The Lyric Chain

[Aggie]

Triple-play here (figured this was a complex enough lyric to keep chaining):

The tucker box is empty now
The heart of Kelly's country cleared
The gangers on the southern line
Like the steam trains have disappeared
Pelicans glide
Miracles up in the skies
We vote for a government
With axes in its eyes

Mountains of Burma
The road to Mandalay
In the mountains of Burma
Light years away
Mountains of Burma

Will the sons of Solidarity
Still march on May Day

Will the sisters of the seventies
Still fight for equal pay

There's no-one on the Reeperbahn
No more blankets handed out for land
We feed an economy
It's got blood on its hands

Mountains of Burma
The road to Mandalay
Mountains of Burma
Light years away
In the mountains of Burma
The road to Mandalay
In the mountains of Burma
Hope you're light years away

Pack your bags full of guns and ammunition
Bills fall due for the industrial revolution
Scorch the earth till the earth surrenders

Soldiers of armies
Storm empty fields
In a traveller's trance
On the way to the high frontier
Sleepwalkers stumble
Cable cars run aground
Imaginary enemies
Form high above the clouds

In the Mountains of Burma...

Midnight Oil - Mountains of Burma

[Swatopluk]

In Dread Response - Black Soterion

Unto thee a farewell, I speak in vain
Take flight I must, to the emptying place
Where forgotten ones wander and saviours escape
Ego-rituals vanquished by the knights of disdain

Empires forsake in circles of dust
Ruins not worth pecking at for riches nor for loot
As the adverse effect to the Midas touch
Kenosis received by the world-serpent's drains
Into wishless crypts, where all hope has been slain

Remember me as pain
Remember me as war
Remember me as futility
Writhing in bloodsoil...

I am the winds of devastation, on these infected plains
I am the rain of a thousand tears, shed with dead innocents
I am the crown of victory buried with the bones
Lost amidst shrapnel in empty fields.

Remember me!

[beagle]

Sixteen years,
Sixteen banners united over the field
Where the good shepherd grieves.
Desperate men, desperate women divided,
Spreading their wings 'neath the falling leaves.

Fortune calls.
I stepped forth from the shadows, to the marketplace,
Merchants and thieves, hungry for power, my last deal gone down.
She's smelling sweet like the meadows where she was born,
On midsummer's eve, near the tower.

The cold-blooded moon.
The captain waits above the celebration
Sending his thoughts to a beloved maid
Whose ebony face is beyond communication.
The captain is down but still believing that his love will be repaid.

They shaved her head.
She was torn between Jupiter and Apollo.
A messenger arrived with a black nightingale.
I seen her on the stairs and I couldn't help but follow,
Follow her down past the fountain where they lifted her veil.

I stumbled to my feet.
I rode past destruction in the ditches
With the stitches still mending 'neath a heart-shaped tattoo.
Renegade priests and treacherous young witches
Were handing out the flowers that I'd given to you.

The palace of mirrors
Where dog soldiers are reflected,
The endless road and the wailing of chimes,
The empty rooms where her memory is protected,
Where the angels' voices whisper to the souls of previous times.

She wakes him up
Forty-eight hours later, the sun is breaking
Near broken chains, mountain laurel and rolling rocks.
She's begging to know what measures he now will be taking.
He's pulling her down and she's clutching on to his long golden locks.

Gentlemen, he said,
I don't need your organization, I've shined your shoes,
I've moved your mountains and marked your cards
But Eden is burning, either brace yourself for elimination
Or else your hearts must have the courage for the changing of the guards.

Peace will come
With tranquility and splendor on the wheels of fire
But will bring us no reward when her false idols fall
And cruel death surrenders with its pale ghost retreating
Between the King and the Queen of Swords.

