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from Procol Harum - Procol Harum (1967)
My amazon six-triggered bride
Now searching for a place to hide Still sees the truth quite easily But shrouds all else in mystery While madmen in top hats and tails Impale themselves on six-inch nails And some Arabian also-ran Impersonates a watering can Some Santa Claus-like face of note Entreats my ears to set afloat My feeble sick and weary brain And I am overcome with shame And hide inside my overcoat And hurriedly begin to quote While some Arabian sheikh most grand Impersonates a hot-dog stand The Red Cross ambulance outside Can only mean that I must hide 'Til dusk and finally the night When I will make a hasty flight Across the sea and far away To where the weary exiles stay And some Arabian oil-well Impersonates a padded cell |
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from Procol Harum - Procol Harum (1967)
We skipped the light fandango
우리는 경쾌한 판당고춤을 추었죠 Turned cartwheels cross the floor 마루를 가로질러 옆으로 재주넘기를 하면서요 I was feeling kind of seasick 난 멀미가 날 것 같았지만 The crowd called out for more 사람들은 더 하라고 떠들어 댔어요 The room was humming harder as the ceiling flew away 방안은 마치 천장이 날아갈 듯 더욱 웅성거리고 있었어요 When we called out for another drink 우리가 술을 더 시키자 But the waiter brought a tray 웨이터가 쟁반에 술을 받쳐 왔지요 And so it was later 이미 너무 늦은 시간이었어요 As the miller told his tale 술집주인이 자기의 이야기를 하기 시작하자 That her face at first just ghostly 그저 파리했던 그녀의 얼굴에 turned a whiter shade of pale 더욱 창백한 그림자가 드리워졌지요 She said, 'I'm home on shore leave,’ 그녀는 말했죠 '난 휴가차 집에 와 있어요' though in truth we were at sea 그러나 사실 우리는 바다에 있었죠 so I took her by the looking glass 그래서 난 그녀를 거울앞으로 데려갔죠 and forced her to agree 그리고 동의할것을 강요했어요 saying, ‘You must be the mermaid 이렇게 말하면서요 '넌 분명히 인어야 who took Neptune for a ride.’ 해신을 타고 온...' But she smiled at me so sadly 그러나 그녀는 너무나도 서글픈 미소를 지었어요 that my anger straight way died 그래서 내 분노는 곧 사그러들었죠 And so it was later 이미 너무 늦은 시간이었어요 As the miller told his tale 술집주인이 자기의 이야기를 하기 시작하자 That her face at first just ghostly 그저 파리했던 그녀의 얼굴에 turned a whiter shade of pale 더욱 창백한 그림자가 드리워졌지요 She said there is no reason 그녀는 아무 일도 아니라고 말했지만 And the truth is plain to see 진실은 뻔히 보일정도로 명백했죠 But I wander through my playing cards 그러나 나는 카드게임에만 빠져있었어요 And would not let it be 나는 그녀를 one of the sixteen vestal virgins who are leaving for the coast 해안을 향해 떠나는 열 여섯명의 성녀 중 한 사람이 되도록 둘 수는 없어요 And although my eyes were open 난 눈을 뜨고 있었지만 They might just as well been closed 차라리 감겨져 있었다고 해야겠네요 And so it was later 이미 너무 늦은 시간이었어요 As the miller told his tale 술집주인이 자기의 이야기를 하기 시작하자 That her face at first just ghostly 그저 파리했던 그녀의 얼굴에 turned a whiter shade of pale 더욱 창백한 그림자가 드리워졌지요 And so it was later 이미 너무 늦은 시간이었어요 As the miller told his tale 술집주인이 자기의 이야기를 하기 시작하자 That her face at first just ghostly 그저 파리했던 그녀의 얼굴에 turned a whiter shade of pale 더욱 창백한 그림자가 드리워졌지요 |
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from Procol Harum - Procol Harum (1967)
Outside the gates of Cerdes sits the two-pronged unicorn
who plays at relaxation time a rhinestone flugelhorn whilst mermaids lace carnations into wreaths for ailing whales and Neptune dances hornpipes while Salome sheds her veils Phallus Phil tries peddling his pewter painted pot but Sousa Sam can only hear the screams of Peep the sot who only sips his creme de menthe from terra cotta cups and exhales menthol scented breath whilst spewing verbiage up Down technical blind alleys live the wraiths of former dreams And Greeps who often crossed them are no longer what they seem And even Christian Scientists can but display marble plaques Which only retell legends whilst my eyes reach out for facts Yeah, my eyes reach out for facts |
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from Procol Harum - Procol Harum (1967)
Outside the gates of Cerdes sits the two-pronged unicorn
who plays at relaxation time a rhinestone flugelhorn whilst mermaids lace carnations into wreaths for ailing whales and Neptune dances hornpipes while Salome sheds her veils Phallus Phil tries peddling his pewter painted pot but Sousa Sam can only hear the screams of Peep the sot who only sips his creme de menthe from terra cotta cups and exhales menthol scented breath whilst spewing verbiage up Down technical blind alleys live the wraiths of former dreams And Greeps who often crossed them are no longer what they seem And even Christian Scientists can but display marble plaques Which only retell legends whilst my eyes reach out for facts Yeah, my eyes reach out for facts |
