Yes, it's time for the Dr. Goebbels show! There's a tower in the heart of London With a radio station right at the top They don't make the city beat They're making all the action stop A long time ago there were pirates Beaming waves from the sea But now all the stations are silenced 'Cause they ain't got a government license Want to tell your problems? Phone in from your bedsit room Having trouble with your partner? Let us all in on the news If you want to hear a record Get the word from Aiden Day He picks all the hits to play To keep you in your place all day Capital Radio In tune with nothing Don't touch that dial Don't touch that dial Don't touch that dial...
Writer/s: JOE STRUMMER, MICK JONES, PAUL SIMONON, TOPPER HEADON Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
The main riff is based on the The Who's "I Can't Explain," a riff which The Clash used as a basis for many of their more Rock-orientated songs. The song actually started life in 1976 as a Mick Jones written tune called "Deadly Serious." Early live bootlegs exist of The Clash playing the song in this form, with completely different lyrics about the band choosing not to play Reggae music despite their love of it ("dig some reggae, don't play any"). Presumably they'd changed their mind on this policy by the time they covered "Police and Thieves" on their first album.
The lyrics are an attack on mainstream radio stations of the time (the song is named after popular radio station Capital Radio) and their refusal to play anything left-field like Punk Rock, sticking strictly to bland Pop and chart music. In a 1977 interview with Caroline Coon, singer Joe Strummer explained: "They're even worse because they had the chance, coming right into the heart of London and sitting in that tower right on top of everything. But they've completely blown it. I'd like to throttle Aiden Day. He thinks he's the self appointed Minister of Public Enlightenment. We've just written a new song called Capital Radio and a line in it goes 'listen to the tunes of the Dr Goebbels Show.' They say 'Capital Radio in tune with London.' Yeah, yeah, yeah! They're in tune with Hampstead. They're not in tune with us at all. I hate them. What they could have done compared to what they have done is abhorrent. They could have made it so good that everywhere you went you took your transistor radio — you know, how it used to be when I was at school. I'd have one in my pocket all the time or by my ear'ole flicking it between stations. If you didn't like one record you'd flick to another station and then back again. It was amazing. They could have made the whole capital buzz. Instead Capital Radio has just turned their back on the whole youth of the city."
As mentioned in the quote, the song includes references to Nazi propaganda minister Josef Goebbels, to reinforce the image of Capital Radio forcing bland commercial music on the listener without any choice.
This was recorded, along with early live staple "Listen," on April 3, 1977 for a giveaway single with the NME magazine. It was original drummer Terry Chimes' final recording with the band before he left and was replaced by Topper Headon.
This was introduced live on the White Riot tour and remained in the set for the rest of the Clash's career.
Singer Joe Strummer would often throw in stream-of-conciousness raps in live versions. For example, the version on the live album From Here to Eternity, recorded at the Lewisham Odeon in February 1980, features a mimicked phone conversation involving Strummer requesting the radio station to play "Wooly Bully" by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs - NOT Sham 69, as he jokes! Unfortunately according to Strummer, "he said no."
The song was originally called "Capital Radio," but when they released an updated version in 1979, they changed its title to "Capital Radio One" and made the sequel "Capital Radio Two."
This is the City of the Dead As we lie side by side in bed I'd do something else instead But it is the city of the dead
We went out kickin' around But you got drunk an' fallen down An' I wished I could be like you With the Soho River drinking me down
In the city of the dead Fall in love an' fall in bed It wasn't anything you said Except I know we both lie dead
Don't you know where to cop That's what New York Johnny said You should get to know your town Just like I know mine
While all the windows stare ahead An' the streets are filled with dread Every nation in the world Slinks through the alley after girls
What we wear is dangerous gear It'll get you picked on anywhere Though we get beat up we don't care At least it livens up the air
But someday's we hide inside All courage gone and paralyzed Sniff that wind of ugly tension Today the jerks have got aggression
It is the city of the dead
Writer/s: JOE STRUMMER, MICK JONES, PAUL SIMONON, TOPPER HEADON Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
City of the Dead
For a long time "City of the Dead" was one of the most popular Clash songs not to be released on any album - it only appeared as the B-side to 1977 single Complete Control. It was then included on the rarities compilation album Black Market Clash, and it's expanded re-release, Super Black Market Clash.
Singer Joe Strummer admitted in later interviews that around mid-to-late 1977, he was suffering from severe clinical depression and was incredibly disillusioned with the future of the Punk Rock movement. This explains why the lyrical themes of this song in particular, as well as another B-side from around this period, "The Prisoner," are very dark and cynical.
The title "City of the Dead" is drawn from an obscure 1960s British horror movie of the same name starring Christopher Lee. Guitarist Mick Jones would frequently introduce it live as being a song about "being dead from the neck up," a nod to common zombie horror film convention.
The latter verses relate to a common trend in 1977 of "Punk Bashing" where, partially as a result of hyperbolic tabloid reporting encouraging violence against Punk fans (including a shameful piece in the 6th June edition of the Sunday Mirror entitled "Punish The Punks"), there were many fights and attacks on Punk rockers:
"What we wear is dangerous gear It'll get you picked on anywhere Though we get beat up we don't care At least it livens up the air."
High-profile victims of brutal attacks included Jamie Reid, Sex Pistols singer Johnny Rotten, and Clash guitarist Mick Jones, who tells the story of his attack in the 2002 documentary film Westway to the World.
The lines, "Don't you know where to cop, that's what New York Johnny said" were written in response to several unsavory incidents with drug abuse on the Anarchy tour in 1977, with the 'New York Johnny' being the American Rock frontman Johnny Thunders, formerly of the New York Dolls and at the time leader of Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers. According to reports, he was regularly doing drugs on the tour and would try to intimidate others - including members of The Clash - to shoot up drugs with him.
The lyrics "Fall in love an' fall in bed, it wasn't anything you said, except I know we both lie dead" could have been inspired by Mick Jones' fractious relationship with his girlfriend at the time, Slits guitarist Viv Albertine. According to roadie Johnny Green, "she broke his heart... Mick used to cry and cry about Viv. He played the rock star normally with girls, but not with Viv, he really loved her." His breakup with Albertine would later form the basis for the lyrics to 1979 single "Train in Vain (Stand By Me)."
"City of the Dead" is the first Clash song to feature additional instrumentation beyond just the bass/guitars/drums/vocals quartet. In this case, the recording features saxophone and pianos, the latter played by Steve Nieve from Elvis Costello and the Attractions. The Clash were at the time greatly influenced by Bruce Springsteen, and this influence can be heard in the rich production and musical style.
