War Child lyrics

I'll take you down to that bright city mile ---
there to powder your sweet face and paint on a smile,
that will show all of the pleasures and none of the pain,
when you join my explosion
and play with my games.
WarChild dance the days, and dance the nights away.
No unconditional surrender; no armistice day ---
each night I'll die in my contentment and lie in your grave.

The wind is on the river and the tide has turned too late,
so we're sailing for another shore where some other ladies wait.
To throw us silken whispers: catch us by the anchor chains ---
But we all laugh so politely and we sail on just the same.
For Queen and Country in the long dying day,
And it's been this way for five long years,
since we signed our souls away.

Ladies of leisure, with their eyes on the back roads ---
All looking for strangers, to whom they extend welcomes
With a smile and a glimpse of pink knees and elbows;
Of satin and velvet --- good ladies, good fortune.
Ladies.
They sing of their heroes: of solitary soldiers
Invested in good health and manner most charming.
Whose favors are numbered (none the less well intended)

In and out of the front door, ran twelve back-door angels.
Their hair was a golden-brown ---
they didn't see me wink my eye.
`Tis said they put we men to sleep with just a whisper,
And touch the heads of dying dogs --- and make them linger.
They carry their candles high --- and they light the dark hours.
And sweep all the country clean with pressed and scented wild-flowers.

Over the mountains, and under the sky ---
riding dirty gray horses, go you and I.
Mating with chance, copulating with mirth ---
the sad-glad paymasters (for what it's worth).
The ice-cream castles are refrigerated;
the super-marketeers are on parade.
There's a golden handshake hanging round your neck,
as you light your cigarette on the burning deck.

Meanwhile back in the year One --- when you belonged to no-one ---
you didn't stand a chance son, if your pants were undone.
`Cause you were bred for humanity and sold to society ---
one day you'll wake up in the Present Day ---
a million generations removed from expectations
of being who you really want to be.

Skating away ---
skating away ---
skating away on the thin ice of the New Day.

Walking through forests of palm tree apartments ---
scoff at the monkeys who live in their dark tents
down by the waterhole --- drunk every Friday ---
eating their nuts --- saving their raisins for Sunday.
Lions and tigers who wait in the shadows ---
they're fast but they're lazy, and sleep in green meadows.

Let's bungle in the jungle --- well, that's all right by me.

I'll see you at the Weighing-In,
when your life's sum-total's made
and you set your wealth in Godly deeds
against the sins you've laid.
And you place your final burden
on your hard-pressed next of kin:
Send the chamber-pot back down the line
to be filled up again.

And the hard-headed miracle worker
who bathes his hands in blood,
Will welcome you to the final nod ---
and cover you with mud.

Well I saw a bird today - flying from a bush and the wind blew it away.
And the black-eyed mother sun scorched the butterfly at play - velvet
veined I saw it burn.
With a wintry storm-blown sigh, a silver cloud blew right on by
And, taking in the morning, I sang - O Requiem.
Well, my lady told me, "Stay."
I looked aside and walked away along the Strand.

Rise up all you fine young ladies and take arms for the show.
Oh, weâll put your name up in lights,
Put you down on glory row.
Would you be the star of ages
To light your own way at night?
Might be a former beauty queen with your high smile stuck on so tightly.
They come and they go down on glory row.
Itâs the same old story --- yes, it the same old show.

They left me, leaving my house on fire, me running round ---
Got out through the window.
While clinging to the skirts of fate
Was not my idea of fun
Iâll jump to it gladly.
The town was filled with smoke and hate.
Came to my senses just too late
To realize that all I ever owned
Was borrowed. I thanked them for having shown
Me that nothing ever really belongs to anyone.

The Third Hoorah

Hoorah

Warchild, dance the days and nights away
Sweet child, how do you do today
Warchild, dance the days and nights away
Sweet child, how do you do today
When your back's to the wall
And your luck is your all
Then side with whoever you may
Seek that which within
Lies waiting to begin
The fight of your life that is everyday

Only Solitaire

Brain-storming, habit-forming, battle-warning
Weary, winsome actor spewing spineless, chilling lines
The critics falling over to tell themselves he's boring
And really not an awful lot of fun
Well, who the hell can he be when he's never had V.D.
And he doesn't even sit on toilet seats
Court-jesting, never-resting
He must be very cunning to assume an air of dignity