You Can Tell Everybody, This Is Your Song - Lyrics

[Bereta_Eder]

The mirror

Phoivos Delivorias

I have in front of me constantly a mirror
That hinders me to see what’s behind it
I’ve never seen a bigger liar
And the worst is that it’s the same as me
He looks very good while I’m not
He looks mean while I’m not that either
Those who tell me “ stay as you are mate”
Are those who swallowed the mirage
A mirror I constantly have in front of me
Against it my heart falls and breaks
A mirror I constantly have in front of me
It reflects what women want
And like this it convinces them that I’m their other half
In front of it they undress and speak sweet words
Behind its glass I all alone look
It does game even with my role models
The divine voices who talked to me when I was a kid
It brings them in front of me and to my size
I try to reach them and I clink against the glass
A mirror I constantly have in front of me
Against it my heart falls and breaks
I know that everyone by now believe in mirrors
In monitors, photocopies and projectors
They’ve even made games where players
Stand behind a glass jar and we all watch them
But I’ll break my mirror to pieces
I know that the one which hides behind it is you
You who look behind your black eyes
To only mirror me in life

[curtsibling]

Mercenaries of Metal

By CRYONIC TEMPLE

Final hour is here - I don't fear the reaper
Fighting against the legions of hate
It's time to choose where you belong
Death comes quicker than you know

It's an illusion of what is fact of fiction
It's an illusion of why we have to die

We are the mercenaries of metal
We take no prisoners - kill or be killed
We are the mercenaries of metal
We take no prisoners - make a stand

Why am I here where will I go
Enemies die so fast by your sword
The quickening is here I live again
I will never die a holy man

It's an illusion of what is fact of fiction
It's an illusion of why we have to die

We are the mercenaries of metal
We take no prisoners - kill or be killed
We are the mercenaries of metal
We take no prisoners - make a stand

[asleepathewheel]

Wilco

Misunderstood


When you're back in your old neighborhood
The cigarettes taste so good
But you're so misunderstood
You're so misunderstood

There's something there that you can't find
You look honest when you're telling a lie
You hurt her but you don't know why
You love her but you don't know why

Short on long term goals
There's a party there that we ought to go to
If you still love rock and roll
You still love rock and roll?

It's only a quarter to three
Reflecting off of your CD
You're looking at a picture of me
You're staring at a picture of me

Take the guitar player for a ride
'Cause he ain't never been satisfied
He thinks he owes some kind of debt
It'll be years before he gets over it

There's a fortune inside your head
When all you touch turns to lead
You think you might just crawl back in bed
With the fortune inside your head

I know you're just a mama's boy
You're positively unemployed
So misunderstood
So misunderstood

I know you've got a god-shaped hole
You're bleeding out your heart full of soul
You're so misunderstood
You're so misunderstood
You're so misunderstood
You're so misunderstood

I'd like to thank you all for nothing
I'd like to thank you all for nothing at all
I'd like to thank you all for nothing
Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing at all
Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing at all

[curtsibling]

Diamonds Of The Black Chest

By RUNNING WILD

Since then he heard about the chest
He's so wild he can't get no rest
A million diamonds blinding his eyes
Brighter than fire but colder than ice
Sweat on his brow - greed burns his mind
Hands like claws - his teeth always grind
Soaked by sweat he wakes up and screams:
"Oh, no! It was only a dream!"

Diamonds! Diamonds...
Diamonds of the black chest!

Years and years he sought that chest
He runs most every risk - the man's obsessed
For too many years he's roamed all the lands
To feel the diamonds in his hands
He find the hallowed spot - breaking its lock
He opens the gate which is carved of rock
Finding the chest he exults and screams
"Oh, yeah! It's no dream!"

Diamonds! Diamonds...
Diamonds of the black chest!

He holds out his hands and he touches the chest
He breaks its seals - he disturbs its rest
Curious and slow he opens the lid
He stares over the edge - what he sees he can't grip
No diamonds but he sees own face
A possessed wreck with an empty gaze
Thrilled by madness he's dying in pain
"No dream! I'm insane!"

Diamonds! Diamonds...
Diamonds of the black chest!