Deny You're such a liar You won't know the truth if it hits you in the eye Deny You're such a liar You're selling your no-no all the time
You said we were going out To the 100 Club Then you said it ain't my scene But then you turned up alone Then you turned up alone
Deny You're such a liar Won't know the truth if it hits you in the street Deny You're such a liar You're selling your no-no all the time
Then you said you'd given it up Gone an' kicked it in the head You said you ain't had none for weeks Baby, I seen your arms Baby, I seen your arms
Deny You're such a liar Won't know the truth if it hits you in the eye Deny You're such a liar Selling your no-no all the time
Do you think I'm a raving idiot? Just got off the boat Step in line, sign this form, baby ain't got a hope You ain't got a hope
(What a liar, what a liar, what a liar) deny, you're such a liar (What a liar, what a liar, what a liar) deny, lie, lie, lie, lie (What a liar, what a liar, what a liar) (What a liar, what a liar, what a liar) (What a liar, what a liar, what a liar) (What a liar, what a liar, what a liar) (What a liar, what a liar, what a liar) (What a liar, what a liar, what a liar) (What a liar, what a liar, what a liar) (What a liar, what a liar, what a liar)
Writer/s: JOE STRUMMER, MICK JONES, PAUL SIMONON, TOPPER HEADON Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
Deny
The song was originally written by guitarist Mick Jones for the London SS, the band which existed just before Joe Strummer joined to form The Clash. It seems to originally have been about denial in all its forms, and could have been aimed at Jones' then-girlfriend whom he had a fractious relationship with; she also inspired "I'm So Bored With You," the original version of the song that would become "I'm So Bored With The USA."
Early Clash guitarist Keith Levene, who left before the group recorded their first album, offered the opinion that "Deny" referred to him, although this is unlikely as it was written and played live while he was still in the group. However it is obvious that the song's subject is a drug addict and the narrator has a severe problem with this.
Mick Jones has said in interviews that Pretenders guitarist Chrissie Hynde "probably helped with the end bit." It is also speculated that Jones took influence from the Sex Pistols' similar song of the time, "Liar," which he would've heard from Pistols bassist Glen Matlock.
"Deny" was recorded in a semi-live style at the Whitfield studios, the same sessions that produced the single version of "White Riot." It uses the studio trick of fade-in, not commonly used by Rock groups but used by The Beatles on "Eight Days a Week." The rhythm guitar riff is also a distant relative to the Who's "The Kids Are Alright."
"Deny" didn't survive for long in the Clash's live set - it was played from their very first gigs in 1976, often as the opening song, and survived up till the White Riot tour in June 1977 before being replaced by newer material.
On the recording Joe Strummer can be heard ad-libbing a reference to a "12p comic," which was the price of a Marvel or DC comic in 1977.
Listen to the ground There is movement all around There is something goin' down And I can feel it
On the waves of the air There is dancin' out there If it's somethin' we can share We can steal it
And that sweet city woman She moves through the light Controlling my mind and my soul When you reach out for me Yeah, and the feelin' is right
Then I get Night Fever, night fever We know how to do it Gimme that night fever, night fever We know how to show it
Here I am Prayin' for this moment to last Livin' on the music so fine Borne on the wind Makin' it mine
Night fever, night fever We know how to do it Gimme that night fever, night fever We know how to show it
In the heat of our love Don't need no help for us to make it Gimme just enough to take us to the mornin' I got fire in my mind I get higher in my walkin' And I'm glowin' in the dark I give you warnin'
And that sweet city woman She moves through the night Controlling my mind and my soul When you reach out for me Yeah, and the feelin' is right
Then I get night fever, night fever We know how to do it Gimme that night fever, night fever We know how to show it
Here I am Prayin' for this moment to last Livin' on the music so fine Borne on the wind Makin' it mine
Night fever, night fever We know how to do it Gimme that night fever, night fever We know how to show it
Gimme that night fever, night fever We know how to do it Gimme that night fever, night fever We know how to show it Gimme that night fever, night fever We know how to do it
Writer/s: ALEXANDER STIEPEL, ANDREAS HOETTER, BARRY ALAN GIBB, MAURICE ERNEST GIBB, ROBIN HUGH GIBB, WINDSOR KEITH ROBINSON Publisher: Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
Night Fever
In 1977, The Bee Gees manager Robert Stigwood was producing a movie about the New York Disco scene. The working title of the film was "Saturday Night," so he asked the group to write a song of that name. The Bee Gees thought it was a dumb title, but they had already written a song called "Night Fever." They convinced Stigwood to use that and change the film's title to Saturday Night Fever. The movie became a classic, telling a coming-of-age story in the Disco era. It helped launch the film career of John Travolta, who starred as Tony Manero, the conflicted youth who escaped his troubles on the dance floor.
The soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever sold over 30 million copies worldwide and it won the 1978 Grammy for Album Of The Year. This was the third single from the soundtrack and became that album's biggest hit single, remaining on the top of the American Pop charts for 8 weeks in early 1978. It also topped the British charts for two weeks and won a 1978 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Group.
The string intro is inspired by "Theme From A Summer Place" by Percy Faith. The Bee Gees keyboard player was performing it one morning at the studio and Barry Gibb walked in and heard the new idea for this song.
Robin Gibb in Observer Music Monthly January 2008: "The idea for the film that became Saturday Night Fever started when our manager, Robert Stigwood, saw an article in New York magazine entitled 'Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night' by Nik Cohn, talking about teenagers going to dancing competitions. When they first started dance rehearsals for the film with John Travolta, they were using our song 'You Should Be Dancing,' which had been released the previous year. We were mixing a live album in France and Robert rang and asked if we had any other songs we could contribute. In the end we had five new tracks - 'Staying Alive,' 'How Deep is Your Love?,' 'Night Fever,' 'More Than a Woman' and 'If I Can't Have You' (recorded by Yvonne Elliman) - plus the previously released 'Jive Talkin" and 'You Should Be Dancing.' It was also our idea to call it Saturday Night Fever, because the competitions were on Saturday and we already had the track 'Night Fever.'
Until the film came out, 'Disco' meant something very different in the UK to the US. We were writing what we considered to be blue-eyed soul. We never set out to make ourselves the kings of Disco, although plenty of other people tried to jump on the bandwagon after the success of the film. When we went to the premiere at the Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles it was obvious the film and the songs really gelled, but none of us had any idea how huge it would become. It remains the biggest-selling soundtrack ever, and very few artists have created something with the cultural impact that Saturday Night Fever had."
