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Runaway Train | | Words: Dennis Johnson, Music: Steve Turner | | On and on out of control This rolling stock is on the roll Metal on metal those sparks fly high Burning up the trees as it passes by | | The signal man don’t know what to do Waves his flag and his lantern too Pulls the switch but it ain’t no use This train ain’t stopping it’s coming on through | | Sometimes I feel like a runaway train I got a fire in my belly but my smokestack has blown Heading for collision with the buffer zone Sometimes I feel like a runaway train | | On and on and down the line This runaway train is gonna be on time Better stand back on platform one It’s picking up speed like a bullet from a gun | | The signal light turns to red from green But there ain’t no stopping this runaway train It’s got a mind of it’s own and it’s on the loose That’s the engine and the box cars and the whole goddamn caboose | | Sometimes I feel like a runaway train I got a head full of steam but my whistlestack has blown I’m on a one way ride into the great unknown Sometimes I feel like a runaway train | | Choo choo choo and clackety clack It’s just a matter of time before we run out of track You better clang on that klaxon and ring out those bells I’ve got a hundred tons of loco and it’s going off the rails | | Signal flare like a shooting star And if that don’t work then there ain’t no more But the warning shot has come too late To save this runaway train from a twisted mangled fate | | Sometimes I feel like a runaway train I got a fire in my belly and my smokestack has blown Heading for collision with the buffer zone | | Sometimes I feel like a runaway train I got a head full of steam but my whistlestack has blown I’m on a one way ride into the great unknown Sometimes I feel like a runaway train |
Butterfly Brains | | Words: Dennis Johnson, Music: Steve Turner | | Someone is talking, someone’s talking to me And I just can’t think who that someone could be It’s just another name from my memory bank I try to remember but my mind is a blank It’s a loss of remission, any time, any place Unnerving condition, can’t put a name on the face I nod my head slowly and pretend that I care Then I get lonely when there ain’t nobody there | | I’ve got butterfly brains, so fragile and fine And my whole life is slipping through the walls of my mind Even auto-suggestion couldn’t tell me what’s real It is not my intention but I think of you still | | I think therefore I am, or at least that’s what I thought But I’ve lost my concentration so I guess that I’m not I’ve got no answers to the questions that I know I should know My name, my address and my ultimate goal So why waste tomorrow when you could waste today The love that you borrowed is now slipping away I’ll keep it together for as long as I can But I can’t control what I can’t understand | | I’ve got butterfly brains, so fragile and fine And my whole life is slipping through the walls of my mind Even auto-suggestion couldn’t tell me what’s real It is not my intention but I think of you still | | And now someone is saying it’s long time no see I wish someone would tell me who that someone could be I guess I need a minder who needs someone to remind Someone who looks after me all the time Please don’t forget me but forgive me all the same I’ve tried but I just can’t remember your name I’ve got things on my mind but forget what they are And sometimes I find I’m not here anymore | | I’ve got butterfly brains so fragile and fine The whole world is tripping through the back of my mind My span of attention goes from zero to nil And I’d just like to mention that I think of you still |
Scared Of Boys | | Words: Dennis Johnson, Music: Steve Turner | | There’s no need to be so frightened There’s no need to be so scared No need to fear the darkness When there ain’t nobody there It’s not easy being with you When you’re scared to death of me I’m aware of all your problems And your sensitivity I know that life is dangerous More dangerous for girls I know that you feel vulnerable The damage never heals All the demons of your childhood Gone the same way as your toys You’re still having nightmares And now you’re scared of boys | | I know that you have drawn the line You’re tired of being used But it’s me now being penalized It’s me that’s now abused I know you must protect yourself From all the wicked lies You had a bad experience And it might happen twice I know that you have suffered At the hands of brutal men Don’t treat me like a leper babe, I ain’t one of them It’s not easy being with you When you jump at every noise You once feared being lonely But now you’re scared of boys |
The Darker Side Of Men | | Words: Dennis Johnson, Music: Steve Turner and Jeff Walker | | I will not turn you from this door if you know what you're looking for Come on in and pull the shade Make sure that we're not overheard and keep this moment unobserved And you'll see history being made | | I promise to be diligent, refine the word obedient I'll see the darker side of men I'll be a faithful acolyte, learn to see with my second sight Into the darker side of men | | Confined within this open space imported from another place The wisdom of the universe Transcending every obstacle and finding life so meaningful The hands of time run in reverse | | I promise to be diligent, refine the word intelligent I'll learn the darker side of men I'll be a faithful acolyte, learn to see with my second sight Into the darker side of men | | I'll open up the secret book, turn the page and take a look Close your eyes and count to ten I will explain it all to you, translations known to just a few That's when the magic will begin | | I promise to be diligent, define the word obedient I'll learn the darker side of men I'll be a faithful acolyte, and when I learn to get it right I'll be the darker side of men |
