse
who sits and chews
tobacco off a tree
removes his shoes
gives way to booze
and searches endlessly

See the naked jumberlack
sip his aphrodisiac
Cotton-picking farmers three
Though I lost my weather vane
and of sense I have one grain
I'm content sipping lemon tea

Your multilingual business friend
has packed her bags and fled
Leaving only ash-filled ashtrays
and the lipsticked unmade bed
The mirror on reflection
has climbed back upon the wall
for the floor she found descended
and the ceiling was too tall

Your trouser cuffs are dirty
and your shoes are laced up wrong
you'd better take off your homburg
'cos your overcoat is too long

The town clock in the market square
stands waiting for the hour
when its hands they both turn backwards
and on meeting will devour
both themselves and also any fool
who dares to tell the time
And the sun and moon will shatter
and the signposts cease to sign

Your trouser cuffs are dirty
and your shoes are laced up wrong
you’d better take off your homburg
‘cos your overcoat is too long
...

Your trouser cuffs are dirty
and your shoes are laced up wrong
you’d better take off your homburg
‘cos your overcoat is too long
...반복

Your trouser cuffs are dirty...

Jostle, hassle, elbow bustle
in a swirling rainbow tussle
Caught and frozen, broken sheen
now unites for one brief scene

Lonely in the dark I grope
the key's in my kaleidoscope

Confused faces change their places
take up stances, exchange glances
Lost in multicoloured hues
there is no whole which I can choose

Lonely in the dark I grope
the key's in my kaleidoscope

In one face, one moment's fusion
realize the new illusion
Clutching fingers break the puzzle
jostle, hassle, elbow bustle

Still out in the dark I grope
the key's in my kaleidoscope

Lime Street in the afternoon
everybody crazy as a coon
I'm running round in my underpants
trying to find some kinda romance

Quarter past three [sic] on Lime Street
I got whipped right offa my feet
Didn't realize that I'd been caught
till I found myself in the County Court

'Mr Judge,' I said, 'Won't you please be kind
Have pity on me, a poor orphan child?'
Mr Judge he says with a long mean frown
'Orphan or not, you're going down!'

Well I screamed on my knees in the witness box,
'Lord have mercy on my golden locks.'
The judge I could see that he was snide
He says, 'The only kind of blonde you are's a peroxide!'

Oh Lime Street, Lime Street
Lime Street, that's where we meet

Don't eat green meat it ain't good for you
you know it killed your brother, killed your sister too
even fresh fried chicken on new-mown sand
can't beat red beans eaten outa your hand

Oh Mabel, Mabel! You know I love you gal but I'm not able
Mabel, oh Mabel, please get off the kitchen table

Don't slice no onions, don't peel no grape
dream about banana slice nor sniff around short cake
and if on a winter's day you find your sundial's wrong
you'll know the weather is what's brought it on

Oh Mabel, Mabel! You know I love you gal but I'm not able
Mabel, oh Mabel, please get off the kitchen table

Put the peas in the pot, put the pot on the hot
In the cellar lies my wife, in my wife there's a knife
so tote that hammer, lift that pick
and banish inhibition with a pogo stick

Oh Mabel, Mabel! You know I love you gal but I'm not able
Mabel, oh Mabel, please get off the kitchen table

Don't eat green meat it ain't good for you
you know it killed your brother, killed your sister too
even fresh fried chicken on new-mown sand
can't beat red beans eaten outa your hand

Oh Mabel, Mabel! You know I love you gal but I'm not able
Mabel, oh Mabel, please get off the kitchen table

Don't slice no onions, don't peel no grape
dream about banana slice nor sniff around short cake
and if on a winter's day you find your sundial's wrong
you'll know the weather is what's brought it on

Oh Mabel, Mabel! You know I love you gal but I'm not able
Mabel, oh Mabel, please get off the kitchen table

Put the peas in the pot, put the pot on the hot
In the cellar lies my wife, in my wife there's a knife
so tote that hammer, lift that pick
and banish inhibition with a pogo stick

Oh Mabel, Mabel! You know I love you gal but I'm not able
Mabel, oh Mabel, please get off the kitchen table

Though I know the night has fallen and the suns sailed out to sea
I will wait here for the band to play the trumpet voluntary
And with one foot on the seashore and the other in the sand
I will stand here plaiting daisies whilst you play the piano-grand

Caprice, your bugle blew away the cobwebs from my ears
And for once I stood quite naked. unashamed, I wept the tears
Which I tried to hide inside myself from me, I mean from you
But the shame I found too painful and the pain it only grew

(Magdalene, my regal zonophone)

For you (whose eyes were opened wide whilst mine refused to see)
I'm sore in need of saving grace. Be kind and humour me
I'm lost amidst a sea of wheat
where people speak but seldom meet
And grief and laughter, strange but true
Although they die, they seldom cry

An ode by any other name I know might read more sweet
Perhaps the sun will never shine upon my field of wheat


But still in closing, let me say
for those too sick, too sick to see
though nothing shows, yes, someone knows
I wish that one was me

You come to me at midnight and say, 'It's dark in here.'
You know you robbed me of my sight, and light is what I fear
I tell you that I can not see but you persist in showing me
those bangles that I paid for long ago

And though my face is smiling I'm really feeling low
and though you say you're with me I know that it's not so

Your skin crawls up an octave, your teeth have lost their gleam
The peaches snuggle closer down into the clotted cream
and for some unknown reason my watch begins to chime
and though I beg and plead with you, you tell me it's not time

And though my face is smiling I'm really feeling low
and though you say you're with me I know that it's not so

The sun seeps through the window to see if we're still dead
to try to throw some light upon the gloom around our bed
At quarter past the doorbell rings, the water faucet drips and sings
and still my reason will not rhyme, and still you tell me it's not time

And though my face is smiling I'm really feeling low
and though you say you're with me I know that it's not so

You really know that it's not so

You come to me at midnight and say, 'It's dark in here.'
You know you robbed me of my sight, and light is what I fear
I tell you that I can not see but you persist in showing me
those bangles that I paid for long ago

And though my face is smiling I'm really feeling low
and though you say you're with me I know that it's not so

Your skin crawls up an octave, your teeth have lost their gleam
The peaches snuggle closer down into the clotted cream
and for some unknown reason my watch begins to chime
and though I beg and plead with you, you tell me it's not time

And though my face is smiling I'm really feeling low
and though you say you're with me I know that it's not so