In America, with eight weeks on top of the chart, it spent more weeks at #1 than any other song in 1978. For five of those weeks (March 18 - April 15), another Bee Gees song from Saturday Night Fever, "Stayin' Alive," was #2.
Hate And War The only things we got today An' if I close my eyes They will not go away You have to deal with it It is the currency Hate, hate, hate, the hate of a nation A million miles from home And get war from the junkies Who don't like my form I'm gonna stay in the city Even when the house fall down I don't dream of a holiday When hate an' war come around Hate and war The only things we got today Hate and war The only things
I have the will to survive I cheat if I can't win If someone locks me out I kick my way back in An' if I get aggression I give 'em two times back Every day it's just the same With hate an' war on my back
Hate and war, I hate all the English, man Hate and war, they're just as bad as wops Hate and war, I hate all the politeness Hate and war, I hate all the cops Hate and war, I want to walk down any street Hate and war, looking like a creep Hate and war, I don't care if I get beat up Hate and war, by any rotten Greek
Writer/s: JOE STRUMMER, MICK JONES, PAUL SIMONON, TOPPER HEADON Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
Hate And War
Singer Joe Strummer noted in a 2002 interview with Uncut magazine that the title "Hate and War" was a direct reversal of the hippy phrase "Love and Peace," done to illustrate the contrast between the optimism and hope of the late 1960s and the grim reality of Britain in the '70s. "It was a good punk rock blast to have a song called that" he said.
In a 1991 interview, Strummer remembered that he "wrote the lyrics in a disused ice cream factory I'd broken into. It was just behind the Harrow Road in Foscote Mews. I wrote it in the dark by candlelight and the next day took it to Rehearsals and Mick put a tune to it."
The lyrics in question are an angry indictment of everyday working class life in London, and a rallying call to toughen up if you want to survive in the mean streets ("I have the will to survive, I cheat if I can't win. If someone locks me out, I kick my back in, an' if I get aggression, I give it to them two time back").
It also controversially uses racist terms such as "wops" and "Kebab Greeks." The lyrics are ambiguous as to their usage, although it would appear the song uses these terms to add to the gritty realistic feel of urban London at the time where such language may well have unfortunately been commonplace.
"Hate and War" was first introduced into The Clash's live set on the Anarchy tour of 1977, and was dropped by 1978, but after that would reappear every so often on tours - the Pearl Harbour tour in 1979 (and on their appearance on the Alright Now TV show), occasionally in Europe in 1980, once in Newcastle in 1982, all of their 1983 US Festival warm-up shows (and the festival itself), and their last festival shows in the summer of 1985 with Strummer handling all lead vocals after original singer on the song Mick Jones had been fired.
She was a girl from Birmingham She just had an abortion She was a case of insanity Her name was Pauline she lived in a tree
She was a no-one who killed her baby She sent her letters from the country She was an animal She was a bloody disgrace
Body I'm not an animal Body I'm not an animal
Dragged on a table in a factory Illegitimate place to be In a packet in a lavatory Die little baby screaming
Body screaming fucking bloody mess Not an animal it's an abortion
Body I'm not an animal Mummy I'm an abortion
Throbbing squirm, gurgling bloody mess I'm not a discharge I'm not a loss in protein I'm not a throbbing squirm
Ah! Fuck this and fuck that Fuck it all tha fuck out of the fucking brat She don't wanna a baby that looks like that I don't wanna a baby that looks like that.
Body I'm not an animal Body, an abortion
Body I'm not an animal Body I'm not an animal An animal I'm not an animal I'm not an animal, an animal, an-an-an animal I'm not a body I'm not an animal, an animal, an-an-an animal I'm not an animal Mummy! Ugh!
Writer/s: PAUL COOK, STEVE JONES, SID VICIOUS, JOHNNY: SEE, "LYDON, JOHN" ROTTEN Publisher: Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, Reservoir One Music, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
This song is about a schizophrenic woman named Pauline who used to stalk the Sex Pistols and was fanatical about them. She lived in a treehouse on the estate of "Nut-house." One time, the nurses couldn't get her down so she'd live up there for days.
John Lydon: "She turned up at my door once wearing a see-through plastic bag. She did the rounds in London and ended up at everybody's door. Like most insane people, she was very promiscuous. The fetus thing is what got me. She'd tell me about getting pregnant by the male nurses at the asylum or whatever."
In Daniel Rachel's The Art of Noise: Conversations with Great Songwriters, lead singer Lydon says this is about "the rage and passion and pain of both sides of the abortion issue."
The sky is burnin' I believe my soul's on fire, You are, I'm learning, the key to my desire.
Waiting for the van to arrive, The prisoners were lined up outside. Jumped a wall, hitched a ride, and now I'm here to say; Love you, baby, anyway, oh, yeah.
The sky is burnin' I believe my soul is on fire, You are, I'm learning, the key to my desire.
Ran across the country fields, in all terrain, they had guns and dogs and everything. Swam a river try'n to lose my trail, But they caught me, under the bridge. Oh yeah!
The sky is burnin' I believe my soul's on fire, You are, I'm learning, the key to my desire.
Oh, yeah.
The sky is burnin' I believe my soul's on fire, You are, I am learning, the key to my desire.
The judge said, 'this man's a danger to humanity, We're gonna lock him up and throw away the key' Now, baby, your love has sent me to jail But I'd rather die than see you with another man
It's burnin' baby, mm, mm; I believe my souls on fire
I believe my souls on fire, Working on the railroad, every day But they can't keep me here And I'm not gonna stay I got to get outta this place I'll see you, baby.
It's burnin', yeah, it's burnin'. I believe my souls on fire, Keep on burnin', Ah, yeah, yeah, ah, oh, oho. Keep on burnin'
Writer/s: PAUL RODGERS, PAUL BERNARD RODGERS Publisher: Warner/Chappell Music, Inc. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
Paul Rodgers (Classic Rock Revisited January 12, 2001: "I had the chorus to that. It just popped into my head one day - The Sky Is Burning. I didn't know quite why the sky was burning and my soul was on fire. We needed material for the Burning Sky album. I was in a hotel in Paris the day before we were due to go into the sessions and I needed to write some songs. We had been on the road pretty heavily and we were pretty burned. I had the chorus and I worked the chords out for it. I worked out some verse chords. I went to the studio and I had them learn the chords but we had no lyrics at all. We counted it off and hit the button. We went into it, (singing) "The sky is burning" and I wrote the lyrics on the spot. That was pretty amazing I thought. It was one take and I made the lyrics up as I went along."