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from Procol Harum - Procol Harum (1967)
Conquistador your stallion stands
in need of company and like some angel's haloed brow you reek of purity I see your armour-plated breast has long since lost its sheen and in your death mask face there are no signs which can be seen And though I hoped for something to find I could see no maze to unwind Conquistador a vulture sits upon your silver shield and in your rusty scabbard now the sand has taken seed and though your jewel-encrusted blade has not been plundered still the sea has washed across your face and taken of its fill And though I hoped for something to find I could see no maze to unwind Conquistador there is no time I must pay my respect and though I came to jeer at you I leave now with regret and as the gloom begins to fall I see there is no, only all and though you came with sword held high you did not conquer, only die And though I hoped for something to find I could see no maze to unwind |
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from Procol Harum - Procol Harum (1967)
Still scowling black
good Captain Clack must eat his humble pie His bed is made the colours fade his eyes once wet are dry The naked muse who sits and chews tobacco off a tree removes his shoes gives way to booze and searches endlessly See the naked jumberlack sip his aphrodisiac Cotton-picking farmers three Though I lost my weather vane and of sense I have one grain I'm content sipping lemon tea |
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from Procol Harum - Procol Harum (1967)
Your multilingual business friend
has packed her bags and fled Leaving only ash-filled ashtrays and the lipsticked unmade bed The mirror on reflection has climbed back upon the wall for the floor she found descended and the ceiling was too tall Your trouser cuffs are dirty and your shoes are laced up wrong you'd better take off your homburg 'cos your overcoat is too long The town clock in the market square stands waiting for the hour when its hands they both turn backwards and on meeting will devour both themselves and also any fool who dares to tell the time And the sun and moon will shatter and the signposts cease to sign Your trouser cuffs are dirty and your shoes are laced up wrong you’d better take off your homburg ‘cos your overcoat is too long ... Your trouser cuffs are dirty and your shoes are laced up wrong you’d better take off your homburg ‘cos your overcoat is too long ...반복 Your trouser cuffs are dirty... |
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from Procol Harum - Procol Harum (1967)
Jostle, hassle, elbow bustle
in a swirling rainbow tussle Caught and frozen, broken sheen now unites for one brief scene Lonely in the dark I grope the key's in my kaleidoscope Confused faces change their places take up stances, exchange glances Lost in multicoloured hues there is no whole which I can choose Lonely in the dark I grope the key's in my kaleidoscope In one face, one moment's fusion realize the new illusion Clutching fingers break the puzzle jostle, hassle, elbow bustle Still out in the dark I grope the key's in my kaleidoscope |
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from Procol Harum - Procol Harum (1967)
Lime Street in the afternoon
everybody crazy as a coon I'm running round in my underpants trying to find some kinda romance Quarter past three [sic] on Lime Street I got whipped right offa my feet Didn't realize that I'd been caught till I found myself in the County Court 'Mr Judge,' I said, 'Won't you please be kind Have pity on me, a poor orphan child?' Mr Judge he says with a long mean frown 'Orphan or not, you're going down!' Well I screamed on my knees in the witness box, 'Lord have mercy on my golden locks.' The judge I could see that he was snide He says, 'The only kind of blonde you are's a peroxide!' Oh Lime Street, Lime Street Lime Street, that's where we meet |
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from Procol Harum - Procol Harum (1967)
Don't eat green meat it ain't good for you
