STARLIGHT OVER SOHO

Starlight over SoHo
Sunrise over Queens
Tales of the City
Tales of our dreams
Watch the sunlight spreading
Over all the land
Watch the hope that’s rising
Held in your two hands

Moonrise over Brooklyn
Sunset over Park
Tales of the City
Tales of the dark
Watch the shadows fading
At the coming of the day
Watch the last hopes fading
See them fade away

Hopes loves tears fears
Settle all around
Like snowflakes falling
On the frosty ground
Tales of the City
Live on in us all
They’re our deepest secret
Buried in our souls.

GALILEO’S HAMSTER

Galileo had a hamster
And the hamster’s name was Dan
He was a great comfort
To that scientific man
Round and round he’d run
Every night in his wheel
Which our hero had made
Of fine Toledo steel

Often in the night
Our hero lay perplexed
But when he looked on Dan
He never could be vexed
He knew he had to fight
With that mighty Pope
But as long as he had Dan
He’d never give up hope

Then came the awful night
The wheel it broke free
And Dan thought he’d climb
Galileo’s Poplar tree
The tree was very big
And Dan was very small
And with the naked eye
No one could see at all

So our hero had a think
And brought his telescope
He spotted Dan right away
He’d never given up hope
And watching from a bush
The grumpy Pontiff’s spies
So the power of the glass
And saw Dan never died

The moral of this tale
Is plain for all to see
If you get a hamster
Never let it free
And if you know a Pope
Don’t you tax his mind
When it comes to science
Faith is always blind.

SOMETIMES

Sometimes I feel
Like a fish in a tree
Sometimes I feel
That you don’t love me
Sometimes I feel
You don’t love me at all
But I remember
You’ll come when I call

Sometimes I can’t
See my way out
Sometimes I feel
Confused and in doubt
Sometimes I know
The pride and the fall
But I remember
You’ll come when I call

Someday the world
Is cruel to me
Sometimes I think
That I am not free
Sometimes I know
That I’m gonna fall
But I remember
You’ll come when I call

Sometimes I fear
What the day has ahead
Sometimes I think
I’d be better of dead
Most time I know
I’ve got it all
Always I remember
I’ll come when you call.

PRESENT TIMES

Back in the Court of the Crimson Queen
Those who laughed were never seen
Those who fought and went to war
On their return were given more
In that Court of blood and steel
No one asked if it was real
Theirs but to do and die
Ours but to ask why

Back in the Court of the Crimson King
People lied about everything
No one knew just what was right
And so they argued day and night
In that Court of Hell and lies
No one looked into your eyes
All they knew was to obey
And try to live another day

In the Court of the Idiot Son
Everyone lies to everyone
Truth is buried and falsehoods stand
Today in this accursed land
In that Court of Knaves and fools
None will ever keep the rules
Excepting one which is never wrong
The party must go on and on.

TWINKLETOES AND ALISTAIR

Twinkletoes and Alistair
Packed a picnic tea
Wrapped it in a chequered cloth
And set out for the sea
Where is the sea the dancer asked
But Al said “don’t ask me”
And so they walked into the night
To see what they could see

Along the way they met a toad
As green as he could be
What’s in your chequered cloth he asked
The couple answered “tea”
At this the toad a Democratic gent
Said share your good with me
At this the hungry couple
Turned tail and off did flee

Are politicians always cruel
Do Republicans know greed
The toad he chased them all the night
Until they reached the sea
Exhausted our heroes slumped
Believing they were free
But taxes and politicians
Will never let you be

The toad and a policeman
There for all to see
Arrested our two heroes
And confiscated tea
The moral of this story
Is plain for all to see
If you want to keep what you’ve got
Don’t let the politicians see.

ELVIS WOULD BE SPINNING IN HIS GRAVE

If the King came back
Saw us today
He’d pack his bags
Just go away
Kids being told
How to behave
Elvis will be spinning
In his grave

So if he came back
To Graceland’s door
Would he be able
To take any more
Made up bands
And producers slaves
Elvis would be spinning
In his grave

Where’s the soul
That sent them reeling
No rock and roll
No real feeling
It’s all so pure
It’s all so safe
Elvis would be spinning
In his grave

If Elvis was spinning
In the ground
Heard the rubbish
He had found
Then we should think
And not obey
Stop Elvis spinning
In his grave.