He's in love with rock'n'roll, woah He's in love with gettin' stoned, woah He's in love with Janie Jones, woah He don't like his boring job, no
He's in love with rock'n'roll, woah He's in love with gettin' stoned, woah He's in love with Janie Jones, woah He don't like his boring job, no
And he knows what he like to do He knows he's gonna have fun with you You lucky lady And he knows when the evening comes When his job is done, he'll be over in his car for you
He's in love with rock'n'roll, woah He's in love with gettin' stoned, woah He's in love with Janie Jones, woah He don't like his boring job, no
In the in-tray, lots of work But the boss at the firm always thinks he shirks But he's just like everyone, he's got a Ford Cortina That just won't run without fuel Fill her up, Jacko
He's in love with rock'n'roll, woah He's in love with gettin' stoned, woah He's in love with Janie Jones, woah He don't like his boring job, no
And the invoice it don't quite fit No payola in his alphabetical file Send for the government man! And he's just gonna really tell the boss He's gonna really let him know exactly how he feels It's pretty bad
He's in love with rock'n'roll, woah He's in love with gettin' stoned, woah He's in love with Janie Jones, woah He don't like his boring job, no, no, no
Let them know, let them know
Writer/s: STRUMMER, JOE / JONES, MICK / SIMONON, PAUL / HEADON, TOPPER Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
Janie Jones
"Janie Jones" was one of the first ever songs written by The Clash, written not long after singer Joe Strummer had joined to initially form the band in 1976. The tune and chorus apparently came to guitarist Mick Jones whilst riding on the 31 bus from Harrow Road to Chalk Farm in London, with Strummer subsequently helping out with the rest of the lyrics.
Musically the song is very simple, with bassist Paul Simonon's one-note bassline in the choruses being very noticeable. It could be speculated that this is a deliberate musical attempt to emphasize the monotony and boredom of the lyrics, but more likely it's because at this stage Simonon was still learning to play bass properly and couldn't physically play anything more complicated!
The lyrics concern the average working life, and the struggle to try and find some fun in a boring office job. The protagonist attempts to have some fun by meeting up with a lady friend after hours ("An' he knows when the evening comes, when his job is done he'll be over in his car for you"), and also discusses how the dull job and abusive boss ("An' in the in-tray lots of work, but the boss at the firm always thinks he shirks") is necessary to cut a living ("But he's just like everyone, he's got a Ford Cortina that just won't run without fuel").
It also includes the first of many anti-establishment sentiments in Clash songs ("This time he's gonna really tell the boss, gonna really let him know exactly how he feels").
Period references include the aforementioned Cortina (a popular cheap car of the time), the sitcom Love Thy Neighbour ("Fill 'er up, Jacko!") and the 1950s Payola radio scandal ("There's no payola in his alphabetical file").
The title comes from the actual name of a controversial cabaret singer/vice queen from the 1950s and '60s who attracted controversy from being involved in the payola Radio One scandal in the 1960s in a "sex for airplay" scenario. Her other scandals included attending the premiere of a film in 1964 in a topless dress, and being arrested and jailed in 1973 for not just the Payola scandal but also for running a brothel and perverting the course of justice by threatening witnesses. She also had a partial pop career in the 1960s, including a single "Witches' Brew" which peaked at #46 in the UK Singles Chart. According to the band, they used her name because someone like her would seem impossibly glamorous to someone working in a dull office job. She subsequently became friends with the band, and together with The Clash and the Blockheads (credited jointly as The Lash) she released another single in 1982 entitled "House of the Ju-Ju Queen," which was also produced by Joe Strummer.
The song is notable in The Clash's canon in that it is the only song of theirs to be played from first show to last. The band played so many shows and had a policy of rotating their setlist night by night, so it's hard to say that it was played at every single show, but it certainly featured in 99% of their shows and tours to all accounts. It was played in their first shows in 1976, and in their farewell shows in 1985.
The simple nature of the song means that it is very easy to cover, and many cover versions of the song exist, including versions by the Rockabilly band The Farrell Brothers (for the This Is Rockabilly Clash album), Bush, The Paddingtons, The Slackers (ft. Chris Murray), Songdog, and famously by Pete Doherty's band Babyshambles.
The Babyshambles cover is notable for several reasons - lots of stars of the British indie rock scene feature on the track, including the Kooks, the Gulliemots and the Dirty Pretty Things. This was Carl Barat's first collaboration with Doherty since the breakup of The Libertines, although neither actually met during the recording process. The music video features the original Janie Jones of the title being chauffeured around London in a limousine with original Clash guitarist Mick Jones.
All across the town, all across the night Everybody's driving with full headlights Black or white, you turn it on, you face the new religion Everybody's sitting 'round watching television
London's burning with boredom now London's burning dial nine-nine-nine-nine-nine London's burning with boredom now London's burning dial nine-nine-nine-nine-nine
I'm up and down the Westway, in and out the lights What a great traffic system, it's so bright I can't think of a better way to spend the night Than speeding around underneath the yellow lights
London's burning with boredom now London's burning dial nine-nine-nine-nine-nine London's burning with boredom now London's burning dial nine-nine-nine-nine-nine
Now I'm in the subway and I'm looking for the flat This one leads to this block, this one leads to that The wind howls through the empty blocks looking for a home I run through the empty stone because I'm all alone
London's burning with boredom now London's burning dial nine-nine-nine-nine-nine London's burning with boredom now London's burning dial nine-nine-nine-nine-nine
London's burning
Writer/s: STRUMMER, JOE / JONES, MICK / SIMONON, PAUL / HEADON, TOPPER Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
London's Burning
"London's Burning" (named after the popular nursery rhyme about the Great Fire of London in 1666) is mainly about the punk scene's main choice of drug at the time: amphetamine sulphate, AKA speed ("I can't think of a better way to spend the night, than speeding around underneath the yellow lights").
"I decided quite quickly that the up wasn't worth the down," noted singer Joe Strummer.
It is also one of The Clash's most overt songs about urban alienation, and while they and other first-generation Punk bands became stereotyped for writing songs about tower blocks and inner-city wastelands, this is actually the only Clash song on their first album to reference tower blocks directly ("The wind howls through the empty blocks looking for a home, I run through the empty stone 'cos I'm all alone").
Fellow punk band The Ruts would later go on to have a minor hit with the 1979 single "Babylon's Burning," and were quick to acknowledge the influence "London's Burning" had on that song.