you know it killed your brother, killed your sister too even fresh fried chicken on new-mown sand can't beat red beans eaten outa your hand Oh Mabel, Mabel! You know I love you gal but I'm not able Mabel, oh Mabel, please get off the kitchen table Don't slice no onions, don't peel no grape dream about banana slice nor sniff around short cake and if on a winter's day you find your sundial's wrong you'll know the weather is what's brought it on Oh Mabel, Mabel! You know I love you gal but I'm not able Mabel, oh Mabel, please get off the kitchen table Put the peas in the pot, put the pot on the hot In the cellar lies my wife, in my wife there's a knife so tote that hammer, lift that pick and banish inhibition with a pogo stick Oh Mabel, Mabel! You know I love you gal but I'm not able Mabel, oh Mabel, please get off the kitchen table |
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from Procol Harum - Procol Harum (1967)
Don't eat green meat it ain't good for you
you know it killed your brother, killed your sister too even fresh fried chicken on new-mown sand can't beat red beans eaten outa your hand Oh Mabel, Mabel! You know I love you gal but I'm not able Mabel, oh Mabel, please get off the kitchen table Don't slice no onions, don't peel no grape dream about banana slice nor sniff around short cake and if on a winter's day you find your sundial's wrong you'll know the weather is what's brought it on Oh Mabel, Mabel! You know I love you gal but I'm not able Mabel, oh Mabel, please get off the kitchen table Put the peas in the pot, put the pot on the hot In the cellar lies my wife, in my wife there's a knife so tote that hammer, lift that pick and banish inhibition with a pogo stick Oh Mabel, Mabel! You know I love you gal but I'm not able Mabel, oh Mabel, please get off the kitchen table |
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from Procol Harum - Procol Harum (1967)
Though I know the night has fallen and the suns sailed out to sea
I will wait here for the band to play the trumpet voluntary And with one foot on the seashore and the other in the sand I will stand here plaiting daisies whilst you play the piano-grand Caprice, your bugle blew away the cobwebs from my ears And for once I stood quite naked. unashamed, I wept the tears Which I tried to hide inside myself from me, I mean from you But the shame I found too painful and the pain it only grew (Magdalene, my regal zonophone) |
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from Procol Harum - Procol Harum (1967)
For you (whose eyes were opened wide whilst mine refused to see)
I'm sore in need of saving grace. Be kind and humour me I'm lost amidst a sea of wheat where people speak but seldom meet And grief and laughter, strange but true Although they die, they seldom cry An ode by any other name I know might read more sweet Perhaps the sun will never shine upon my field of wheat But still in closing, let me say for those too sick, too sick to see though nothing shows, yes, someone knows I wish that one was me |
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from Procol Harum - Procol Harum (1967) | |||||
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from Procol Harum - Procol Harum (1967)
You come to me at midnight and say, 'It's dark in here.'
You know you robbed me of my sight, and light is what I fear I tell you that I can not see but you persist in showing me those bangles that I paid for long ago And though my face is smiling I'm really feeling low and though you say you're with me I know that it's not so Your skin crawls up an octave, your teeth have lost their gleam The peaches snuggle closer down into the clotted cream and for some unknown reason my watch begins to chime and though I beg and plead with you, you tell me it's not time And though my face is smiling I'm really feeling low and though you say you're with me I know that it's not so The sun seeps through the window to see if we're still dead to try to throw some light upon the gloom around our bed At quarter past the doorbell rings, the water faucet drips and sings and still my reason will not rhyme, and still you tell me it's not time And though my face is smiling I'm really feeling low and though you say you're with me I know that it's not so You really know that it's not so |
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from Procol Harum - Procol Harum (1967)
You come to me at midnight and say, 'It's dark in here.'
