I Can't St

Oh, it's cold and lonely here-
Here in this telephone booth
There's three sides to every story:
Yours and mine and the cold, hard truth
I think there's something missing 'round here
I don't know where it's gone
But it's a long way back home

The heat don't work
The toaster don't work
The car don't work
And i guess i know why
This house don't work and this dream don't
Work no more
And lover, neither do you and i
I fall asleep with the colors flying
Over sand and foam
But it's a long way back home

And it's a long way back home
And it's a long way back home
It's a long way back home

Instrumental

johnny can't read


Football, baseball, basket ball games
Drinkin' bear, kickin' ass and takin' down names
With the top down, get-a-round, shootin' the line
Summer is here and johnny's feelin' fine

But johnny can't read
Summer is over and he's gone to seed
Johnny can't read
He never learned nothin' that he'll ever need

Well, johnny can dance and johnny can love
Johnny can push and johnny can shove
Johnny can hang out; johnny can talk tough
Johnny can get down and johnny can throw up

But johnny can't read
Summer is over and he's gone to seed
(you know that), johnny can't read
He never learned nothin' that he'll ever need
Well, is it teacher's fault? oh no!
Is it mommy's fault? oh no!
Is it society's fault? oh no!
Well is it johnny's fault? ohhhhh nooooo!

Couple years later, johnny's on the run
Johnny got confused and he bought himself a gun
Well, he went and did something that he shouldn't
Oughta done
F.b.i. on his tail
"use a gun-go to jail"
But johnny can't read
Summer is over and he's gone to seed
(you know that), johnny can't read
He never learned nothin' that he'll ever need
Well is is teacher's fault? oh no
Is it mommie's fault? oh no
Is it the president's fault? oh no
Well is it johnny's fault? ohhhhh nooooo!

Johnny can dance and johnny can love
Johnny can push and johnny can shove
Johnny can pinball; johnny can talk tough
Johnny can get down and johnny can throw up

Well, recess is over
Recess is over!

Sitcoms, "t.&a."
Johnny's mind is blown away
Cop shows, horror flicks
Johnny's brain is full of bricks
Rock show, video
Boob tube, rubik's cube
Game fools, sunday school
Gain fans(?), gobble gangs(?)
Wonka wonka wonka
There's a new kid in town...

"i make my living off the evening news
Just give me something-something i can use
People love it when you lose,
They love dirty laundry

Well, i coulda been an actor, but i wound up here
I just have to look good, i don't have to be clear
Come and whisper in my ear
Give us dirty laundry

Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em all around

We got the bubble-headed-bleach-blonde who
Comes on at five
She can tell you 'bout the plane crash with a gleam
In her eye
It's interesting when people die-
Give us dirty laundry

Can we film the operation?
Is the head dead yet?
You know, the boys in the newsroom got a
Running bet
Get the widow on the set!
We need dirty laundry

You don't really need to find out what's going on
You don't really want to know just how far it's gone
Just leave well enough alone
Eat your dirty laundry

Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down

Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're stiff
Kick 'em all around

Dirty little secrets
Dirty little lies
We got our dirty little fingers in everybody's pie
We love to cut you down to size
We love dirty laundry

We can do "the innuendo"
We can dance and sing
When it's said and done we haven't told you a thing
We all know that crap is king
Give us dirty laundry!

I know you love me
You know i love you too
You know i always will
No matter what you do

You say you haven't got another lover
You say you only want to make the scene
Then you try to keep it under cover
What does that mean?

And baby, i can't stand still (while he's holding you)
I can't stand (while he's kissing you)

So we got a little problem, baby:
How to put together love and work
If i could figure out that one, darlin'
I could save us from a world of hurt

I remember when we walked together
Makin' love on a summer night
Guess we thought that it would last forever
We were all right

But baby, i can't stand still (while he's holding you)
I can't stand still (while he's touching you)

I can take it if you need some freedom
Understand it if you miss your friends
Don't you ever try to think of me some
You never tell me where you've been

You say you haven't got another lover
You say you only want to make the scene
Then you try to keep it under cover
What does that mean?

And baby, i can't stand still (while he's holding you)
I can't stand still (while he's kissing you)
And baby, i can't stand still (while he's holding you)
I can't stand still (while he's touching you)
I can't stand still

talking to the moon


In the hot september sun down in texas
Sucked the streams bone dry
Turned to roads to dust
In the sleepy little towns down in texas,
The shades are all pulled down;
The streets are all rolled up.
And the only thing that breaks the silence
Are the trucks a-passin' by
Late at night on the front porch swing
You can hear their mournful sigh
And the lonesome weeping willow cries to the stars above
He was callin' out for his lady love
She's been gone so long

I was just talkin' to the moon
Hopin' someday soon that i'd be over
The memory of you-too hard to hold

And the wind across the plains
Is all that now remains
And the night shakes loose the names
But they never quite go back the way they came

So, good-bye rodeo
It's a long, funny way for men to go
Never change
Never change at all

I was just talkin' to the moon
Hopin' someday soon that i'd be over
The memory of you- too hard to hold on

I was just talkin' to the moon
Hopin' someday soon that i'd be over the
Memory of you