First recorded at CBS Studios London for the sessions for their debut album, Mick Jones' improvised guitar solo near the end of the song was fiercely at odds with punk rock's minimalist attitude (which often opposed guitar solos at all, let alone complex ones). An alternative version, taken from the 'live' session in Dunstable for the "White Riot" promo film in April 1977 (live in that they were playing in a studio to a small assembled audience of journalists) was released as the B-side to the controversial "Remote Control" single in May 1977.
This song became a hugely popular live favorite, and remained in their set pretty much from its first ever performance at Screen on the Green in April 1976 (their third ever show). A common trend would involve Strummer changing the lyrics to match the town where they were performing; for example, the first time this occurred at a show in Birmingham in late 1976, the song became "Birmingham's Burning." This improvisation reached a peak at a show in Paris in 1977, where the song became "Paris Is Singing" and almost the entire original lyrics were disregarded in favor of new stream-of-consciousness ones, including a popular reference to local Punk band The Stinky Toys.
A hugely energetic version recorded at the Rock Against Racism show in April 1977 would later feature (with some studio overdubs) in the Rude Boy movie and on the From Here to Eternity live compilation album.
Several notable covers exist, including one by the '90s alt-rock band Silverchair.
Standing in the bog of a west end bar Guy on the right leaning over too far Money in my pocket gonna put it in the slot Open up the pack see what type I got
I didn't want to hold you I didn't want to use you Protex, Protex Blue All I want to do
It's a fab protective for that type of a girl But everybody knows that she uses it well It's a therapeutic structure I can use at will But I don't think it fits my V.D. bill
I didn't want to hold you I didn't want to use you Protex, protex blue All I want to do
Protex, protex blue All I want to do
Sitting in the carriage of a bakerloo Erotica my pocket, got a packet for you Advert on the escalator on my way home I don't need no skin flicks, I want to be alone
I didn't want to hold you I didn't want to use you Protex, protex blue All I want to do, ooh, ooh, ooh
Johnny, Johnny!
Writer/s: STRUMMER, JOE / JONES, MICK / SIMONON, PAUL / HEADON, TOPPER Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
Protex Blue
One of the handful of songs written just before Joe Strummer joined The Clash (back when the formative group was known as the London SS), guitarist Mick Jones had the song written even before bassist Paul Simonon met him. "It (Protex) was the brand in all the pub condom machines, it was a valid subject for a song" Jones noted wryly.
The song is laced with sniggery innuendo and is about a gent getting a condom in a pub toilet ("Money in my pocket gonna put it in the slot, open up the pack see what type I got") and pondering what exactly to use it for - the implication in the final verse being that it may be for his own purposes and not for use with a woman ("I don't need no skin flicks, I want to be alone").
"Protex Blue" holds a notable position in The Clash's canon as being the opening song at their first ever show. After this it was never consistently in the band's live set, and appeared sporadically down the years, including with a dramatic return to their set in the 16 Tons tour in 1980 with a radical rearrangement including a new middle section.
I met her at the Burger King we fell in love by the soda machine So we took the car downtown the kids were hanging out all around Then we went down to Coney Island on the coaster and around again And no one's gonna ever tear us apart cause she's my sweetheart All right, oh yeah
Oh oh I love her so Oh oh I love her so Oh oh I love her so
Hanging out on a night like this I'm gonna give her a great big kiss I'm gonna make her mine and everything's gonna be real fine
I met her at the Burger King we fell in love by the soda machine So we took the car downtown the kids were hanging out all around Then we went down to Coney Island on the coaster and around again And no one's gonna ever tear us apart cause she's my sweetheart All right, oh yeah
Oh oh I love her so Oh oh I love her so Oh oh I love her so
Oh oh I love her so Oh oh I love her so Oh oh I love her so
Writer/s: RAMONE, JOEY / RAMONE, JOHNNY / RAMONE, DEE DEE / RAMONE, TOMMY Publisher: Warner/Chappell Music, Inc. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
Oh Oh I Love Her So
The music was inspired by the Freddy Cannon song "Palisades Park," which was later recorded by the Ramones for their Brain Drain album. Perky songs from the '50s and '60s were a big influence on the group.
Running just 1:56 and with a very compact chorus, this song tells a story about falling in love by the soda machine at Burger King. The Ramones brand of punk rock was not so much about rebellion, but about presenting a different view. As such, their love songs were rather innocent, with endearing lines like "no one's gonna ever tear us apart cause she's my sweetheart."
Here comes Johnny Yen again With the liquor and drugs And the flesh machine He's gonna do another striptease Hey man where'd you get That lotion, I been hurting Since I bought the gimmick About something called love Yeah something called love That's like hypnotizing chickens Well I am just a modern guy Of course I've had it in the ear before 'Cause of a Lust For Life 'Cause of a lust for life I'm worth a million in prizes With my torture film Drive a G.T.O. Wear a uniform All on a government loan I'm worth a million in prizes Yeah I'm through with sleeping on the Sidewalk, no more beating my brains With the liquor and drugs With the liquor and drugs Well I am just a modern guy Of course I've had it in the ear before 'Cause of a lust for life 'Cause of a lust for life I got a lust for life Got a lust for life Oh a lust for life Oh a lust for life A lust for life I got a lust for life I got a lust for life Well I am just a modern guy Of course I've had it in the ear before 'Cause of a lust for life 'Cause of a lust for life 'Cause of a lust for life Here comes Johnny Yen again With the liquor and drugs And the flesh machine He's gonna do another striptease Hey man where'd you get That lotion? Your skin starts Itching once you buy the gimmick About something called love Oh love love love That's like hypnotizing chickens Well I am just a modern guy Of course I've had it in the ear before 'Cause of a lust for life 'Cause of a lust for life Got a lust for life Yeah a lust for life I got a lust for life Oh a lust for life I got a lust for life Yeah a lust for life I got a lust for life A lust for life Lust for life, lust for life
Writer/s: BOWIE, DAVID / OSTERBERG, JAMES Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, TINTORETTO MUSIC Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
Lust For Life
This song is about Iggy Pop's lifestyle as a hard-living heroin addict. The title is taken from the 1956 film of the same name, which itself is an adaptation of Irving Stone's 1934 biographical novel about the Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh.
The song makes several references to Johnny Yen, a character in American writer William S. Burroughs' 1962 novel The Ticket That Exploded . References to the novel also account for the lyrical preoccupation with stripteases, drugs, and hypnotizing chickens.
