Music World
 
Find Artists:
 
 
 
Russian versionSwitch to Russian 
XTC




Music World  →  Lyrics  →  X  →  XTC  →  Albums  →  The Compact XTC: The Singles 1978-85

XTC Album


The Compact XTC: The Singles 1978-85 (1987)
1987
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
. . .


I look out my window at night
I see the stars and I'm filled with fright
I have a feeling someone's looking
It ain't the aliens at the foot of my bed
It's more the ale that's inside my head
I have a feeling something's cooking

Science friction burns my fingers
Electricity still lingers
Hey, put away that ray
How do you Martians say I love you

I read my comics from front to back
I'll be ready for any attack
I got a feeling someone's looking
It ain't the aliens at the foot of my bed
It's more the ale that's inside my head
I have a feeling something's cooking

Science friction burns my fingers
Electricity still lingers
Hey put away that ray
How do you Martians say I love you
(Psychedelic)

Science friction burns my fingers
Electricity still lingers
Hey, put away that ray
How do you Martians say I love you

I read my comics from front to back
I'll be ready for any attack
I have a feeling someone's
It ain't the aliens at the foot of my bed
It's more the ale that's inside my head
I've got a feeling something's

Science friction burns my fingers
Electricity still lingers
Hey put away that ray
How do you Martians say I love you

. . .


The first time I saw you standing in the water
You must have been all of a thousand feet tall
Nearly naked, unashamed like Herod's daughter
Your love was so big it made New York look small
You've been the subject of so many dreams
Since I climbed your torso

Oh, my statue of liberty, boo-boo
Impaled on your hair, what do you do-do-do to me, boo-boo

I leaned right over to kiss your stoney book
A little jealous of the ships with whom you flirt
A billion lovers with their cameras stop to look
And in my fantasy I sail beneath your skirt
You've been the subject of so many dreams
Since I climbed your torso

Oh, my statue of liberty, boo-boo
Impaled on your hair, what do you do-do-do to me, boo-boo

Say
Pop me

Oh, my statue of liberty, boo-boo
Impaled on your hair, what do you do-do-do to me, boo-boo
Say, oh, my statue of liberty, boo-boo
Impaled on your hair, what do you do-do-do to me, boo-boo

Liberty
Liberty
Liberty

. . .


In a milk bar and feeling lost
Drinking sodas as cold as frost
Someone leans in my direction
Quizzing on my juke-box selection
What do you call that noise
That you put on?

This is pop
Yeah Yeah

This is!

On a walkway and moving fast
All I get is transistor blast
Someone leans in my direction
Quizzing on my station selection
What do you call that noise
That you put on?

This is pop
Yeah yeah

This is!

We come the wrong way
We come the long way
We play the songs much too loud

This is pop
Yeah yeah

. . .


Are you receiving me?
You are deceiving me I know, see I know
When we're out walking
Your mouth ain't where it's supposed to do the talking
When we're in kissing
Your lips are missing, are they out on loan to someone else
Are you listening?
I put it in a letter, what could be better?
I put it in a note, one night I wrote
I put it in a telegram, just like the son of Sam
Babe there's something missing
Your TV's just hissing

. . .


I have learnt there's a magical spot at the hop
Come with me to the church on the corner the hop
There's nuts and there's crisps and there's c-c-c-cola on tap
A good time had by those boys and those girls at the hop

Tell me what do you say (tell me what do you say)
Tell me what do you say
I tell you
Life begins at the hop, boys and girls

Prepare yourself for the boys in the band at the hop
The cheap guitars, they're too young for the bars at the hop
We'll jive around, make fools of ourselves 'til they stop
We're back next week with another ridiculous tie knot

Tell me what do you say (tell me what do you say)
Tell me what do you say
I tell you
Life begins at the hop, boys and girls

Tell me what do you say (tell me what do you say)
Tell me what do you say (tell me what do you say)
I tell you
Life begins at the hop, boys and girls

I have learnt there's a magical spot at the hop
Come with me to the church on the corner the hop
There's nuts and crisps and there's c-c-c-cola on tap
A good time had by those boys and those girls at the hop

Tell me what do you say (tell me what do you say)
Tell me what do you say
I tell you
Life begins at the hop, la la la la la la la
Life begins at the hop, la la la la la la la
Life begins at the hop, la la la la la la la la la la la
boys and girls

. . .


