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Mott The Hoople and Ian Hunter

Central Park n' West

(Ian Hunter)

The Gulf and Western Garbage
Just ain't the prettiest smell
When you're sleeping on the 4th floor up
It's like a living hell
New York's finest rounding up the bums
The firemen get no rest,
and ambulances signal death, on Central Park 'n' West.

Now there ain't no sheets upon my bed,
just a mattress and some wine.
The rain is pouring through the night
and I'm glad my life is mine.
When Frank Carillo plays guitar
trying to get it off his chest.
He gets the words he needs tonight
on Central Park 'n' West.

And I think, I think, I think, I think, I think it's the best,
when I'm locked in the middle of New York city on Central Park 'n' West
and I know, I know, I know, I know, I know it's a mess,
but you've got to be crazy to live in the city, and New York city's the best.
And we all want just someone just like me
in the city we call home.
She leaves me sometimes when I write,
'cause I write better on my own.
Bag ladies take my dollars)
put my conscience to the test.
But waitresses give me coffee free
on Central Park 'n' West.

So sing soul woman, sing the songs)
it's time to sing them now.
I'm getting more than high from hearin' 'em
don't sing them quiet, sing them loud.
For you sang with the best of them
but now you're just a guest.
I tell you we'll get a hotel room
on Central Park 'n' West.

'Cause I think, I think, I think, I think, I think it's the best,
when I'm locked in the middle of New York city on Central Park 'n' West
and I know, I know, I know, I know, I know it's a mess,
but you've got to be crazy to live in the city, and New York city's the best.
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, oh yeah.

I think, I think, I think, I think, I think it's the best,
when I'm locked in the middle of New York city on Central Park 'n' West.

I know, I know, I know, I know, I know it's a mess,
but you've got to be crazy to live in the city, and New York city's the best. 

Lisa Likes Rock n' Roll

(Ian Hunter)

There's a wango-tango
at the peppermint inn
I'm gonna be there
Shakin' my thing
be bop a lula
little Peggy Sue
we both got company
don't know what to do
but that's alright
yeah that's OK
In the middle of the night
here's Lisa

CHORUS:
Lisa likes rock 'n' roll,
she plays it every day.
Down by the drugstore
everybody say
She turnin' on the radio,
she's shootin' up the stereo,
puttin' on a video,
she's sayin' let's go let's go

Lisa won't marry me,
she says she's only four.
Her mum don't like me,
she says I'm too mature.
Down at the disco,
I go solo
and the girls don't wanna know,
I've been too slow.
And that's alright,
and that's OK,
in the middle of the night.
Here's Lisa.

CHORUS
And when you see her
you wish you could hear her.
Ain't no one can beat her.
She goes yeah, yeah, yeah
yeah, yeah, "You're my daddy."

I know Lisa likes rock 'n' roll
I know Lisa likes rock 'n' roll
I know Lisa likes rock 'n' roll
I know Lisa likes rock 'n' roll
I know Lisa likes rock 'n' roll
I know Lisa likes rock 'n' roll
I know Lisa likes rock 'n' roll
I know Lisa likes rock 'n' roll
Yeah!

I Need Your Love

(Ian Hunter)

It was a cold, cold house,
I was a cold, cold room.
No one lived in me.
I was an empty tune.
Lovers came to view
'n' they looked all around.
But they couldn't see nothin',
nothin but the ground, they really put me down
and then someone broke
inside of me
and I found myself learnin'
how to fight free.

And it feels so good
when I can turn to you
'n' look you straight in the eye,
say I need you, need you, oh I need you
I need your love, baby,
I need your love, I gotta hear your name
over and over, over again.
I need your love, baby,
I need your love, I got you up my brain
over, over, over again.

You know it hurts so bad
when you have to say
you ain't got nobody
and then one day
it makes you feel so good
when I can turn to you
and look you straight in the eye,
say I need you, need you, oh I need you
I need your love, baby,
I need your love, I wanna hear your name
over and over, over again.
I need your love,
oh how I need your love, I gotta hear your name
over, over, over again, yeah.
I need your love, baby
I need your love, I gotta hear your name
over, over, over again.

Old Records Never Die

(Ian Hunter)

Sometimes you realize
that there is an end to life.
Yesterday I heard them say
a hero's blown away.
And it's so hard to lose
someone who's close to you.
Oh me, I did not see
the danger every day.
But music's something in the air,
so he can play it anywhere.
Old records never die.

Get you're healing from a song,
just when everything goes wrong.
Play it right
through the night
till morning brings you light.
And if some folk laugh at you
Let 'em all laugh they never knew.
Oh all those scenes, to me it seems
some folk never dream.
And on the wind(?) I feel a force
rebel with some other cause.
Old records never die.

