Festive Road
An ordinary day down on Festive Road The children will play and never will know That when Mr Benn of No.52 Walks in through that door Peculiar events will ensue The shopkeeper peers through spectacles round As Benn wanders in and shuts out the town The shopkeeper wears his customary grin 'Cause he knows when they go to try on his clothes Each fantasy chosen begin...
Death Of A Supernaturalist
"My father says there's only one perfect view - and that's the view of the sky over our heads" "I expect your father has been reading Dante" See my solitude Where once was truth now only doubt Touch my tortured skin Torn from within and from without Kiss my blistered lips My fingertips frost-bitten and grey Heal my wound within And watch the dead skin fall away See what can't be seen Between the table and the chair Touch what can't be touched The National Trust don't own the air Kiss what can't be kissed This is the risk we have to take Heal what can't be healed And feel the dead skin fall away Only you and I know exactly how it feels To unblinker a narrow mind And by doing so reveal the obscurity of life The intensity of dreams Only you and I have realised exactly what it means See the infant sun Whose time has come to climb the mist Touch the autumn sky Burned by the supernaturalist Kiss the purest lips The morning slips into the day Rising from the bed We feel our dead skin fall away
Bernice Bobs Her Hair
Bernice bobs her hair in the barber's in the square All her new-found friends are there to see it done Bernice bobs her hair She's been driven to despair 'Cause her cousin doesn't care about anyone Her hair was long Her hair was dark Her hair fell down her back And now it lies upon the floor Bernice runs out the door Marjorie had told her what to wear to the parties Marjorie had told her what to say to the boys Now Marjorie was jealous of her social advances And presented her with this choice "Bernice, bob your hair You've persistently declared this intention Do you dare to disagree?" So Bernice bobs her hair and is instantly ensnared In a trap so well prepared by Marjorie Her hair was long Her hair was dark Her hair fell down her back The mirror tells of her mistake Her heart is fit to break So when it's dark and her cousin sleeps Into the room she creeps Marjorie's curls come down like rain Bernice runs for her train
I Was Born Yesterday
I... I was born yesterday And I believe all that you say I have no choice I must obey you Is this the first or the second day Of the rest of my life Well hey Why should I care either way If what you say is true? Saturday morning, 18th of December I cannot remember The last time that I saw such a young ballerina In love with the loveless In tune with a tuneless old upright piano Standing en pointe Going through each position with gentle precision She measures each movement Her classical features and elegant waistline Are going to waste while she pleases her parents What if they die on the road to Rathmines Where a dog in two minds times his run to perfection An orphan at last, She'd be sick in the loo-bowl Then go to the funeral and cry by the graveside And then sleep with the first man she sees And she'd catch some disease Which she would give to her doctor She'd cook her own breakfast, and she'd cook his as well And both get on swell Even though he was married You are a part of me I am a part of you Why should I let you walk all over me? All over me
Your Daddy's Car
We took your Daddy's car And drove it to the sea We fooled around for hours And then when we got tired and it got dark We found a place to park And we watched the sun set fire to the sea Can you feel the sadness in our love? It's the only kind we're worthy of Can you feel the madness in our heart As the key turns and the engine starts? We took your Daddy's car And drove it into town We steamed into a bar And we bought the biggest bottle of champagne And driving through the rain we sang 'God bless this car, and all who sail in her!' We took your Daddy's car And wrapped it round a tree We didn't know what for We didn't feel like driving any more It was so good we got bored And we are driving from the day we are born
Europop
Hello What would you like to know? What would you like to hear? What if I just disappear inside myself? Hello What would you like to know? Who would you like to see? Who would you like me to be if not myself? And the Europop (pop) makes me dizzy And I just can't stop (stop) 'til it's finished And I don't know what (what) you find funny 'Bout the Europop and the love of money Hello Where is it cool to go? When is it cool to leave? What is it cool to breathe inside myself? Hello Don't tell me what I already know Don't show me what I've already seen Don't take me where I've already been inside myself Financial gain is a very pleasant thing But the transitory pleasure that it brings Counts for nothing So What is there left to know? What is there left to say? Nothing And I thank God that you're aware Oh thank God that you're aware Of the earth and of the air And of the girls making like they don't care But they are blessed and you are cursed With the conscience of a universe Of the mind and of the soul And reduction science digging itself a hole And I thank God that you're aware Oh thank your God that you're aware It's taken time but I'll think you'll find That everything is alright
Timewatching