You know you robbed me of my sight, and light is what I fear I tell you that I can not see but you persist in showing me those bangles that I paid for long ago And though my face is smiling I'm really feeling low and though you say you're with me I know that it's not so Your skin crawls up an octave, your teeth have lost their gleam The peaches snuggle closer down into the clotted cream and for some unknown reason my watch begins to chime and though I beg and plead with you, you tell me it's not time And though my face is smiling I'm really feeling low and though you say you're with me I know that it's not so The sun seeps through the window to see if we're still dead to try to throw some light upon the gloom around our bed At quarter past the doorbell rings, the water faucet drips and sings and still my reason will not rhyme, and still you tell me it's not time And though my face is smiling I'm really feeling low and though you say you're with me I know that it's not so You really know that it's not so |
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from Procol Harum - Procol Harum (1967)
She wandered through the garden fence
and said, 'I've brought at great expense a potion guaranteed to bring relief from all your suffering.' And though I said, 'You don't exist,' she grasped me firmly by the wrist and threw me down upon my back and strapped me to her torture rack And, without further argument I found my mind was also bent upon a course so devious it only made my torment worse She said, 'I see you cannot speak is it your voice that is too weak? Is it your tongue that is to blame? Maybe you cannot speak for shame. Or has your brain been idle too, and now it will not think for you?' I hastened to make my reply but found that I could only lie And like a fool I believed myself and thought I was somebody else But she could see what I was then and left me on my own again |
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from Procol Harum - Procol Harum (1967)
My Prussian-blue electric clock's
alarm bell rings, it will not stop and I can see no end in sight and search in vain by candlelight for some long road that goes nowhere for some signpost that is not there And even my befuddled brain is shining brightly, quite insane The chandelier is in full swing as gifts for me the three kings bring of myrrh and frankincense, I'm told, and fat old Buddhas carved in gold And though it seems they smile with glee I know in truth they envy me and watch as my befuddled brain shines on brightly quite insane Above all else confusion reigns And though I ask no-one explains My eunuch friend has been and gone He said that I must soldier on And though the Ferris wheel spins round my tongue it seems has run aground and croaks as my befuddled brain shines on brightly, quite insane |
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from Procol Harum - Procol Harum (1967)
While standing at the junction on 42nd Street
I idly kick a pebble lying near my feet I hear a weird noise, take a look up and down The cause of the commotion is right there on the ground Imagine my surprise, thought I'd left it at home but there's no doubt about it, it's my own tombstone I went into a shop, and bought a loaf of bread I sank my teeth into it, thought I'd bust my head I dashed to the dentist, said, 'I've got an awful pain!' The man looks in my mouth and screams, 'This boy is insane!' Imagine my surprise, thought I'd left it at home but there's a lump in my mouth of my own tombstone I went to see a movie, got the only empty seat I tried to stretch out in it, something blocking my feet Finally the lights came up, and I could clearly see a slab of engraved marble, just staring up at me Imagine my surprise, thought I'd left it at home but there's no doubt I'm sitting on my own tombstone |
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from Procol Harum - Procol Harum (1967)
While standing at the junction on 42nd Street
I idly kick a pebble lying near my feet I hear a weird noise, take a look up and down The cause of the commotion is right there on the ground Imagine my surprise, thought I'd left it at home but there's no doubt about it, it's my own tombstone I went into a shop, and bought a loaf of bread I sank my teeth into it, thought I'd bust my head I dashed to the dentist, said, 'I've got an awful pain!' The man looks in my mouth and screams, 'This boy is insane!' Imagine my surprise, thought I'd left it at home but there's a lump in my mouth of my own tombstone I went to see a movie, got the only empty seat I tried to stretch out in it, something blocking my feet Finally the lights came up, and I could clearly see a slab of engraved marble, just staring up at me Imagine my surprise, thought I'd left it at home but there's no doubt I'm sitting on my own tombstone |
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from Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly...plus (1968)
My parents must've disliked me. they left me in the lurch
Packed me in a basket which was left in a church It was found by a nun Who took one peep and run Screaming 'there's an eye in the middle of his head!' The man in charge reflected and then to me he said, 'all men are born equal. you can earn your daily bread; Go now to the belfry Where the bats are blind and can't see There's an eye in the middle of your head.' I sat there in the gloom, thought about my lousy luck; At least if your body's offensive then your clothes cover it up But my forehead is quite smooth Except for one circular groove And that's the eye in the middle of my head. |