[molly bloom]

We are the 801,
We are the central shaft
And we are here to let you take advantage
Of our lack of craft:
Certain streets have certain corners
Sooner or later, we'll turn yours


We are the 801,
We are the central shaft
And thus throughout two years
We've crossed the ocean in our little craft (Row! Row! Row)
Now we're on the telephone,
Making final arrangements (Ding! Ding!)
We are the 801, we are the central shaft

Looking for a certain ratio
Someone must have left it underneath the carpet
Looking up and down the radio
Oh-oh, nothing there this time
Looking for a certain ratio
Someone said they saw it parking in a car-lot
Looking up and down the radio
Oh-oh, nothing there this time
Going back down to the radio
Oh, oh - oh, oh - oh, oh - here we go!

We are the table, the captain's table
Let's get it understood, let's get it understood
We are the losers, we are the bruisers
Let's get it understood, let's get it understood
We are the diners, the final diners
Let's get it understood, let's get it understood
Most of us tinkers, some of us tailors,
And we've got candlesticks, and lots of cocktail sticks
We saw the lovers, the modern lovers
And they looked very good, they looked as if they could
We are the neighbours, the nosy neighbours
We think just like we would, we think just like we should.

Oh, oh oh oh oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Brian Eno, The True Wheel, 'Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy'


Alternative hearings:

Of our lack of craft == of our lack of funds (-- DJ Tommy B)

Going back down to the radio == Going back down to the rodeo

we are the bruisers == we are the cruisers

the modern lovers == the modern mothers (-- Pat Destefano)

We are the neighbours, the nosy neighbours == We are the neighbors, those nosy neighbors (-- DJ Tommy B)

We think just like we would, we think just like we should == We think just like you would, we think just like you should (-- R Carlberg)

Just a quick ??... The True Wheel- 3rd line. And we are here to let you take advantage of our lack of......thought..?? (-- Ctglass99)

I always heard the line as - "We've crossed the ocean in our little craft (Ra! Ra! Ra!)" - the "Ra" as a reference to the Thor Heyerdahl´s Ra II expeditions in the papyrus boat Ra II (1970) Thanks for such a enjoyable site. The discussions on Brian's lyrics are intelligent and insightful. (-- Ben Lancini)

Wade McCarthy: I have an interpretation of a line in "The True Wheel" that surprises me that noone has noticed. The line "we saw the lovers/the modern lovers==we saw the models/ the modern models". It has both a machinistic/sexual connotation that makes the second line seem open ended: "and the looked very good/they looked as if they could..."...do anything, probably sexual. Thanks, for leaving me one crumb to add to your large, layered cake.

References:

"...I decided I wanted these picture-lyrics. Because love-songs don't do that. Love-songs make a number of statements - which I'm wary of doing - so I've avoided love-songs, and it's only on this album I've just done [ Before and After Science ] that anything like a love-song starts to appear."

Cut to Eno on the West Coast. It's Chinatown in San Francisco and he's shading his eyes to peer into the window of a small shop where stand displayed a set of postcard "stills" from a Red Chinese ballet-film called Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy.

Freeze frame and roll the intro to "The True Wheel"...

"It was so exciting! I thought 'That's the sort of lyric I want!' There was 'Tiger Mountain' which gave it a medieval, almost folksy, flavour - and 'By Strategy', which was very up-tempo and modern.

"So I bought the set and started carrying it around with me and thinking about it. And when I got to New York I went to stay with this girl called Randi and fell asleep after taking some mescaline and had this dream where this group of girls were singing to this group of sailors who had just come into port. And they were singing 'We are The 801 / We are the Central Shaft' - and I woke up absolutely jubilant because this was the first bit of lyric I'd written in this new style.

"Because I didn't know what it meant - but I got the feeling of 'Christ, this means something, this is interesting'. Except it wasn't specific, you know?"

-- Brian Eno, quoted by Ian MacDonald, in New Musical Express, November 26th 1977

"This track started from a dream. I was staying in the Drake hotel in New York with a girl called Randi N---. I had a dream about her and a group of other girls (Randi and the Pyramids) and guys singing the song ... They were sort of astronauts, but with all the psychological aspects of sailors.

... The other strange thing about this song is its inadvertent links with the Cabala. I found out, long after I had written the song, that the number 801 means 'Alpha and Omega' or 'the first and the last' in the Cabala and that this entity is a circular concept ... The number 801 (which, with all the rest of the chorus refrain, was plucked unaltered from my dream) has another meaning which I find interesting. In the Cabala, the twenty-two Tarot cards are arranged such that they rest on the paths between the Tree of Life. Each of the paths has a number, and each of the numbers corresponds to one of the cards in the Major Arcana of the Tarot. The paths 801 describe a pyramid whose individual sides are STRENGTH, THE FOOL, and THE MAGICIAN.

