Joe Jackson

[fox69]

"The Harder They Come"
(originally by Jimmy Cliff)

"The Harder They Come"
(originally by Jimmy Cliff)



Well, they tell me of a pie up in the sky
Waiting for me when I die
But between the day you're born and when you die
Y'know, they never seem to hear even your cry

So as sure as the sun will shine
I'm gonna get my share now what is mine
And then the harder they come, the harder they fall
One and all
The harder they come, harder they fall
One and all

And the oppressors are trying to track me down
They're tryin' to drive me underground
And they think that they have got the battle won
I say, forgive them, Lord, they know not what they've done

So as sure as the sun will shine
I'm gonna get my share now what is mine
And then the harder they come, the harder they fall
One and all
Harder they come, harder they fall
One and all

Oh ho ho
Oh ho ho

And I'll keep on fighting for the things I want
Though I know that when you're dead you can't
But I'd rather be a free man in my grave
Than living as a puppet or a slave

So as sure as the sun will shine
I'm gonna get my share now what is mine
And then the harder they come, the harder they fall
One and all
Harder they come, the harder they fall
One and all
The harder they come, the harder they fall
One and all
Yes, the harder they come, the harder they fall
One and all

 

[fox69]

"The Human Touch"

"The Human Touch"



Some say the world is spinning faster
Some say it isn't fast enough
Some people say they've got the answer
and some are scared to say they can't keep up

I read the paper but it still isn't clear
The bombs are falling but I'm still here
I know all the figures and I know all the facts
But all I can do is keep trying...
To look for the Human Touch

Life is hard when you've got nothing
Life can be hard when you've got too much
Sometimes I wonder what's the difference
It's only better with someone to touch

I got the telephone stuck to my ear
I keep yelling but you don't hear
In all the universe I'm just a speck of dust
But all I can do is keep trying...
To give you the Human Touch

You know we're nothing in the scheme of things
Just microchips in big machines
And the world is spinning round and round
but I know that we can slow it down
And I know that I can make you see
I'm on the side of you and me

and all I want to do
listen to me. .
Is give you... give you

Give you the Human Touch

 

[fox69]

"The Jet Set"

"The Jet Set"



Hey pal
Can I take your picture for the people back home
They won't believe it when they see this stuff
You see the camera that I got in Hong Kong
Completely duty free

This really is a pretty scene
But could you ask your kid to smile please
Sorry what exactly do you mean
Can you say it in English
(Say it in English)
'Cause we're the...

Jet set - get out of our way
And don't be messin' with the...
Jet set - get out of our way
We got a lot of things to see

Let's get a Big Mac
Get it while the dollar's worth a thousand yen
It's quite a bargain here
Next year
We'll save some money and we'll hire Big Ben
For our anniversary

This really is a pretty place
But I'm happy I don't live here
Hey what's the matter with the waiter's face
Can you say it in English
(Say it in English)
'Cause we're the...

Jet set - get out of our way
And don't be messin' with the...
Jet set - get out of our way
We got a lot of things to see

We're the jet set
Don't be messing with the jet set

Jet set

We're the jet set
Get out of our way
Don't be messin' with the...
Jet set - get out of our way
You know we got a lot of things to see

 

[fox69]

"The Man Who Wrote Danny Boy"

"The Man Who Wrote Danny Boy"



It happened one night
At three in the morning
The devil appeared in my studio room
And he said I'm your pal
And I'll make you a deal
Blow away your struggle
And take your soul for a toy

After rubbing my eyes
I looked all around me
At the half-finished drivel I'd worked on for days
And I told him my dream
Was to live for all time
In some perfect refrain
Like the man who wrote Danny Boy

And I said if you're real, then I'll ask you a question
While most of us turn into ashes or dust
Just you and that other guy go on forever
But who writes the history
And who do I trust?

He gave me a wink
And he said it was funny
How mortals would pour all their blood, sweat and tears
Onto tape, onto paper
Or into the air
To be lost and forgotten
Outside of his kind employ

Then I thought I could hear a great sound in the distance
Of whiskey-soaked singing
And laughter and cheers
And they're saying, that song could bring tears to a glass eye
So pass me the papers, I'll sign them in blood

And the smell of the brimstone was turned into greasepaint
And the roar of the crowd like the furies of hell
And I hear the applause and I hear the bells ringing
And the sound of a woman's voice from the next room saying

Come to me now
Come lay down beside me
Whatever you're doing you're too going to see
You can't hold onto shadows, no more than to years
So be glad for the pleasures
We're young enough to enjoy

So maybe I'm drunk
Or maybe a liar
Or maybe we're all living inside a dream
You can say what you like
When I'm gone, then you'll see
I'll be down in the dark
Down underground
With Shakespeare and Bach
And the man who wrote Danny Boy

 

[fox69]

"The Old Songs"

"The Old Songs"



There goes another one
Another happy couple on the road to emptiness
I think of my father and mother
Can they imagine how two people can get in this mess

But the old songs say - love's forever
And the old songs never say die
But a song can't keep us together
How can that beautiful song be a lie

