The Kinks

[fox69]

"Definite Maybe"

"Definite Maybe"



Got a letter through the post that says I don't exist.
Apparently the new computer thinks I won't be missed.
We need more facts, perhaps you would find out and forward them.
There's no proof or trace or date or place or where or when.
Central Information's got no news today (today).
Is there a change in my position?
No decision, no decision.

All I ever get is a definite maybe.

Head office thinks I'm dead,
But I'm not even ill.
How do I get attention,
Tell me who I have to kill.
Is there a change in my condition?
Not today.
The answer comes with repetition,
No decision, no decision.

'Round and 'round the circle goes,
Stood in line but the counter was closed.
And when I ask who is responsible,
Nobody knows, "Try one of those."

All I want is a yes or a no,
(All he wants is a yes or a no).
But all I ever get is a definite maybe.
Tried to make my life a misery,
But they don't want to know,
They don't want to know,
They don't want to know.

And all I ever get is a definite maybe.
No decision, no decision.

Surely there must be a way to open all the doors,
And wade through all the petty bureaucratic little laws.
Frustration everywhere I turn, I just get more and more.
Everyone's got problems and they've heard all mine before.

Oh, I'm tired of making endless calls.
(Somebody help this poor man.)
Banging my head against the wall.
I walk along an endless corridor,
Then I knock on the door, then I realize
That I've been there before.
No one here can hear my case.
So all I ever get is a definite maybe.
When they say, "no news today, get back in the queue,"
What can I do? What can I do? What can I do?
No decision, no decision.
No decision.
All I ever get (no decision) is a definite maybe (no decision).

 

[fox69]

"Demolition"

"Demolition"


[Sung by Flash and his Cronies in their Den]

I spy with my little eye
Anything here that I can buy.
I see a little thatched cottage
Looking so neat
With compulsory purchase we can buy it up cheap.
Then we'll pull up the floor boards,
Knock down the walls,
Rock the foundations,
Until the house falls.
Like a pack of cards,
Crashing to the ground.
Then we'll build a row
Of identical boxes
And sell them all off at treble the profits.
Demolition.

The deeds are in my pocket,
I've got a contract in my hand.
An opportunity for luxury living.
I'll arrange the mortgage
To be repaid a hundred percent.
I can't wait around so make your decision.
We'll buy up all the cottages
And every house and every street,
Until we've got everything we need.
Every town in the vicinity,
Every farm and village green.
We're gonna buy up everything,
Then it's Demolition.
Demolition. Demolition.

Two up, two down,
It hasn't got a garden,
But it's got a lovely patio.
Stainless steel kitchen sink,
Gas fired central heating,
Whaaa - specifically designed for modern-day living,
Nothing's permanent and nothing lasts,
We've sold all the houses so put 'em up fast.
We're gonna buy up this town
And pull it all down.
How I love to hear the demolition sound
Of concrete crashing to the ground.
Demolition.

It's time to make some money,
It's time to get rich quick.
It's the wonderful world of capitalism.
I've got to make a profit,
I've got to satisfy my greed,
It's my faith and my religion,
Demolition. Demolition. Demolition.
And we'll buy up the towns,
And we'll knock 'em all down
Build a brand new world of our own.
[Repeat]

 

[fox69]

"Denmark Street"

"Denmark Street"



Down the way from the Tottenham Court Road
Just round the corner from old Soho
There's a place where the publishers go
If you don't know which way to go
Just open your ears and follow your nose
'Cos the street is shakin' from the tapping of toes
You can hear that music play anytime on any day
Every rhythm, every way
You got to a publisher and play him your song
He says 'I hate your music and you hair is too long
But I'll sign you up because I'd hate to be wrong'
You've got a tune it's in your head you want to get it placed
So you take it up to a music man just to see what he will say
He says 'I hate the tune, I hate the words but I'll tell you what I'll do
I'll sign you up and take it round the street and see if it makes the grade'
And you might even hear it played on the rock 'n' roll hit parade
Daytime, night time, every week you can hear that heavy beat
Now the walls are shaking from the tapping of feet
Daytime, night time, every day you can hear that music play
Every rhythm, every way

 

[fox69]

"Destroyer"

"Destroyer"



Met a girl called Lola and I took her back to my place
Feelin' guilty, feelin' scared, hidden cameras everywhere
Stop! Hold on. Stay in control

Girl, I want you here with me
But I'm really not as cool as I'd like to be
'Cause there's a red, under my bed
And there's a little yellow man in my head
And there's a true blue inside of me
That keeps stoppin' me, touchin' ya, watchin' ya, lovin' ya

Paranoia, the destroyer.
Paranoia, the destroyer.

