Category Archives: Lyrics

Macushla

Macushla! Macushla!
Your sweet voice is calling,
Calling me softly,
Again and again,
Macushla! Macushla!
I hear it in vain.
Macushla, Macushla,
Your white arms are reaching,
I feel them enfolding,
Caressing me still.
Fling them out from the darkness,
My lost love, Macushla,
Let them find me and bind me
Again, if they will.
Macushla! Macushla!
Your red lips are saying
That death is a dream,
And love is for aye,
Then awaken, Macushla,
Awake from your dreaming,
My blue-eyed Macushla,
Awaken to stay.
Words by Josephine V. Rowe
Music by Dermot MacMorrough
c. 1910, Boosey & Co., New York


Sonnet 40

Gavin Friday with the Gavin Bryars ensemble, performing Friday’s setting of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 40 at Purcell Rooms, London on July 4, 2009. Audience shot video.

Sonnet 40 – Lyrics

Take all my loves, my love, yea, take them all;
What hast thou then more than thou hadst before?
No love, my love, that thou mayst true love call;
All mine was thine before thou hadst this more.
Then if for my love thou my love receivest,
I cannot blame thee for my love thou usest;
But yet be blamed, if thou thyself deceivest
By wilful taste of what thyself refusest.
I do forgive thy robbery, gentle thief,
Although thou steal thee all my poverty;
And yet, love knows, it is a greater grief
To bear love’s wrong than hate’s known injury.
Lascivious grace, in whom all ill well shows,
Kill me with spites; yet we must not be foes.

Text by William Shakespeare, music by Gavin Friday and Herb Macken

Blue Blue Moon

Another Saturday night
and she knows where she’s going
that small corner bar
on the far side of town
folks call her Ol’ faithful
cause she’s always hanging around
dressed up shimmy-shammy
in her sequins and pearls
Hey there, moon
blue blue moon
I’m all alone
blue blue moon
without a love of my own
A Stoli on ice
makes everything just right
she laughs and chit-chats
with whoever’s around
I’ve been there.. done that
have you heard the one about..?
But no one really listens
And they don’t hear the sound
Hey, there, Moon
Blue, blue moon
I’m all alone
Blue, blue moon
Without a love of my own
I’m just looking for a friend
Someone to dance with me
A little romance
Cheek to cheek!
Someone to hold
And dance the night away
Tick-tock
Goes the barroom clock
It’s a quarter past two
and the night’s wearing thing
She saluts the happy couples
Bids them all a fond ‘Adieu’
Barman, make mine a double
Cinderella, here, has lost her shoe
Hey, there, Moon
Blue, blue moon
I’m all alone
Blue, blue moon
Without a love of my own
So I’ll make believe
Someone danced with me
She used to sing, she used to cry
But now…
She doesn’t even try
Because she knows the stars
– those bright & shiny stars! –
Have all fallen from the sky
And the moon is blue
And the moon is blue
(G.Friday, C.Frantz, J. Harrison, T. ‘Blast’ Murray, T. Weymouth)

A Thousand Years

A sweet kiss said forget me not
when love spoke I knew no wrong
but that was once upon a dream come true
a long time ago
baby’s sick
baby’s cold
baby’s feeling blue
for what seems like a thousand years
dreams for those
who sleep at night
lovers kiss, dreams entwine
in the dark I wait at night
for your call
will you call
you never call (my name)
lying weak on my bed alone
moonlight keeps me warm
as I wait for a thousand years
???
???
???
dreams for those
who sleep at night
lovers kiss, dreams entwine
in the dark I wait at night
for your call
will you call
you never call(ed) (my name)
love is cruel
love’s a liar too
but a fool can see no wrong
so I’ll wait for a thousand years
yes I’ll wait for a thousand years

Look What You’ve Done (To My Skin)