Bob Dylan - The Changing of the Guards

[Earthling]

We skipped the light fandango
turned cartwheels 'cross the floor
I was feeling kinda seasick
but the crowd called out for more
The room was humming harder
as the ceiling flew away
When we called out for another drink
the waiter brought a tray

And so it was that later
as the miller told his tale
that her face, at first just ghostly,
turned a whiter shade of pale

She said, 'There is no reason
and the truth is plain to see.'
But I wandered through my playing cards
and would not let her be
one of sixteen vestal virgins
who were leaving for the coast
and although my eyes were open
they might have just as well've been closed

And so it was that later
as the miller told his tale
that her face, at first just ghostly,
turned a whiter shade of pale

She said, 'I'm home on shore leave,'
though in truth we were at sea
so I took her by the looking glass
and forced her to agree
saying, 'You must be the mermaid
who took Neptune for a ride.'
But she smiled at me so sadly
that my anger straightway died

And so it was that later
as the miller told his tale
that her face, at first just ghostly,
turned a whiter shade of pale

If music be the food of love [see note, left, about this verse + its opening]
then laughter is its queen
and likewise if behind is in front
then dirt in truth is clean
My mouth by then like cardboard
seemed to slip straight through my head
So we crash-dived straightway quickly
and attacked the ocean bed

And so it was that later
as the miller told his tale
that her face, at first just ghostly,
turned a whiter shade of pale

A Whiter Shade of Pale ~~ Procol Harum

[Swatopluk]

The Ball of Kerrymuir

Four-and-twenty virgins come down from Inverness,
And when the Ball was over, there were four-and-twenty less,

Singin' balls to your partner, your ass against the wall,
If ya never been had on a Saturday night, ya never been had at all..

There was doin' in the parlor, there was doin' on the stones,
But ya couldn't a hear the music for the wheezin' and the groans,

Singin' balls to your partner, your ass against the wall,
If ya never been had on a Saturday night, ya never been had at all.

The undertaker, he was there, all wrapped up in a shroud,
Swingin' from the chandelier, and peein' on the crowd,

Singin' balls to your partner, your ass against the wall,
If ya never been had on a Saturday night, ya never been had at all.

The village cripple, he was there, ah he could not do much,
So he lined the ladies against the wall, and he did 'em with his crutch,

Singin' balls to your partner, your ass against the wall,
If ya never been had on a Saturday night, ya never been had at all.

Miss Mary McPherson was standin' way up front,
Some posies in her hand, and a carrot in her <censored>,

Singin' balls to your partner, your ass against the wall,
If ya never been had on a Saturday night, ya never been had at all.

The Village postman, he was there, but the poor man had the pox,
He could not do the lassies, so he did the letter box,

Singin' balls to your partner, your ass against the wall,
If ya never been had on a Saturday night, ya never been had at all.

The Village Magician, he was there, he gave us all a laugh,
He pulled his praeputium over his head, and he vanished up his ass,

Singin' balls to your partner, your ass against the wall,
If ya never been had on a Saturday night, ya never been had at all.

And I assume that this is actually a bowdlerized version 

[beagle]

It was Christmas Eve in the harem

The eunuchs all standing there,
A hundred dusky maidens,
Combing their pubic hair.
When along came Father Christmas,
Striding down the marble halls,
When he asked what they wanted for Christmas,
The eunuchs all answered, "Balls!"

The Archbishop of Canterbury (attributed) - Rugby limerick/song

[Swatopluk]

Twas Christmas day in the cookhouse,
The happiest day of the year,
Men's hearts were full of gladness,
Their bellies full of beer,
When up spoke Private Shorthouse,
His face as bold as brass,
Saying, 'We don't want your Christmas pudding
You can stick it up your ...'

Oh tidings of comfort and joy...

First stanza to the same song

[beagle]

Travelling in a fried-out combie
On a hippie trail, head full of zombie
I met a strange lady, she made me nervous
She took me in and gave me breakfast
And she said,

Do you come from a land down under?
Where women glow and men plunder?
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover.

Buying bread from a man in brussels
He was six foot four and full of muscles
I said, do you speak-a my language?
He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich
And he said,

I come from a land down under
Where beer does flow and men chunder
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover.

Lying in a den in bombay
With a slack jaw, and not much to say
I said to the man, are you trying to tempt me
Because I come from the land of plenty?
And he said,

Oh! Do you come from a land down under? (oh yeah yeah)
Where women glow and men plunder?
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover.