ARMY OF THE DEAD

I see the years
In the sightless eyes
Of the army of the dead
You say come and fight with you
But I’d rather live instead
I see them sleep in serried rows
Across Flanders rich dark earth
If history tells us anything
It’s death is earned at birth

And so I see you take your gun
And march away from home
Led by the politicians
Who will leave you all alone
Alone to face your death throes
Frightened and afraid
Deserted by your officer
Spat on by your mates

If history tells us anything
It’s learn to disbelieve
All politicians tell these lies
They fill their moments needs
And so keep the strength my son
Earned by your families blood
No politician comes for us
Live long and do good.

PRINCESS

In the middle was a circle
And the circle held a dream
And the dream was about
A girl who would be queen
But the circle was encased
In a lonely square
And look though it might
It couldn’t see her there
All around the circle
Were children and their toys
And when the people looked
They saw the lovely boys
Built around the square
In houses made of stone
Lived some other people
Who didn’t have a home
And these other people
Looked inwards and they saw
A happy healthy family
And so they went to war
And they fought their war
With stories and with pens
And the people of the circle
Thought they saw no end
So one lonely night
The girl who had the dream
Walked off into the night
And was never again seen.

SANTA FE

I know you won’t believe it
But I had to get away
Leave you here in Denver
Take the road to Santa Fe
In Santa Fe she’s waiting
She’s waited all this time
And I left that girl for you
That girl that should be mine

You cast your spell upon me
And I followed like a fool
‘cos I thought you loved me
But I was just your tool
In Denver I was in prison
A prisoner of your schemes
In Santa Fe I’m a free man
I’m free to live my dreams

So while you lie there sleeping
I’ll be gone five hundred miles
To a girl that I know loves me
And a love that makes me smile
I know you wont’ believe me
But I had to run from you
I learn so much in Denver
And I learnt I don’t love you.

ALL THE TIME

In the East and in the West
They think that they know whats best
They think that money cures all their troubles
But I know that it just ain’t so
And I’ll tell you what I know
Moneys dreams just burst like bubbles

In the North and in the South
The word has got about
And hopes are built upon deceit
And dreams they crumble at your feet
Life always gets a little worse
When money gets a little scarce

Across the oceans and the seas
Hopes come to us to tease
But love never needed another dollar
So sit down and listen to me
Let my words set you free
When money leaves then love follows.

STUCK UP HERE IN NEW YORK

How may times have I tried to go
How many times have I said goodbye
I have tried so hard you know
But I believe the same old lies
Like how I just love it here
And how love can ease the pain
But I’m stuck up here in New York
And I’ve got the blues again

They say the South’s like Mother Earth
She feeds her own born sons
But I know just what I’m worth
You can’t kill the blues with guns
And now the night is drawing in
And I need to kill my pain
B’cos I’m stuck up here in New York
And I’ve got the blues again

I’ve had enough of New York
And the cold hard heart of the city
And all I got from those I met
Was disrespect and pity
So I’m goin back to Alabam
And I know I aint goin insane
‘Cos I’m back here in Mobile
and I’m in the South again.

ROSIE MAE

I was standing on the sidewalk
The crowd had all gone home
The taxi wasn’t coming
And I was all alone
And you just sort of looked at me
And I thought I heard you say
Why not come back home with me
My name is Rosie Mae

We walked through the streets of Nashville
Lights shining in the rain
I never said I loved you
Thought we’d meet again
And when the night was over
I crept off to my bus
I never gave a thought to you
I thought there was no us

I didn’t know you’d seen me
And followed in the rain
I didn’t mean to hurt you
Didn’t want to cause you pain
I still see your crying eyes
Watching me steal away
Though I didn’t tell no lies
I knew I should’ve stayed

And now the years have come and gone
I’ve come back to your door
A stupid singing fool
Who could’ve done much more
Will you still remember
That long night in the rain
And will you let me hold you
I’ll not run out again.