I’m feeling lost
And a bit scared.
I’m on a journey
And I wasn’t prepared.
They tell me it’s risky.
I might not return.
Sometimes I’m freezing.
Sometimes I burn.
This journey is changing me,
But what can I do?
It’s a journey
I’ve got to make
A journey I’ve got to take.
Look what you’ve done to my skin.
Look what you’ve done to my heart.
But I won’t be scared.
I’ll see it through.
This journey might
Haunt me and hurt me.
This journey is called loving you.
This feeling is scary.
Like sparks on the skin.
Oh, how it excites me.
As thrilling as sin.
I pray for forgiveness
If this feeling is wrong.
But while I’m praying
Let the feeling go on.
This journey is changing me.
But what can I do?
It’s a journey
I’ve got to make.
A journey I’ve got to take.
Look what you’ve done to my skin.
Look what you’ve done to my heart.
But I won’t be scared.
I’ll see it through.
And though it might
Hurt me and hurt me,
This journey is called loving you.

Unreleased, from the movie The Passion of Darkly Noon (1995)

Gavin Friday – Fatal Flower Garden – lyrics

Fatal Flower Garden

It rained, it poured, it rained so hard,
It rained so hard all day,
That all the boys in our school
Came out to talk and play.

They tossed their ball again so high,
Then again so low,
They tossed it into a flower garden
And no one was allowed to go.

Out stepped this gypsy lady,
All dressed in yellow and green;
“Come in, come in, my sweet little boy,
And get your ball again,’

“I won’t come in, I shan’t come in,
Without my playmates all;
I’ll go get father ‘n tell him about it -
That’ll cause tears to fall”

She first showed him an apple seed,
Then again – gold ring;
Then she showed him a diamond,
That enticed him in.

She took him by his lily-white hand,
Led him through the hall,
She put him into an upper room,
Where no one could hear him call.

“Oh take these silver rings off my fingers,
Smoke them with your breath;
If any of my friends should call for me,
Tell them I’m at rest.”

“Burn the Bible at my head,
Come on wash my feet;
If my dear mother should call for me,
Tell her that I’m asleep.”

“Burn the Bible at my head,
Come on wash my feet;
If my dear father should call for me,
Tell him I am dead.”

Gavin Friday – Baltimore Whores – Lyrics

There were four old whores from Baltimore
Drinking the blood red wine
And all the conversation was
“Yours is smaller than mine.”

Chorus:
Through me roly, poly, tickle my hole-y,
Smell of my slimy slough,
and drag your nuts across me guts,
I’m one of the whorey crew.

“You’re a liar,” said the first whore,
“Mine’s as big as the air
The birds fly in, the birds fly out,
And never touch a hair.”

Chorus

“You’re a liar.” said the second,
“Mine’s as big as the sea
The ship sails in, the ship sails out
Never troubles me.”

Chorus

“You’re a liar,” said the third whore,
“Mine’s as big as the moon,
the men jump in, the men jump out,
Never touch the womb.”

Chorus

Swab your decks, me hearties
Slice them up with pride
Light your oars, you sons of whores
Yours is smaller than mine

“You’re a liar,” said the last whore,
“Mine’s the biggest of all,
the fleet sailed in on the first of June,
and didn’t come back till Fall.”

Chorus



Soundtrack – The Boxer – Lyrics

In the shadow of a gun

In the shadow of a gun lyrics

Cover my eyes, lead me away
one step, two step… towards the water
past the door, past the door, let me out of here
feels like the future, looks like the past
Lover, lover, lover true.
Mother, father, son
Look in the water, what do I see?
The face of the face haunting me
Blood on his legs, eyes run red
and the scream of an angel in my head
Feels like the future, looks like the past.
Makes me wanna kill…
Lover, lover, lover true.
Mother, mother, father, son…
In the shadow of a gun, I break my love,
no feelings here, just a fist in a glove,
A fist in a glove.
Feels like the future, looks like the past
In the shadow of a shadow, the father in the son
In the shadow of a shadow, can never be one,
can never be one, the father in the son
can never be one, in the shadow of a gun.