"...Apparently, rumour has it in America that 801 derives from Eight Nought One, the initials of which spell... Very ingenious, I thought, although it had never occurred to me." -- Brian Eno (More Dark Than Shark)

Re eno's kabalistic speculation on the numbers: the number eight is the letter chet and merely the eighth letter. The number 0 (pronounced "oh") could be vav or the word and the number one is alef and does signify the first. Chet (eight) does sound a little like tet (nine) but it is the final letter tav (another T sound, like tet) which is the last letter. 400 and 1 or 401 is actually a lot closer to the first and last. (-- mason)

the captain's table: To be invited to sit at the captain's table is a special privilege.

The voice on the retuning radio noises at the end of the track is probably that of the presenter Richard Baker.

I was wondering if there's any evidence that the "we saw the lovers, the modern lovers" line is a reference to Jonathan Richman's band "The Modern Lovers." As Jerry Harrison was a member of the Modern Lovers who later joined the Eno produced Talking Heads, I thought there might be some connection (of course in 1974 when Tiger Mountain came out the Modern Lovers were fairly obscure, but maybe Brain One was hip to them). (-- Russell Schaffer)

I always thought he was saying "We saw the bombers, the modern bombers", instead of "lovers". I was surprised to see no one else thought so. Fits in with the overall WWII aesthetic more, it seems to me. No response sought. Just a tidbit. (-- Xpin Loki Freign)

zero (the unsignified): Regarding The Third Wheel: In Alvin Toffler's 'Future Shock' (1975?) he posits that, since the dawn of modern man (Homo Sapiens) there have been about 800 generations of man: ie, 800 average lifetimes. And we are the 801st. Whilst I am sure that Eno genuinely received the lyrics in a dream, one has to wonder where he received them from... I've always pondered the fact that this lyric contains the names of three bands - two of whom took their name from the lyric. I harbour a secret desire (ooops - no longer secret!) to form a band called The Central Shaft - unless it's been done?

Simon Fluendy: Nice page! Regarding the true wheel on Taking Tiger... The line 'Looking for a certain ratio' relates to a speech by hitler regarding the number of jews in europe. This was later used as the name of a Caberet Voltaire type electro/industrial post-punk band, you may recall. Someone told me that 8 0 1 was also an indirect reference to this, but this may be bollocks.

[Bereta_Eder]

All Still

Yannis Kotsiras


I say that my life fake goes
whenever they love me

But in my private car when I get a flat tire
And the mechanics take time to arrive

And all are still
Like the ink before the pen wakes up

Ah you my dreamy eyes
You ressemble everybody, you go along with noone
And if you're showing me such kindness
And you say you're real

Don't ask for a place in the dressing room
Get out with me on the stage


I say that my life fake goes
whenever they love me

But in my era one picture suffices
A thousand words are not enough.

[Peter Triggs]

Searching for something else, I stumbled on this:

The most remarkable jam I ever saw was between Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison with Felix Cavalari and The Rascals playing backup. Jim Morrison was sloshed out of his mind, prancing lewdly around Jimi, chanting incoherently. Jimi, stoned but in a much cleaner groove, whaled back sharply on his guitar. It was the first time these greats ever jammed together, an electric moment for all. As soon as it began Steve Paul locked the doors, and they improvised, nonstop, until dawn. Linda [Eastman/McCartney] got it all on film. She was one of Jimi's favorite photographers. I remember him commenting how comfortable Linda made him feel. They were both quite shy, a mutual trait they shared in common.

This seems to be the best thread to post it in.

If it's true, I sure wish I was there.

[Bas]

Sick Of It All - The Bland Within

This is what I am
I cant make it stop
No matter how much I want to change.
This is who I am
And I've made my peace.
Now the boredom can set in
I can't make it go away.

Progress made towards self discovery
Might not be progress at all.
Making light of the banality
Might be the only recourse.
Look out
See life close around you
The routine becomes what you are.
Look out
See all the mistakes
That you'll make a hundred times more.
Look out see life close around you
The routine becomes what you are
Look out see all the mistakes
You'll be making a hundred times
A thousand times
A million times more

This is what I am
I cant make it stop
No matter how much I want to change.
This is who I am
And I've made my peace
Now the boredom can set in
I can't make it go away.

The same old words
The same old voice
The same old options without much choice.
Now you know yourself
Now you see just how ****ed up
You're predisposed to be.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by molly bloom
We are the 801,

Thanks for that Molly, interesting stuff. I really have to find myself a copy of More Dark than Sharp.