Men At Work (+legal dispute) - Down Under

[Swatopluk]

Gonna be a fight tonight
We're moving in, we're taking over
We're gonna have some fun tonight
If you can't take the heat, stay outta the street
Yesterdays heroes are forgotten today
And todays won't be remembered tomorrow
All the ideas must be swept away
No time for pity or sorrow

We're gonna kick some heads tonight
If you don't have friends you better take cover
The crews all here tonight
We've moved in, we've taken over
It don't matter how long you've been around
You're either real or just a wanna be
It's time for all you kids to realize
You either join or be left behind

We're gonna kick some heads tonight
If you don't have friends you better take cover
The crews all here tonight
We've moved in, we've taken over
It don't matter how long you've been around
You're either real or just a wanna be
It's time for all you kids to realize
You either join or be left behind

[beagle]

There was a... lot of rocking going on that night
Cruising time for the young bright lights
Just down past the gasworks, by the meat factory door
The five lamp boys were coming on strong
The saturday night city beat had already started
The pulse of the corner boys sprang into action
And young Billy watched it all under the yellow street light
And said "tonight of all nights there's gonna be a fight"

Billy dont like it living here in this town
He says the traps have been sprung long before he was born
He says "hope bites the dust behind all the closed doors"
And pus and grime ooze from its scab crusted sores
There's screaming and crying in the high rise blocks"
It's a rat trap Billy but you're already caught
But you can make it if you want to or you need it bad enough
You're young and good looking and you're acting kind of tough
Anyway it's saturday night time to see what's going down
Put on the bright suit Billy, head for the right side of town
It's only 8 o'clock but you're already bored
You don't know what it is but there's got to be more
You'd better find a way out, hey kick down the door
It's a rat trap and you've been caught

In this town billy says "everybody tries to tell you what to do"
In this town billy says "everybody says you gotta follow rules."
You walk up to those traffic lights
Switch from your left to right
You push in that button, and when that button comes alight
It tells you
"Walk don't walk
Talk don't talk"
Hey billy take a walk...with me
Little judy's trying to watch "top of the pops"
But mum and dad are fighting don't they ever stop
She take down her coat and walks out on the street
It's cold on that road, but it's got that home beat
Deep down in her pockets she finds 50p.
Now is that any way for a young girl to be
"I'm gonna get out of school work in some factory
Work all the hours god gave me get myself a little easy money"
Now, now, now na na

Her mind's made up, she walks down the road
Her hands in her pockets, coat buttoned 'gainst the cold
She finds Billy down at the italion cafe
And when he's drunk it's hard to understand what Billy says
But then he mumbles in his coffee and suddenly roars
"It's a rat trap Judy; and we've been caught...."

Boomtown Rats - Rat Trap

[pieces o nine]

It's getting late have you seen my mates
Ma tell me when the boys get here
It's seven o'clock and I want to rock
Want to get a belly full of beer

My old man's drunker than a barrel full of monkeys
And my old lady she don't care
My sister looks cute in her braces and boots
A handful of grease in her hair

chorus:
Don't give us none of your aggravation
We had it with your discipline
Saturday night's alright for fighting
Get a little action in

Get about as oiled as a diesel train
Gonna set this dance alight
'Cause Saturday night's the night I like
Saturday night's alright, alright, alright

Well they're packed pretty tight in here tonight
I'm looking for a dolly who'll see me right
I may use a little muscle to get what I need
I may sink a little drink and shout out "She's with me!"

A couple of the sound that I really like
Are the sounds of a switchblade and a motorbike
I'm a juvenile product of the working class
Whose best friend floats in the bottom of a glass

chorus

chorus

chorus



Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)
Music: Elton John
Lyrics: Bernie Taupin

[Swatopluk]

Paul Revere And The Raiders - Steppin' Out

You go where you want
You do what you please
Never let on, that even once
That you've ever been lonely
It's nice to see you alone
Are you lookin' for something
Maybe you ain't get it at home

Your hair is in place
You're dressing to kill
Your old man has promissed
When he died he would leave you his money
And the pool where you swimm
Are you looking for something
Maybe you ain't get it from him

Steppin' out, steppin' out!
To get a little action on the side
Steppin' out, steppin' out!
The day time queen takes a midnight ride

And it's plain as plain can be
You're a woman who wants to get free
If you're steppin' out tonight
Come on and step out with me

