Louder Than Bombs

Smoke
Lingers 'round your fingers
Train
Heave on - to euston
Do you think you've made
The right decision this time ?
Oh ...

You left
Your tired family grieving
And you think they're sad because you're leaving
But did you see jealousy in the eyes
Of the ones who had to stay behind ?
And do you think you've made
The right decision this time ?


You left
Your girlfriend on the platform
With this really ragged notion that you'll return
But she knows
That when he goes
He really goes
And do you think you've made
The right decision this time ?

Panic on the streets of london
Panic on the streets of birmingham
I wonder to myself
Could life ever be sane again ?
The leeds side-streets that you slip down
I wonder to myself
Hopes may rise on the grasmere
But honey pie, you're not safe here
So you run down
To the safety of the town
But there's panic on the streets of carlisle
Dublin, dundee, humberside
I wonder to myself

Burn down the disco
Hang the blessed dj
Because the music that they constantly play
It says nothing to me about my life
Hang the blessed dj
Because the music they constantly play


On the leeds side-streets that you slip down
Provincial towns you jog 'round
Hang the dj, hang the dj, hang the dj
Hang the dj, hang the dj, hang the dj
Hang the dj, hang the dj, hang the dj
Hang the dj, hang the dj
Hang the dj, hang the dj
Hang the dj, hang the dj, hang the dj
Hang the dj, hang the dj
Hang the dj, hang the dj
Hang the dj, hang the dj, hang the dj
Hang the dj, hang the dj
Hang the dj, hang the dj
Hang the dj, hang the dj, hang the dj
Hang the dj

Sing me to sleep
Sing me to sleep
I'm tired and i
I want to go to bed

Sing me to sleep
Sing me to sleep
And then leave me alone
Don't try to wake me in the morning
'cause i will be gone
Don't feel bad for me
I want you to know
Deep in the cell of my heart
I will feel so glad to go


Sing me to sleep
Sing me to sleep
I don't want to wake up
On my own anymore


Sing to me
Sing to me
I don't want to wake up
On my own anymore


Don't feel bad for me
I want you to know
Deep in the cell of my heart
I really want to go


There is another world
There is a better world
Well, there must be
Well, there must be
Well, there must be
Well, there must be
Well ...


Bye bye
Bye bye
Bye ...

Instrumental

Call me morbid, call me pale
I've spent six years on your trail
Six long years
On your trail

Call me morbid, call me pale
I've spent six years on your trail
Six full years of my life on your trail


And if you have five seconds to spare
Then i'll tell you the story of my life :
Sixteen, clumsy and shy
I went to london and i
I booked myself in at the y ... w.c.a.
I said : "i like it here - can i stay ?
I like it here - can i stay ?
Do you have a vacancy
For a back-scrubber?"


She was left behind, and sour
And she wrote to me, equally dour
She said : "in the days when you were
Hopelessly poor
I just liked you more..."


And if you have five seconds to spare
Then i'll tell you the story of my life :
Sixteen, clumsy and shy
I went to london and i
I booked myself in at the y ... w.c.a.
I said : "i like it here - can i stay ?
I like it here - can i stay ?
And do you have a vacancy
For a back-scrubber ?"


Call me morbid, call me pale
I've spent too long on your trail
Far too long
Chasing your tail
Oh ...


And if you have five seconds to spare
Then i'll tell you the story of my life :
Sixteen, clumsy and shy
That's the story of my life
Sixteen, clumsy and shy
The story of my life
That's the story of my life
That's the story of my life
That's the story of my life
The story of my life
That's the story of my life
That's the story of my life
That's the story of my life
That's the story of my life
That's the story of my life
That's the story ...

Oh ...
I know i'm unloveable
You don't have to tell me
I don't have much in my life
But take it - it's yours
I don't have much in my life
But take it - it's yours
Oh ...

I know i'm unloveable
You don't have to tell me
Oh, message received
Loud and clear
Loud and clear
I don't have much in my life
But take it - it's yours


I know i'm unloveable
You don't have to tell me
For message received
Loud and clear
Loud and clear
Message received
I don't have much in my life
But take it - it's yours


I wear black on the outside
'cause black is how i feel on the inside
I wear black on the outside
'cause black is how i feel on the inside


And if i seem a little strange
Well, that's because i am
If i seem a little strange
That's because i am


But i know that you would like me
If only you could see me
If only you could meet me


Oh ...
I don't have much in my life
But take it - it's yours
I don't have much in my life
But take it - it's yours
Mmm ...
Oh ...

A sad fact widely known
The most impassionate song
To a lonely soul
Is so easily outgrown
But don't forget the songs
That made you smile
And the songs that made you cry
When you lay in awe
On the bedroom floor
And said : "oh, oh, smother me mother..."
No ...
Rubber ring, rubber ring, rubber ring, rubber ring
La ...

The passing of time
And all of its crimes
Is making me sad again
The passing of time
And all of its sickening crimes
Is making me sad again
But don't forget the songs
That made you cry
And the songs that saved your life
Yes, you're older now
And you're a clever swine
But they were the only ones who ever stood by you


The passing of time leaves empty lives
Waiting to be filled (the passing ...)
The passing of time
Leaves empty lives
Waiting to be filled
I'm here with the cause
I'm holding the torch
In the corner of your room
Can you hear me ?
And when you're dancing and laughing
And finally living
Hear my voice in your head
And think of me kindly
No ...
Rubber ring, rubber ring, rubber ring, rubber ring
La ...
No ...
Rubber ring, rubber ring, rubber ring, rubber ring


Do you
Love me like you used to ?
Oh ...
Rubber ring, rubber ring, rubber ring, rubber ring
La ...