We're only making plans for Nigel
We only want what's best for him
We're only making plans for Nigel
Nigel just needs this helping hand

And if young Nigel says he's happy
He must be happy
He must be happy
He must be happy in his work

We're only making plans for Nigel
He has this future in a British steel
We're only making plans for Nigel
Nigel's whole future is as good as sealed, yeah

And if young Nigel says he's happy
He must be happy
He must be happy
He must be happy in his work

Nigel is not outspoken
But he likes to speak, and he loves to be spoken to (In his work)
Nigel is happy in his work (In his work)
Nigel is happy in his work (In his work)

We're only making plans for Nigel
We only want what's best for him
We're only making plans for Nigel
Nigel just needs this helping hand

And if young Nigel says he's happy
He must be happy
He must be happy
He must be happy in his work

Mm, we're only making plans for Nigel
We only want what's best for him
We're only making plans for Nigel
Nigel just needs this helping hand

We're only making plans for Nigel
He has this future in a British steel
Steel, steel, steel, steel, steel
Yeah, yeah

We're only making plans for Nigel
Nigel, Nigel, Nigel, Nigel
Nigel, Nigel, Nigel, Nigel
Nigel, Nigel, Nigel, Nigel

. . .


Wait till your boat goes down
That's when you'll need me most
Wait till your boat goes down
And you're washed up on some foreign and
Unfamiliar coast

Yachting's fine
Sailing round and round in social circles
In a sea of diamonds and wine
Wait till you need a shoulder
A girl's best friend's not any consolation
when you're that much older

Skiing's grand
Drawing classic lines around the millionaires
and moneymen from Switzerland
Wait till you need a shoulder
A girl's fox furs won't warm your heart
When you're that much older

And if you're late and man he sees you when you're young and looking good
Watch the big fish swim right out to take the bait you offered like you
knew they would
Too much caviar only points to middle aged spread
There won't be room for many playboys in your single bed

Wait till your boat goes down
That's when you'll need me most
Wait till your boat goes down
And you're washed up!

. . .


Generals and majors, uh-huh
They're never too far
From battlefields so glorious
Out in a world of their own
They'll never come down
'Til once again victorious
Woah, generals and majors always
Seem so unhappy 'less they got a war
Generals and majors, uh-huh
Like never before
Are tired of being actionless

Calling generals and majors
Generals and majors everywhere
Calling generals and majors
Your World War III is drawing near

Generals and majors, uh-huh
They're never too far
Away from men who made the grade
Out in a world of their own
They'll never come down
Until the battle's lost or made
Woah, generals and majors always
Seem so unhappy 'less they got a war
Generals and majors, uh-huh
Like never before
Are tired of being in the shade

Calling generals and majors
Generals and majors everywhere
Calling generals and majors
Hey, your World War III is drawing near
World War III

Generals and majors, uh-huh
They're never too far
From battlefields so glorious
Out in a world of their own
They'll never come down
'Til once again victorious
Woah
Woah
Woah
Woah
Generals and majors
Generals and majors
Generals and majors

. . .


Towers of London
When they had built you
Did you watch over the men who fell
Towers of London
When they had built you
Victoria's gem found in somebody's hell

Pavements of gold leading to the underground
Grenadier Guardsmen walking pretty ladies around
Fog is the sweat of the never never navvies who pound
Spikes in the rails to their very own heaven

Towers of London
When they had built you
Did you watch over the men who fell
Towers of London
When they had built you
Victoria's gem found in somebody's hell

Bridges of muscles spanning so long and high
Merchants from Stepney walking pretty ladies by
Rain is the tears of the never never navvies who cry
For the bridge that doesn't go
In the direction of Dublin

Towers of London
When they had built you
Did you watch over the men who fell
Towers of London
When they had built you
Victoria's gem found in somebody's hell

And I've seen it in a painting
And I've seen it in engraving
And I've seen it in their faces
Clear as children's chalk lines on the paving

And I've seen it in a painting
And I've seen it in engraving
And I've seen it in their faces
Clear as children's chalk lines on the paving

Towers of London
When they had built you
Did you watch over the men who fell
Towers of London
When they had built you
Victoria's gem found in somebody's hell

Towers of London, Towers of London
Towers of London, Towers of London

La La Londinium, La La Londinium
La La Londinium, La La Londinium
La La Londinium...