Everything’s gonna be alright

Tell me everything will be all right
and you’ll be coming home with me for the night
Tell me nothing’s wrong
Baby, I don’t know where you are
I treat you wrong, made you compromise
You’re still the same, I see it in your eyes
Words dont mean a thing
What more can I say?
Tell me everything will be all right
Woman you’re not alone
Answer me, where’re you coming from
Show me, show me love
I need you now, more than ever
How does it feel
when all the world pulls you down
How does it feel
I don’t care, baby we can walk on air
Like the first time, tonight won’t be the last time
Tell me nothing’s wrong
Baby I don’t know where you are
Woman you’re not alone
Answer me where you’re coming from
Show me, show me love
I need you now, more than ever
Woman, you’re not alone
Answer me where you’re coming from
Show me show me love
I need you now, more than ever

Written & arranged by Gavin Friday & Maurice Seezer.

Time Enough for Tears

Let’s read the trees and their autumn leaves
As they fall like a dress undone
At the end of summers love will find lovers
Who need the shadows of a winter’s sun
Don’t tell me you’re leaving
We can hide in the evening
It’s getting darker than it should
If we read the leaves as they blow in the breeze
Would it stop us now my love
Time enough for hard questions
Time enough for all our fears
Time is tougher than we both know yet
Time enough for tears
The moon is milk and the sky where it split
It’s magic and we all need to believe
We can wake in our dream
It’s not as hard as it seems
You know it’s harder to leave
Time enough for being braver
Time enough for all our fears
Time is tougher than we both know yet
Time enough for tears
I heard you say underneath your breath
Some kind of prayer
I heard you say underneath your breath
That you never wanna feel
this way about anybody else
Time enough for hard questions
Time enough for all your fears
Time is tougher than we both know yet
Time enough for tears
Time enough for being braver
Time enough I love this time of year
Time is tough it’s running away from us
Time enough for tears
Time enough
(I know, I know)
(It’s ok, it’s ok)

From the soundtrack ‘In America’
Bono/Gavin Friday/Maurice Seezer

Album – Lyrics – Shag Tobacco

shag tobacco
i have ordinary addictions
i’ve outgrown the ways of the street and the nightshade
hey! goodnight ladies… ladies bye bye.
iwork odd hours, get home late most nights
she’s upstairs, I’m downstairs,
drinking coffee in the kitchen
spoon in the sugar, knife in the butter… i want you.

do you love me? say you do, i’d like to see you undress
let the light shimmer down, I’ve ordinary addictions
whisper soft into my ear, secret words heaven sent ….
so you can read my mind
hush dear….the night is always young
there’s no day here, tomorrow never comes
let colours fly, we’re safe from harm
see orange glow, let our love flow

no romeo no juliet,
what we got is deeper than that
lets stay in bed, watch t.v. and shag tobacco
i want you, i want you….
you’re my amphetamine you’re my lover….
and there’s no other…. ….there’s no other…. there’s no other

caruso
no, i’m not myself today.
je suis salome…. i am romantic
je suis apollo…. i am gigantic
hey! stronzo,
i’m standing next to you in the supermarket
yeah! you are obvious. i am oblivious

salome, apollo, in technicolour
i walked on the moon to touch the stars,
a legend in my lifetime.
oh momma! my rosa! from an early age
i was used and abused, no more those bad reviews
take me back to ’72 my coo ca choo,
oh! ignorance was bliss,
spunk-a-flow, to the joy of my first kiss

i’m not me…. i’m not me…. i’m not me…. not me….
non sono io!

oh mi lord, i’m so bored, what’s on the t.v.?
do we really need these pissy pop stars
when there’s not enough of me!
oh dada, my dali, un chen de lou lou….
i am the art in your party,
not a twist cap sniffing bore.
it’s tough in the queue, it’s as unto a platform shoe,
oh! trampled underfoot,
i’m fred astaire, i face the music and dance.

i’m not me…. i’m not me…. i’m not me…. not me….
no i’m not myself….today

oh glorioso deliver us not into frustration

salome, apollo, in technicolour,
i walked on the moon to touch the stars.
hey stronzo…. ancora!

i’m not me…. i’m not me…. i’m not me…. not me….
non sono io!
heave ho…. heave ho….

leonardo! marlon brando! machiavelli!
and bertolt’s belly!
a millionaire with curly hair, i’m your burning empire.