The sun seeps through the window to see if we're still dead
to try to throw some light upon the gloom around our bed
At quarter past the doorbell rings, the water faucet drips and sings
and still my reason will not rhyme, and still you tell me it's not time

And though my face is smiling I'm really feeling low
and though you say you're with me I know that it's not so

You really know that it's not so

She wandered through the garden fence
and said, 'I've brought at great expense
a potion guaranteed to bring
relief from all your suffering.'
And though I said, 'You don't exist,'
she grasped me firmly by the wrist
and threw me down upon my back
and strapped me to her torture rack

And, without further argument
I found my mind was also bent
upon a course so devious
it only made my torment worse

She said, 'I see you cannot speak
is it your voice that is too weak?
Is it your tongue that is to blame?
Maybe you cannot speak for shame.
Or has your brain been idle too,
and now it will not think for you?'
I hastened to make my reply
but found that I could only lie

And like a fool I believed myself
and thought I was somebody else
But she could see what I was then
and left me on my own again

My Prussian-blue electric clock's
alarm bell rings, it will not stop
and I can see no end in sight
and search in vain by candlelight
for some long road that goes nowhere
for some signpost that is not there
And even my befuddled brain
is shining brightly, quite insane

The chandelier is in full swing
as gifts for me the three kings bring
of myrrh and frankincense, I'm told,
and fat old Buddhas carved in gold
And though it seems they smile with glee
I know in truth they envy me
and watch as my befuddled brain


shines on brightly quite insane

Above all else confusion reigns
And though I ask no-one explains
My eunuch friend has been and gone
He said that I must soldier on
And though the Ferris wheel spins round
my tongue it seems has run aground
and croaks as my befuddled brain
shines on brightly, quite insane

While standing at the junction on 42nd Street
I idly kick a pebble lying near my feet
I hear a weird noise, take a look up and down
The cause of the commotion is right there on the ground
Imagine my surprise, thought I'd left it at home
but there's no doubt about it, it's my own tombstone

I went into a shop, and bought a loaf of bread
I sank my teeth into it, thought I'd bust my head
I dashed to the dentist, said, 'I've got an awful pain!'
The man looks in my mouth and screams, 'This boy is insane!'
Imagine my surprise, thought I'd left it at home
but there's a lump in my mouth of my own tombstone

I went to see a movie, got the only empty seat
I tried to stretch out in it, something blocking my feet
Finally the lights came up, and I could clearly see
a slab of engraved marble, just staring up at me
Imagine my surprise, thought I'd left it at home
but there's no doubt I'm sitting on my own tombstone

While standing at the junction on 42nd Street
I idly kick a pebble lying near my feet
I hear a weird noise, take a look up and down
The cause of the commotion is right there on the ground
Imagine my surprise, thought I'd left it at home
but there's no doubt about it, it's my own tombstone

I went into a shop, and bought a loaf of bread
I sank my teeth into it, thought I'd bust my head
I dashed to the dentist, said, 'I've got an awful pain!'
The man looks in my mouth and screams, 'This boy is insane!'
Imagine my surprise, thought I'd left it at home
but there's a lump in my mouth of my own tombstone

I went to see a movie, got the only empty seat
I tried to stretch out in it, something blocking my feet
Finally the lights came up, and I could clearly see
a slab of engraved marble, just staring up at me
Imagine my surprise, thought I'd left it at home
but there's no doubt I'm sitting on my own tombstone

My parents must've disliked me. they left me in the lurch
Packed me in a basket which was left in a church
It was found by a nun
Who took one peep and run
Screaming 'there's an eye in the middle of his head!'

The man in charge reflected and then to me he said,
'all men are born equal. you can earn your daily bread;
Go now to the belfry


Where the bats are blind and can't see
There's an eye in the middle of your head.'

I sat there in the gloom, thought about my lousy luck;
At least if your body's offensive then your clothes cover it up
But my forehead is quite smooth
Except for one circular groove
And that's the eye in the middle of my head.

Your multilingual business friend
has packed her bags and fled
Leaving only ash-filled ashtrays
and the lipsticked unmade bed
The mirror on reflection
has climbed back upon the wall
for the floor she found descended
and the ceiling was too tall

Your trouser cuffs are dirty
and your shoes are laced up wrong
you'd better take off your homburg
'cos your overcoat is too long

The town clock in the market square
stands waiting for the hour
when its hands they both turn backwards
and on meeting will devour
both themselves and also any fool
who dares to tell the time
And the sun and moon will shatter
and the signposts cease to sign

Your trouser cuffs are dirty
and your shoes are laced up wrong
you’d better take off your homburg
‘cos your overcoat is too long
...

Your trouser cuffs are dirty
and your shoes are laced up wrong
you’d better take off your homburg
‘cos your overcoat is too long
...반복

Your trouser cuffs are dirty...

Ti avrei tenuto nel mio cuore
I would have held you in my heart
Ti avrei preso tra le mani
I would have taken you in my arms (or hands)

Illuminato io ti avrei
I would have lit you up

(con) il sole che era negli occhi miei
(with) the sun that was in my eyes

Pero aspettare tu non sai
But you don't know how to wait

Volevi vivere e tu vivrai
You wanted to live, and you will live

Il tuo diamante splendera
Your diamond will shine
Ma il cuore freddo restera
But your heart will remain cold

Avresti avuto quel che ho
You would have had what I have (to offer)

Non ti avrei detto mai di no
I'd never have said 'no' to you

Potevi piangere con me
You could cry with me

Potevi ridere con me
You could laugh with me

Pero aspettare tu non sai
But you don't know how to wait

Volevi tutto e tu l'avrai
You wanted it all, and you'll get it

Il tuo diamante splendera
Your diamond will shine
Ma il cuore freddo restera
But your heart will remain cold

E quando tu ti accorgerai
And when you realize

Ritorna qui se tu lo vuoi
Come back, if you want to

Che qualche cosa forse avrai
And maybe you will get something

E il mio pianto finira
And my lament will end

E dopo stanca ritornerai
And after you return, worn out

E la mia strada riprendera
And once I'm able to take up my path in life again

Il tuo diamante getterai
Your diamond you will throw away
E il sole caldo troverai
And you will rediscover the hot sun

Troverai yeah
You'll find it yeah

Troverai yeah
You'll find it yeah

Troverai ...
You'll find it

Ti avrei tenuto nel mio cuore
I would have held you in my heart
Ti avrei preso tra le mani
I would have taken you in my arms (or hands)