. . .


Hey, Rock, Rock!
Hey, Rock, Rock!
Hey, Rock, Rock!
Hey, Rock, Rock!

I'm enlisting, overseas aid
need assisting, help with a maid
get the expert, on mademoiselles
he could diffuse, any bombshell

If I could only be tough like him
then I could win
my own, small, battle of the sexes

Sgt. Rock is going to help me
make the girl mine
keep her stood in line
Sgt. Rock is going to help me
make the girl mine
keep her stood in line
make the girl mine, wave the victory sign

I'm invading, territories
Girls are foreign, and strange to me
get the expert, at kissing and stuff
he stays easy, when things get rough

Sometimes relationships don't go as planned
some girls, can make themselves so cold
a no-mans land.

If I could only be tough like him
then I could win
my own, small, battle of the sexes

Sgt. Rock is going to help me
make the girl mine
keep her stood in line
Sgt. Rock is going to help me
make the girl mine
keep her stood in line
make the girl mine, wave the victory sign

Hey, Rock, Rock!
Hey, Rock, Rock!
Hey, Rock, Rock!
Hey!

. . .


Hey, hey, the clouds are whey
There's straw for the donkeys
And the innocents can all sleep safely
All sleep safely

My, my, sun is pie
There's fodder for the cannons
And the guilty ones can all sleep safely
All sleep safely

And all the world is football-shaped
It's just for me to kick in space
And I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste
And I've got one, two, three, four, five
Senses working overtime
Trying to take this all in
I've got one, two, three, four, five
Senses working overtime
Trying to taste the difference 'tween a lemon and a lime
Pain and pleasure, and the church bells softly chime

Hey, hey, night fights day
There's food for the thinkers
And the innocents can all live slowly
All live slowly

My, my, the sky will cry
Jewels for the thirsty
And the guilty ones can all die slowly
All die slowly

And all the world is biscuit-shaped
It's just for me to feed my face
And I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste
And I've got one, two, three, four, five
Senses working overtime
Trying to take this all in
I've got one, two, three, four, five
Senses working overtime
Trying to taste the difference 'tween a lemon and a lime
Pain and pleasure, and the church bells softly chime

And birds might fall from black skies (Whoo-whoo)
And bullies might give you black eyes (Whoo-whoo)
And buses might skid on black ice (Whoo-whoo)
But to me they're very, very beautiful (England's glory)
Beautiful (A striking beauty)

And all the world is football-shaped
It's just for me to kick in space
And I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste
And I've got one, two, three, four, five
Senses working overtime
Trying to take this all in
I've got one, two, three, four, five
Senses working overtime
Trying to tell the difference 'tween the goods and crimes
Dirt and treasure
And there's one, two, three, four, five
Senses working overtime
Trying to take this all in
I've got one, two, three, four, five
Senses working overtime
Trying to taste the difference 'tween a lemon and a lime
Pain and pleasure, and the church bells softly chime

. . .


