The Pretenders Album

illusion fills my head like an empty can
spend a million lifetimes
and by the way you look fantastic in your boots of chinese plastic
hara krishna
i see you in the birds and in the trees
and by the way you look fantastic in your boots of chinese plastic
that we should tolerate
people and things that make me want to hate
jesus christ came down here as a living man
if he can live a life of virtue then i hope i can
back here and repeat until you learn
every dog that lives its life on a chain
knows what its like waiting for nothing
by the way you look fantastic in your boots of chinese plastic

He doesn't make shoes
Or design a new shirt
Or take photographs
But no one gets hurts
And he doesn't look trendy
Like guys in magazines
You won't see him at parties
He's not the face behind the scene.

[Chorus]
He makes nothing
He's the nothing maker
He's the maker of nothing
He's the nothing maker

And he doesn't paint pictures
Or write poetry
Or act on a stage
For others to see
and he don't expect much
Santa Claus knows
Cause he doesn't make list
Of toys and new clothes

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
Everyone's chasing
A reason to live
Mostly they take more than they give
The succeeder justifies
Why he needs more than the rest
He believes his own lies
And thinks he's the best...

But my guy
Doesn't make movies
To suit an audience's whim
He lives by a code
Known only to him
And he doesn't make money
To buy watches and cars
Cause there's no time and no place to go
For a man who has nothing to show

[Chorus]

Don't lose faith in me
Don't lose faith in me
If you lose faith in me
You lose faith in us

Don't lose harmony
Don't lose harmony
If you lose harmony
You won't need me

Look at me
Can you see how I'm trying
Only you can see me crying
Look at me
These tears ain't lying

One pays the butcher
One pays the thief
I'm looking for you darling
Show me some relief
Artist on the cover
Is a phony and a crook
I'm looking for you lover
Show me where to look

Don't lose faith in me
Please don't lose faith in me
If you lose faith
You lose faith in us

Don't cut your hair
Don't cut your hair
Don't cut your hair, don't cut your hair
Don't cut your hair, whatever you do!

From Impanema to the Copacabana
Woh, the monkey (?) their asses for a piece of bananna
Pornstar (?) 'cause they're all after the money
But ya never got a taste of baby (?) love ya honey

Oh don't ya, don't ya, don't ya, don't ya, don't-don't
Don't ya, don't ya, don't ya, don't ya, don't, yeah!

Whatever you do!

Beefsteak, clothes in a box of erasers
Oooh, they love the dirty paper with elderly faces
If I could see you in your glory baby, even for a minute
I'll give up my shelter and everything that's in it

Oh don't ya, don't ya, don't ya, don't ya, don't-don't
Don't ya, don't ya, don't ya, don't ya, don't-don't
Don't ya, don't ya, don't ya, don't ya, don't, yeah!

Don't cut it, don't chop it
It's like the bomb if you got it don't drop it

If you got a man then go ahead and flaunt it
Any guy is lying if he says he doesn't want it
Any guy is lying if he says he doesn't want it

Eeee-yeee!

From Miami to the Sunset Strip
All the guys...
Though you look like a girl (?, ?) from afar,
Close that curtain mama doesn't know what you are

Oh don't ya, don't ya, don't ya, don't ya, don't-don't
Don't ya, don't ya, don't ya, don't ya, don't-don't
Don't cut your hair
Don't cut your hair
Don't cut your hair
Whatever you do!

Lovers of today unlike lovers of the past
They used to find a way to get a love affair to last
I saw him leaving that's is all I have to see
and seeing is beleiving then...

Love's a mystery
It's a mystery
It'll rise without a warning, leaving evidence and clues
It can headlines in the morning, then it's history
Love's a mystery
But I'd do it again
I'd do it again

Lovers of today are becoming too diversed
Get the feeling you are onstage, badly unrehearsed
Have the molds done soo perfectly
I guess that all it proves

Love's a mystery
Love's a mystery
It'll rise without a warning, making evidence and clues
Making headlines in the morning, then it's history
Love's a mystery
But I'd do it again
I'd do it again

The multiple offender should learn from his mistakes
I am ready to surrender; that's what it takes
I waited a time; still in custody
If lovin' is a crime

Love's a mystery
But I'd do it again
I'd do it again
It will rise without a warning, leaving evidence and clues
Headlines in the morning, then it's history
Love's a mystery

Love's a mystery

I made my bed but I couldn't sleep in it
With the man in red tracking me minute by minute
Running like a horse, always looking behind me
But of course he would always find me

[Chorus]
Hey buddy, hey friend
My pal, my brother
We take shelter in each other
I'll keep it simple, you keep it true
I owe the last ride to you

Heaven and hell ride in tandem
I used to mix them up at random
I spent my youth on a reckless futile race
Where love and truth could never place

