Edwyn Collins

You may find as I have found
This place is neither safe nor sound
This house of cards will tumble down
As befits a cardboard town

You're lost in the ruins of your mind
As these four walls collide, as your whole world subsides
But you took it all in your stride
As a matter of course, not a matter of pride

So raise your glass, let's celebrate
'Cause we can force those hands of fate
No need to heed the call for greed, for acquisition
Now I ain't puttin' you on, this is my genuine position

You're lost in the ruins of your mind
As these four walls collide, as your whole life subsides
But you took it all in your stride
As a matter of course, not a matter of pride

How can I thank you?
We're forever in your debt
We'll bite the hand of fate that feeds us
Morsels of regret

You're lost in the ruins of your mind
As these four walls collide, as your whole world subsides
But you took it all in your stride
As a matter of course, not a matter of pride
As a matter of course, not a matter of pride

Hello chaos my old friend
We finally got there in the end
I found a loophole in the law
I stumbled then I crawled through
Never frightened that that noose would tighten
I felt enlightened
My senses heightened
Yet all this time you've been inclined
To watch me from the sidelines
Miles from the frontline
Hoping that some sniper
Had picked off this magic piper
To shoot the messenger
That's what's obsessing ya

You only kick me when I'm down
When I get up you come around
You come around, you say I'm great
You're only twenty years too late

Well where I lived
Don't make no bones
Was several feet below a stone
Far from appalled
I was enthralled
The snake that slithered learned to crawl
Through the quagmire of my mislaid plans
That backfired
I felt enlightened
My senses heightened
You called me up
To wish me luck
To let me know this business sucks
Let's change it
Let's rearrange it
So why do I get the feeling
That there's something you're concealing?
That it's a put on
You scratch your foot on

You only kick me when I'm down
When I get up you come around
You come around, you say I'm great
You're only twenty years too late

Did I do something to make you hate me?
It's funny how you thought you'd break me

You're too late
Too much
Too soon
How high
The moon
Too little
Toolate
Too bad
That's the breaks

Now that you've broke your heart
How long before the teardrops start?
And 'til those tears subside
You'd better find some place to hide
If you don't wanna feel
Just make believe that nothing's real
And if you don't wanna cry
Just wait until those tears run dry

Oooh oooh oooh
Johnny Teardrop
Oooh oooh oooh
Johnny Teardrop

When you don't wanna think
You pour yourself another drink
You make like you're getting high
When really you're just getting by
You say you don't wana know
You make as if it's time to go
You say you don't wanna cry
Well wait until those tears run dry

Oooh oooh oooh
Johnny Teardrop
Oooh oooh oooh
Johnny Teardrop

It's his tears that turn you on
Johnny Teardrop
It's his tears that turn you on
Johnny Teardrop

To anyone who's followed me
I offer my apologies
I'm splitting up
I can't afford to compromise
With someone I don't recognise
I'm splitting up
The idea first occurred to me
While shaving rather cautiously
Cos I bleed easily
My head is searating from my heart
I'm splitting up

The crocodiles will shed their tears
While other reptiles sneer and jeer
He's splitting up
The notices, lest we forget
Are posted on the internet
He's splitting up
I can't say I went out in style
My differences unreconciled
Embittered to the end
Neither moving nor affecting
All I'm doing is disconnecting
I'm splitting up

What's it all about?
Haven't got a clue
Only thing I know
It isn't down to you
To decide these things
Still you carry on
Still you scream and shout
I know that it's wrong
I haven't got the clout
To deride these things
But if my hearthad wings'
I'd fly away

To anyone who's followed me
I offer my apologies
I'm splitting up

I'm feeling down
I'm feeling down
I'm splitting up

I'm feeling down
I'm feeling down
I'm splitting up

I've been doing a power of thinking
The Good Ship Lollipop is sinking
But I've been having such a good time
Just watching from the shoreline
Call waiting on the telephone
Only problem being the phone is off the hook
And besides, there's no-one home

All except in the backrooom
I'm operating in a vacuum
I'm going back to the backroom
I'm operating in a vacuum

Revolution on the South Bank
I poured poison in the think tank
Got out before the big crash
Caught the tail end of the whiplash
Reminiscing with the diehards
Uptight with the old guard
Saying out of the spotlight
Don't get blinded by the spotlight

I'm going back to the backroom
I'm operating in a vacuum
I'm going back to the backroom
I'm operating in a vacuum

On the Good Ship Lollipop
It's a nice trip to the candy shop
But the key to your success
Was the key to your excess
Was the key to your success
Was the key to your excess
Going back to the backroom
I'm operating in a vacuum

let's hear it for the first beatle
let's hear it for the worst beatle
let's hear it for the best beatle
the had to get it off his chest beatle
let's hear it for the lost beatle
the art at any cost beatle
the beatle with the sense of taste beatle
who never learned to play his bass beatle

let's hear it for the I me mine
speed and wine
the Reeperbaum or die
but the scorpio on the rise
was the cancer in disguise

let's hear it for the fab beatles
the ones who drove the teens mad beatles
let's hear it for the cute beatle
let's hear for the fat beatle
let's hear it for the quiet beatle
let's hear it for the gauche beatle
let's hear it for the beatle people
the rattling their jewels people

I me mine
Brian Epstein
America or die
Did he trade the merchandise
For a slice of apple pie?

let's hear it for the fifth beatle
let's hear it for the gay beatle
let's hear it for the drugged beatle
the all you need is love beatles
and the love that fell apart beatles
and how they broke the nation's heart, beatles
so let's hear it for the new beatles
the really haven't got a clue beatles

let's hear it for the
I me mine
Alan Klein
a slice of apple pie
me myself and I
and a slice of apple pie

I me mine
Alan Klein
a slice of apple pie
but the catcher in the rye
was the reaper in disguise

so sad about the dead beatle