Chumbawamba

[fox69]

"Laughter In A Time Of War"

"Laughter In A Time Of War"


Sometimes feels like singing your life away
F sharp minor up and down the motorway
Too dog-tired; wouldn't want it any other way
Laughter in a time of War
Love on a Monday, football on a Saturday
Home-grown strawberries to justify the rain
Sometimes I do, but I shouldn't complain
Laughter in a time of War
Oh my soul
We got oil for the pan
We got rock n roll
Laughter lines run deeper than skin
And the world's just
Something that the cat brought in
Late summer evening after the attack
Food from the aeroplanes wrapped up in a flag
He went for the money but he won't come back
Laughter in a time of War
Take my life and sing it back to me
My big mouth, it's my own worst enemy
Funny how it all sounds better in harmony
Laughter in a time of War
Oh my soul
[Repeat]
The people at the top have further to fall

 

[fox69]

"Learning To Love"

"Learning To Love"



I courted a man from the Lancs Fusiliers
He gave me his heart and so I loved him dear
For he took me a-courting and he taught me to dance
Then he marched with the infantry over to France

He told me to wait he'd be back in a year
Now seventeen months I have wished he were here
And I'll wait no longer, I'll take what I can
So I'm learning to love with another young man

Learning to love
Learning to love
Tired of the waiting
I'm learning to love

So I courted a man from the Royal Horse Blues
He soon had to leave and I said I'd be true
Now he's gone for his duty not seven weeks yet
So I've found a new young man to help me forget

I courted a man from the Kent Volunteer
Now he's gone a-marching, and I wish he were here
What can I do while my love is away?
But court with a soldier from the Royal Scots Grey

One day they'll come back and then I'll be true
For I've learnt how to love and I've learnt how to choose
To every young woman who waits at the shore
Love while you're waiting; you'll learn so much more

 

[fox69]

"Lest We Forget"

"Lest We Forget"



It's such an easy step
From lets forget to lest we forget
We haven't learned this yet
From Cold Harbor lane to Oklahoma and back again
The problems stay the same

It's such an easy step
From lets forget to lest we forget
We haven't learned this yet
We haven't learned this yet

 

[fox69]

"Liberation"

"Liberation"


There's always been a pattern of struggle and defeat
Never that cycle incomplete
Never enough to tip the scales
Too many people rotting in jails
Or bloodied on the battlefields
The history books from every age
Have the same words written on every page
Always starting with 'Revolution'
And ending with 'Capitulation'
Always silenced by the truncheon
Or bought out with concessions
Always repetition...
Repetition... repetition... repetition...
[Repeat]
I'm the boss of the factory
I'm in charge of the U.K.C.
Shopfloor workers run and fetch
As I sit around and smugly watch
And the process makes me stinking rich
We're all links in the factory chain
And the chain grows longer day by day
And whilst we're apart
The process won't stop
Repetition... repetition... repetition...
[Repeat]
But we're kept apart by philosophies
And moral stances and policies
We'll be stuck in our own little ghettos forever
'Til we start to work together
Together... Together... Together... Together in the open or together in our little heaven?
Fighting for total change, or working for concessions?
Do we take what is ours, or ask that it be given?
Are we stealing it together, or asking for permission?
Even though we disagree we share a common enemy
Our methods may not be the same
But together we can break the chain
Different aims, different means, with common ground in between
Don't sit back, it's time to act
This life is ours, let's snatch it back
Even though we disagree we share a common enemy
Our methods may not be the same
But together we can break the chain
Different aims, different means, with common ground in between
Don't sit back, it's time to act
This life is ours, let's snatch it back
The time has come to make a choice
Stop taking orders from His Master's Voice!

 

[fox69]

"Lie Lie Lie Lie"

"Lie Lie Lie Lie"



Lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie
Lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie
I failed the audition for celebrity squares
Your life is a dream, then you wake up
You watch Friends together, then you break up
I could win an Oscar, I could be so sincere
Lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie
My psychic make up--it's all over the place
Your life is a dream, then you wake up
You watch Friends together, then you break up
I'd like to thank you all, through this flood of tears
Lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie
Lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie
Thank you... thank you... oh, thank you...
Lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie
Lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie
Lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie
Lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie

 

[fox69]

"Look! No Strings!"

"Look! No Strings!"


Look, no strings--just paper, glue, and card
Hark, the angels sing 'Paste the Lord'
That was the Armley tabernacle choir.
Next we'll be hearing the true story of an American housewife who claims to have taken mid-air photographs of Jesus Christ in the skies of Indiana.
High above the streets and houses
Misses Meta Battle, with one hand on the Valium and one hand on the bottle
Somewhere over Indiana, eight miles high
Meta Battle sees the good Lord wandering 'cross the sky
[Chorus]
Have your fun whilst your alive
You won't get nothing when you die
Have a good time all the time because you won't get nothing when you die
Look, no strings--just paper, glue, and card
Hark, the angels sing 'Paste the Lord'
Gobsmacked, William Shatnered
Meta does a double take
Come on baby, do the camera shake
Half expecting from the aisle a certain Mister Beadle
Watching you, watching us, watching Misses Meta Battle
[Repeat chorus]
Look, no strings--just paper, glue, and card
Hark, the angels sing 'Paste the Lord'
Meta Battle shot her Lord
And watched him tumble down
And now there's people out with Polaroids all around town
And who knows, that Jesus on the church near your house may well be the original
Kiss it as you pass
[Repeat chorus]
Look, no strings--just paper, glue, and card
Hark, the angels sing 'Paste the Lord'
[Repeat]
Susej em kcuf ho
[Repeat]

 

[fox69]

"Lord Bateman's Motorbike"

"Lord Bateman's Motorbike"



Lord Bateman runs an inn out on the A65
Sort of place where everybody drinks before they drive
Weekends runs a motorbike to Scarborough and back
He’s not too many brandies from a second heart attack
John Barleycorn he works the land and drinks at Bateman’s Inn
And every evening toasts to all the things that might have been
Tells the world that once he had a trial for Hull KR
Now he watches them on TV in the corner of the bar

Bateman gets up early lifts the latches on the gate
Seven horses stabled and the family sleeping late
Fourteen hundred acres two daughters and a son
He’ll ride the eastern coast and back before the morning’s done
Barleycorn he’s up at dawn and working off the beer
Same thing every day of every week of every year
Hears Lord Bateman racing by along the county lanes
And pulls his jacket tight against the coming of the rain...