Save us from the ball and chain
Save us from the ball and chain
Save us from the ball and chain, oh, yeah
The diggers and the towering cranes

Save us from the ball and chain
Save us from the ball and chain
Save us from the ball and chain, oh, yeah
The diggers and the towering cranes

The diggers and the towering cranes

Save us from the ball and chain
Save us from the ball and chain
Save us from the ball and chain, oh, yeah
The diggers and the towering cranes

Don't want demolition
Don't want your compensation
It's not just bricks and mortar
We are lambs to slaughter

Save us from the ball and chain
Save us from the ball and chain
Save us from the ball and chain, oh, yeah
The diggers and the towering cranes

The diggers and the towering cranes

Must we live in fear
From those who shed no tears?
Our one and only shelter
Your games, your Helter Skelter

Motorways and office blocks
They're standing on the spot where stood a home
They're crushing all the memories of people
Who have since turned to stone
Who turned to stone
They turned to stone

Save us from the ball and chain
Save us from the ball and chain
Save us from the ball and chain, oh, yeah
The diggers and the towering cranes

Save us from the ball and chain
Save us from the ball and chain
Save us from the ball and chain, oh, yeah
The diggers and the towering cranes

The diggers and the towering cranes
The diggers and the towering

. . .


Great fire burning
You supplied the spark
Fores burning spreading through the ark
Animals are panicking
I'm animal and panicking

Your glance a match on the tinderwood
You never spoke but I understood
Bring water
Eyes bring water

Great fire burning through
Great fire burning through my house
Great fire burning through my house and heart

Great fire burning
All because of you
Fires burning spreading through the zoo
Animals are panicking
I'm animal and panicking

No round of drinks can extinguish this
Feeling of love and engulfing bliss
Bring water
Eyes bring water

Great fire burning through
Great fire burning through my house
Great fire burning through my house and heart

I've been in love before
But it's never been as hot as this
Smoke curling round the door
Memories of old loves crack and blister
Mister fireman bet you couldn't put me out if you tried

Your glance a match on the tinderwood
You never spoke but I understood
Bring water
Eyes bring water

Great fire burning through
Great fire burning through my house
Great fire burning through my house and heart

. . .


Can't you see
Love and affection
When it's put
In your direction
Wrapped in your mysterious wonderland
No fast car
Can make you grow up
Gentlemen
You think you've sewn up
Locked in your wonderful wonderland
No dark horse like me can cramp all of your style
Too plain and simple I am for your file

One day you will break out of your spell
And some day you will want me for your own
And I'll say welcome to reality

All this talk
Of late-night parties
Flirting with the lower gentry
Lost in your magical wonderland
Out of depth
Out of class
Phase of your life
Will come to pass
Caught in this tragical wonderland
All of the riches that shine will turn sour
Each moment you slip you will bring near the hour

One day you will break out of your spell
And some day you will want me for your own
And I'll say welcome to reality

Wrapped in your mysterious wonderland

Caught in your superficial
Nonexistant
Fairy-story
Wonderland

. . .


High climbs the summer sun
High stands the corn
And tonight when my work is done
We will borrow your father's carriage
We will drink and prepare for marriage
Soon, my darling, soon, my darling

Shilling for the fellow who brings the sheep in
Shilling for the fellow who milks the herd
Shilling for the fellow with a wife for keeping
How can we feed love on a farmboy's wages?

Deep under winter snow
Deep lay the lambs
And tonight by the full moon's glow
Flask of wine on my feather bedding
We will drink and prepare for wedding
Soon, my darling, soon, my darling

Shilling for the fellow who brings the sheep in
Shilling for the fellow who milks the herd
Shilling for the fellow with a wife for keeping
How can we feed love on a farmboy's wages?

People think that I'm no good
At painting pictures or carving wood
Be a rich man if I could
But the only job I do well is here on the farm
On the farm
And it's breaking my back

We will borrow your father's carriage
We will drink and prepare for marriage
Soon, my darling, soon, my darling

Shilling for the fellow who brings the sheep in
Shilling for the fellow who milks the herd
Shilling for the fellow with a wife for keeping
How can we feed

Shilling for the fellow who brings the sheep in
Shilling for the fellow who milks the herd
Shilling for the fellow with a wife for keeping
How can we feed love on a farmboy's, love on a farmboy's, love on a farmboy's wages?

. . .