Old records never die.
You can watch the waves roll by.
You can see it in their eyes.
Old records never die.
Old records never die.
You can watch the waves roll by.
The innocent cry(?)
Old records never die.
I can hear you
and I know why
old records never die.

Noises

(Ian Hunter/Tommy Morrongiello)

Noises are taking away my freedom.
Noises seem to rob me of myself.
Noises are the sound of mediocrity.
Noises ... to take that ... from out of myself.
Noises are taking away my casualness.
Noises are making me scared.
Big noises are made by big shots.
Some noises should never be heard.

Noises,
noises,
noises,
noises,
give me noises!

Noises are looking over my shoulder.
Noises are the sound of the herd.
Noises make the planet colder.
Noises are noises that should never be heard.

Noises,
noises,
noises,
noises will destroy me.
Noises ...

Why not join some junky jewels, who wreck the clines on canvas fools
Who take the vapours from the mind. Neo nothing. Shallow kind.
A ritzy Nazi owns the game, he plays at God but that was fame
And music masturbates his mind, and stones get rolled up in the slime
A New York butch becomes a blond, while changing gears while from beyond
Agree to consecrate the music makers have gotta take 
Owls with trowels as big as spades, dig down among those sequined graves.
Work out their ages, turn the pages, caught in cages, locked in ages
Media momenta, who can prevent her.

Noises, Noises, Noises, Noises

Did you find a certain street, 
they're looking for thoughtless thoughts to preach
The street, the street, they're not your drain, 
while waiting in the pouring rain 
For your old lady out of work, brought the baby, bet your shirt
Waiting for Godot did it, then what's happening the other end - 
Rewards And gallant knights with blunted swords
Locked away in isolation, trying to figure out why they wanna die
And that's the state of the nation.

Noises,
noises,
noises,
noises, oh, oh, oh.
I love noises!

Rain

(Ian Hunter)

Billy said this town is dying,
it's dying just to be like me.
He was fighting everything in sight,
died when he was 23.
I used to meet him down at his cafe,
he had one eye on the door
and the other on the writing on the wall.
He'd get restless and angry and we'd all laugh
'cause we weren't really scared,
we was his friends, he wouldn't hurt us at all
And all he'd say was rain, rain, rain
rain, rain, rain,
rain, rain, rain,
rain, rain, rain.
We gotta leave this town.

And Glover was a dancer,
imitating Eddie Cochran by the jukebox.
In the corner of the room
'till he was lost.
Barry 'n me, we used to escape, playing I Go Ape
wearing Italian clothes drinking cider talking in the rain
Hey babe, come over here, let me buy you a beer, what's your name,
she said "Boy, it doesn't really matter, don't you see?
You ain't what I want, you ain't what I need,
you ain't what I fancy, you ain't what I dream of 'n I'd silently leave
?? you're ugly.
Rain, rain, rain,
rain, rain, rain,
rain, rain, rain,
rain, rain, rain.
I gotta leave this place.

My history is a cop-out
Somewhere in the dark I got scared 'cause I knew I was gonna loose.
You know that feeling you get in your guts, all that frustration when you know
you're going nuts.
You gotta make a move.
There was Billy and Glover and Pacer and Taylor and Valerie and Barry
I remember what he said about that town.
He said "I went to London once, came back,
wiped the tears from my eyes, looked out the window,
and it was still pouring down,
more of that rain, rain, rain,
rain, rain, rain,
rain, rain, rain,
rain, rain, rain."
I'm gonna get a train,
never coming back again.
'Cause if I did it would be the same.
Boy, you really messed up my brain.

All of that rain rain rain,
rain rain rain
rain rain rain
rain rain rain

Take your washing off the line.
Take your washing off the line.
Take your washing off the line.
Take the washing off the line.

It's gonna rain.
It's gonna rain.

Gun Control

(Ian Hunter)

All right
Gun Control, we don't want no
Gun Control, we don't want no
Gun Control, we don't want no
Gun Control.

Stick to your guns, boys, stick to your guns.
We'll make a lot of money if we stick to the guns.
The president's with us boys, so join in the fun.
We can make a lot of money if we stick to our guns.

Yeah
Gun Control, we don't want no
Gun Control, we don't want no
Gun Control, we don't want no
Gun Control.
Let the bullets go!

Step up the lobby, boys, down in Washington.
We can make a lot of money if you stick to your guns.
Tradition is with us boys, it's the constitution,
so stick to your guns, boys, the final solution.

Hey
Gun control, we don't want no
Gun control, we don't want no
Gun control, we don't want no
Gun control.

Hey, and ain't it a shame we ain't got a war,
we'll just have to practice on the sick and the poor.

Assassinate presidents, and they ain't the only ones,
we can get them all, young and old, if we stick to our guns.
So stick to your guns, boys, fight for your life.
We'll all feel special on a Saturday night.

