(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman)
Rolling and tumbling ain't done me no harm,
Gonna boogie my night owl away.
Rita and Greta been twisting my arm into
Heading out west,
Down to the Burlesque,
But I'm saving my ace through to you.
Well, drinking and sinking, I'm feeling alright,
Right down to my snaky spat shoes.
Just about to shutdown and three in the night,
Because I'm heading out west
Down to the Burlesque,
We'll show 'em a moon at the door.
(BRIDGE)
Rolling, tumbling,
Sure ain't done me no harm.
Drinking, sinking,
Just been too bad on my arm.
Well I finally lost Rita, and Greta went home,
I guess that leaves just me and you.
Been kinda sneaky to get you alone
Oh, but you in that dress,
Destination Burlesque,
I got all my cards in one shoe.
(REPEAT BRIDGE)
(REPEAT THIRD VERSE)
I got all my cards in one shoe . . ..
--
"Bolero Babe"
(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman)
Just millions of miles
To gaze at life's smiles, that's surrounding us,
A flash from the past,
But a look that won't last, will it, babe?
And look at the space
And the change of a face as we see it go,
Changing the style
That's been wrong by a mile, watch it, babe.
I can see it shine
Light years from here,
In one perfect line.
How near,
Yet how far.
How near,
Yet how far. . ..
We've got thousands of ways
Of counting the days as they pass us by,
They're here and then they're gone.
And look at the space
And the change of a face as we see it go,
Changing the style
That's been wrong by a mile, watch it, babe.
I can see it shine
Light years from here,
In one perfect line.
How near,
Yet how far.
How near,
Yet how far. . ..
--
"Coronation"
(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman/John Wetton)
Evening and I'm sitting here,
I've got some things to do.
Candles burning down, I fear,
Have to change it soon.
But its shadow flitting on the wall,
Doctor Sam going in next door,
And Jenny laughing on the phone.
Seems strange that this is home.
Evening at the court again,
I've been here far too long.
Lurking round the room again
Sometimes brings it on.
Pictures crooked on the wall,
Clothes, they lay were they fall.
Tattered empire souvenirs
Lie in the dust of years.
Coronation mug of mine,
Heirlooms of a bygone line,
Dresser on all fours, an open drawer.
Mmmm, I got to move again,
Seems I've been here far too long.
Lurking round the room again
Sometimes brings it on.
Pictures crooked on the wall,
Clothes, they lay were they fall.
Tattered empire souvenirs
Lie in the dust of years.
Coronation mug of mine,
Heirlooms of a bygone line,
Dresser on all fours, an open drawer.
--
"Dark Eyes"
(Roger Chapman/Poli Palmer)
Your dark eyes that question
The sadness that is now,
Your long hair that veils
The smile upon your brow,
Your whisper that is something
But more than just a sound.
A shadow of the evening,
Your baby at your side.
A sadness that's within you
Your eyes refuse to hide.
You lay beside my body
And you love, until you cry.
--
"Broken Nose"
(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman)
I seen her every day now,
And boy, has she got class.
She got diamonds on her fingers
And rhythm in her a**.
I've tried to call her over,
But I must be made of glass,
'Cos she just looks right through me,
Keeps walking straight on past.
(Walkin' straight on . . .)
(BACKUP CHORUS)
I like your. . .
Dig your . . .
Day . . .
Oh the day . . .
She eats in fancy places
Where the cover would pay my rent,
Steaks on silver platters
And water costs fifty pence.
She tips up all the waiters
And five will get you ten.
I'm waitin' in the lobby,
She won't even invite me in.
(Won't even invite me in. . .)
(CHORUS)
I like your kind of address,
Dig your style of clothes.
The day I stopped loving you
Was the day you broke my nose.
(REPEAT CHORUS)
(REPEAT BACKUP CHORUS TWICE)
When she goes to the theatre,
It's always the latest show,
While I'll wait in some poolroom
That's just across the road
One time she saw me waiting
And come across and spoke.
She said adieu, and grabbed my cue,
And shoved it d-d-d-down my throat!
(REPEAT CHORUS TWICE)
(REPEAT BACKUP CHORUS UNTIL FADE)
--
"My Friend The Sun"
(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman)
Well, I know that you're lonely, come in from the cold.
