Mick Grabham

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

"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....

Typewriter torment, dreadful disease
Caught it the first day I touched the keys
You wear down your fingers and churn out your pap
It eats up your life like a dose of the clap

Typewriter torment it tortures me still
If only my doctor could see that I'm ill

Typewriter fever gives birth to a flood
It sweeps through your body and curdles your blood
You curse and discurse but you're damned for all time
The moment your fingers give birth to a rhyme

Typewriter fever it harries me still
If only my doctor would give me a pill

Typewriter fever I'm worn to a stub
I've dumped my Thesaurus and pulled out the plug
I'm rending my ribbon and bending my spool
Don't bother rewinding: I'm done with it all

But why can't my doctor just say that I'm ill?
Typewriter fever is paying his bill.

Typewriter fever it harries me still
If only my doctor would give me a pill

I'm going downstairs to be a poet
Got a great idea: gonna write a sonnet
A verse or two of fearless prose
A priceless quip to gild the rose
I'll make my fortune overnight
My work will set the world alight

Just a line is all I need
Just a thought to sow the seed
Just a word to start me out.
The rest will come without a doubt

I'm going downstairs to write a book
Got a great idea's gonna really cook
A rattling good yarn with an ironic twist
A riveting ending that's not to be missed
Makesure the presses are ready to steam
This book is a scorcher, a publisher's dream

Just the first part's all I need
The rest will come with lightning speed
Just a line to set the stage.
My pen will dance across the page

I'm going downstairs to write a play
Got a great idea gonna make it pay
This serious drama won't be understood
The critics will love it and say that it's good
"at last a new writer, a true nouvelle vague"
In no time at all I'll be king of the stage

Just a story's all I need.
Just a thought to sow the seed
Just a line to start me out .
The rest will come without a doubt

You were the player
And you played it cool
I was the stranger
And I played the fool
You were the teacher
And you were the best
I was the seeker
And I failed the test

We were always skating on thin ice
Shaking the wrong dice
Swimming against the tide
Playing on the wrong side

Yes you were the player
And you were so cool


I was the greenhorn
King of the fools
Painting the picture
To fit with the frame
Changing the players
To fit with the game

You were the searcher
Out for the sky
I was the traveller
Just passing by
You were the taker
And you gave the call
I was the faker
And I dropped the ball

In the centre of the storm
something magic being born
When the world is torn apart
by the beating of a heart
Like a dam about to burst
Like a drunkard's crazy thirst
In the centre of the storm
something magic being born

It's the dark hours of the soul
when the nightmares take their toll
when the shadows come to mock
against the ticking of the clock
When the demons of the night
come like vultures for their bite
In the dark hours of the soul
when the nightmares take their toll

It's the dawning of the day
night-time's panic swept away
When the clouds which seemed so dark
are exchanged for morning's lark
When the stars which burnt so bright
are exchanged for morning light
In the dawning of the day
Nightime's panic swept away

Strangers in space
passing through time
Travellers in haste
Partners in crime
Trace of a feeling
Trace of regret
Hard to remember
Hard to forget
Something uncovered
Something unsaid
Strangely repeated
long ago dead
Hard to remember
Hard to forget

Strangers in space
Travellers in time
passing in haste
Partners in crime
Trace of a feeling
Trace of regret
Hard to remember
Hard to forget
Fruits of discovery
some distant form
Something repeated
Something reborn
trace of a feeling
Trace of regret
Hard to remember
Hard to forget

A question of judgement decided in haste
A case of malfunction an error of taste
A moment of madness occasioned by stress
A classic misjudgment a god-awful mess

The moment of panic preceding the crash
The sickening terror the defeating smash
A loud wail of sirens descend on the scene
The camera dissolves a crescendo of screams

The memory's imprinted like some dreadful sore


The fearful reminder: the mark of the claw

A question of judgement concerned in the case
The method of access regarding the place
The possible motive the absence of blood
The theories unanswered regarding the thud

The outcome was certain the jury was hung
Their verdict resolved by ruling of thumb
The judgement was mercy: they tendered the plea
The judge raised his hand and the prisoner was free

Remember when you felt it first?
The bitter taste of love
The hand that reached inside your purse
The fist inside the glove
Remember how it felt to be
The only one who cared
You peeked behind the open door
The bride is always bared

