1. |
There Was A Stranger
03:12
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there was a stranger
who came to our town
on a rainy
sunday night
we were all gathered
in the barroom
when he opened the door
and came inside
we took his hand first
pulled his coat off
brought a blanket
for his head
then we all gathered
around his table
and these are the words
we said:
"we will feed you
when you get hungry
bring you water
when you get dry
and we will kiss you
when you get lonely
and we will miss you
whenever you die"
we heard him crying
in the barroom
his hands were holding
onto his head
we took him gently
from the barroom
and these are the words
we said:
"we will feed you
when you get hungry
bring you water
when you get dry
and we will kiss you
when you get lonely
and we will miss you
whenever you die"
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2. |
Carrier Bag
02:41
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fall in love with whoever's in the corner
waste yr time with whoever you please
just try to make yr own mistakes
and every time you fall asleep
make sure you wake
my uncle died on a vietnam morning
his ashes came home in a carrier bag
he always made his own mistakes
and every time he fell asleep
he made sure he'd wake
in this school there's no lesson worth learning
i found a job but i never got paid
i tried to make my own mistakes
and every time i fell asleep
i made sure i'd wake
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3. |
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last summer in the village
we awoke to find the fair
had arrived upon the green
and set their stall up there
you could hear the women talking
you could hear the children laugh
and a group of men from our town
set out to send them back
they had pistols in their pockets
and they waved their knives about
women watched from windows
and called good wishes out
they marched on through the alley
and when they arrived upon the green
the blood flowed to the river
and washed the water clean
when they came back in the evening
there was good cheer all around
they held them in the air
nearly dropped them on the ground
but beneath all their commotion
a silence could i hear
i thought i saw the new world
begin to disappear
some men see the devil
and pretend that they don’t care
some men see the devil
and pretend he isn’t there
some men see the devil
and try to settle their accounts
some men see the devil
and try to drive him out
now our cups are overflowing
but the river’s running dry
our kids have all stopped growing
and nobody knows why
and the ones we call our neighbours
they keep all their curtains closed
the graves have all been emptied
and the streets are filled with ghosts
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4. |
What Does A Mayor Do?
02:53
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what does a mayor do?
i dont know
they all dress up in old-fashioned clothes
they go to carnivals, i suppose
what does a mayor do?
i dont know
what does the pope do?
i dont know
waves at the crowds when he's driving home
does as the romans do when in rome
but what do they do?
i dont know
what does a king do?
i dont know
he's cutting ribbons wherever he goes
sits at long tables throwing sausage rolls
what does a king do?
i dont know
what shall we do?
i dont know
mayors and kings and popes dont know
let's get drunk, let's get stoned
what shall we do?
i dont know
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5. |
As I Wandered Out
02:43
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as i wandered out in the morning
i came across a crowd in the square
all the streets had emptied
round the corner i turned
and it seemed like everybody was there
the mayor stood there crying on the bandstand
as three men were tightening the rope
and a bare-footed child
turned her eyes on to me
both filled with the worst kind of hope
i watched until the whole thing was over
it seemed to end before it had begun
and when the crowd finally scattered
on the bandstand i saw
a soul scattered all across the sun
i gathered up the worthwhile pieces
numbered all the separate parts
i worked all thru the morning
trying to make things fit
with the worst kind of hope in my heart
when the sun finally set in the evening
i knew there was nothing left to try
so i lit another fire
and as the red sun fell
its flames were the colour of the sky
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6. |
Goodbye England
04:40
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i saw the prime minister
talking on tv
it wasn't anything sinister
but it put the chills in me
let's go find another country
this one's lost its mind
goodbye
oh england
goodbye
i went down to my hometown
to go see my old friends
i couldnt place a single face
so i won't go back again
let's go find another country
this one's out of time
goodbye
oh england
goodbye
somebody died in town last night
and look who's standing proud
an angry man, his pointing hands
gathering the crowds
let's go find another country
this one's so unkind
goodbye
oh england
goodbye
barricade the doors and gates
and keep the windows closed
i can see the cavalry
vanishing like ghosts
let's go find another country
this one's not on our side
goodbye
oh england
goodbye
every other mother's son
is marching thru the town
waiting for someone to fall
so they can kick him when he's down
let's go find another country
this one's occupied
goodbye
oh england
goodbye
behind the back of the union jack
i've got every finger crossed
the great debate is just a stalemate
so turn the tv off
let's go find another country
this one's hands are tied
goodbye
oh england
goodbye
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7. |
Seaside Town At Night
02:45
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i was only gonna stay here for the summer
then i thought i'd get away
thought i could stay with my brother
but my brother thought a different way
so i got a job in the arcades
where the children play and the grown men fight
and i tried to find an honest smile
in a seaside town at night
they come here with their twopenny pieces
and they swim in the greybellied sea
they all write postcards to their nieces
and they save all their lies for me
i walk around the bay awhile
when the wind is low and the moon is high
it's so hard to find an honest smile
in a seaside town at night
my heart is always out of season
i'll never be what i want to be
he told me lies and i believed them
what must my mother think of me
i'll catch a train to the city
just put me on any old flight
it's so hard to find an honest smile
in a seaside town at night
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8. |
Stolen Bird
03:10
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well!
