Personal Effects

Watery eyes of the last sighing seconds,
Blue reflections mute and dim
Beckon tearful child of wonder
To repentance of the sin.
And the blind and lusty lovers
Of the great eternal lie
Go on believing nothing
Since something has to die.
And the ape's curiosity
Money power wins,
And the yellow soft mountains move under him.

I'm with you L.E.M.
Though it's a shame that it had to be you.
The mother ship is just a blip
From your trip made for two.
I'm with you boys, so please employ just a little extra care.
It's on my mind I'm left behind
When I should have been there.
Walking with you.

And the limp face hungry viewers
Fight to fasten with their eyes
Like the man hung from the trapeze
Whose fall will satisfy.
And congratulate each other
On their rare and wondrous deed

That their begrudged money bought
To sow the monkey's seed.
And the yellow soft mountains
They grow very still
Witness as intrusion the humanoid thrill.

Says Red Molly, to James, "Well that's a fine motorbike.
A girl could feel special on any such like."
Says James, to Red Molly, "My hat's off to you.
It's a Vincent Black Lightning, 1952.

And I've seen you on the corners and cafes, it seems.
Red hair and black leather, my favorite color scheme."
And he pulled her on behind,
And down to Boxhill,

They'd Ride.
Says James, to Red Molly, "Here's a ring for your right hand.
But I'll tell you in earnest I'm a dangerous man;
For I've fought with the law since I was seventeen.

I've robbed many a man to get my Vincent machine.
And now I'm twenty-one years, I might make twenty-two.
And I don't mind dyin' but for the love of you.
But if fate should break my stride, then I'll give you my Vincent, To Ride."

"Come down Red Molly," called Sargent McQuade.
"For they've taken young James Aidee for Armed Robbery.
Shotgun blast hit his chest, left nothing inside.
Oh, come down, Red Molly, to his dying bedside."

When she came to the hospital, there wasn't much left.
He was runnin' out of road. He was runnin' out of breath.
But he smiled, to see her cry.
And said, "I'll give you my Vincent.
To Ride."

Said James, "In my opinion, there's nothing in this world
Beats a '52 Vincent and a Redheaded girl.
Now Nortons and Indians and Greavses won't do.
Oh, they don't have a Soul like a Vincent '52."

Well he reached for her hand and he slipped her the keys.
He said, "I've got no further use...for these.
I see Angels on Ariels in leather and chrome,
Swoopin' down from Heaven to carry me home."

And he gave her one last kiss and died.
And he gave her his Vincent.
To Ride.

I can't get no satisfaction
I can't get me no satisfaction
And I try and I try and I try t-t-t-t-try try
I can't get no I can't get me no
When I'm riding in my car
And a man comes on the radio
He's tellin' me more and more
About some useless information
Supposed to fire my imagination
I can't get no uh no no no
Hey hey hey that's what I say
I can't get no satisfaction
I can't get me no girly action
When I'm watchin' my TV
And a man comes on to tell me
How white my shirts could me
But he can't be a man 'cause he does not smoke
The same cigarettes as me
And when I'm flying around the world
And I'm doin' this and I'm tryin' do that
And I'm trying to make some girl
Tells me baby better come back later next week
Can't you see I'm on a losing streak

I was born in '63
Got a little job in the factory
I don't know much about Kennedy
I was too busy working in the factory

We got a kid that's two, we got another one due
We get by the best we can do
The factory's got a good medical plan
And, cousin, I'm a union man
Saying, Yes sir, no sir, yes sir, no sir, yes sir, no sir - Work !

I was born in Mechanicsburg
My daddy worked for Pontiac 'til he got hurt
Now he's on disability
And I got his old job in the factory
Saying, Yes sir, no sir, yes sir, no sir, yes sir, no sir - Work !

Early in the morning I feel a chill
The factory whistle blows loud and shrill
I'd kill my wife or she'd kill me
But we gotta go to work in the factory
Six days a week at the factory
Up early in the morning at the factory
I've been working in the factory
Johnny, I've been working in the factory
Kickin' asbestos in the factory
Punchin' out Chryslers in the factory
Breathin' that plastic in the factory
Makin' polyvinyl chloride in the factory

Walking down madison - I swear I never had a gun
No I never shot no-one - I was only having fun
Walking down madison - swear I never had a gun
I was philosophizing some
Checking out the bums

See you give 'em your nickels, your pennies and dimes
But you can't give 'em hope in these mercenary times, oh no
And you feel real guilty about the coat on your back
And the sandwich you had, oh no

From an uptown apartment to a knife on the a train
It's not that far
From the sharks in the penthouse to the rats in the basement
It's not that far
To the bag lady frozen asleep in the park
Oh no it's not that far
Would you like to see some more?
I can show you if you'd like to