You always knew this day would come
You lie in bed alone
The TV flickers silently
A dream in every home (early mixes exist in which Gary sings 'A dream without a home')

Remember when you felt it first?
When you played kiss and tell
The moment that the arrow pierced
The pearl inside the shell
Remember how good it felt to be?
To really come alive
You peeked behind the open door
The secrets of the hive

(g.brooker / k.reid / r.trower)

Rings upon your fingers
Bells upon your toes
Ev'ry day's a game of chance
Ev'ry body knows
In the king's apartment
Heavy lies the crown
There must be a thousand ways
To bring that castle down

Wave the mighty dollar
Make us live again
Lead and we will follow
Faithful to the end
Wave the mighty dollar
Pave the streets with gold
Lead us by the collar
All our dreams are sold



Rings upon your finger
Stardust in your hair
Jumping through that wall of fire
All for the market share
In the king's apartment
Desperate human greed
Try to find a diff'rent way
Satisfy that need

Wave the mighty dollar
Make us live again
Lead and we will follow
Faithful to the end
Wave the mighty dollar
Pave the streets with gold
Lead us by the collar
All our dreams are sold

(brooker / reid)

Zika nor nama ... hesah!

Through this hourglass
Sands are running fast
In deserted plains
Kingdoms write their names
On these burning sands
Kingdoms show their hands
In these killing fields
Soldiers show their steel
The men who play the gods of war
They stay behind the guarded door
And hostages who seek release
They're crying out to keep the peace



Holding on... holding on
One day we will be free, one day if we're strong
Holding on... holding on
Through the shadows cast to a brighter day

In these fields of stone
Far away from home
In this vale of tears
The men who play the gods of war
They stay behind the guarded door
Religious leaders teachin' hate
Praise the war and call it fate

You and me got a chance to make things right
The writing... The writing's on the wall
You and me got a chance to turn things 'round
We got no time... The future's slipping
Through our hands

Learn to fly
Where eagles only dare to try
We're on the wing
We dare to win
We see the future and we're gonna make it
Learn to live
You know you got so much to give
It's in the air
It's everywhere
We got a vision and we're gonna claim it

You and me we can't turn back at all
The die is cast... (You know) the deal is done
You and me we knew this day would come
And now it's here... the journey's just begun

Learn to fly
Where eagles only dare to try
We're on the wing
We dare to win
We see the future and we're gonna make it
Learn to live
You know you got so much to give
It's in the air
It's everywhere
We got a vision and we're gonna claim it

I'm a dog in a manger
A cat with a mouse
I'm the prodigal stranger
I'll burn down the house
I'm a self-educator
A collector of news
I'm the cool liberator
Any topic you choose

I'm a man with a mission
I'm a shooting star
I've got no inhibitions
I don't care who you are

Got my eye on the future
And my hand on the pulse
There's a whole world of people
In the back of the bus
There's a man on a tightrope
Who's got nothing to share
Just a whole lot of secrets
And a head full of air

I'm a man with a mission
I'm a shooting star
I've got no inhibitions
I don't care who you are

It's the Tropic of Cancer
The meaning of soul
There's a change in the weather
To have and to hold
The method of access
A handful of dust
It's just par for the course, boy
Get back on the bus

I'm a man with a mission
I'm a shooting star
I've got no inhibitions
I don't care who you are

Good to get your message
So you're coming back home again
Just can't wait to see you
No need to explain
A friend of mine told me
That you've found yourself a new man
I'm feelin' really good for you
Hope you understand
I've still got your picture
I'm sure you know
We had something special
Where did it go?

One more time
Let's remember how good it felt
One more time
Remember what we meant
One more time
Can't help wondering where it went
One more time
Just one more time

I wonder if you finished


Workin' on that book
Maybe I could come 'round sometime
'n take a look
A friend of mine told me
That you've changed your hair
They say you're really different now
I remember how you were
I've still got your picture
I'm sure you know
We had something special
Where did it go?