[The diplomat]

Lean On Me
Bill Withers

Sometimes in our lives we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow

Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you don't let show

Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

If there is a load you have to bear
That you can't carry
I'm right up the road
I'll share your load
If you just call me

So just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'd understand
We all need somebody to lean on

Lean on me when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
Till I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

Lean on me…

[SlowwHand]

Blame It On Texas
Mark Chesnutt

Been havin’ a ball since I was a boy in Beaumont
Love that town but I just couldn’t stay
Two stepped all the way to Amarillo
Shuffled my way into Santa Fe
Just had to see the sun set out in Frisco
The Golden Gate is great
But it ain’t home
Give me a rodeo

Chorus:
Blame it on Texas
Don’t blame it on me
I am who I am
And that’s what I’m gonna be
You can say what you wanna say
About my insanity
Blame it on Texas
Don’t blame it on me

Met a girl out in eastern Oklahoma
Her daddy was a Tulsa millionaire
With miles and miles of oil wells he’d leave her
All a man could want was waitn’ there
But one night while she lay sleepin’ I slipped away
Like no man in his
Right mind would do
call me a fool

Repeat Chorus

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Sikander


Thanks for that Molly, interesting stuff. I really have to find myself a copy of More Dark than Sharp.

With the free print- don't forget the free print!

Lost my copy of the print from the vinyl version, but I still have the Peter Schmidt paintings from 'Before and After Science'.

Did you know the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has an Eno c.d. for sale- an ambient recording he used at an installation there a couple of years' ago?

[boann]

Dido
White Flag


I know you think that I shouldn't still love you,
Or tell you that.
But if I didn't say it, well I'd still have felt it
where's the sense in that?

I promise I'm not trying to make your life harder
Or return to where we were

But I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up in surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

I know I left too much mess and
destruction to come back again
And I caused nothing but trouble
I understand if you can't talk to me again
And if you live by the rules that "it's over"
then I'm sure that that makes sense

But I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

And when we meet
Which I'm sure we will
All I was then
Will be there still
I'll let it pass
And hold my tongue
And you will think
That I've moved on....

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

[SlowwHand]

DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT THE NIGHT CAN DO?
Steve Winwood

Hear the night music playing?
Don't you know what it's saying?
We should feel it together
For forever

Feel the beat and just hold on
To the sweet midnight flowing
Feel the music inside you
I'll be there too

Now's the time our dreams are finally coming true
Feels so good we're crying
Now's the time when it's down to me and you
Spread these wings - we'll be flying

Don't you know what the night can do?
Don't you know when it's touching you?
Don't you know what the night can do?

Time to show all your feeling
All the night is revealing
Let the rhythm enfoled you
Let me hold you

Now we turn into music
Now we never will lose it
When the rhythm and night ride
No heart can hide

There are times that never ever come again
Mem'ries there for making
When the night calls, we better let it in
All this love for the taking

Don't you know what the night can do?
Don't you know when it's touching you?
Won't you help me to let it through?
Don't you know what the night can do?

[SlowwHand]

Dedicated To My ACS Buddies

Friends in Low Places
Garth Brooks




Blame it all on my roots
I showed up in boots
And ruined your black tie affair
The last one to know
The last one to show
I was the last one
You thought you'd see there
And I saw the surprise
And the fear in his eyes
When I took his glass of champagne
And I toasted you
Said, honey, we may be through
But you'll never hear me complain

'Cause I've got friends in low places
Where the whiskey drowns
And the beer chases my blues away
And I'll be okay
I'm not big on social graces
Think I'll slip on down to the oasis
Oh, I've got friends in low places

Well, I guess I was wrong
I just don't belong
But then, I've been there before
Everything's all right
I'll just say goodnight
And I'll show myself to the door
Hey, I didn't mean
To cause a big scene
Just give me an hour and then
Well, I'll be as high
As that ivory tower
That you're livin' in

'Cause I've got friends in low places
Where the whiskey drowns
And the beer chases my blues away
And I'll be okay
I'm not big on social graces
Think I'll slip on down to the oasis
Oh, I've got friends in low places

3rd Verse:
I guess I was wrong
I just don't belong
But then, I've been there before
And everything is alright
I'll just say goodnight
And I'll show myself to the door
I didn't mean to cause a big scene
Just wait 'til I finish this glass
Then sweet little lady
I'll head back to the bar
And you can kiss my ass