Me I blame the old songs
Filling hearts with rebellion and romance
Our book of revelations
And all we had to do was dance

Play us another one
Play us the hopes and dreams of twenty years ago
They're all over the bloody radio
It's like they're telling us there's nowhere left to go

And the old songs say - "be my baby"
And the old songs say - "she loves you"
All the songs we'll sing come what may be
I like those songs
But I'd like something new

Me I blame the old songs
Protect us all against a change of course
All our great expectations
Turn to alimony and remorse

 

[fox69]

"The Other Me"

"The Other Me"



I guess we can still be friends
I guess we can talk at least
But if we were seventeen
Imagine the things we'd do
I know that those days are over
I'm glad that those games are won
And the winners ride off into the sunset
But it's not the same for you

And I don't want to play
Those nasty games that adults play
But I can't let you go
And I can't see another way

And I know that she's the only one for me
But you know that if I could split in two
The other me - would stay all night
The other me - would hold you tight
The other me - would be the only one for you

When I see you there alone
It almost breaks my heart
But it doesn't break enough
For me to break my whole life apart
I guess we could still be friends
And we can talk all night
But I have to bite my tongue
And sometimes words don't come out right

We're old enough to know
What we can think or say out loud
To know that hearts are not just
Cards to play when two's a crowd

And I know that she's the only one for me
But you know that if I could split in two
The other me - would stay all night
The other me - would hold you tight
The other me - would be the only one for you

The other me...
Would take you so far away from here
And he'd be...
A man with a mission...
The other me...
Might even be better than this one

And I know that she's the only one for me
But you know that if I could split in two
The other me - would stay all night
The other me - would hold you tight
The other me - would be the only one for you

 

[fox69]

"The Uptown Train"

"The Uptown Train"



If I stop – and think about it
I'm either stone cold certain
Or more inclined to doubt it
But when you jump into the darkness
Well I take off my hat

You've changed
They say –
You can know when to play or to hold
And they think they can show all that glitters is gold
And they don't care to go where you go 'cause they know you're insane
When you change
To the Uptown Train

Well I knew – that you were trouble
You were a ten time loser
Or maybe even double
But you pulled some kind of rabbit
From your hippie hat

You've changed
They say –
Take it slow when you're breaking the mold
Got to pay what you owe or be out in the cold
And they don't care to know what you know or to go through the pain
To change
To the Uptown Train

 

[fox69]

"The Verdict"

"The Verdict"



Did you do me right?
Did I do right by you?
When I bare my soul it seems you do not hear
Can this be true?
Am I a fool to fight?
I could do just what you say
But I'm following my heart and that takes me another way
It's not easy when there's no one giving prizes at the end

Waiting in the wings
Wishing that the band would start to play
As the show begins
Wonder what the critics have to say

Waiting
Waiting
For the verdict

Some people live so fast
They're so scared of getting old
Some people keep on working
All they do is line their graves with gold
We don't know what happens when we die
We only know we die too soon
But we have to try or else our world becomes a waiting room
Would you testify for me?
I think I'd do the same for you

Waiting in the dark
Waiting for the phone to ring all day
My witness disappears
Wonder what the jury has to say

Waiting
Waiting
For the verdict

Waiting
Waiting
Waiting
Waiting

 

[fox69]

"Throw It Away"

"Throw It Away"



Wake up this mornin' and the paper's on the mat
Poor getting poorer and the rich are getting fat again
Up in the towers all the bosses sitting sneezing
A half asleep and the rest all start to squeezing
Don't worry 'bout it baby, don't try to understand
You got your answer in your hand, throw it away
Throw it away, throw it away
Throw it away, throw it away

Wake up this morning there's a letter on the mat
Big brother wanna know where little brother's at again
Life is a peace of paper, goes on forever
Sign on the dotted line or end up in the river drowned
Don't worry 'bout it baby
Don't try to understand
You got the answer in your hand
Throw it away

 

[fox69]

"Thugz 'r' Us"

"Thugz 'r' Us"



Thugz R Us, Thugz R Us
Wearing hoods and baggy trousers on the bus
Thugz R Us, Thugz R Us
We don't want no trouble
Unless you make a fuss

Out in the suburbs
Life is gettin' tough
Me and my posse
Necks are gettin' rough
Down in the Boys' School
Life is gettin' hard
Know what I'm sayin'
Fightin' in the yard

We got wide-arsed hippie mums
We look smart but we wanna be so dumb

Thugz R Us, Thugz R Us
Wearing hoods and baggy trousers on the bus
Thugz R Us, Thugz R Us
We don't want no trouble
Unless you make a fuss

I got some mash-ups
With Snoop and Dr Dre
I play 'em louder
When my dad's away
We got a Volvo
And plastic chandeliers
Know what I'm sayin'
It's boring me to tears

We got tight-arsed drippy dads
We look good but we wanna be bad

Thugz R Us, Thugz R Us
Wearing hoods and baggy trousers on the bus
Thugz R Us, Thugz R Us
We don't want no trouble
Unless you make a fuss

We got beer but we want some crack
We look white but we wanna be black

Thugz R Us