Illuminato io ti avrei
I would have lit you up

(con) il sole che era negli occhi miei
(with) the sun that was in my eyes

Pero aspettare tu non sai
But you don't know how to wait

Volevi vivere e tu vivrai
You wanted to live, and you will live

Il tuo diamante splendera
Your diamond will shine
Ma il cuore freddo restera
But your heart will remain cold

Avresti avuto quel che ho
You would have had what I have (to offer)

Non ti avrei detto mai di no
I'd never have said 'no' to you

Potevi piangere con me
You could cry with me

Potevi ridere con me
You could laugh with me

Pero aspettare tu non sai
But you don't know how to wait

Volevi tutto e tu l'avrai
You wanted it all, and you'll get it

Il tuo diamante splendera
Your diamond will shine
Ma il cuore freddo restera
But your heart will remain cold

E quando tu ti accorgerai
And when you realize

Ritorna qui se tu lo vuoi
Come back, if you want to

Che qualche cosa forse avrai
And maybe you will get something

E il mio pianto finira
And my lament will end

E dopo stanca ritornerai
And after you return, worn out

E la mia strada riprendera
And once I'm able to take up my path in life again

Il tuo diamante getterai
Your diamond you will throw away
E il sole caldo troverai
And you will rediscover the hot sun

Troverai yeah
You'll find it yeah

Troverai yeah
You'll find it yeah

Troverai ...
You'll find it

In the wee small hours of sixpence
And the lighted chandelier
Stands a rusty old retainer
Whose old eyes are filled with tears
For his master, Good Sir Galant,
Who is now off to the wars
And although his eyes are crying
We know grief is not the cause
And if grief is not the reason
He must be of sterner stuff
And his sword though old and rusty
Must be blunt as sharp enough

In the wee small hours of sixpence
And the broken window pane
Stand the remnants of the evening
Who are waiting all in vain
For the crowing of the cockerel
Showing morning is not night
But the air is filled with silence
And the daylight is not bright
But still darkness is no reason
We are men of sterner stuff
And our swords though old and rusty
Still are blunt as sharp enough.

In the wee small hours of sixpence
And the hat-stand in the hall
Waiting only for the morning
Shadows flitting 'cross the wall
And perhaps that old retainer
Whom now giving of his all
May have once been just as we are
And now has no face at all.
But still grief was not the reason
He was made of sterner stuff
And his sword though old and rusty
Still was blunt as sharp enough.

In the wee small hours of sixpence
And the lighted chandelier
Stands a rusty old retainer
Whose old eyes are filled with tears
For his master, Good Sir Galant,
Who is now off to the wars
And although his eyes are crying
We know grief is not the cause
And if grief is not the reason
He must be of sterner stuff
And his sword though old and rusty
Must be blunt as sharp enough

In the wee small hours of sixpence
And the broken window pane
Stand the remnants of the evening
Who are waiting all in vain
For the crowing of the cockerel
Showing morning is not night
But the air is filled with silence
And the daylight is not bright
But still darkness is no reason
We are men of sterner stuff
And our swords though old and rusty
Still are blunt as sharp enough.

In the wee small hours of sixpence
And the hat-stand in the hall
Waiting only for the morning
Shadows flitting 'cross the wall
And perhaps that old retainer
Whom now giving of his all
May have once been just as we are
And now has no face at all.
But still grief was not the reason
He was made of sterner stuff
And his sword though old and rusty
Still was blunt as sharp enough.

Though I know the night has fallen and the suns sailed out to sea
I will wait here for the band to play the trumpet voluntary
And with one foot on the seashore and the other in the sand
I will stand here plaiting daisies whilst you play the piano-grand

Caprice, your bugle blew away the cobwebs from my ears
And for once I stood quite naked. unashamed, I wept the tears
Which I tried to hide inside myself from me, I mean from you
But the shame I found too painful and the pain it only grew

(Magdalene, my regal zonophone)

The bell on my door rang this morning
From the kitchen I called "Who's that there?"
Through the letter box came a grappling hook
Which grappled me right out of my chair!
Stretched out on the floor I lay helpless
Of my limbs I had lost all command
When into my ear instilling fear
Said a voice "I am Monsieur Armand"

"Monsieur Armand you are not!
That's an incredible thing to say
For I personally attended his funeral
which was twelve months to this very day!"
A rat flew down from the ceiling
Alighted upon my right ear
said "If Monsieur Armand is safe under the sod
Then why are you shaking with fear!"

"My name is not Scrooge" I said faintly
"and from ghosts I have nothing to fear!
But if you are Armand returned from the dead
Then what are you wanting here?"
From nowhere I heard a mad cackle
From nowhere a voice to me cried
"Stop calling me Monsieur Armand you fool!
My name's Jekyll and you're Mr. Hyde!"

For you (whose eyes were opened wide whilst mine refused to see)
I'm sore in need of saving grace. Be kind and humour me
I'm lost amidst a sea of wheat
where people speak but seldom meet
And grief and laughter, strange but true
Although they die, they seldom cry

An ode by any other name I know might read more sweet
Perhaps the sun will never shine upon my field of wheat


But still in closing, let me say
for those too sick, too sick to see
though nothing shows, yes, someone knows
I wish that one was me

For you (whose eyes were opened wide whilst mine refused to see)
I'm sore in need of saving grace. Be kind and humour me
I'm lost amidst a sea of wheat
where people speak but seldom meet
And grief and laughter, strange but true
Although they die, they seldom cry

An ode by any other name I know might read more sweet
Perhaps the sun will never shine upon my field of wheat


But still in closing, let me say
for those too sick, too sick to see
though nothing shows, yes, someone knows
I wish that one was me

For you (whose eyes were opened wide whilst mine refused to see)
I'm sore in need of saving grace. Be kind and humour me
I'm lost amidst a sea of wheat
where people speak but seldom meet
And grief and laughter, strange but true
Although they die, they seldom cry

An ode by any other name I know might read more sweet
Perhaps the sun will never shine upon my field of wheat


But still in closing, let me say
for those too sick, too sick to see
though nothing shows, yes, someone knows
I wish that one was me

A local picture house
Was showing a Batman movie
You see this guy fly up in the sky
Thought to myself, "Why shouldn't I?"
Bought a pair of wings
Went upon the wall
Was about to jump into the air
When a man from the street called, he said:

"Hey wait a minute!
Don't you realize the danger?
What do you think you are
Some kind of angel?"