greta garbo! andy warhol! and his jam-roll!
nero plays his violin, seezer his accordian

i’m sitting in the bathtub watching the dirty water
swirl down the plughole…. and on my stereo….
….is caruso.

angel
angel…. hold on to me, love is all around me
angel…. hold on to me
oh come…. closer to me…. don’t go, don’t leave me
angel…. hold on to me, love is all around me
so silent your love, like the stars above
so silent your love…. hold on…. hold on…. to me
angel…. hold on to me, i call, call out to you
its paradise, you take me to
’cause my love for you love will always be

little black dress
here she comes like a child with a gun
she makes you feel like you’re the only one
she smiles and it’s dangerous…. in a little black dress
superman and the filthy rich
get in the queue to scratch her itch
sticky fingers pulling at the hem
of her little black dress

baby don’t mind
she can leave it behind.
she don’t want anything
baby’s a star, she’s got to keep on shining

she moves like an animal
the women sigh “it’s political”
you could get arrested around here
for that little black dress
not so simple, it’s complicated….
all this being loved and hated
i wanna know what else she’s hiding
in that little black dress

baby don’t mind
she can leave it behind.
she don’t want anything
baby’s a star, she’s got to keep on shining

don’t pay no mind, you’re gonna leave me behind
i don’t want anything, baby you’re a star
i wanna hear you sing

the slider
i could never understand
the wind at all
was like a ball of love

i could never never see
the cosmic sea
was like a bumble bee

and when i’m sad…
i slide

i have never kissed
a car before
it’s like a door

i have always always
grown my own before
all schools are strange

and when i’m sad…
i slide

i have never never
nailed a nose before
that’s how the garden grows

i could never understand
the wind at all
was like a ball of love

and when i’m sad…
i slide

watch now
i’m gonna slide
i slide….

have you ever seen a woman coming out of
new york city with a frog in her hand?

dolls
on the darkest of streets, at around eleven
the lights shine brightest, on avenue seven
from ‘noho’ to ‘soho’ they congregate
gladrags and handbags we anticipate
boom! boom! cha-cha! and cock becomes vagina

no guys here – dolls! no guys here – just dolls!

mother fisting friends, say romance is cheap
so it’s time for eve to put adam to sleep
lovely, lovely, love me
with dreams with drugs, with lipstick and la rouge

no guys here – dolls! no guys here – just dolls!

with feather boa, like lotte lenya,
high heels and a vicious tongue,
jesus, ‘fantasia’ tu est tres fantastique
so kinky gerlinky, so much fun

no guys here – dolls! no guys here – just dolls!

cock incognito! vag incognita!

knock, knock, who’s there?
oh! here they come, the belligerent scum,
as your immorality would say “all men are queer”
how civilised that you’re despised
knock, knock, who’s there?
dorothy that’s who, she’ll make a man of you!
a man of you! a man of you!

ich bin eine puppe, eine puppe mit scheide!
ich bin ein mann, ein mann mit schwanz
geweg! geweg! lab mich allein! lab mich allein!
das kleine ja! ja! das grobe nein! nein! das kleine ja! ja!
sie macht einen mann aus dir,
eine puppe mit schwanz!, ein mann mit mose!

mr. pussy
in ’67, his debut year, a pussy cat did appear
in soho bars rather shady,
a most discerning, misleading lady

he knew marlene, judy was a friend
hey! johnny ray, all those that bend

a legend born, on a london stage
when ginger beers, were outrage!

mr. pussy. mr. pussy.

nante! no nante! nante parlare
vada omi! you silly cow!

come see a star shine,
come see him laughing through a mask of tears
he should have been in the movies….
you know those movies that make you cry

“oh! immortalise me! oh! immortalise me!
write a song, write a sad song,
make it 25 years a long…. oh!”
….says mr. pussy…. mmmh…. mr. pussy.

you, me and world war three
throw your arms around me,
there’s no time to be blue,
it’s the end of the world,
let’s talk deep and meaningful things,
it’s up to you and down to me…. what’s going on?
it’s you, me and world war three.