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
After all, nobody can save
The mortal body from the grave
Who can arrest the soul's sad journey in its plight?
One more day to get it right

I decided to stop dying
No more cheatin' no more lyin'
What kind of club opens its gates to sinners like me?
And bids them forth unto eternity

[Chorus]

Under the buckeye trees
Where the rubber city grew
I owe the last ride to you

Narcissistic anorexic so unstuck but so pretty
I love you
Viralatta, very donkey, you’re the only truth in this city
Don’t ever change
Don’t change good champagne for some sad idiot and then complain
That’s good advice
But a lady who has two black eyes is not the best one to advise
She’s already been told twice

[Chorus]
Don’t ever change (why oh why oh why oh)
Would you ever change (oh oh oh)
Please don’t ever change
You’re almost perfect
You’re almost perfect
You’re almost perfect

Paranoiac drug addicted pornographically afflicted
Sleep with me
Two legs a cock a woman’s soul strange how this lady can control
Oooh show them to me
You can hardly say this woman only wants you for your money
You who have not
Come inside my hive where bees are busy making honey
Oooh love is about

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
One two three one two three one two three
Half of half and half of half and half of half and half of that

Artistic repetitious people-phobically suspicious
With an oversize charm
Unemployable illegal you’re a whole film by Don Siegel
Oooh write me a song
Go away and blow away and fade away and the next day
You’re back in the line
If love is leaving everything for homelessness and nothing
Ooh you’ll be just fine

[Chorus]
Don’t ever change (why oh why oh why oh)
Would you ever change (the best part of Ohio)
Don’t ever change
You’re almost perfect
You’re almost perfect
You’re almost perfect

Thank you boy, for the beautiful flower
Thank you boy, for the stars in your eyes
Thank you boy, for givin me your finest hour
What a surprise

You didn't have to

Thank you boy, for the time that we wasted
Thank you boy, for the things that you said
Thank you boy, for every strange thought that I tasted
You're off your head

You didn't have to

And hearin' my story
From your...occupied territory

Thank you boy, for the sound of your voices
Like a hammer or drill
Thank you boy, for givin me no choices
You know I will

You didn't have to

(count-in)

Rosalee
Where you been so long?
Rosalee, Rosalee
Where you been so long?
When you smile at me
All the lights come on.

Stop!

Rosalee, Rosalee
Come and dance with me again
Rosalee, Rosalee
Come and dance with me again
You're my one true love,
You're my oldest friend

It don't matter now
Who was right and who was wrong
It don't matter now
Who was right and who was wrong
Because you're here with me
I'm back where I belong

Rosa, come out here
in the summer night
Can you see out there,
Almost out of sight?
Your lovin' calls to me
Like that far distant light

Yeah!

OOOh Ro-o-o-o-o-o-o-sa

Again

There was a red brick road where i grew up on
And a pretty stone wall round a fragrant lawn
Fish in the pond that sparkled in the dawn
But it ain't no more it's all gone gone gone

Whoa!
Ram it! cram it! grand slam it!
Break up the concrete, break up the concrete
Prod it! sod it! metal rod it!
Break up the concrete,
Thwak it! crack it! lineback it!
Break up the concrete,
Shake it! bake it! earthquake it!
Break up the concrete

And the depot over there right next to the tracks
That the slaves put down, while breaking their backs
But those texas* zoo no would ever get into a carriage
Or anything that might lead to an interracial marriage
(*the uppermost deck of an inland or western river steamer)

Whoa!
Ram it! cram it! grand slam it!
Break up the concrete
Prod it! sod it! metal rod it!
Break up the concrete
Thwak it! crack it! lineback it!
Break up the concrete
Shake it! bake it! earthquake it!
Break up the concrete

Now don't tell me it's progress cause that's just a lie
And don't even try to come with an excuse why!
We we're so busy worrying about them dropping the bomb
We didn't notice where our enemy was really coming from!

Hey boys c'mon let's do it!

Ram it! cram it! grand slam it!
Break up the concrete,
Prod it! sod it! metal rod it!
Break up the concrete
Shake it! bake it! earthquake it!
Break up the concrete
Ram it! slam it! just cram it!
One more time!
Break up the concrete
Break up the concrete

Now he who laid it, come back here and raid it

That old train keeps plowing
Through the center of this town
Restores my faith
When the chips are down

It don't take no passengers
Since the streets got rearranged
But that whistle still blows
Because one thing never changed

The boy I was loving
Had to say so long
Back to a world
Where I don't belong

It affected me so
You could say I was deranged
But that whistle's gonna blow
Because one thing never changed

Speak to me
Speak to me again
Speak to me
Speak to me again

That old train keeps blowing
I can hear it in the night
I hold onto myself
It's gonna be alright

People come and go
Like cars changing lanes
But that whistles gonna blow
Because one thing never changed
It's one thing (that) never changed