The party's a bore
It's bound to get worse
Let's sneak out somewhere
And engage in our own celebration
Will you pour me some wine?
Are you thinkin' baby, maybe
Your needs are the same as mine

Wanna go for a walk?
Go for a ride?
Maybe just stand here and think
What we can do to each other
No, we don't have to dance
If you're thinking of steppin' out
Baby, this is your chance

Steppin' out, steppin' out
To get a little action on the side
Steppin' out, steppin' out
The day time queen takes a midnight ride

And it's plain as plain can be
You're a woman who wants to get free
If you're steppin' out tonight
Come on and step out with me

For 'product of thw working class' by Little Angels I could not find the songtext on the net

[beagle]

My old man's drunker than a barrel full of monkeys

Ahem.  Pray where in the preceding Rats song is "barrel full of monkeys"?  And don't try and claim the Niedmayer-Hoffstadter gambit as there isn't a q in the month.

For a small fee Swato will conduct you past the Cloister of Heavenly Peace, through the Rose Garden of Serenity, to the Lawn of Tranquillity from where, on a good day when the smog lifts, you can catch a glimpse of the heads on spikes on the Ramparts of Those Caught Cheating.


----


I breakdown in the middle and lose my thread.
No one can understand a word that I say.
When I breakdown just a little and lose my head,
Nothing I try to do can work the same way.

Any time it happened, I'd get over it
With a little help from all my friends.
Anybody else could see what's wrong with me,
But they walk away and just pretend...

When I breakdown.

I breakdown in the middle and lose my thread.
No one can understand a word that I say.
When I breakdown just a little and lose my head,
Nothing I try to do can work the same way.

Where are all the friends who used to talk to me?
All they ever told me was good news...
People that I've never seen are kind to me,
Is it any wonder I'm confused?

When I breakdown...When I breakdown...

Freedom, freedom, we will not obey.
Freedom, freedom, take the wall away.
Take the wall away.
Freedom, freedom, we will not obey.
Freedom, freedom, take the wall away.
Where are all my friends?
I'm so confused..

Alan Parsons Project - Breakdown

[Swatopluk]

You look so good while you're riding
On your pterodactyl
Storming castles with abandon
And rainbows by fistfuls
Now lets go dancing madly backwards
While on a sea of air
Everyone I hear is saying
Captain Peon will be there
When we go carelessly careening quickly
Screaming all the way
Gravity is such a drag
And we will not obey
Carelessly careening quickly
Screaming all the way
Gravity is such a drag
Now we will have our way
Wasn't I? Or was it shadow?
A trick of light in play
Leaving me to see that I saw
The garden from whence we came
But I'm not saying anything
That hasn't been said before
You may hear it now if you wish to
Put an ear against the floor
Then we go carelessly careening quickly
Screaming all the way
Gravity is such a drag
And we will not obey
Carelessly careening quickly
Screaming all the way
Gravity is such a drag
Now we will have our way
Now we will have it!
On the hills of charming dragons
There is snow falling everywhere
Sorcerers bring a new Sun
And we will soon be there
Then we go carelessly careening quickly
Screaming all the way
Gravity is such a drag
And we will not obey
Carelessly careening quickly
Screaming all the way
Gravity is such a drag
Now we will have our way
Now we will have it!

Clutch! - Rising Sun

[beagle]

Gee, but it's hard when one lowers one's guard to the vultures
Me, I regard it a tortuous hardship that smoulders
like a peppermint eaten away
(will I fight, will i swagger or sway?)
Hee, hee, M'Lady, she cries like a baby to scold us
see her tumbling down, tumbling down

Hail! to the monkey; we're having a funky reunion
Wasted and sunk, he can only have Sunday communion
he got nicotine stains in his eyes
he got nothing to protect but his pride
Oh! smother the kiss or be drownded in blissful confusion
see it tumbling down, tumbling down

Juvenile tale, (see the Titanic sail into Brighton)
The Hemingway stacatto, the tragic bravado can frighten!
to be here, there and everywhere's fine
but do you have to be so swift all the time?
Deliver the Dawn to the Moulin-Rouge on the Horizon
watch it tumbling down, tumbling down

Oh dear, look what yhey've done to the blues

Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel - Tumbling Down