just like snow
on a shooting star
if you go
you won't get far
i had yr back
from the very start
now i walk yr path
with a broken heart
i've got yr hand
and you've got mine
we're just out of time
a borrowed tune
a stolen bird
the man in the moon
never sez a word
a midnight stroll
a breakfast beer
i'm home alone
but yr always here
i've got yr hand
and you've got mine
we're just out of time
and just like snow
on a shooting star
if i go
i won't go far
you had my back
from the very start
and i will walk yr path
with a broken heart
i've got yr hand
and you've got mine
we're just out of time
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9. |
A Whole Lot of People
03:33
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i saw a whole lot of people in the castle last night
making their plans by candlelight
i saw a whole lot of trouble in the middle of their eyes
whatever you gave em they've been immunised
all this time i've been waiting for the moment to come
the heart in the middle like a beating drum
there's a boatful of soldiers in the middle of the sea
and one of them's got their sights set on me
i know
i saw a whole lot of people in the palace today
i think the revolution's gonna be delayed
i saw a whole lot of trouble in the middle of their eyes
whatever we scattered has reorganised
all this time i've been waiting for the moment to come
the heart in the middle like a beating drum
there's a boatful of soldiers in the middle of the sea
and one of them's got their sights set on me
i know
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10. |
When the Fighting Stops
02:06
|
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let me know when the fighting stops
and i will run to your arms
i will try to be strong until
all the soldiers tear us apart
let me know when the dancing starts
and i will open my eyes
i will try to be strong until
all the birds fall thru the skies
i have never been sure of you
i always followed my heart
i just tried to be strong until
all the soldiers tore us apart
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11. |
Last Day of School
03:23
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last day of school
and i walked home alone
feeling like a fool
to be happy on my own
college starting soon
a summer left to waste
stoned below the moon
with the tears running down my face
met her in the park
didn't know what i should say
shoulda kept it to myself
but i said it anyway
if i have one last cigarette
i think i'll stay here til i die
she said "i'm not crying yet
it's just the moonlight in my eyes"
i held her in my arms
now i hold her in my head
she never said a word
but i heard every word she said
couldn't shut my mouth
and i couldn't stop my heart
i thought time was running out
but it was gone right from the start
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12. |
Bag Of Bones
03:05
|
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i found a way i can carry on
i'm not a bag of bones
i found a boat i can travel on
i'll send my body home
they're playing games on the soul exchange
i'm playing the lottery
i had a dream but i gave it away
it still belongs me
i still believe that this body is mine
the experts say i'll have to leave it behind
all i've got left now the money is gone
there's still some hope and i'm clinging on
monsters drive past in their flashy cars
I'm getting out of here
plainclothes policeman standing by the bar
with his non-alcoholic beer
i still believe that this body is mine
the experts say i'll have to leave it behind
all i've got left now the money is gone
there's still some hope and i'm clinging on
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13. |
Big Heart
02:25
|
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|
there's a big house
somewhere in the mountains
there's a big boat
somewhere on the sea
there's a big train
somewhere in the distance
there's a big heart
somewhere inside of me
well i broke down
and i wrote my love a letter
and i sat down
sang my love a song
and i swore down
that one day i'd be better
and i left town
to put right what i did wrong
there's a big house
somewhere in the mountains
there's a big boat
somewhere on the sea
there's a big train
somewhere in the distance
there's a big heart
somewhere inside of me
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