Lord Bateman meets the storm that’s coming in from the shore
Speeding over Quarry Hill at 85 or more
There’s rain to take the wheels away rain among the glass
And rain to wash the blood into the tarmac and the grass
In the months to come John Barleycorn he sits and drinks his fill
Measures out his life between his pocket and the till
So down the generations Bateman’s son behind the bar
While Barleycorn he sips his beer and watches Hull KR.

 

[fox69]

"Love Can Knock You Over"

"Love Can Knock You Over"


Here's the devil in disguise
Hits me right between the eyes
Like a thief out of the night
Someone taught him how to fight

[Chorus]
Love can knock you over
Love can knock you over
Tongue-tied and crucified
Cross my heart and hope to die
But I'll get up again
And I'll fall down again
And I'll get fooled again

[Repeat chorus]

Beaten by the sucker punch
And I don't care about getting' up
You can count me out this time
And I won't mind
So used to useless metaphors
Lost the battle, won the war
Words to fight another day
Pass away

[Repeat chorus]

 

[fox69]

"Love Me"

"Love Me"


I'm an anarchist. I'm the anti-christ. Well, sort of. Not really. Its not big.
Its not clever. I'm quite a reasonable fella. Your friendly uncle, good with
kinds, good ol' paternalist pop. Good cop, Bad cop, Good cop, Bad cop, Good
cop, Good cop. I was a wannabe and wannabe's don't know what they want to be.
I neednt of worried cos the man upstairs was looking out for me. God gave me the
finger with his free hand, now I'm his left hand man.
Hey punk! Don't call me mac, my name is John Trabant!

[Chorus]
Love Me, Love Me
Love Me, Love Me
Love Me, Love Me
Love Me, Love Me
Take Me, Take Me
Seriously
Love Me, Love Me
Love Me, Love Me

They call me the great pretender. John Noakes was my mentor. I'm a walking
talking ideas man, here's one I prepared earlier. Stretch Armstrong and his
rubber band. Edwin Meese and the sex police. Please Mr Postman, post-post
modern, deliver us from Elvis. Be-bop-a-lula baby baby, does good culture yes!
Now I found what I'm looking for, I find myself in another fine mess. Someone
muddied my waters. I lost my way but now I see. I O.d'd no ironey.
I'll rediscover God for the next L.P.

[Chorus]
Love Me, Love Me
Love Me, Love Me
Love Me, Love Me
Love Me, Love Me
Take Me, Take Me
Seriously
Love Me, Love Me
Love Me, Love Me

Bend me shake me any way you want me, whatever you want, Ill be your hearts
desire. Black and cuddley, you want love me. Pop me cork, watch me pop like
bubbly. Hot or not, you've got to use what you've got. Where's the weak spot, let
me take a shot. What a turn on. Does it feel lovely? Love me love me love me love me ...
"Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, how you came up. Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, heavens above!"
Johhny Johnny what for art thou, how goes Victor Jara. I got a stadium sized
pro rata headache. Pretentious moi. The ghost of Eamonn Andrews smiling
watching over me. I love it. Lets shoot it. Johnny Trib in a movie. I paid my
dues, I sung the blues and Ive done pain personal hell. Pass me the phone I got
calls to make, this will sell and sell. I'm as Bob Roberts to you Phil Ochs,
talking political. So love, love me, love me I'm a liberal!

[Chorus]
Love Me, Love Me
Love Me, Love Me
Love Me, Love Me
Love Me, Love Me
Take Me, Take Me
Seriously
Love Me, Love Me
Freeze Frame Love Me.

 

[fox69]

"Marching Round In Circles"

"Marching Round In Circles"


Marching round in circles round another institution
Whilst the people on the inside are planning our destruction
Marching round in circles round another institution
Another demonstration that our freedom's an illusion

They knew that we were coming
We asked them if we could
They organized our protest
They laid it on for us
They let us make a noise
They let us march around
In a specially built police-cell
They call Trafalgar Square

If no-one breaks the rules
Nothing will change
If no-one breaks the laws
It will always be the same
Step out of line
Increase our demands
If we don't break the rules
We just go round and round and round and round and round

Marching round in circles round another institution
Whilst the people on the inside are planning our destruction
Marching round in circles round another institution
Another demonstration that our freedom's an illusion

They knew that we were coming
We asked them if we could
They organized our protest
They laid it on for us
They let us make a noise
They let us march around
In a specially built police-cell
They call Hyde Park

If no-one breaks the rules
Nothing will change
If no-one breaks the laws
It will always be the same
Step out of line
Increase our demands
If we don't break the rules
We just go round and round and round and round and round

[Song repeats from beginning]

Round and round and round and round
Round and round and round and round
Round and round and round and round
Round and round and round and round
Round and round and round and round
Round and round and round and round
Round and round and round and round
Round and round and round and round