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from Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly...plus (1968)
Your multilingual business friend
has packed her bags and fled Leaving only ash-filled ashtrays and the lipsticked unmade bed The mirror on reflection has climbed back upon the wall for the floor she found descended and the ceiling was too tall Your trouser cuffs are dirty and your shoes are laced up wrong you'd better take off your homburg 'cos your overcoat is too long The town clock in the market square stands waiting for the hour when its hands they both turn backwards and on meeting will devour both themselves and also any fool who dares to tell the time And the sun and moon will shatter and the signposts cease to sign Your trouser cuffs are dirty and your shoes are laced up wrong you’d better take off your homburg ‘cos your overcoat is too long ... Your trouser cuffs are dirty and your shoes are laced up wrong you’d better take off your homburg ‘cos your overcoat is too long ...반복 Your trouser cuffs are dirty... |
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from Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly...plus (1968)
Ti avrei tenuto nel mio cuore
I would have held you in my heart Ti avrei preso tra le mani I would have taken you in my arms (or hands) Illuminato io ti avrei I would have lit you up (con) il sole che era negli occhi miei (with) the sun that was in my eyes Pero aspettare tu non sai But you don't know how to wait Volevi vivere e tu vivrai You wanted to live, and you will live Il tuo diamante splendera Your diamond will shine Ma il cuore freddo restera But your heart will remain cold Avresti avuto quel che ho You would have had what I have (to offer) Non ti avrei detto mai di no I'd never have said 'no' to you Potevi piangere con me You could cry with me Potevi ridere con me You could laugh with me Pero aspettare tu non sai But you don't know how to wait Volevi tutto e tu l'avrai You wanted it all, and you'll get it Il tuo diamante splendera Your diamond will shine Ma il cuore freddo restera But your heart will remain cold E quando tu ti accorgerai And when you realize Ritorna qui se tu lo vuoi Come back, if you want to Che qualche cosa forse avrai And maybe you will get something E il mio pianto finira And my lament will end E dopo stanca ritornerai And after you return, worn out E la mia strada riprendera And once I'm able to take up my path in life again Il tuo diamante getterai Your diamond you will throw away E il sole caldo troverai And you will rediscover the hot sun Troverai yeah You'll find it yeah Troverai yeah You'll find it yeah Troverai ... You'll find it |
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from Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly...plus (1968)
Ti avrei tenuto nel mio cuore
I would have held you in my heart Ti avrei preso tra le mani I would have taken you in my arms (or hands) Illuminato io ti avrei I would have lit you up (con) il sole che era negli occhi miei (with) the sun that was in my eyes Pero aspettare tu non sai But you don't know how to wait Volevi vivere e tu vivrai You wanted to live, and you will live Il tuo diamante splendera Your diamond will shine Ma il cuore freddo restera But your heart will remain cold Avresti avuto quel che ho You would have had what I have (to offer) Non ti avrei detto mai di no I'd never have said 'no' to you Potevi piangere con me You could cry with me Potevi ridere con me You could laugh with me Pero aspettare tu non sai But you don't know how to wait Volevi tutto e tu l'avrai You wanted it all, and you'll get it Il tuo diamante splendera Your diamond will shine Ma il cuore freddo restera But your heart will remain cold E quando tu ti accorgerai And when you realize Ritorna qui se tu lo vuoi Come back, if you want to Che qualche cosa forse avrai And maybe you will get something E il mio pianto finira And my lament will end E dopo stanca ritornerai And after you return, worn out E la mia strada riprendera And once I'm able to take up my path in life again Il tuo diamante getterai Your diamond you will throw away E il sole caldo troverai And you will rediscover the hot sun Troverai yeah You'll find it yeah Troverai yeah You'll find it yeah Troverai ... You'll find it |
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from Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly...plus (1968) | |||||
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from Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly...plus (1968) | |||||
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from Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly...plus (1968)
In the wee small hours of sixpence