David Bowie co-wrote this song with Iggy Pop, with Bowie composing the music on a ukulele. It was inspired by the opening to the American Forces Network News, which the pair listened to in Berlin. Iggy recalled to Q magazine April 2013: "Once a week the Armed Forces Network would play Starsky & Hutch and that was our little ritual. AFN would broadcast an ID when they came on the air, a representation of a radio tower, and it made a signal sound, 'beep-beep-beep, beep-beep-ba-beep.' And we went, 'Aha we'll take that!'. David grabbed his ukulele, worked out the chords, and away we went."
The song was re-released as a single in 1996, featuring on the soundtrack for the British film Trainspotting (where drug abuse was a central theme). While the song didn't chart when it was first released, this reissue reached #26 in the UK. This success might explain the subsequent release in 1998 of "The Passenger," another song from the same album, which made #22 UK.
Because of its chorus that can be interpreted as a message to live life to its fullest, this song is often used in commercials, including one for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines where the advertisement jumps from the opening line "Here comes Johnny Yen again" straight to the chorus "Lust for life," conveniently omitting all the interim references to liquor, drugs, "flesh machines," and stripteases.
This song is the opening theme to the syndicated sports talk program The Jim Rome Show.
The line "I've had it in the ear before" is an expression meaning you've been screwed over.
The recognizable drum and guitar riffs are notably replicated in Australian Garage Rock band Jet's 2003 single "Are You Gonna Be My Girl." The similarities were subject to media scrutiny, though both bands have admitted that the primary inspiration for their tracks were Motown hits, such as The Supremes' "You Can't Hurry Love" and Martha & the Vandellas' "I'm Ready for Love."
The Welsh singer Tom Jones covered the song for his 1999 covers album Reload.
Gabba-gabba, we accept you, we accept you, one of us Gabba-gabba, we accept you, we accept you, one of us
I don't want to be a Pinhead no more I just met a nurse that I could go for I don't want to be a pinhead no more I just met a nurse that I could go for
I don't want to be a pinhead no more I just met a nurse that I could go for I don't want to be a pinhead no more I just met a nurse that I could go for
D-U-M-B, everyone's accusing me D-U-M-B, everyone's accusing me
I don't want to be a pinhead no more I just met a nurse that I could go for I don't want to be a pinhead no more I just met a nurse that I could go for
Writer/s: ERDELYI, THOMAS/CUMMINGS, JOHN (RAMONE)/COLVIN, DOUGLAS/HYMAN, JEFFREY Publisher: Warner/Chappell Music, Inc. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
Pinhead
Part of this song was inspired by a 1932 horror movie the band saw when they were on tour in Ohio in 1976. The movie was called Freaks, and the band saw it in an art house theater. At the end of the movie, there's a scene where the sideshow freaks rise up and take over, shouting, "We accept you, one of us, Gooble Gooble." This gave The Ramones the idea for their "Gabba Gabba Hey!" chant, which became their trademark phrase and a rallying cry for their fans.
Studio engineer Ed Stasium (from Hey! Ho! Let's Go! The Ramones Anthology by David Fricke): "We had fun with 'Pinhead.' They had this 'Gabba gabba hey' chant and I started messing with the vari-speed control on the tape machine, just as a joke. I'd speed it up and slow it down, and Dee Dee's going 'This is cool!.' It ended up being on the record. You can hear a little chipmunk voice going 'Gabba gabba.'"
A track from the second Ramones album, this song is about a dimwit who sees a nurse he fancies. The group didn't spend much time developing stories in their songs, and often sung about various mental disorders. Not everyone was in on the joke, but they were not out to offend: they just thought this stuff was funny.
The children's TV series Yo Gabba Gabba! borrowed its title from the Ramones' "Gabba Gabba Hey" chant.
I was feeling sick, losing my mind Heard about these treatments by a good friend of mine He was always happy, smile on his face He said he had a great time at the place
Peace and love is here to stay and now I can wake up and face the day Happy-happy-happy all the time, shock treatment, I'm doing fine
I was feeling sick, losing my mind Heard about these treatments by a good friend of mine He was always happy, smile on his face He said he had a great time at the place
Peace and love is here to stay and now I can wake up and face the day Happy-happy-happy all the time, shock treatment, I'm doing fine
Writer/s: ERDELYI, THOMAS/CUMMINGS, JOHN (RAMONE)/COLVIN, DOUGLAS/HYMAN, JEFFREY Publisher: Warner/Chappell Music, Inc. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
Joey Ramone (from Hey! Ho! Let's Go! The Ramones Anthology by David Fricke): "'Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment' we all pretty much wrote together in Arturo's (Vega, the band's artistic director) loft. There was another loft where we rehearsed; we used to let Tommy live there. I remember it had fruit flies. Horrible things."
A track from the Ramones second album, this song runs a loud, fast, 1:38. It's about a guy who is losing his mind and wants a good helping of shock treatment to make him feel better. Like most Ramones songs, it's meant to be fun and also to provide relief from the disco music that was permeating the culture.
Per Gessle from Roxette recorded his own version of this song, which he included on the B-side of his 2002 cover of another Ramones song, "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend."
Whatever happened to Leon Trotsky? He got an ice pick That made his ears burn
Whatever happened to dear old Lenny? The great Elmyra, and Sancho Panza? Whatever happened to the heroes? Whatever happened to the heroes?
Whatever happened to all the heroes? All the Shakespearoes? They watched their Rome burn Whatever happened to the heroes? Whatever happened to the heroes?
Whatever happened to all the heroes? All the Shakespearoes? They watched their Rome burn Whatever happened to the heroes? Whatever happened to the heroes?
No more heroes any more No more heroes any more
Writer/s: FRIEDMAN/DAVIS Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
No More Heroes
This was written by bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel and guitarist Hugh Cornwell, who wrote most of The Stranglers' material. Said Cornwell: "It was a John bass line and I wrote the lyric and melody."
The song mourns the loss of strong figures in culture and mentions people that Hugh Cornwell had great admiration for: communist leader Leon Trotsky, comedian Lenny Bruce, art forger Elmyr de Hory and Don Quixote side kick Sancho Panza. And speaking of Lenny Bruce, music legend Al Kooper's memoir Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards tells of Bruce's influence on Kooper. Lenny Bruce's wife Honey and daughter Kitty stayed with Kooper briefly, causing Al Kooper to woolgather about the time at age 16, when he'd gone to Carnegie Hall at a midnight show to catch the legendary comedian. "The stately old hall was packed with jazz musicians, hookers, beatniks, and Manhattan-dwelling yuppies (the kind of white people who went to Harlem for 'kicks'). At the stroke of midnight, Lenny strolled onstage to a thunderous ovation. He walked up to the microphone, did a 180, unzipped his fly, and began to vent. And I mean vent. He had probably retained all day to achieve the effect, urinating nonstop for what seemed like close to five minutes. People went nuts. Some of the yuppies were literally nauseated and walked out of the more expensive seats (lest they should get wet). He shook off, zipped up, turned around to a standing ovation before he even opened his mouth, and slowly shushed the audience. His first words? 'Okay! Now that we got ridda da squares, let's get down to business!'"
