Not that I had that much dignity left anyway
Nor could I feign great surprise when she finally walked away
Yesterday’s lover will fall for another
and I wont stand in her way
But we already sang that song
and she’s already gone, gone, gone
and you’re starting to soud like a broken record
By the time we were done driving across Texas I was feeling kind of small
Yes, we’d stopped for some food when she picked up the dude from the rodeo
Ahoy California! We’re coming to join you
To pump that gasoline
But we already sang that song
and she’s already gone, gone, gone
and we’re starting to soud like a broken record
Broken promises
Broken dreams
Broken marriages
Broken rings
Somewhere along the line I left the straight
For the arc of least resistance
And I‘m starting to sound like a broken record
Third verse the same as
The first verse the same on
The arc of least resistance
And I‘ve started to sound like a broken record
Not that I had that much dignity left anyway
Writers Retreat !
When you get back from the writers retreat
I won’t be waiting
When you head out to the shack in the woods
I won’t be there
I won’t be lying beside your pool
I won’t be watching the world turn blue because
I’m already gone
You can get a beat from a broken heart
You could write the book while falling apart
You can have it all save the one you want
Going for a song
Did you have nothing to do on this fine afternoon
But to write?
But you’ve got nothing today so you crank out Another screenplay
About a writer without ideas
And her lover she pushes away when he gets too near
You can get a beat from a broken heart
You could write the book while falling apart
You can have it all save the one you want
Going for a song
Who did you meet at the writers retreat?
Where did you sleep at the writers retreat?
What did you write at the writers retreat?
You can get a beat from a broken heart
You could write the book while falling apart
You can have it all but the one that you want is
Going for a song
The Flipside
The flipside of That Gentle Melancholy Feeling
Plays in the half light
Just before the dawn
To the ragtag remains of some enchanted evening
The last few fallen leaves, then
Gathered by the wind
But if you hold me in your arms
Forget your baby’s gone
Moonlight won’t shine, oh, so cold and old
And in the last remaining moments
before the sunlight sends us home
We’ll hear the flipside of That Gentle Melancholy Feeling
Eddie’s holding steady
Five fingernails above the abyss
Hanging on your kiss
Hanging on that tough guy myth
But if you tune that radio
To the station we all know
Moonlight won’t shine, oh, so cold and old
And in the last remaining moments
before the sunlight sends us home
We’ll hear the flipside of That Gentle Melancholy Feeling
And you can call me Mister Heartbreak
If that’s what it takes
I’m not leaving
And I will play you Sister Morphine
amd dance ‘til the end of the evening
You know I’m not leaving
The flipside of That Gentle Melancholy Feeling
Plays in the half light
Just before the dawn
To the ragtag remains of some enchanted evening
The last few fallen leaves, then
Gathered by the wind
Why In The World?
Beam in to the future
From the palm of your hand
Why in the world would you want to do that?
Ride out to the station
Stare out into space
Whay in the world would I want to do that?
If I was a young and modern guy,
Wouldnt I?
So when did I cease to see the light?
and maybe you were right
Matbe I’m all dried up inside
Maybe I’m not built for these times
Maybe I don’t know how to live
Got a working illusion
In the palm of your hand
Why in the world would you want to lose that?
Clung on to believing
Just as long as I could
How in the world could you fail to see that?
Hasta luego modern guy
When did I cease to see the light?
and maybe you were right
Matbe I’m all dried up inside
Maybe I’m not built for these times
Maybe I don’t know how to live
Maybe I don’t know how to live
Westchester County Jail
I look like a million bucks
Sure I ain’t worth quite that much
But you get the point
To see through me
Babe, you need transparency
A once in a lifetime deal
If you don’t bite then someone else
is standing in line
To take your place
and then your’e gong to be mad as hell
(in) Westchester County Jail
It’s just a rock’n’roll hotel
We done nothing wrong
We just moved that little point
‘til it said
I look like a million bucks
And that’s good looking looks
(in) Westchester County Jail
It’s just a champagne party, hell,
We done nothing wrong
We just moved that little pawn
‘til it said
I look like a million bucks
(he looks like a million bucks)
Sure I ain’t worth quite that much
But you get the point
To see through me
Babe, you need transparency
If I Were A Song
What if I was just a song?
Words on a page to sing - a song
What if my essence was pure -
Pure mathematics no more
than a romance from a store?
Would you still cry when I played?
Would you still turn to me for the pain
If I were just a song?
Could a song, just a song break you down?
Could a song make you want to go paint the whole town?
Could your world turn around on a phrase?
Could an interval really be more
than the space between us?
Would you still dance when I played?
Would you still turn to me when the nights
grow long - If I were just a song?
But of course, of course I’m more than just a song
Baby, I’m something to be - a song
And wasn’t it you all along?
Wasn’t I there just to be
Your beleaguered go-between
There isn’t a mountain too high
There isn’t a river too deep
Not for me
I’m more than just a song
---
Would you still cry when I played?