I considered for a minute
Thought "He only speaks the truth"
For the barbells on my eyelids
Only emphasized my youth
And the sawdust in my plimsolls
Means the same to him as me
But that's neither here nor further
So I spoke considerately

"If you understand
Just what I'm trying to say,
Whatever you do, don't grin,
You'll give the game away!"

By now a crowd had gathered
And it seemed that all was lost
In the anger of the moment
I had diced with death and lost
It seemed to me the time was right
So I burst into song
In the anger of the moment
The crowd began to sing along
I could not see a way out of this predicament
Just then a breeze
Cruised through the trees
And up in the air I went

I must have flown a mile
Or maybe it was eight
Thought to myself pretty soon
I'd hit the Golden Gate
Just then a passing bird
For no reason I could see
Took a peck at my wings
And that was the end of me
I went down, hit the ground
Faster than the speed of sound
Luckily I broke no bones
Only tore my underclothes
...
(fades, returns, fades again...)

My Prussian-blue electric clock's
alarm bell rings, it will not stop
and I can see no end in sight
and search in vain by candlelight
for some long road that goes nowhere
for some signpost that is not there
And even my befuddled brain
is shining brightly, quite insane

The chandelier is in full swing
as gifts for me the three kings bring
of myrrh and frankincense, I'm told,
and fat old Buddhas carved in gold
And though it seems they smile with glee
I know in truth they envy me
and watch as my befuddled brain


shines on brightly quite insane

Above all else confusion reigns
And though I ask no-one explains
My eunuch friend has been and gone
He said that I must soldier on
And though the Ferris wheel spins round
my tongue it seems has run aground
and croaks as my befuddled brain
shines on brightly, quite insane

(brooker / reid)

Skip softly, my moonbeams, avoid being seen
Pretend that perhaps you are part of a dream
Which (seen by some other such person as me)
Would only glow smiling and nod and agree

Skip softly, my moonbeams, for I have heard tell
That the stairs up to heaven lead straight down to hell
That pride is the last thing which comes before fall
I'd as soon talk to you as make love to a wall

You know I caught a glimpse, thought I understood
But I left it all far behind
Now if I'd known then what I know now
Do you think I would've been so blind?
Gonna take myself down to a wishing well
I'm gonna make myself one last wish
And if you follow me there, better bring what you've found
'Cause my night has come and I'm going down

Gonna buy myself a big rockin' chair
And when I'm sittin' in that, then no one will peek
And if my friends will come, they'll see what I'm suffering from
I wish, I wish, I could rock myself to sleep
Gonna take myself down to a wishing well
Gonna make myself one last wish
If you follow me there, better bring what you've found
'Cause my night has come and I'm going down
......

"All hands on deck! We've run afloat!"
I heard the captain cry
"Explore the ship! Replace the cook!
Let no one leave alive!"
Across the straits, around the horn
How far can sailors fly?
A twisted path, our tortured course
And no one left alive

We sailed for parts unknown to man
Where ships come home to die
No lofty peak, nor fortress bold
Could match our captain's eye
Upon the seventh sea-sick day
We made our port of call
A sand so white, and sea so blue
No mortal place at all

We fired the guns and burned the mast
And rowed from ship to shore
The captain cried, we sailors wept
Our tears were tears of joy
Now many moons and many Junes
Have passed since we made land
Salty Dog, the seaman's log
Your witness in my own hand

It's not that I'm so cheerful, though I'll always raise a smile
And if at times my nonsense rhymes then I'll stand trial
My friends are all around me but they only breathe through fear
Were I to cry, I'm sure that still they'd never see a tear

In darkness through my being here, away from you
The bright light of your star confronts me shining through

Dull and sullen, much subdued, my skull a stony glaze
Whirlpools rage on constantly, I'm not so well these days
There must be something somewhere near who sees what's being done
The harbour lights are burning bright, my wax is almost run

In darkness through my being here, away from you
The bright light of your star confronts me, shining through

Come Lollard, raise your lute and sing, and to my ears her beauty bring
Like Maddox in the days of old we'll feast and drink until we fold
And folding still we'll spare a thought for what's been lost and what's been caught
And maybe then begin again for love is life, not poison

In darkness through my being here, away from you
The bright light of your star confronts me, shining through

Oh, shining through....

Some say they will and some say they won't
Some say they do and some say they don't
Some say they shall and some say they shan't
Some say they can and some say they can't
(All right!)

All in all it's all the same,
But call me if there's any change

Some say there's nothing and some say there's lots
Some say they've started while some say they've stopped
Some say they're going and some say they've been
Yes, some say they're looking and some say they've seen
(Oh, yes!)

All in all it's all the same,
But call me if there's any change

You'd better listen anybody,
'cos I'm gonna make it clear
That my life is unimportant;
What I've done I did through fear
There's a river running through me:
On its tide I tried to hide
Nonetheless I could not shake it,
And in the end it swept aside
All my feeble unimportance.
I can't say it, never mind
Can't you hear me mother calling you?
I'm cold, I'm deaf, I'm blind
And if only 'cos you're lucky,
We both know that's no find
I did think I'd be an actor.
What I am I'll leave behind

You'd better listen anybody,
'cos it's me and you --that's it
And in case you find your maker
Perhaps you'll plead for us a bit
All my sick is in my stomach,
All my sweat is clearly fear
And if you could see inside me
I don't think you'd have me here
Tell the helmsman veer to starboard,
Bring this ship around to port
And if the sea was not so salty
I could sink instead of walk
And in case of passing strangers
Who are standing where I fell
Tell the truth: you never knew me,
And in truth it's just as well

Well I opened my eyes this morning,
I wasn't at home in bed
There were four angels standin' 'round me
I thought I must be dead
Yeah I opened my eyes this mornin'
Thought I must be dead
There were four angels standin' 'round me
And the room was beaded red

Won't you have mercy
On your wicked son?
Take me up to heaven,
Or hell where I belong
Well

Well the sky began to tremble
The rain began to fall
Four angels standin' 'round me
And it weren't no social call
Yeah, the sky began to tremble
The rain began to fall
Got down on my knees prayin' Lord
But it didn't do no good at all

Won't you have mercy
On your wicked son?
Take me up to heaven,
Or hell where I belong
Well

I sat me down to write a simple story
Which maybe in the end became a song
In trying to find the words which might begin it
I found these were the thoughts I brought along