Cornwell: "When No More Heroes came out, we refused to sign autographs because we were saying, "Don't have heroes. Be your own hero." The people in No More Heroes are anti-heroes really."
(Folsom), Folsom Street, on the way to (Polk and Castro) (You don't find them finer) (Freedom), freedom is in the air, yeah (Searching for what we all treasure: pleasure) (Cycles), cycles in the night shining bright (Brightly on nights tell a glory story) (Leather), leather, leather, leather baby (Levi's and T's are the best now all right)
Dress the way you please and put your mind at ease It's a city known for its freedom, (freedom) Cycles shining bright break the silence of the night Inhibitions, no, you don't need them, (no),no,(no)
(San Francisco), San Francisco (San Francisco), City by the Bay yeah (San Francisco), he he he he hey (You've got me)
(San Francisco), San Francisco (San Francisco), take me to the water (San Francisco), he he he he hey (You've got me), 'got me got me, baby
(Folsom), Folsom Street on the way to (Polk and Castro) (You don't find them finer) (Freedom), Freedom, freedom, freedom (Searching for what we all treasure: pleasure) (Cycles), cycles shining bright (Brightly on nights tell a glory story) (Disco), Disco, disco party baby (Music that sets you on fire, higher)
Say what's on your mind and spend a little time Every gesture there has a meaning, (meaning) Party 'till the night before the morning light You may feel your whole body screaming
(San Francisco), San Francisco (San Francisco), City by the Bay yeah (San Francisco), he he he he hey (You've got me) Oh you got me
(San Francisco), San Francisco (San Francisco), take me to the water (San Francisco), he he he he hey (You've got me), got me, got me, got me baby
Got me, got me, got me baby Say you got me, love ya love you so, well Here's what I want you to do, (Take me), take me, take me baby, (Show me the way) show me the way (Take me), take me, take me baby, Hey, Lead me to the water... (Take me), well well it's you and me yeah (Show me the way), why don't you show me the way, show me the way, hey Come on baby, let's get it down, down
Ain't nobody between you and me Baby baby feel fast and free
Baby baby let's do hot night Come on baby let's you and me swing
Love the way I please, don't put no chains on me If you got the time, you can do it, What I need is love, that's all I'm thinking of Take me to the Bay, lead me to it, (now) now (now)
(San Francisco), San Francisco (San Francisco), oh I love ya yeah... (San Francisco), he he he he hey (You've got me) Aau Aau
(San Francisco), San Francisco (San Francisco), City by the Bay y'all (San Francisco), he he he he hey (You've got me), got me, got me, got me baby
You've got me, got me, got me, baby Got me, baby Here's what I want you to do Show me, show me the way
Writer/s: JENKINS, BARRIE ERNEST / MCCULLOCH, DANNY / BURDON, ERIC VICTOR / WEIDER, JOHNNY / BRIGGS, VIC Publisher: Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
This was the first single for the Village People; with its big group chorus, it formed a template for their later hits "Macho Man" and "Y.M.C.A."
The group was created by the French producers Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo, who developed the concept after coming to America and producing the Philadelphia act The Ritchie Family, who had a hit in 1976 with "The Best Disco In Town." The Village People were conceived as a gay Disco group that would dress in outlandish costumes and sing tunes with gay interest by mainstream appeal. Looking for such a song, Morali and Belolo ordered up a song called "San Francisco," which is a very popular city in the gay community. Their associate Peter Whitehead wrote the lyrics, but they were too gay, so they asked Phil Hurtt, who worked with them on The Ritchie Family project, to clean them up. "They were full of sexual innuendo and a gay concept," Hurtt says about the original lyric. After coming up with something less offensive and more ambiguous, Hurtt turned the new lyric over to Morali and Belolo, who put the track together.
The group did not exist when this song was recorded. This was not uncommon: producers would put songs together using studio musicians, then figure it out later if they needed a group to perform the songs. Casting for the lead singer was basically done at this session, and the job was offered to Phil Hurtt, who co-wrote the song and sang backup. In our interview with Hurtt , he told us the story:
"When I got there, there was myself and three other background singers. I had put down my own vocal as a lead to put the background parts on, so my own reference vocal was on. I got on the microphone with the background guys and I taught them the background parts, taught them the song, gave them the harmony parts - the whole thing, the arrangement.
When the tracks were all done, Jacques (Morali) says to me, 'Okay, darling, you're the singer for the Village People.' I said, 'No, I'm not.' There was no group, by the way. There was no group at all.
I had some other engagements and was on my way out of town, but he says, 'Well, I need you to do that.' I said, 'I can't do that, but there's a guy in the background who has a heavier voice, like a husky voice.' I said, 'He probably could do it for you.' I'm trying to get out of there.
He says, 'Okay, I'm going to lunch. You try him and let me hear what he sounds like.' So I took this kid in the other studio in New York, and taught him the song 'San Francisco,' and wrote 'Hollywood' while I was in the studio. Taught it to him. Brought him back out, put him on the microphone. And when they came back and heard him, they said, 'Oh, he sounds fine.' That was Victor Willis."
The musicians on this track were a group called Gypsy Lane, who also backed The Ritchie Family when The Village People's producers had worked with them.
[Chorus] Hey Deanie, won't you come out tonight The stars are dancing like diamonds in the moonlight And we can never find a better time to fall in love Oh, hey, Deanie won't you come out tonight The summer's waitin', the moon is shinin' so bright Hey, Deanie, you're the one I'm dreamin' of
I was a fool for your love from the moment I saw you Like a vision in the darkness of a thousand lost and lonely nights But my heart threw away the key I was blind as a man could be Oh baby can't you help me see the light
I stand accused I'm in league with the forces of darkness An incurable believer in the magic of the midnight sky And the love that I found today Oh I can't let it slip away Oh darlin' can't you read between the lines
[Chorus]
Deanie, love is all there is I don't want to lose it I don't want to let this feelin' go If it's here within our reach I think we should use it Now while we got the love Still let it show oh
Hey, Deanie, won't you come out tonight; The stars a dancin' like diamonds in the moonlight And we can never find a better time to fall in love Hey, Deanie, won't you come out tonight The summer's waitin' the moon is shinin' so bright Hey, Deanie, you're the one I'm dreamin' of Hey, Deanie, you're the one I'm dreamin' of Won't you come out tonight You're the one that I'm dreamin' of I'm a fool for your lovin' Won't you come out, come out tonight
Writer/s: CARMEN, ERIC Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
Hey Deanie
This, feel-good, bubblegum hit about teenage love was the second song Eric Carmen wrote for Cassidy, with "That's Rock and Roll" having been a hit for Cassidy in 1977. Carmen also recorded both songs, and the following year this was included on his third solo LP, Change of Heart. Arista Records released Carmen's version on 45 as the B-side of the title track.