Do something for me, boys
If I should die at sea, boys
Write a little note, boys
Set it off afloat, saying

Bless you, bless you, all of you pretty girls
Village and city girls by the quayside
Bless you, bless you, all of you pretty girls
Watching and waiting by the sea

Bless you, bless you, all of you pretty girls
Quiet or witty girls by the quayside
Bless you, bless you, all of you pretty girls
Watching and waiting there for me

I think about your pale arms waving
When I see the caps upon the green
And the rocking roller-coaster ocean
Think about you every night when I'm fathoms asleep
And in my dreams
We are rocking in a similar motion

Bless you, bless you, all of you pretty girls
Village and city girls by the quayside
Bless you, bless you, all of you pretty girls
Watching and waiting by the sea

Bless you, bless you, all of you pretty girls
Quiet or witty girls by the quayside
Bless you, bless you, all of you pretty girls
Watching and waiting there for me

I think about the salt sea rolling
Down in pearly tears upon your cheeks
Just like the day the harbour pulled away
I think about your warm white sheets unfolding
The more I have to drink
The more that I can think to say

Do something for me, boys
If I should die at sea, boys
Hey, write a little note, boys
And set it off afloat, saying

Bless you, bless you, all of you pretty girls
Village and city girls by the quayside
Bless you, bless you, all of you pretty girls
Watching and waiting by the sea

Bless you, bless you, all of you pretty girls
Quiet or witty girls by the quayside
Bless you, bless you, all of you pretty girls
Watching and waiting there for me

Bless you, bless you, all of you pretty girls
Village and city girls by the quayside
Bless you, bless you, all of you pretty girls
Watching and waiting by the sea

Bless you, bless you, all of you pretty girls
Quiet or witty girls by the quayside
Bless you, bless you, all of you pretty girls
Watching and waiting there for me

Bless you, bless you, all of you pretty girls
Village and city girls by the quayside
Bless you, bless you, all of you pretty girls
Watching and waiting by the sea

. . .


Ah, well, that's this world over
Ah, well, next one begins

Will you smile like any mother
As you bathe your brand-new twins?
Will you sing about the missiles
As you dry odd-numbered limbs?

Ah, well, that's this world over
Ah, well, next one begins
Ah, well, that's this world over
You sadly grin

Will you tell them about that far-off and mythical land
About their leader with the famous face?
Will you tell them that the reason nothing ever grows in the garden anymore
Because he wanted to win the craziest race?
That's this world over

Will you smile like any father
With your children on a Sunday hike?
When you get to a sea of rubble
And they ask, "What was London like?"

Ah, well, that's this world over
Ah, well, next one begins, it begins, it begins
Ah, well, that's this world over
You sadly grin

Will you tell them about that far-off and mythical land
And how a child to the virgin came?
Oh, will you tell them that the reason why we murdered everything upon the surface of the world
So we can stand right up and say we did it in his name?

That's this world over
Or so it seems
That's this world over
The end of dreams

That's this world over, over, over and out
That's this world over, over, over and out
That's this world over, over, over and out
That's this world over, over, over and out
That's this world over, over, over and out

. . .


You put your cleanest dirty shirt on
Then you stagger down to meet the dawn
You take a ride upon a bus, it's just a fuss
You know it keeps you born
You get to know a morning face
You get to join the human race
You get to know the world
Has passed you by

Who cares? You might be dead
Who cares? You stayed in bed
Who cares? You wrote the note
Who cares? You might have spoke

Wake up!

You take a snack to fill the gap
And then you're ready for another shift
Your attention was diverted
By the girl who smiled and made the lift
The radio is blaring out
It's in one ear and then it's out
You didn't notice that the record's over

Who cares? You might be dead
Who cares? You stayed in bed
Who cares? You wrote the note
Who cares? You might have spoke

Wake up!

In the road a crowd had gathered
And a man was close to dead
The blood is running down the gutter
While you're yawning, nothing's said
His body's wriggling like an eel
They got no sense, no touch, no feel
Somebody better go and get a blanket

Who cares? You might be dead
Who cares? You stayed in bed
Who cares? You wrote the note
Who cares? You might have spoke

Who cares?

. . .


blog comments powered by Disqus



© 2011 Music World. All rights reserved.