At first I took my weight to be an anchor
And gathered up my fears to guide me round
But then I clearly saw my own delusion
And found my struggles further bogged me down

In starting out I thought to go exploring
And set my foot upon the nearest road
In vain I looked to find the promised turning
But only saw how far I was from home

In searching I forsook the paths of learning
And sought instead to find some pirate's gold
In fighting I did hurt those dearest to me
And still no hidden truths could I unfold

I sat me down to write a simple story
Which maybe in the end became a song
The words have all been writ by one before me
We're taking turns in trying to pass them on
Oh, we're taking turns in trying to pass them on

The Devil came from Kansas.
Where he went to I can't say
Though I teach I'm not a preacher,
And I aim to stay that way
There's a monkey riding on my back,
Been there for some time
He says he knows me very well
But he's no friend of mine

I am not a humble pilgrim
There's no need to scrape and squeeze
And don't beg for silver paper
When I'm trying to sell you cheese

The Devil came from Kansas.
Where he went to I can't say
If you really are my brother
Then you'd better start to pray
For the sins of those departed
And the ones about to go
There's a dark cloud just above us,
Don't tell me 'cos I know

I am not a humble pilgrim
There's no need to scrape and squeeze
And don't beg for silver paper
When I'm trying to sell you cheese

No I never came from Kansas,
Don't forget to thank the cook
Which reminds me of my duty:
I was lost and now I look
For the turning and the signpost
And the road which takes you down
To that pool inside the forest
In whose waters I shall drown

I am not a humble pilgrim
There's no need to scrape and squeeze
And don't beg for silver paper
When I'm trying to sell you cheese

When you knew that I had given all the kindness that I had
Did you think that it might be time to stop?
When you knew that I was through
That I'd done all I could do
Did you really have to milk the final drop?
Not content with my mistake
You behaved just like a snake
And you left me for a wasp without a sting
Tell all my friends back home
That I did it on my own
And that to their well-worn cares they should cling

When you knew that I had given all the kindness that I had
Did you feel you had to break that lonely vow?
When you knew that I was through
That I'd done all I could do
Did you really have to sow that final plough?
Not content with my mistake, you behaved just like a snake
And you left me for a wasp without a sting
Tell all the folks back home that he did it on his own
And that to their well-worn cares they should cling

There's you, you're sleeping over there
Whilst me I'm sitting here
With so much sea between us
I can't make it much more clear
There'll be no time for crying
We won't make it more than six
I could change my plea to guilty
But I don't think it would stick
Still those other ratings far too easy to despise
You've said so much in silence now I truly am disguised

Let him who fears his heart alone
Stand up and make a speech
For him perhaps an emperor's throne
If he could only speak
Far too few and far to follow
For shame I'll heed the cry
Be with me when I need a drink
Be with me when I die
Still those other ratings far too easy to despise
You've said so much in silence now indeed I am disguised

(Fisher / Reid)

We'll hoist a hand, becalmed upon a troubled sea
'make haste to your funeral,' cries the valkyrie
We'll hoist a hand or drown amidst this stormy sea
'here lies a coffin,' cries the cemetery, it calls to me
And all for nothing quite in vain was hope forever tossed
No thoughts explained, no moments gained, all hope forever lost
One moment's space, one moment's final fall from grace
Burnt by fire, blind in sight, lost in ire

We'll hoist a hand, becalmed upon a troubled sea
I fear a mighty wave is threatening me
We'll hoist a hand, or drown amidst this stormy sea
'come follow after,' cry the humble, 'you will surely see ...'
But still for nothing quite in vain was hope forever tossed
No moments gained, no thoughts explained, all hope forever lost
One moment's space, one moment's final fall from grace
Burnt by fire, blind in sight, lost in ire

About to die - the crowds applaud you
About to die - they'll resurrect you
Light a candle up in kingdom come
Light the way for the saviour's son
A candle burning bright enough to tear the city down

About to die - the crowds reward you
About to die - their cheers ignore you
Light a candle up in kingdom come
Light the way for the chosen one
No candle burned with fire enough to tear that city down

About to die - the crowds applaud me
About to die - they'll resurrect me
Light a candle up in kingdom come
Light the way for the savior's son
A candle burning bright enough to tear the city down

Chicken in the farmyard, there's an oven in your bin
You're growing old with sorrow, you're growing fat with sin
I was living in the graveyard, I was hanging from the wall
I was living in the desert, I was trying not to fall

Once I stood upon Olympus, then the heavens opened wide
I beheld that flaming chariot and I saw the sacred bride
Now and then my life seems truer, now and then my life seems pure
All in all, my thoughts are fewer - maybe death will be my cure

Did you hear what happened to Jenny Droe?
Couldn't believe it, but it's true
Twenty-six, and now she's dead
I wish that I could've died instead

Did you hear what happened to Jenny Droe?
Did you see how thin and pale she grew?
So much suffering, could not hide
Endless heartache until she died

Did you hear what happened to Jenny Droe?
Strike me dead, make it a truce
Strike me dead, let me go
Nothing that I didn't know

Did you hear what happened to Jenny Droe?
Couldn't believe it, but it's true
Twenty-six, and now she's dead
I wish that I could've died instead

(originally Wash Yourself)

Wash yourself and see your sorrow, make every pitcher clean
Take a mop to swab the floor and destroy the evil dream
Counting houses full of lead, the evil eye on high
The streets awash with blood and pus, the new moon's in the sky
God's aloft, the winds are raging
God's aloft, the winds are cold
After leaving I was weeping - count it out in tolls
Watch the book, the page is turning - how the tale unfolds
Inside every cancered spectre,
inside-outside find your own
God's aloft, the winds are raging - God's aloft, the winds are cold

I'll bathe my eyes in a river of salt
I'll grow myself right up to the sky
I'll sing in the forest, tear down the trees
I'll foul all the fountains and trample the leaves
I'll blacken your Christmas and piss on your door
You'll cry out for mercy, but still there'll be more

I'll put a blight in the orchard
I'll run wild through the fields
I'll waylay your daughter and kidnap your wife
Savage her sexless and burn out her eyes
I'll blacken your Christmas and piss on your door
You'll cry out for mercy, but still there'll be more

As I lay down dying, a floor for my bed
And a bundle of newspaper under my head
I dreamed a dream, as strange as could be
Concerning myself, and somebody like me
We were in some city, the stranger and me
The houses were open, and the streets empty
The windows were bare, and the pavements dirty
I asked where I was; my companion ignored me
We entered a graveyard and searched for a tombstone
The graves were disturbed, and the coffins wide open
And the coprses were rotten, yet each one was living
Their eyes were alive with maggots crawling
I cried out in fear, but my voice had left me
My legs were deformed, yet I moved quite freely
My head was on fire, yet my hands were icy
And everywhere light, yet darkness engulfed me
I managed to scream and woke from my slumber
I thought of my dream and lay there and wondered
Where had I been? What could it mean?
It was dark in the deathroom as I slithered under

Pailing well after sixteen days, a mammoth task was set
Sack the town, and rob the tower, and steal the alphabet
Close the door and bar the gate, but keep the windows clean
God's alive inside a movie! Watch the silver screen!