You're clever
Everybody's clever nowadays
You're clever
Everybody's clever nowadays


You are sleeping
You do not want to believe
You are sleeping
You do not want to believe
You are sleeping
You do not want to believe
You are sleeping

In a river the colour of lead
Immerse the baby's head
Wrap her up in the news of the world
Dump her on a doorstep, girl
This night has opened my eyes
And i will never sleep again

You kicked and cried like a bullied child
A grown man of twenty-five
Oh, he said he'd cure your ills
But he didn't and he never will
Oh, save your life
Because you've only got one


The dream has gone
But the baby is real
Oh, you did a good thing
She could have been a poet
Or, she could have been a fool
Oh, you did a bad thing
And i'm not happy
And i'm not sad


A shoeless child on a swing
Reminds you of your own again
She took away your troubles
Oh, but then again
She left pain
So, please save your life
Because you've only got one


The dream has gone
But the baby is real
Oh, you did a good thing
She could have been a poet
Or, she could have been a fool
Oh, you did a bad thing
And i'm not happy
And i'm not sad
Oh ...
And i'm not happy
And i'm not sad
Oh ...
And i'm not happy
And i'm not sad

Girl afraid
Where do his intentions lay ?

Or does he even have any ?


She says :


"he never really looks at me
I give him every opportunity
In the room downstairs
He sat and stared
In the room downstairs
He sat and stared
I'll never make that mistake again !"

I'll never make that mistake again
I'll never make that mistake again


Boy afraid
Prudence never pays


And everything she wants costs money



"but she doesn't even like me !
And i know because she said so
In the room downstairs
She sat and stared
In the room downstairs
She sat and stared
I'll never make that mistake again !"

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the sacred wunderkind
You took me behind a dis-used railway line
And said "i know a place where we can go
Where we are not known"
And then you gave me something that i won't forget too soon
But i can't believe that you'd ever care
And this is why you will never care
But these things take time
I know that i'm
The most inept
That ever stepped

I'm spellbound, oh ... but a woman divides
And the hills are alive with celibate cries
But you know where you came from, you know where
You're going and you know where you belong
You said i was ill, and you were not wrong
But i can't believe that you'd ever care
And so, you will never care
But these things take time
And i know that i'm
The most inept
That ever stepped


Oh, the alcoholic afternoons
When we sat in your rooms
They meant more to me
Than any, than any living thing on earth
They had more worth
Than any living thing on earth
On earth, on earth, oh ...


Vivid and in your prime
You will leave me behind
You will leave me behind

Learn to love me
Assemble the ways
Now, today, tomorrow and always
My only weakness is a list of crime
My only weakness is ... well, never mind, never mind

Oh, shoplifters of the world
Unite and take over
Shoplifters of the world
Hand it over
Hand it over
Hand it over


Learn to love me
And assemble the ways
Now, today, tomorrow, and always
My only weakness is a listed crime
But last night the plans of a future war
Was all i saw on channel four


Shoplifters of the world
Unite and take over
Shoplifters of the world
Hand it over
Hand it over
Hand it over


A heartless hand on my shoulder
A push - and it's over
Alabaster crashes down
(six months is a long time)
Tried living in the real world
Instead of a shell
But before i began ...
I was bored before i even began


Shoplifters of the world
Unite and take over
Shoplifters of the world
Unite and take over
Shoplifters of the world
Unite and take over
Shoplifters of the world
Take over

He was a sweet and tender hooligan, hooligan
And he said that he'd never, never do it again
And of course he won't (oh, not until the next time)

He was a sweet and tender hooligan, hooligan
And he swore that he'll never, never do it again
And of course he won't (oh, not until the next time)


Poor old man
He had an "accident" with a three-bar fire
But that's ok
Because he wasn't very happy anyway
Poor woman
Strangled in her very own bed as she read
But that's ok
Because she was old and she would have died anyway
Don't blame


The sweet and tender hooligan, hooligan
Because he'll never, never, never, never, never, never do it again
(not until the next time)


Jury, you've heard every word
So before you decide
Would you look into those "mother me" eyes
I love you for you, my love, you my love
You my love, you my love
Jury, you've heard every word
But before you decide
Would you look into those "mother me" eyes
I love you for you my love, you my love
I love you just for you, my love
Don't blame


The sweet and tender hooligan, hooligan
Because he'll never, never do it again
And ...
"in the midst of life we are in death etc."
Don't forget the hooligan, hooligan
Because he'll never, never do it again
And ...
"in the midst of life we are in death etc."


Etc! etc! etc! etc!
In the midst of life we are in death etc!
Etc! etc! etc! etc!
In the midst of life we are in debt etc!


Just will you free me ?
Will you find me ?
Will you free me ?
Will you find me ?
Will you free me, free me, free me, free me, free me, free me, free me ?
Jury will you free me ?
Will you find me ?
Will you free me ?
Will you find me ?
How will you find me, find me, find me, find me, find me, find me, find me ?
Oh etc! etc! etc! etc! etc! etc!
Etc! etc! etc! etc!
In the midst of life we are in debt etc!
Oh ... oh ...