Yeah!
Gun control, we don't want no
Gun control, we don't want no
Gun control, we don't want no
Gun control.
Let the bullets go.

Viva macho
Viva macho
Viva macho
Viva macho

Gun control, no, we don't want no
Gun control, no, we don't want no
Gun control, hey, I don't want no
Gun control, (I'm much too busy making...)
Gun control,
Gun control, (...Saturday Night Specials)
Gun control,

Theatre Of The Absurd

(Ian Hunter)

My teeth turned seven shades darker
as I sit 'n' write these words
and London's gettin' paler
in my theatre of the absurd.
You figured for an evening
and you made it all worthwile.
It's seldom people have a job
and even rarer that I smile.

Play me some, play me some,
play me Brixton power.
Teach your children to be them
and never ever ours.
Play me some, play me some,
play me Brixton power.
Someone took the park away
but they left a lonely flower.

And if your songs be classics,
throw them to the herd.
Truth is where they came from
and not this theatre of the absurd.
Some say you wanted to play for me
but it's only what you've heard
that made you want to capture me
in your theatre of the absurd.
It was not me, I said myself
and you must do so, too.
I hope you have the strength to stay
when I'll be watchin' you.

So baby,
play me some, play me some,
play me Brixton power.
Teach your children to be them
and never ever ours.
Play me some, play me some,
play me Brixton power.
Someone took the park away
but they left a lonely flower.

Oh when I got here back home tonight
something within me stirred.
Oh it must have been a different kind of play
that touched my theatre of the absurd.
Now I'll be on my way alone
But an interesting thing occurred
See nobody ever shared too much
in my theatre of the absurd.
And there I was back in London,
thought about history.
It was just like being in school again
but I felt something movin' in me.
Hearin' just a bit of the future,
oh it's comin' and it's still blurred
and that's the only thing worth living for
in my theatre of the absurd.

Come on,
play me some, play me some,
play me Brixton power.
Teach your children to be them
and never ever ours.
Oh play me some, play me some,
play me Brixton power.
Someone took the park away
but they left a lonely flower.

(Beautiful)
Play me some, play me some,
play me Brixton power.
Play me some, play me some,
play me Brixton power.
(John, come on)
Play me some, play me some,
play me Brixton power.
Oh, play me some, (Come on, Eric) play me some,
play me Brixton power.
Oh, play me some, play me some,
play me Brixton power.
...

Leave Me Alone

(Ian Hunter)

I love your sulky eyes,
I love your raven hair.
I often fantasize
a beautiful affair,
a broken paradise
'cause you don't even care.
I love your sultry smile,
I love to see you dance.
Sometimes it drives me wild
to know I've got no chance.
Your boyfriend doesn't see
you're flirting, teasing me.

Why don't you leave me alone,
leave me alone?
Won't you leave me alone,
leave me alone.

Sometimes I'll act OK,
sometimes I'll try and hide.
But when you look at me,
I fall apart inside.
Across a broken sea
you took me for a ride.

Why don't you leave me alone,
leave me alone?
Won't you leave me alone,
leave me alone.

Other lovers go home
and I'm left here alone
with my heart in my hand.
I just can't understand
why you treat me this way.
I just got to say.

Why don't you leave me alone,
leave me alone?
Won't you leave me alone,
leave me alone.

Why don't you leave me alone,
leave me alone?
Won't you leave me alone,
leave me alone.

(Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,
why don't you leave me,
leave me alone, oh)

Keep On Burning

(Ian Hunter)

Oh
Well there ain't no sense
in burning bridges.
No, there ain't no sense
in burning bridges.
If we're sorry
then it's our failure
so says the jailor,
fade? away.
Now there ain't no debts,
just destinations.
Like birds made out of steel,
they fly by.
Lost lovers in a moonlit night,
broken lovers in a starless night.
I lay my clothes down at your feet
'cause all I want is for you

to keep on burning.
Keep on burning, babe,
keep on burning.
Yeah, keep on burning (burning).

And when that flame dies
becomes an ember,
remember, keep on burning (keep on burning).

Can you feel my warmth
inside of you, babe.
Oh can you feel my blood
running through your vains.
Don't lay the blame on me, girl,
just like lovers often will
I lay my heart down at your feet
Oh all I want is for you

to keep on burning,
keep on burning (burning)
Keep on burning, babe (yeah),
keep on burning (burning).

'Cause when that flame dies
becomes an ember,
remember, keep on (burning, keep on burning) burning.
Yeah, (you gotta) keep on burning (burning),
ooh, keep on burning.
Keep on, keep on, keep burning, babe,
ah (you gotta keep on burning, burning) keep on burning (burning),
baby (yeah) you gotta keep on burning, burning.

Keep on burning,
keep ...