Rum was served to all the traitors; pygmies held themselves in check
Bloodhounds nosed around the houses, down dark alleys sailors crept
Six bells struck, the pot was boiling - soup spilled out on passers-by
Angels mumbled incantations, closely watched by God on high

Lightning struck out - fire and brimstone! Boiling oil and shrieking steam!
Darkness struck with molten fury, flashbulbs glorified the scene
Not a man who had a finger, not a man who could be seen
Nothing called (not name nor number) - Echo stormed its final scream

Daybreak washed with sands of gladness, rotting all it rotted clean
Windows peeped out on their neighbors, inside fireside bedsides gleam
SHALIMAR, the trumpets chorused, angels wholly all shall take
Those alive will meet the prophets, those at peace shall see their wake

Ain't gonna ride that whisky train
Ain't gonna burn up no more flame
Throw away my bottle down the drain
Ain't gonna ride that whisky train

To think that I could be so wrong
To be so sick and still go on
The way I drink it's been too long
Don't see much point in carrying on

I'm gonna lose these drinking blues


I'm gonna find a girl to make me choose
Between lovin' her and drinking booze
I'm gonna lose these drinking blues

Ain't gonna ride that whisky train
I'm tired of burning in the flame
Throw away my bottle down the drain
Ain't gonna ride that whisky train

There's too many women and not enough wine
Too many poets and not enough rhyme
Too many glasses and not enough time
Draw your own conclusions

My old dog's a good old dog
My old man's a silly old sod
The human face is a terrible place
Choose your own examples

Went to the river, but I could not swim
Knew I'd drown if I went in
Lost my faith in a terrible race
Rest-in-peace hereafter

It was all once bright jewels
And glittering sand
The oceans have ravaged
And strangled the land
Waste fills the temples,
Dead daughters are born
The presses are empty
The editors torn

Whose husband was the first to fall?
Who died the worst death of them all?
How many splinters in each separate band?
How many stations in the final hand?

Now gather up sea shells,
And write down brave words
Your prayers are unanswered,
Your idols absurd
The seaweed and the cobweb,
Have rotted your sword
Your barricades broken,
Your enemies Lord.

Tulips lips oh Luskus Delph
Your baking breath breeds body 'x'
With silken measures try to gauge
The inside sweetness of your cave.

Peach preserve your simmering jewel
Hid away like orphans' gruel
Help me find the widow's crack
Make me stick like ceiling wax

Almond eyed my turkish pearl
Burn me up sweet oyster girl
Shove me in your steaming vat
Make me split like chicken fat

Cellar full of diamonds, turret full of gold
All for a mermaid's locket, too much to hold
Drink the seals' blood from the ocean,
Drink the whole ocean dry
Steal the moonshine from the night-time,
Steal the sun from the sky

Black-skinned warrior, Zulu Queen
Sold for a silver dollar, shipped across the sea
Worked like a Mexican donkey,
Used like a hole in the ground
Branded her skin like she didn't feel a thing
Crying without a sound

Skeptic at the feast in ashes
Huntsmen at the voyeurs' ball
Funeral parlour guests invited
Mourning poorly worn by all

Old and mouldy words of passion
Savage Rose destroyed them all
Wrote her fate in neon captions
Slender sender made me crawl

Playmate of the Mouth expected
Passionata bless the small
Baby sandwich soaped for comfort
Slippery sliding ten feet tall

Playmate of the Mouth expected
Passionata bless the small
Baby sandwich soaped for comfort
Slippery sliding ten feet tall

Poor Mohammed at the peep show
Kick the beggar down the stairs
Can't keep guard, he's old and feeble
Steal his books, burn his prayers

Poor Mohammed at the keyhole
Sit him by the kitchen door
Slop his food all around the table
Let him lick it off the floor

Put Mohammed in the cellar
Keep him there 'til half past ten
Ties some bacon to his beard
Let the rats out on him there

Climbing out of open windows
Crashing down from broken stairs
Keeping watch on smoking cinders
Falling over burning chairs

Tossed and crossed and screwed in transit
broken , splintered, bruised and thrown
Badly shattered, gale force frighty
Rrushed across and shown alone

Speech reduced by poor relations
Strung from weeks of self abuse
Chopped up, churned out weeks of greazy
Spark plugs burned up, power's fused

Simple sister
Got whooping cough
Have to burn her toys
Take her treats
Eat her sweets
Scare off all the boys

Simple sister
Got whooping cough
Have to put her out
Wear her clothes
Steal her bows


Tell her that she's stout

Simple sister
Got whooping cough
Lock her in a cell
Throw the key
Into the sea
Hope she never gets well

Simple sister
Got whooping cough
Have to burn her toys
Take her treats
Eat her sweets
Scare off all the boys

Simple sister
Got whooping cough
Have to put her out
Wear her clothes
Steal her bows


Tell her that she's stout

Simple sister
Got whooping cough
Lock her in a cell
Throw the key
Into the sea
Hope she never gets well

I will meet you on the other side of the moon
The doctors say they must operate soon
But there's no knowing what they'll find when they open up the wound
I will meet you on the other side of the moon
I will meet you at the bottom of the sea
We will lie inside the ocean and scheme
Our friend the arab will guide us while we dream
I will meet you at the bottom of the sea

She's fuddled my fancy, she's muddled me good
I've taken to drinking, and given up food
I'm buying an island, somewhere in the sun
I'll hide from the natives, live only on rum

I'm selling my memoirs, I'm writing it down
If no one will pay me I'll burn down the town
I'll rent out an aircraft and print on the sky
If God likes my story then maybe he'll buy