When I fall asleep it could be forever So I'll never fall asleep again When I fall apart put me back together And my life will be complete Maybe it's tonight Maybe tomorrow night Next week Next month Next year We've only time to fear When I fall behind in the quest for pleasure I shall treasure this short time with you We shall not be chained We shall not be tethered And we'll never be unkind Maybe it's tonight Maybe tomorrow night Next week Next month Next year We've only time to fear If I fall in love it could be forever So I'll never fall in love But the moment I can feel that you feel that way too Is when I might fall in love with you Fall in love with you
The Pop Singer's Fear Of The Pollen Count
Are you ready? OK let's do it 1, 2, 3, 4 Woo, ah ha, yeah ba ba da ba da ba da ba da oh yeah Laugh at the tears you're crying Smile while your head explodes Y' don't have to take this lying down So blow your nose baby And just get your fingers clicking To the rhythm and the rhyme Otherwise you'll just be kicking around And that's a crime How can you talk that way On such a lovely day? When sunshine comes your way It's time to make some hay I fall for this season every time When it's hot and everybody smiles I can't help myself I'm in love with the summertime Even when I get hay-fever I find I may sneeze but I don't really mind As long as I'm in love with the summertime Ah, stop your belly-aching We all know what it's like There ain't a pill I haven't taken I guess But that's alright baby 'Cause your Daddy's car is waiting To take us to the sea She feels like celebrating life And so should we How can you talk that way On such a lovely day? When sunshine comes your way It's time to make some hay I fall for this season every time When it's hot and everybody smiles I can't help myself I'm in love with the summertime Even when I get hay-fever I find I may sneeze but I don't really mind As long as I'm in love with the summertime CLAP YOUR HANDS!
Queen Of The South
Please don't look at me that way You'll only make me want to say Something I will regret You are April you are May What a stupid thing to say Just forgive me and forget That I ever opened my mouth And let it all come out Let it all flood out I am worried for your health Put something warm around yourself Don't let your feet get wet I'm in love and I'm in pain If I say something stupid again Oh just forgive me and forget That I ever opened my mouth And let it all come out Let it all flood out Queen of the South She has opened my mouth And let it all come out Let it all flood out Something is getting in the way What it is I cannot say I wish we had never met
Victoria Falls
I don't know where I am Who's that boy you're leaning on (Victoria ceases to care) You're not the only one (Virginia creeps through her hair) Summer evening, summer sun (Virago will publish her diaries when she's dead To the world (Unlocking the dreams in her head) And the world is blind (Unstable unhinged and unfed) She'll wed the summertime (Unable to answer the questions of her life) I don't believe you, I don't believe I don't really need to, I don't really need Victoria I won't let Victoria fall When the night has come and gone (His ghostly perfection remains) Melting in the morning sun (His pale saint complexion unchanged) Lovers go and lovers come (And some stay for longer but never long enough) His shadow lingers on (Victoria ceases to care) His shadow fades like a pop song (Virginia creeps through her hair) Death to the supernatural one (Virago will publish the story of her life) Queen of the South I don't believe you, I don't believe I don't really need to, I don't really need Victoria I won't let Victoria fall I don't defend you (I don't defend you) I don't recommend you but (I don't recommend Victoria) I won't let Victoria fall away (Victoria)
Three Sisters
This Autumn breeze shall strip the trees And freeze me to the bone Why must these three sisters tease Their lonely brother so? Knowledge is a curse But ignorance is worse I fear Would you agree my dear? I have watched you grow From the same seed as my own shall grow And they will never know how How this autumn breeze shall strip the trees And freeze me to the bone Why must these three sisters tease Their lonely brother so? I don't know I don't know Pleasure is a sin And abstinence shall win this day And that's the way it's gonna stay Black Parisian lace Your salvation - my disgrace My God Where did you go wrong? I don't know if I can stop my eyes From drifting slowly over holy terrors of the soul No self control That Autumn chill is with me still
Lucy
I travelled among unknown men In lands beyond the sea; Nor, England did I know till then What love I bore to thee. 'Tis past, that melancholy dream! Nor will I quit thy shore A second time; for I still seem To love thee more and more. Among thy mountains did I feel The joy of my desire; And she I cherished turned her wheel Beside an English fire. By mornings showed, by nights concealed The bowers where Lucy played; And thine too is the last green field That Lucy's eye surveyed. She dwelt among the untrodden ways Beside the springs of Dove, A Maid whom there were none to praise And very few to love: A violet by a mossy stone Half hidden from the eye Fair as a star, when only one Is shining in the sky. She lived unknown, and few could know When Lucy ceased to be; But she is in her grave and, oh The difference to me A slumber did my spirit seal; I had no human fears. She seemed a thing that could not feel The touch of earthly eyes. No motion has she now, no force; She neither hears nor sees; Rolled round in earth's diurnal course, With rocks, and stones, and trees.