Fire Island is located just south of Long Island in New York State. The Fire Island Pines section is what longtime resident Andrew Kirtzman called the "spiritual homeland" for gay men. It's famous gay inhabitants have included Calvin Klein and David Geffen.
Those unfamiliar with the Fire Island might not catch the gay references ("pumpin' at the Botel," "Don't go in the bushes), and that was the point - The Village people were designed for gay appeal without alienating heterosexuals.
This was one of four songs on the first Village People album, which found its intended audience and set the stage for their stardom two years later. The songs on this set were all written by the French producers who created the group - Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo - along with the lyricists Peter Whitehead and Phil Hurtt . Morali and Belolo got the idea for the group when they were working with Hurtt on another Disco act:The Ritchie Family. When they recorded this first Village People album, they had Hurtt do the vocal arrangements and sing background, then offered him the job as lead singer. Hurtt, who was a popular songwriter/producer in Philadelphia, declined the offer but suggested one of the other background singers: Victor Willis. He got the job - that he wasn't gay was beside the point.
[Spoken:] [Boy:] On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses? [Girl:] Will he offer me his mouth? [Boy:] Yes. [Girl:] Will he offer me his teeth? [Boy:] Yes. [Girl:] Will he offer me his jaws? [Boy:] Yes. [Girl:] Will he offer me his hunger? [Boy:] Yes. [Girl:] Again, will he offer me his hunger? [Boy:] Yes! [Girl:]And will he starve without me? [Boy:] Yes! [Girl:] And does he love me? [Boy:] Yes. [Girl:] Yes. [Boy:] On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses? [Girl:] Yes. [Boy:] I bet you say that to all the boys!
[Sung:] It was a hot summer night and the beach was burning. There was fog crawling over the sand. When I listen to your heart I hear the whole world turning. I see the shooting stars falling through your trembling hands.
You were licking your lips and your lipstick shining. I was dying just to ask for a taste. We were lying together in a silver lining by the the light of the moon. You know there's not another moment Not another moment Not another moment to waste.
You hold me so close that my knees grow weak. But my soul is flying high above the ground. I'm trying to speak but no matter what I do I just can't seem to make any sound.
And then you took the words right out of my mouth. Oh it must have been while you were kissing me. You took the words right out of my mouth. And I swear it's true, I was just about to say I love you. And then you took the words right out of my mouth. Oh it must have been while you were kissing me. You took the words right out of my mouth. And I swear it's true, I was just about to say I love you.
Now my body is shaking like a wave on the water And I guess that I'm beginning to grin. Oh we're finally alone and we can do what we want to. The night is young And Ain't no-one gonna know where you No-one gonna know where you No-one's gonna know where you've been. You were licking your lips and your lipstick shining. I was dying just to ask for a taste. We were lying together in a silver lining by the the light of the moon. You know there's not another moment Not another moment Not another moment to waste.
And then you took the words right out of my mouth. Oh it must have been while you were kissing me. You took the words right out of my mouth. And I swear it's true, I was just about to say I love you. And then you took the words right out of my mouth. Oh it must have been while you were kissing me. You took the words right out of my mouth. And I swear it's true, I was just about to say I love you.
Writer/s: JIM STEINMAN Publisher: CARLIN AMERICA INC Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
Like all of the songs on Bat Out Of Hell, this was written by Jim Steinman, a songwriter/producer with a very theatrical style that comes through on this track. Like "Paradise By the Dashboard Light," "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth" is a story of young lust, but with a far more satisfying ending for our hero. Set on a hot summer night under the moonlight on a deserted beach, he finds himself so entranced with his flame that he can't even say the words "I Love You," as he is overcome with desire.
It's a song of pure passion, which is classic Steinman. Other songs he wrote include "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" by Bonnie Tyler and "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" by Celine Dion.
The album version of this song contains a spoken intro ("On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses..."). That's not Meat Loaf - the male voice is Jim Steinman and the woman is Marcia McClain, an actress who played Dee Stewart on the Soap Opera As the World Turns.
Steinman wrote the dialogue for his stage production Neverland, which was performed five months before the Bat Out Of Hell album was released. Three songs he wrote for the play were used on the album: the title track, "Heaven Can Wait" and "All Revved Up with No Place to Go."
This was the first single released from Bat Out Of Hell, which was Meat Loaf's third solo album. His first two albums made little impact, but Bat had wings, selling millions of copies not just upon its release, but also for many years later, mostly though catalog sales.
The album took a while to catch on, however. In the UK, this song was released as a single in March 1978 and charted at #33 in May. In America, the single was released in January 1978, and went nowhere. The album gained momentum throughout 1978 as radio stations added the songs to their playlists, especially those running the Album Oriented Rock format that was popular at the time. "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad" was the next single, and this one caught on in the US, reaching #11 in July. After "Paradise By the Dashboard Light" made #39 in September, "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth" was re-released, this time going to #39 in January 1979 - 15 months after the album came out.
The album version of this song runs 5:04, but the single release excised the dialog and comes in at 3:48.
Jim Steinman put lots of intimate details into this song's lyric: "fog crawling over the sand," "your lipstick shining." Bruce Springsteen also stamps his songwriting in this manner, and the similarities go beyond the words: two of Springsteen E Street Band members, pianist Roy Bittan and drummer Max Weinberg, played on this track. The album was produced by Todd Rundgren , who later said that the songs were really outsized versions of what Bruce would do.
This over-the-top bombast was noted by the musicians working on the album. Kasim Sulton , who played bass on the tracks (he was also in Rundgren's band Utopia), said in our 2013 interview: "Through the whole process I remember distinctly saying to myself, 'This is just the biggest joke that I've ever been involved in.' It was ridiculous, but it was good. Everybody certainly took it seriously, even though I'm sure that Roy and Max felt the same that I did: 'Okay, I'm just getting paid, it's a record. What am I going to have for dinner tonight?'"