Summer In The City | | Sebastion/Boone | | A cover of The Lovin' Spoonful song recorded for Fools and Horses, which subsequently became a live favourite |
Don't Know Why | | Words: Dennis Johnson, Music: Steve Turner and Chris Cawte | | I don't know why the rain won't fall where rain is needed most Or why the moon controls the tides that stretch from coast to coast I don't know why the earth is round or why the sky is blue And I don't know why I love you | | One man looks for justice where it's sometimes hard to find One man looks for pleasures of a strange but simple kind Some men turn to stimulants to change what can't be changed Some men sit and contemplate those things still unexplained | | One man keeps a record of his life from day to day One man takes all that he has and throws it all away Some men hear the voice of God and begin to preach the word Some men turn a deafened ear, pretend they never heard | | I don't know why the rain won't fall where rain is needed most Or why the moon controls the tides that stretch from coast to coast I don't know why the earth is round or why the sky is blue And I don't know why I love you | | One man has so many friends but still he stands alone One man has no friends at all, he's happy on his own Some men rise above the crowd, bring sunshine to the world Some men get above themselves, destroy what others build | | I don't know why the rain won't fall where rain is needed most Or why the moon controls the tides that stretch from coast to coast I don't know why the earth is round or why the sky is blue And I don't know why I love you |
Bubbling Under, Boiling Over | | Words: Dennis Johnson, Music: Chris Cawte | | My name is Joe, I'm the man on the street I'm overworked I've got a deadline to meet Bills to pay, rent is due And the finance people say that they're gonna sue How can I keep that wolf from my door? All that alimony and she's asking for more I've got a man on my back, he won't let go He just keeps pushing cos he don't know | | That I'm bubblin under from the bottom up I feel the anger just about to erupt I'm boilin over gonna blow my top I'm under pressure and it just won't stop | | How can I take all these obligations I feel I'm chained to the things that I posess I don't need no aggravation About to break under too much stress Gonna tell you, better listen good I'm gonna do it right like a real man would I'm gonna take the law into my own hands I'm gonna keep pushing till it understands | | That I'm bubblin under from the bottom up I feel the anger just about to erupt I'm boilin over gonna blow my top I'm under pressure and it just won't stop |
Queenie, the Queen of Cardboard City | | Words: Dennis Johnson, Music: Chris Cawte | | Written about (and for, in a way) Queenie, who was a homeless and very eccentric old lady who used to join Tony for the Tango section when we were busking. You just never know what stories lie behind some of those folks… | | Queenie says she’s royalty, and no-one here can blame her Everything she owns is hanging on her back Queenie’s living on the streets, she says her line disowned her But she wears her tin tiara like a princess, that’s a fact Queenie lives in poverty beneath the railway arches She’s a social outcast in her stately shanty home Queenie’s holding court today, they all pay homage to her They all try to amuse her as she sits upon her throne | | Queenie, the queen of card board city We’ve turned the lights on for you, and your audience awaits Queenie, the queen of cardboard city We’re rolling out the carpet as your regalness dictates. | | Queenie speaks to everyone, she spills her pearls of wisdom To anyone who’ll listen, with a little time to spare Queenie says her time has come, her chance for recognition But the queen of cardboard city isn’t going anywhere | | Queenie, the queen of cardboard city We’ve turned the lights on for you, and your audience awaits Queenie, the queen of cardboard city We’re rolling out the carpet as your regalness dictates. |
Can't Sing Those Love Songs Anymore | | Words: Dennis Johnson, Music: Steve Turner and Chris Cawte | | I've always had the greatest respect for you girl And I know you've always kept the faith with me But a country singer's life is spent sleeping at the wheel And you know how hard that can be I've been to every county fair on both sides of the border I've been to every rodeo you'd care to name I've played guitar and sung my songs, the ones I can remember But now those songs all sound the same | | Cos singing is the only thing that I know babe It's the only thing I really know for sure But every song took a tool on me babe And I can't sing those love songs any more | | I've seen cowboys break their bones just to make a living I've seen hobos hopping trains from town to town But I've never wanted anything that anyone was giving And now I'm just sitting here, kicking dust around | | Cos singing is the only thing that I know babe It's the only thing I really know for sure But every song took a tool on me babe And I can't sing those love songs any more |