Well I fell asleep, then I woke feelin' kinda' queer
Lola looked at me and said, "ooh you look so weird."
She said, "man, there's really something wrong with you.
One day you're gonna' self-destruct.
You're up, you're down, I can't work you out
You get a good thing goin' then you blow yourself out."

Silly boy ya' self-destroyer. Silly boy ya' self-destroyer

Silly boy you got so much to live for
So much to aim for, so much to try for
You blowing it all with paranoia
You're so insecure you self-destroyer

(And it goes like this, here it goes)
Paranoia, the destroyer
(Here it goes again)
Paranoia, the destroyer

Doctor, Doctor help me please, I know you'll understand
There's a time device inside of me, I'm a self-destructin' man
There's a red, under my bed
And there's a little green man in my head
And he said, "you're not goin' crazy, you're just a bit sad
'Cause there's a man in ya, gnawin' ya, tearin' ya into two."

Silly boy ya' self-destroyer.
Paranoia, the destroyer

Self-destroyer, wreck your health
Destroy friends, destroy yourself
The time device of self-destruction
Light the fuse and start eruption

(Yea, it goes like this, here it goes)
Paranoia, the destroyer
(Here's to paranoia)
Paranoia, the destroyer
(Hey hey, here it goes)
Paranoia, the destroyer
(And it goes like this)

Paranoia, the destroyer
(And it goes like this.)

 

[fox69]

"Did Ya?"

"Did Ya?"



Went for a walk down the Old King's Road,
To see if anybody was there.
But there was nobody home at 3 Bywater Street,
And they had sold Cadogan Square.
And I remember myself in my tie dye sweater,
And my hipster corduroy flares.
As I knocked on doors,
And walked down one-way streets that led nowhere.

Ah, did ya ever think it wouldn't last forever?
Did ya ever think that it would get this bad?
Did ya ever think that everything would get so crazy?

Now the Chelsea Drug Store needs a fix,
It's in a state of ill repair.
And my Cuban heels are hurting my feet,
Just to add to my despair.
La-di-dahs drove Mini cars in the summertime.
(In the summertime)
Now they're towed away for parking on a double yellow line,
And they can't pay the fine.
(Did you ever think)
Did you ever think we'd all believe the hype?
(Did you ever think)
Did you ever think the classes all would revert back to type?
(Did you ever think)
Did you ever think the system ever really got it right?
Oh, baby.

They filled us full of false illusions and promiscuity,
And they led us down that class-less road to mediocrity.
As we walked down that alley way of hope,
We thought we'd found the motherload,
But we were led like lambs to that promise land,
With all the debts that we would owe.
Once trendies posed for tourist pictures in the summertime.
(In the summertime)
Not content with taking Polaroids, they purchased all the property that they could find,
And I've just sold mine. (Did you ever!)

Did ya ever think that this green and plesant land,
(Did ya ever think)
Would end up in the bottom of some garbage can,
(Did ya ever think)
A dustbin full of promises and half-hearted plans.
Oh, baby.

Did ya, did ya, did ya ever think?
Did you ever think?
(In the summertime)

Now miseries and groaners moan and reminisce about the good old times and whine, whine, whine.
(Did ya ever think)
Did ya ever think when things were really fab,
(Did ya ever think)
That we'd be looking through a dustbin for a dog-end to drag,
(Did ya ever think)
And sleep on park benches wrapped in plastic bags.
Oh, baby.

Did ya ever think that it would get this crazy?
(Did ya ever think)
Did ya ever think that it would get this way?
(Did ya ever think)
Did ya ever think that we would pay the price for being lazy?

 

[fox69]

"Did You See His Name?"

"Did You See His Name?"



Did you see his name in the local paper,
Stole a tin of beans,
From a cut-priced grocery store.
The judge said he must pay,
So he put him on probation,
And the paper gave his name.

Did you see his name in the criminal section,
And the center page.
Gave his name and his address,
They stopped him doing it again,
So they put him to dishonour,
And put the man to shame.

He lost his little job,
His employer was absolved of blame.
His world just crumbled down,
Incidently, did you see his name,
In the obiturary column,
Letters edged in black.
Life was much too hard to live,
So he brought it to an end,
In his gas-filled maisonette.
Because he couldn't stand the strain.

La-la-la-la-la
Life was much too hard to live,
So he brought it to an end,
In his gas-filled maisonette.
Because he couldn't stand the strain.

Did you see his name?
Did you see his name?
Did you see his name?

 

[fox69]

"Do It Again"

"Do It Again"



Standing in the middle of nowhere,
Wondering how to begin.
Lost between tomorrow and yesterday,
Between now and then.