Your shoes they need mending, your clothes they look old.
Won't you pick up your pieces, it's never too late,
Though it's never early to make a mistake
As soon as you wake.
Although there's been rain and it's coming again,
Change has to be here, obviously.
Though my friend the sun looks well on the run,
He's there in the distance, if you care to see.
Well, I know that you're waiting, come out from your shell,
There'll come a time you'll remember it well,
When you take all the good times from chances you've had,
Chances you've made and what you've learned from the bad,
It's never so sad.
Although there's been rain and it's coming again,
Change has to be here, obviously.
Though my friend the sun, he looks well on the run,
He's there in the distance if you care to see.
See . . ..
If season were reason, then there'd be no doubt,
A sequel of changes worth putting you out.
But on the question of whether you heard a lie,
Answer yourself looking straight in his eyes.
Don't you realize?
Although there's been rain and it's coming again,
Change has to be here, obviously.
Though my friend the sun looks well on the run,
He's there in the distance . . .
If you care to see.
See . . ..
--
"Glove"
(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman)
Picked up a lady's glove,
I gave it back to her and she put it on.
She teased my eyes when she curtsied low,
I said, "Tell me ma'am, where do you go?"
She said "Walking," then, taking care,
She brushed her cheek
Where the summer breeze
Had caught her hair.
Then the question seemed to turn out wrong,
Because I quietly swore and bit my clumsy tongue.
Then, looking up, I saw that she was gone.
She turned around and walked . . .
She turned around and walked six feet further on.
She said, "Young man . . .", then she smiled,
"I'd be so pleased if you'd
Accompany me to walk awhile."
Picked up a lady's glove,
I gave it back to her and she put it on.
She teased my eyes when she curtsied low,
I said, "Tell me ma'am, where do you go?"
She said "Walking," then, taking care,
She brushed her cheek
Where the summer breeze
Had caught her hair.
(REPEAT TWICE)
She said, "Young man . . .", then she smiled,
"I'd be so pleased if you'd
Accompany me to walk awhile."
(REPEAT)
--
"Ready To Go"
(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman)
I'm ready and able
To shove all your labels below,
Just choose your word careful
'Cause I got a handful
Of crap I can throw.
I've been down the line
And I've served me some time
In more than you know,
So don't move a hand,
I'm ahead of your plan
And I'm ready to go.
If I'm good and angry
At bullsh** philandering, you'll tell.
Don't give me your cool, it's
Your press byline pulpits
Beginning to smell.
All of your guns
And your pseudo-side-puns,
I''ll easy elbow,
So don't move a hand,
I'm ahead of your plan
And I'm ready to go.
I've been down the line,
And I've served me some time.
I'm ready to go.
I've been down the line,
And I've served me some time.
I'm hungry and howling,
I can't quit this scowling today.
Them holes in the wall, boys,
Ain't never so tall
When they are there to age.
I been down the line
And I've served me some time
In more than you know,
I've seen down the cracks
Off all of you Jacks
And I'm ready to go.
--
"Top Of the Hill"
(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman)
You can do most things when, how you want,
But some things you do and some things you don't.
That's said
In any book that you read.
Take all the people you ever knew
Who did all the things that you wanted to,
A feat
Every day of the week.
But if you're looking for time,
You'll be looking until
There ain't no crying
At the top of the hill.
And you know full well
That you'll be looking there still,
Until your head stop
And your body is still.
Take all the clowns who laugh in the ring,
They'll teach you to smile and they'll teach you to sing.
But that's all, and it's harder to fall.
Think of the ladies you've ever seen,
Out in the sun when the summer is green
And grin, when you think where you been.
But if you're looking for time,
Then you'll be looking until
There ain't no crying
At the top of the hill.
And you know full well
That you'll be looking there still,
Until your head stop
And your body is still.
Think of the good times you've ever had.
Think of the sad, well, they're never so bad
If you grin
When you think where you been.
You can do most things when, how you want,
But some things you do and some things you don't.
That's said
In any book that you read.
But if you're looking for time,
You'll be looking until
There ain't no crying
At the top of the hill.
And you know darn well
You know darn well you'll be looking there still,
Until your head . . .
And your body is still.
Until your head stop and your body is still . . ..
