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 ...

I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour
But heaven knows i'm miserable now

I was looking for a job, and then i found a job
And heaven knows i'm miserable now


In my life
Why do i give valuable time
To people who don't care if i live or die ?


Two lovers entwined pass me by
And heaven knows i'm miserable now


I was looking for a job, and then i found a job
And heaven knows i'm miserable now


In my life
Oh, why do i give valuable time
To people who don't care if i live or die ?


What she asked of me at the end of the day
Caligula would have blushed


"you've been in the house too long" she said
And i (naturally) fled


In my life
Why do i smile
At people who i'd much rather kick in the eye ?


I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour
But heaven knows i'm miserable now


"you've been in the house too long" she said
And i (naturally) fled


In my life
Why do i give valuable time
To people who don't care if i live or die ?

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

I left the north
I travelled south
I found a tiny house
And i can't help the way i feel
Oh yes, you can kick me
And you can punch me
And you can break my face
But you won't change the way i feel
'cause i love you
Oh ...

And is it really so strange ?
Oh, is it really so strange ?
Oh, is it really so, really so strange ?
I say no, you say yes
(and you will change your mind)


I left the south
I travelled north
I got confused - i killed a horse
I can't help the way i feel
Oh yes, you can punch me
And you can butt me
And you can break my spine
But you won't change the way i feel
'cause i love you
Oh ...


And is it really so strange ?
Oh, is it really so strange ?
Oh, is it really so, really so strange ?
I say no, you say yes
(but you will change your mind)


I left the north again
I travelled south again
And i got confused - i killed a nun
I can't help the way i feel
I can't help the way i feel
I can't help the way i feel
(i lost my bag in newport pagnell)


Why is the last mile the hardest mile ?
My throat was dry, with the sun in my eyes
And i realised, i realised
I could never
I could never, never, never, go back home again

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

I would rather not go
Back to the old house
I would rather not go
Back to the old house
There's too many
Bad memories
Too many memories
There ...
There ...
There ...

When you cycled by
Here began all my dreams
The saddest thing i've ever seen
And you never knew
How much i really liked you
Because i never even told you
Oh, and i meant to


Are you still there ?
Or ... have you moved away ?
Or have you moved away ?
Oh ...


I would love to go
Back to the old house
But i never will
I never will ...
I never will ...
I never will ...

The rain falls hard on a humdrum town
This town has dragged you down
Oh, the rain falls hard on a humdrum town
This town has dragged you down
Oh, no, and everybody's got to live their life
And god knows i've got to live mine
God knows i've got to live mine
William, william it was really nothing
William, william it was really nothing
It was your life ...

How can you stay with a fat girl who'll say :
"oh ! would you like to marry me ?
"and if you like you can buy the ring"
She doesn't care about anything
Would you like to marry me ?
And if you like you can buy the ring
I don't dream about anyone - except myself !
Oh, william, william it was really nothing
William, william

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 ...