I'm buying a ticket for places unknown
It's only a one-way: I'm not coming home
She's swallowed my secret, and taken my name
To follow my footsteps and knobble me lame

Bringing home the bacon,
tender juicy steaks
Breast-fed baby dumpling
gobbling up the cakes

Milk-fed baby dumpling,
slobbering, goo-faced, mean
Wet-nursed sour purse spot face,
blubbering in the cream

Emperor baby dumpling,
loaded, bloated curse
Mighty baby dumpling,
stuffing 'til he bursts

This war we are waging is already lost
The cause for the fighting has long been a ghost
Malice and habit have now won the day
The honours we fought for are lost in the fray

Standards and bugles are trod in the dust
Wounds have burst open, and corridors rust


Once proud and truthful, now humbled and bent
Fires which burnt brightly, now energies spent

Let down the curtain, and exit the play
The crowds have gone home and the cast sailed away
Our flowers and feathers as scarring as weapons
Our poems and letters have turned to deceptions

He fell from grace and hit the ground
They tried in vain to bring him round
No one saw him make the fall
They couldn't understand at all

His fall from grace was swift and straight
The doctors didn't hesitate
What he had they were not sure
He didn't have a temperature

His fall from grace was swift and sure
The doctors said they knew no cure.
They felt and poked and pushed his pulse
He couldn't understand at all

He fell from grace and hit the ground
He fell into the sea and drowned
They saw him struggling from the harbour
They saw him wave as he went under

Tonight we sleep on silken sheets
We drink fine wine and eat rare meats
On Carousel and gambling stake
Our fortunes speed, and dissipate.
It's candlelight and chandelier,
It's silver plate and crystal clear.
The nights we stay at Hotel Grand

Tonight we dine at Hotel Ritz.
(A golden dish with every wish ).
It's mirrored walls, and velvet drapes,
Dry champagne, and bursting grapes.
Dover sole, and Oeufs Mornay,
Profiteroles and Peach Flambe,
The waiters dance on fingertips
The nights we dine at Hotel Ritz

One more toast to greet the morn
The wine and dine have danced till dawn
Where's my Continental Bride?
We'll Continental slip and slide
Early morning pinch and bite -
(These French girls always like to fight)
It's serenade and Sarabande,
The nights we stay at Hotel Grand
Les nuits qu'on passe a l'Hotel Grande.

Tonight we sleep on silken sheets
We drink fine wine and eat rare meats
On Carousel and gambling stake
Our fortunes speed, and dissipate.
It's candlelight and chandelier,
It's silver plate and crystal clear.
The nights we stay at Hotel Grand

Tonight we dine at Hotel Ritz.
(A golden dish with every wish ).
It's mirrored walls, and velvet drapes,
Dry champagne, and bursting grapes.
Dover sole, and Oeufs Mornay,
Profiteroles and Peach Flambe,
The waiters dance on fingertips
The nights we dine at Hotel Ritz

One more toast to greet the morn
The wine and dine have danced till dawn
Where's my Continental Bride?
We'll Continental slip and slide
Early morning pinch and bite -
(These French girls always like to fight)
It's serenade and Sarabande,
The nights we stay at Hotel Grand
Les nuits qu'on passe a l'Hotel Grande.

Doctor where's your remedy?
I've got enough to pay the fee
Can't you see I'm awful sick?
I'll pay you well to do the trick

Doctor where's your magic box
There's no one here to count the cost


Name your price and make the sale
There's no-one here to tell the tale

Doctor please don't lock your door
I've never troubled you before
Just a pinch to ease the pain
I'll never trouble you again

Doctor where's your remedy?
I've got enough to pay the fee
Can't you see I'm awful sick?
I'll pay you well to do the trick

Doctor where's your magic box
There's no one here to count the cost


Name your price and make the sale
There's no-one here to tell the tale

Doctor please don't lock your door
I've never troubled you before
Just a pinch to ease the pain
I'll never trouble you again

She took all the pleasure and none of the pain
All of the credit and none of the blame
I came home to an empty flat
She'd left me a note and taken the cat

The cord that they knotted to keep us apart
Could never be broken: it was tied to my heart
She grew thin and I grew fat
She left me and that was that

I'm thinking of renting a villa in France
A French girl has offered to give me a chance
Or maybe I'll take an excursion to Spain
And buy a revolver and blow out my brains

Psychiatrists and lawyers destroying mankind
Drivin' 'em crazy...and stealing 'em blind
Bankers and brokers ruling the world
Storing the silver and hoarding the gold

Ain't no use in preachers preaching
When they don't know what they're teaching
The weakest man be strong as samson
When you're being held to ransom

Famine and hardship in true living colour
Constant reminders...the plight of our brother
Daily starvation our diet of news
Fed to the teeth with a barrage of views

Ain't no use in preachers preaching


When they don't know what they're teaching
The weakest man be strong as samson
When you're being held to ransom

Black men and white men, and arabs and jews
Causing congestion and filling the queues
Fighting for freedom the truth and the word
Fighting the war for the end of the world

Ain't no use in preachers preaching
When they don't know what they're teaching
Weakest man be strong as samson
When you're being held to ransom

Psychiatrists and lawyers destroying mankind
Drivin' 'em crazy...and stealing 'em blind
Bankers and brokers ruling the world
Storing the silver and hoarding the gold

Ain't no use in preachers preaching
When they don't know what they're teaching
The weakest man be strong as samson
When you're being held to ransom

Famine and hardship in true living colour
Constant reminders...the plight of our brother
Daily starvation our diet of news
Fed to the teeth with a barrage of views

Ain't no use in preachers preaching


When they don't know what they're teaching
The weakest man be strong as samson
When you're being held to ransom

Black men and white men, and arabs and jews
Causing congestion and filling the queues
Fighting for freedom the truth and the word
Fighting the war for the end of the world

Ain't no use in preachers preaching
When they don't know what they're teaching
Weakest man be strong as samson
When you're being held to ransom

Who will search for Holy Grail
Past the edge beyond the veil
Who will come beyond the light
Far from reach beyond all sight
Who will share this bitter cup
let the wild dogs tear them up
let the cold winds blow them down
drive them deep beneath the ground

Who will live in darkest night
Dankest gloom and quietest quiet
Buried deep beneath the ground
Far from any human sound

Who will search for treasure trove
Scour the seas and scale the globe
Past the peaks beyond the heights
Farmost reaches furthest sights
Who will share this bitter cup
let the wild dogs tear them up
let the cold winds blow them down
drive them deep beneath the ground