Walking down madison - I swear I never had a gun
No I never shot no-one - wouldn't do it just for fun
Walking down madison - trying to keep my head screwed on
I was philosophizing some
Checking out the nuns

When you get to the corner don't look at those freaks
Keep your head down low and stay quick on your feet, oh yeah
The beaming boy from harlem with the airforce coat
The ones who died
The ones who tried
The ones that sit and gloat

From an uptown apartment to a knife on the a train
It's not that far
From the sharks in the penthouse to the rats in the basement
It's not that far
To the bag lady frozen asleep on the church steps
It's not that far
Would you like to see some more?
I can show you if you'd like to

Within every city and town there's a madison
Frozen lives for whom nothing's happening
Hungry children is a mother's dilemma
Dumpster diving to feed her baby emma
So you walk on by like it doesn't affect you
The held out hand that you pay no respect to
Nickels and dimes won't even buy your guilt
Another wino burnt to death in his quilt
It's a cardboard city, newspaper metropolis
The system can't cope or keep on top of this
The authorities come as you're not for display
Do they solve the problem no they move him away
They're in a vicious circle of no fixed abode
The social won't pay 'em the money they're owed
When you've got no money you can't pay rent
Hypothermia kills ''cause the system is bent

From an uptown apartment to a knife on the a train
It's not that far
From the sharks in the penthouse to the rats in the basement
It's not that far
To the bag lady frozen asleep in the park
Oh no it's not that far
Would you like to see some more?
I can show you if you'd like to

From an uptown apartment to a knife on the a train
It's not that far
From the sharks in the penthouse to the rats in the basement
It's not that far
To the bag lady frozen asleep on the church steps
It's not that far
Would you like to see some more?
I can show you if you'd like to

In the subway sits a vacuous man
His grip on life is a bent tin can
It's a holy shrine where he burns his light
It makes things easy and removes his plight
For an hour or two but he can't escape
They're all penned in with government tape
There are good samaritans who bring the soup
The sally army with their bibles and boots
You can see yourself as it's not too far
One short trip you don't who they are
Till the night comes then it all comes back
Like the smell of patchouli and the armies of rats
It's a shame to be human it's a human shame
It seems we've forgotten we're one and the same

There's no point in asking
You'll get no reply.
Oh just remember a don't decide
I got no reason it's all too much
You'll always find us
Out to lunch

Oh we're so pretty
Oh so pretty
We're vacant
Oh we're so pretty
Oh so pretty
A-vacant

Don't ask us to attend
Cause we're not all there.
Oh don't pretend 'cause I don't care
I don't believe illusions 'cause too much is real
So stop your cheap comment
Cause we know what we feel

Oh we're so pretty
Oh so pretty
We're vacant
Oh we're so pretty
Oh so pretty
A-vacant

Oh we're so pretty
Oh so pretty
Ah but now
And we don't care

There's no point...(etc.)
Oh we're so pretty
Oh so pretty
We're vacant

Oh we're so pretty
Oh so pretty
A-vacant

Oh we're so pretty
Oh so pretty
Ah but now
And we don't care

We're pretty a-pretty vacant
We don't care

Babylon's burning You're burning the street You're burning your houses With anxiety With anxiety Babylon's burning Babylon's burning With anxiety Babylon's burning Babylon's burning Babylon's burning You're burning the street You're burning the ghetto With anxiety With anxiety Babylon's burning Babylon's burning With anxiety Babylon's burning Babylon's burning Babylon's burning, baby Can't you see? Babylon's burning With anxiety You'll burn as your work You'll burn at your play smouldering With ignorance and hate And with anxiety Babylon's burning Babylon's burning With anxiety Babylon's burning Babylon's burning Babylon's burning, baby Can't you see? Babylon's burning With anxiety Babylon's burning Babylon's burning Babylon is... burning Babylon's burning Babylon's burning Babylon's burning

I know it's out of fashion
And a trifle uncool
But I can't help it
I'm a romantic fool
It's a habit of mine
To watch the sun go down
On Echo beach, I watch the sun go down

From nine till five I have to spend my time at work
The job is very boring, I'm an office clerk
The only thing that helps pass the time away
Is knowing I'll be back at Echo Beach some day

On a silent summer evening
The sky's alive with light
Building in the distance
Surrealistic sight
On Echo Beach
Waves make the only sound
On Echo Beach
There's not a soul around

From nine till five I have to spend my time at work
The job is very boring, I'm an office clerk
The only thing that helps pass the time away
Is knowing I'll be back at Echo Beach some day

Echo Beach
Far away in time
Echo Beach
Far away in time