Would you still turn to me for the pain
If I were just a song?
That's Alright
You say you want to change
But you don’t want to change
You say that it was living in the city
made you do those stupid ass things
Now the country air is clean
And the living is right
Anytime you want to leave
Momma that’s alright
To see New England in the Fall
We took the Holland Tunnel
Intent to make the journey to the centre
of the heart of what’s the matter with you
To take the waters on the mountain
We didn’t budget for the downturn
And now the well is running dry
Momma that’s alright
Loving you is hard enough
Leaving just more of the same
Anytime I get me far enough
Your gravity kicks in again
I’m just your lonely satellite
Hey Momma that’s alright
So Now you say you want to live
Out on Martha’s Vineyard
You say we’ll get a little plot of land and
Build our own damn French farmhouse
There’s no depression in France
They’re too busy with the romance
And it’s a starry starry night
If Momma that’s alright
Loving you is hard enough
Leaving just more of the same
Anytime I get me far enough
I come tumbling down again
I’m just your lonely satellite
Hey Momma that’s alright
To see New England in the Fall
And watch the colours turn to gold
And then to put the cause of the condition
In the rear view and then to let it go
Rented Bonneville sedan
Road map in my hand
No resolution in sight
Momma that’s alright
Loving you is hard enough
Leaving just more of the same
Anytime I get me far enough
I come tumbling down again
I’m just your lonely satellite
Momma that’s alright
Oh Genevieve
Genevieve, you’ve been on my mind
Ever since I wrote that line
What I mean, or what I meant to say
Is how I wish you could have stayed
Genevive, you’ve been on my mind
And then again, you never left my mind
Genevieve, am I to be consigned
To an endless longing?
And then again, oh what might have been
If not for Gilles and Catherine
Genevieve, what I meant to say
Is how I wish I could have stayed
Genevive, you’ve been on my mind
And then again, you never left my mind
Genevieve, am I to be consigned
To an endless longing?
See my face, have the years been so unkind?
But I really wouldn’t mind, Genevieve
If you could find a way
A way to let me try again
Genevive, you’ve been on my mind
And then again, you never left my mind
Genevieve, am I to be consigned
To this endless longing?
Man Overboard
Mary, what can I do
to make you feel same as I do?
Stow me away to Ballico Bay
But I’ve got no sea legs at all
Sailors, they know the score
They don’t come to port every storm
They’ve got fair weather gals
and rainy day dames
and they’re gone on the wing before dawn
Man overboard against all of the evidence
Girl under seige doth protest
that she wants to be alone
The clown’s in the water
The ship’s pulling out
The circus won’t ever leave town
He sees a lover and
she sees another man overboard
So she channels Garbo
Carves a halo of smoke
Still he spies through his watery eyes
and cries Mary, what can I do?
---
The clown’s in the water
The ship’s pulling out
The circus won’t ever leave town
He sees a lover and
she sees another man overboard
another man overboard
another man overboard
Rhinestones
Just to break my heart in two
Just because you wanted to
Just to take me
Just to break me
Just to show me
That you own me
and you know that I know that you do
I say X, so you say Y
When you know I’m not a mathematical guy
I’ve got two left feet but I’ll come running alright
I wasn’t looking for trouble, it’s just a lazy eye
I see you dancing on the White House lawn
With some press corps suit (looks) like you’re getting along
He’s got connections, I’ve got none
He’ll give you rocks, I’ll give you rhinestones
But if you need me to beg?
I can plead, but
I can’t go back to K Street
Because you know where that bridge too far leads
Just to break my heart in two
Just because you wanted to
Just to take me
Just to break me
Just to show me
That you own me
and I know that you know that I know that you do
Double Happiness
How am I going to deal with
the Double Despair?
DOUBLE HAPPINESS
How am I going to deal with
the Double Despair?
DOUBLE HAPPINESS
Living and loving and party going
Laughing and crying and
Crying and laughing and
Looking so fine
DOUBLE HAPPINESS
DOUBLE HAPPINESS
Ordinary measures
Ordinarily fail
DOUBLE HAPPINESS
Ordinary measures
Ordinarily fail
DOUBLE HAPPINESS
Living and loving and party going
Crying and laughing and
Laughing and crying and
Where to from here?
DOUBLE HAPPINESS
Inverse Midas Touch
She’ got bad luck
She’s got bad luck
She’s got the inverse Midas touch
She’s got bad, bad luck
If I didn’t love her I’d sure stay out of her way
She’s the 13th daughter of a 13th daughter
Whe I saw her coming I knew I shouldn’t aught to
She’s bad luck
She’s got bad, bad luck
But she’s the prettiest girl in all of East Kalamazoo
She gets to the airport as the hurricane hits
Frank Booth’s working the graveyard shift
King Kong’s headed for the Empire State
She’s on the observation deck, waiting for a date like me
She’s got bad, bad luck
If I didn’t love her I’d sure stay out of her way
all lyrics written by Lloyd Cole