They tell us that we're savages
who haven't got a hope
We're burning in the furnaces,
we're choking at the smoke
They say we haven't got a choice,
refuse to recognize our voice
Yet they enjoy comissions
from the proceeds of the joke

Those Butterfly Boys
at play with their toys
Stinging like bees
itching like fleas
Butterfly Boys
you got the toys
You got the breeze
we cought the freeze
Butterfly Boys give us a break
We got the groceries you got the cake

They tell us that we're savages
who cannot understand
We're sailing on a sinking ship,
we're swimming in the sand
They put their fingers in their ears,
refuse to recognize our fears
And fly off to Jamaica
when we call them underhand

In praise of fruit I wrote this song
Because of fruit my heart is strong
Who could estimate its worth?
Fruit's the finest food on earth

Fresh fruit, juice and seeds
Please don't touch, please don't squeeze
Fresh fruit, juice and pulp
Like to gulp the whole lot up

Here's another point of view
Fruit is good for doggies too
Rover wags his tail with glee
When he gets his vitamin C

Have you caught a touch of flu
And you can't think what to do
Famous doctors all agree
fruit's the safest remedy

Fresh fruit Good and sweet
Makes you want to give up meat
Fresh fruit, ripe and firm
Makes them squealing taste-buds squirm.

The end of the evening, unable to cope
Unique entertainment no longer a joke
The close of the picture, the end of the show
Merciless torment, torturous blow

New lamps for old
Bright shiny gold
Innocent youth
Falsehood for truth

The eye of the needle, the loss of the thread
Triumphant victor, glorious dead
The cause becomes duty; duty's the blow
Which kills the picture: death of the show

It seems as clear as yesterday
We saw it in a dream
but dream became insanity
an awful gaping scream
So sad to see such emptiness
So sad to see such tears
And heaped up leaves of bitterness
turned mouldy down the years

Nothing but the truth.
Common words in use
Hard to find excuse
Harder than the truth

Like Icarus we flew too high
We flew too near the sun
They caught us in that awful glare
Our hapless throats were strung
But just before the final stroke
They took us victims of the rope
And cast us far beyond the deep
To lie in never ending sleep

It seems as clear as yesterday
They cast us in the deep
We lie in darkest night for good
Never ending sleep
A never ending bitter gloom
Whose darkness seldom clears
A God forsaken emptiness
Which fills our hearts with tears

Ooh I need your love babe
Guess you know it's true
Hope you need my love babe
Just like I need you
Hold me love me
Hold me love me
I ain't got nothing but love babe
Eight days a week

Love you every day girl
Always on my mind
One thing I can say girl
Love you all the time
Hold me love me
Hold me love me
I ain't got nothing but love babe
Eight days a week

Eight days a week I love you
Eight days a week is not enough to show I care

Ooh I need your love babe
Guess you know it's true
Hope you need my love babe
Just like I need you
Hold me love me
Hold me love me
I ain't got nothing but love babe
Eight days a week
Eight days a week I love you
Eight days a week is not enough to show I care
Love you every day girl
Always on my mind
One thing I can say girl
Love you all the time
Hold me love me
Hold me love me
I ain't got nothing but love babe
Eight days a week
Eight days a week
Eight days a week

I was trying hard to win
Save the world and be the king
I was out there in the race
Trying hard to force the pace

Fool's gold fooled me too
Bright and shiny looked brand new
Fool's gold broke my heart
Shone so brightly then fell apart

Fools gold bitter sting
Broken promise hollow ring
Fool's gold cast the die
Broken promise empty lie

I was locked in bitter strife
Fighting monsters all of my life
I was out to break the pledge
Force myself across the edge

Fool's gold fooled me too
Bright and shiny looked brand new
Fool's gold broke my heart
Shone so brightly then fell apart
Fool's gold fooled me too
Shine so brightly, looked brand new
Fool's gold broke my heart
Shone so brightly then fell apart
Fool's gold fooled me too
Fool's gold fooled me too
Fool's gold fooled me too
Fool's gold, fool's gold fooled me too

I keep forgetting you don't love me no more
I keep forgetting you don't want me no more
I keep forgetting that you told me that you
Didn't want me around anymore
But these stupid old feet
Just head for your street
Like they've done so many times before
And this stubborn old fist
At the end of my wrist
Keeps knocking on your front door

I keep forgetting you don't love me no more
I keep forgetting you don't want me no more
I keep forgetting about those heartbreaking nights
Ant those heartbreaking things that you said
Though it's plain as can be
You're finished with me
I can't believe our love is dead
Though I know in my heart
We've drifted apart
I just can't get it through my head

I keep forgetting you don't love me no more
I keep forgetting you don't love me no more
I keep forgetting you don't love me no more

But these stupid old feet
Just head for your street
Like they've done so many times before
And this stubborn old fist
At the end of my wrist
Keeps knocking on your front door

I keep forgetting you don't love me no more
I keep forgetting you don't love me no more
Oh, I keep forgetting you don't love me no more, oh

I keep forgetting
I keep forgetting
I keep forgetting

While horsemen ride across the green
And Snow White still remains unseen.
Pegasus, the winged horse,
Relays his messages by Morse.
And like some pirate sailor
We crossed the Spanish Main
And brought our magic carpet
To a marble staircased plain.

While Handel plays his melody
Doctors cause uncertainty
And though I know the lifeguard's brave
There is no one for him to save.
And like some pirate sailor
We crossed the Spanish Main
And brought our magic carpet
To a marble staircased plain.

Cock Robin views his frozen feet
And wraps them in a winding sheet
And calls out for his favourite drink
The Persian that's as warm as mink.
And like some pirate sailor
We crossed the Spanish Main
And brought our magic carpet
To a marble staircased plain.

I was standing on the mountain top staring at the sun
I was trying to act the hero's part not fooling anyone
I was living for the moment but the moment never came
Taking notes and stealing quotes, trying to make a name
My time's been taken with taking my time
By making my mind up, yes to make up my mind

I was living in the country: I was trying not to freeze
I was working on the cabbage plants, chopping down the trees
I was learning how to cook the goose and how to milk the cow
Taking out the dog for walks, teaching him how to bow
My time's been taken, yes, with taking my time
Oh, I'm making my mind up to make up my mind, yes

Yes, my time's been taken, oh, with taking my time, yeah
I'm making my mind up, yeah to make up my mind oh....