And now we're back where we started,
Here we go round again.
Day after day I get up and I say
I better do it again.

Where are all the people going?
Round and round till we reach the end.
One day leading to another,
Get up, go out, do it again.

Then it's back where you started,
Here we go round again.
Back where you started,
Come on do it again.

And you think today is going to be better,
Change the world and do it again.
Give it all up and start all over,
You say you will but you don't know when.

Then it's back where you started,
Here we go round again.
Day after day I get up and I say
Come on do it again.

The days go by and you wish you were a different guy,
Different friends and a new set of clothes.
You make alterations and affect a new pose,
A new house, a new car, a new job, a new nose.
But it's superficial and it's only skin deep,
Because the voices in your head keep shouting in your sleep.
Get back, get back.

Back where you started, here we go round again,
Back where you started, come on do it again.

Back where you started, here we go round again,
Day after day I get up and I say, do it again.
Do it again.
Day after day I get up and I say, come on do it again.

 

[fox69]

"Do You Remember Walter?"

"Do You Remember Walter?"



Walter, remember when the world was young
And all the girls knew Walter's name?
Walter, isn't it a shame the way our little world has changed?
Do you remember, Walter, playing cricket in the thunder and the rain?
Do you remember, Walter, smoking cigarettes behind your garden gate?
Yes, Walter was my mate,
But Walter, my old friend, where are you now?

Walter's name.
Walter, isn't it a shame the way our little world has changed?
Do you remember, Walter, how we said we'd fight the world so we'd be free.
We'd save up all our money and we'd buy a boat and sail away to sea.
But it was not to be.
I knew you then but do I know you now?

Walter, you are just an echo of a world I knew so long ago
If you saw me now you wouldn't even know my name.
I bet you're fat and married and you're always home in bed by half-past eight.
And if I talked about the old times you'd get bored and you'll have nothing more to say.
Yes people often change, but memories of people can remain.

 

[fox69]

"Do You Wish To Be A Man?"

"Do You Wish To Be A Man?"



All the things you like to do,
Are not easy things to do.
Are you troubled by the bad things in your life?

If you're worrying 'bout a rest,
And you can't get it off your chest,
Just lie down and try to ease your mind.

If your mother comes 'round the bend,
Come to give you a helping hand,
Do you wish to go and bury your head in the sand?

Oh, do you wish to be a man?
Do you wish to be a man?
Do you wish to be the one to understand?
Oh, do you wish to be a man?
Do you wish to be a man?
Oh, do you wish to be a man?

Well the misery is yours,
If you hide behind that door,
If you hide behind the troubles in your life.

You haven't got a friend,
And there's no one to take you in,
Will you come in, stretch and stand up on your own?

When you know that your time has come,
And there'll be no place to run,
There will be no time to bury your head in the sand.

So, do you wish to be a man?
Do you wish to be a man?
Do you wish to be the one to understand?
Oh, do you wish to be a man?
Do you wish to be a man?
Oh, do you wish to be a man?

Do you wish to be a man?
Do you wish to be a man?
Oh, do you wish to be a man?

 

[fox69]

"Don't"

"Don't"


Walking 'round this metropolis
With its buildings that reach to the clouds
There must be millions of people out there
Walking 'round with their heads bowed
This city kills me, but it thrills me
Now something's gone and held up the crowd
They're pointing at a man standing high on a ledge
And somebody just cried out loud
Don't look down at the people below, oh
Don't look down
It's a long way to fall and I'd sure like to know
What made it happen, sure makes you think
Must have been something special
To send him to the brink
Down here on the sidewalk, he's clearly in view
Then a voice shouts up to him
Try thinking it through but whatever you do

[Chorus:]
Don't look down
At the people below, oh
Don't look down, things might start looking up
You just never know

He's heard the cries of the lunatics facing defeat
The cheers of the winners
Who are dancing in the street
Perhaps the crime and corruption finally got through
And the violence of the city
Just broke him in two
Now a voice from the queue shouts

[Chorus]

Don't look down, don't look down
Down here on the sidewalk
It's stopped all our lives
People are talking instead of just walking by
Before this happened it was just another day
Now people are talking instead of walking away
Now we're gripped by this tragedy
Our blood starts to pump as we all shout together
Don't jump, don't jump

[Chorus]

Don't look down, we all shouted out, oh
Don't look down
It's a long way to fall and I'd sure like to know
What made it happen, guess we'll never know
Now the sun's come out
Looks like he's standing on a rainbow
He's in the heavens, I'm standing on the ground
Saying don't look down