Mister Nasty | | Words: Dennis Johnson and Tony Green, Music: Steve Turner and Chris Cawte | | Written for and about Warren Clarke's character in Gone To The Dogs, Larry | | He believes in no-one, no-one believes in him His fat face always wears a sneer or a stupid looking grin He made a pile on videos but never pays his tax His taste is what he's proud of but it's one thing that he lacks Here comes Mr Nasty, if you want to know just ask me If it's low don't put it past me, look out for Mr Nasty | | He has no table manners, a bit short on etiquette As an after dinner speaker he's the cheapest you can get His credentials have turned rusty and his standing has gone limp But the bastard can get nasty when he's had too much to drink Here comes Mr Nasty, if you want to know just ask me If it's low don't put it past me, look out for Mr Nasty | | He's as charmless as a river rat, and as loveable I'm told But he says all the women think he's worth his weight in gold And at the massage parlour where the ladies know him well He's known as Larry Blubberguts to all the clientele Here comes the man himself and it's very plain to see He isn't in the best of health, he's a bar stool casualty Here comes the man himself grotesque and out of shape Like a lump of bloated sausage meat well past its sell by date Here comes Mr Nasty, if you want to know just ask me If it's low don't put it past me, look out for Mr Nasty |
Already Dead | | Words: Dennis Johnson, Music: Steve Turner and Chris Cawte | | The sun is shining in the blue, blue sky I’m on vacation in the afterlife There ain’t no heaven and there ain’t no hell I’m on location in the under world I have no cares and I feel no pain I have no wish to be born again | | Because I’m dead already, baby and dead men tell no lies I’m dead already baby, as it was prophesized I’m dead already baby, I’m on the other side Because I’m already dead, I lived until I died | | The rain is falling on a grey, grey day I’m out there walking where the dead men lay Move over buddy and save me a place I need some room so I can rest in peace I got no religion and I’ve got no creed There ain’t nothing in your world that I need | | Because I’m dead already, baby and I've seen the light I’m dead already baby, I'm dragging my chains all night I’m dead already baby, I’m coming back Because I’m already dead, I had a heart attack | | Dead, deceased, de-funked I’m late, I bit the big one Dead, beat, cold meat, decomposing |
Stand Up, Little Jesus | | Words: Dennis Johnson, Music: Steve Turner | | Den was not a religious man in any sense of the word - this was his fairly irreverent take on 'what if he did exist - he must've been a snotty little kid just like everyone else'. It was one of the transitional songs between twee skiffle and the bludgeon era, always a real stomper live and probably one of the reasons we kept getting asked back to play the bike festivals | | Jesus stayed in this room, and he slept upon this bed He ate his food from that stone plate, and he said the things he said Jesus lived in my hometown, and they said he was divine But Jesus scorned that kind of stuff, it was the last thing on his mind. Stand up little Jesus, stand up little Jesus Stand up little Jesus and take a bow. | | Jesus went to my school, and he sat right next to me I guess Jesus learned a lot about wood and carpentry Jesus played in our back streets, he was the leader of our gang Then one day Jesus moved away to new Jerusalem. Stand up little Jesus, stand up little Jesus Stand up little Jesus and take a bow Stand up little Jesus, stand up little Jesus Stand up little Jesus and come one down I’ll trade my pirate’s hat for your stained and thorny crown. | | Jesus was a friend of mine, he read my comic books Jesus was a Batman freak, he just liked the way he looked Jesus used to live around here, down by the Neon Park Now my best friend is my saviour. Stand up little Jesus and take a bow Stand up little Jesus and take a bow Stand up little Jesus, stand up little Jesus Stand up little Jesus and take a bow. | | Stand up little Jesus, stand up and take a bow Your place is in the hall of fame, beside the holy cow Stand up little Jesus, stand up and come on down I’ll trade my paper pirate’s hat for your stained and thorny crown Stand up little Jesus stand up and say goodbye You’re your father’s favourite, the apple of his eye. |
I Ain't Afraid | | Words and Music: Chris Cawte | | Another fine piece of work by Chris - this really marked the end of the cute little busking band and the beginning of something much beefier. Traditionally our set closer | | I ain’t afraid of being poor If it comes to it I can sit on the floor If you want to use a chair you can go next door I ain’t afraid of being poor | | I ain’t afraid to turn out the light I’ll lie on my back and use my second sight Even the blind can see wrong from right I ain’t afraid to turn out the light | | I ain’t afraid of being alone I’ll be just fine after you are gone Don’t need no television or no telephone I ain’t afraid of being alone | | I’m afraid to close my eyes Don’t know what’s waiting on the other side Maybe a million politicians trying to tell me their lies I’m afraid to close my eyes | | I’m frightened of you if you feel no pain With your heart tied around a ball and chain While the victims of oppression are dying in vain I’m afraid if you feel no pain | | I’m getting scared to go outside The air out there is like cyanide Keep me conditioned give me some place to hide ‘Cos I’m scared to go outside |
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