you and me, me and you,
we hurt each other ’cause we gotta get through

we’re ‘a to b’ and back again,
a sort of funky electrocution,
trigger happy and shoot to kill,
what a honeymoon in hell!
our world is spinning helplessly…. what’s going on?
it’s you, me and world war three

you and me, me and you,
we hurt each other ’cause we gotta get through
we hurt each other…. we gotta get through
we’re out there orbiting the planet blue….

i shout you scream, it’s all so illogical
you bite my tongue…. i blow up in your face
in hateful times…. it’s time for loving
let’s start to dance…. it’s ‘true romance’

you me and world war three
you me and world war three

put on that dress you know your
throwing yourself out the window dress,
i’ll wear my suit, my wedding ring
and together we will sing, “la la la la la la….”

you and me, me and you,
we hurt each other ’cause we gotta get through,
you and me, me and you,
we’re out there orbiting the planet blue….
….orbiting the planet blue

kitchen sink drama
good morning america, you’re my favorite t. v. show
slow down now, i’ve a headache,
sometimes it’s hard to think,
the phone rings how are you? oh! i’m not up to much
you don’t say, oh really! it’ll end…. end in tears

here i go again,
all i have is what i might have been
where’s my long lost friends?
somewhere over the rainbow

when the dark clouds come,
the angel valium will call
to take me far away,
to a place where i don’t have to feel

i’m happy as i hoover, it’s one o’clock, time for lunch
marshmallows with coffee,
can’t forget my slimfast drink,
the garden’s depressing, i think i need a hair-do
a gin and a tonic, ah! that should do the trick

here i go again,
all i have is what i might have been
where’s my long lost friends?
somewhere over the rainbow

when the dark clouds come,
the angel valium will call
to take me far away,
to a place where i don’t have to feel

it’s monday afternoon, the kids are off at school
sunset boulevard, the channel four matinee
sit down, relax with a nice cup of tea….
…. oh! the sweet smell of butane…. and humdrum.
…. gloria swanson…. from here to eternity….

my twentieth century
i woke up this morning,
dreading the thoughts of another, dull and boring day
hey! woe is me.
i go out on the streets, northside of the city
i see the steel, the fading rust
and the fields i used to play in….
my friends are famous and all my foes live happy
loved by lycra, fooled by velcro
and fucked by what they need….

but who am i to criticise? my pointing finger backfires
i hang my head down low.

i once believed in jesus,
now i can’t believe in rock ‘n’ roll
from baptism to alcohol, in a land suffocatingly green
hey! the myth is magic, do you know what i mean?
the politics of sin and of sex
suffer the fools, pawn our jewels, will it ever change?

but who am i to criticise? i’ve made my bed, i lie on it
and hold my head up high

my disbelief. my fake redemption.
my twentieth century.
my holy war. my self indulgence.
my twentieth century.
my human flesh. my sad dependence.
my twentieth century.
my apathy. my big decision.
my twentieth century.

the last song i’ll ever sing
i’m inviting you to my vaudeville
“oui encore” you say, “and on with the show”
ladies, gentlemen, before i sing to you
the light that shines twice as bright,
burns half as long.

come let me entertain you all
leave all your troubles big and small
life’s a ball, life’s a ball.
hitch a ride on my crooked merry-go-round
hear the clinking-clanking sound
of the song that i bring

take my song, take my hand, never let me down,
like love let me down, like love pushed me around

so long, goodbye, i lost, did try
this is the last song i’ll ever sing
the last song i’ll sing

i played in the cabaret of love
i wore heart, fist and glove.
push and shove, push and shove….
and all for love

take my song, take my hand, never let me down,
like love let me down, like love pushed me around

so long, goodbye, i lost, did try
this is the last song i’ll ever sing
the last song i’ll sing
this is the last song i’ll ever sing
the last song i’ll sing

here, with words that can’t be said
we take songs to our bed
sing – a – long, sing – a – long…. to my last song.

All titles written & arranged by Gavin Friday & Maurice Seezer except The Slider which was written by Marc Bolan. All songs published by Blue Mountain Music except for The Slider which is published by Wizard (Bahamas) Ltd.