One more time
Let's remember how good it felt
One more time
Remember what we meant
One more time
Can't help wondering where it went
One more time
Just one more time

(g.brooker / k.reid / m.noble)

Rings around the crescent moon
Passions rise from basement rooms
Fountains play and worlds collide
We gently swing and sway from side to side

Dancers in perpetual motion
Slip an' sliding across the floor
Ships our on a moonlit ocean
Sailin' t'ward a distant shore

Star-crossed lovers they spoon and swim
The laughing gods they just reel them in
Hostages they're tempting fate
See them wait down on the line to take the bait

Dancers in perpetual motion
Slip an' sliding across the floor
Ships our on a moonlit ocean
Sailin' t'ward a distant shore



The simple stuff we build our dreams upon
Waxing, waning, now it's almost gone
Passion plays the sweetest tune
These velvet days are gone far too soon

Dancers in perpetual motion
Slip an' sliding across the floor
Ships our on a moonlit ocean
Sailin' t'ward a distant shore

We spend our nights on silken sheets
We play for gold but not for keeps
Dancers in perpetual motion
Slip an' sliding across the floor
Ships our on a moonlit ocean
Sailin' t'ward a distant shore

(g.brooker / k.reid / c.thompson)

When you're out in the dark
Nothing to believe in
And you can't find a way back home
There's a man with a secret
There's a visionary sister
Who knows what's right or wrong?
Little by little I turn to the light
And one day I'll be satisfied

Like the hand that rocks the cradle
I gotta be gentle and strong
The hand that rocks the cradle
Gonna be the lucky one



When the wind blows cold
And you lose your resistance
Slipping down on the darkest side
You can push too hard
You can run too fast
Don't get lost in the looking glass
Little by little the wheel turns around
And one day I'll be satisfied

Like the hand that rocks the cradle
I gotta be gentle and strong
The hand that rocks the cradle
Gonna be the lucky one

(g.brooker / k.reid / m.noble)

There was trouble in the air
Just a subtle hint of danger
And a woman dressed in black
Out lookin' for a stranger
Well she took me to her room
Where she offered me a wager
She promised me the moon
So I took a chance

Yes I played the king of hearts
Put my cards out on the table
I thought the odds were in my favour
But she laid the ace of spades
An' I wound up where I started
The king of hearts no more
But the king of the broken-hearted



She cut the deck one more
By the light of thirteen candles
She said, "the winner takes it all --
Is that too much for you to handle?
So I wandered through my playing cards
And tried to understand her
I was lookin' for a face
It was right there in my hand

Yes I played the king of hearts
Put my cards out on the table
I thought the odds were in my favour
But she laid the ace of spades
An' I wound up where I started
The king of hearts no more
But the king of the broken-hearted

(g.brooker / k.reid / m.noble)

One into one won't go
Two out of three don't know
Time and tide in man's affairs
Trouble always comes in pairs
Wonder where the picture went?
What we got ain't worth a cent
What we got ain't worth a damn
Someone's screwed the master plan

The pursuit of happiness
It's a common goal
The pursuit of happiness
Doing what we're told
The pursuit of happiness
To the very end
It goes 'round and 'round and 'round and 'round again



Bite the bullet in the dust
Got to take their word on thrust
No use counting down your prayers
All god's children running scared
No use howling at the moon
Planet earth is going soon
Starving children stand on line
Living now on borrowed time

The pursuit of happiness
It's a common goal
The pursuit of happiness
Doing what we're told
The pursuit of happiness
To the very end
It goes 'round and 'round and 'round and 'round again

> We were young, we were brave, we were true, we were strong
Far away the bombs an' the buildings explodin'
there was no way out
It was black, it was white, we had so much to say
Right or wrong... The truth won't fade away
We had our hopes, we had our dreams, we were young, we were old
We saw our future self-destructing: there were roles that we played
Some were good, some were bad: there was so much to say
Right or wrong... The truth won't fade away

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
Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor
I was feeling kind of seasick
But the crowd called out for more

The room was humming harder
As the ceiling flew away
When we called out for another drink
The waiter brought a tray

* And so it was that later
As the miller told his tale
That her face at first just ghostly
Turned a whiter shade of pale

She said there is no reason
And the truth is plain to see
But I wandered through my playing cards
And would not let her be

One of sixteen vestal virgins
Who were leaving for the coast
And although my eyes were open
They might just just have well been closed

* Repeat

And so it was that later

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

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

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!"