And the lighted chandelier Stands a rusty old retainer Whose old eyes are filled with tears For his master, Good Sir Galant, Who is now off to the wars And although his eyes are crying We know grief is not the cause And if grief is not the reason He must be of sterner stuff And his sword though old and rusty Must be blunt as sharp enough In the wee small hours of sixpence And the broken window pane Stand the remnants of the evening Who are waiting all in vain For the crowing of the cockerel Showing morning is not night But the air is filled with silence And the daylight is not bright But still darkness is no reason We are men of sterner stuff And our swords though old and rusty Still are blunt as sharp enough. In the wee small hours of sixpence And the hat-stand in the hall Waiting only for the morning Shadows flitting 'cross the wall And perhaps that old retainer Whom now giving of his all May have once been just as we are And now has no face at all. But still grief was not the reason He was made of sterner stuff And his sword though old and rusty Still was blunt as sharp enough. |
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from Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly...plus (1968)
In the wee small hours of sixpence
And the lighted chandelier Stands a rusty old retainer Whose old eyes are filled with tears For his master, Good Sir Galant, Who is now off to the wars And although his eyes are crying We know grief is not the cause And if grief is not the reason He must be of sterner stuff And his sword though old and rusty Must be blunt as sharp enough In the wee small hours of sixpence And the broken window pane Stand the remnants of the evening Who are waiting all in vain For the crowing of the cockerel Showing morning is not night But the air is filled with silence And the daylight is not bright But still darkness is no reason We are men of sterner stuff And our swords though old and rusty Still are blunt as sharp enough. In the wee small hours of sixpence And the hat-stand in the hall Waiting only for the morning Shadows flitting 'cross the wall And perhaps that old retainer Whom now giving of his all May have once been just as we are And now has no face at all. But still grief was not the reason He was made of sterner stuff And his sword though old and rusty Still was blunt as sharp enough. |
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from Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly...plus (1968)
Though I know the night has fallen and the suns sailed out to sea
I will wait here for the band to play the trumpet voluntary And with one foot on the seashore and the other in the sand I will stand here plaiting daisies whilst you play the piano-grand Caprice, your bugle blew away the cobwebs from my ears And for once I stood quite naked. unashamed, I wept the tears Which I tried to hide inside myself from me, I mean from you But the shame I found too painful and the pain it only grew (Magdalene, my regal zonophone) |
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from Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly...plus (1968)
The bell on my door rang this morning
From the kitchen I called "Who's that there?" Through the letter box came a grappling hook Which grappled me right out of my chair! Stretched out on the floor I lay helpless Of my limbs I had lost all command When into my ear instilling fear Said a voice "I am Monsieur Armand" "Monsieur Armand you are not! That's an incredible thing to say For I personally attended his funeral which was twelve months to this very day!" A rat flew down from the ceiling Alighted upon my right ear said "If Monsieur Armand is safe under the sod Then why are you shaking with fear!" "My name is not Scrooge" I said faintly "and from ghosts I have nothing to fear! But if you are Armand returned from the dead Then what are you wanting here?" From nowhere I heard a mad cackle From nowhere a voice to me cried "Stop calling me Monsieur Armand you fool! My name's Jekyll and you're Mr. Hyde!" |
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from Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly...plus (1968)
For you (whose eyes were opened wide whilst mine refused to see)
I'm sore in need of saving grace. Be kind and humour me I'm lost amidst a sea of wheat where people speak but seldom meet And grief and laughter, strange but true Although they die, they seldom cry An ode by any other name I know might read more sweet Perhaps the sun will never shine upon my field of wheat But still in closing, let me say for those too sick, too sick to see though nothing shows, yes, someone knows I wish that one was me |
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from Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly...plus (1968)
For you (whose eyes were opened wide whilst mine refused to see)
I'm sore in need of saving grace. Be kind and humour me I'm lost amidst a sea of wheat where people speak but seldom meet And grief and laughter, strange but true Although they die, they seldom cry An ode by any other name I know might read more sweet Perhaps the sun will never shine upon my field of wheat But still in closing, let me say for those too sick, too sick to see though nothing shows, yes, someone knows I wish that one was me |
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from Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly...plus (1968)
For you (whose eyes were opened wide whilst mine refused to see)
I'm sore in need of saving grace. Be kind and humour me I'm lost amidst a sea of wheat where people speak but seldom meet And grief and laughter, strange but true Although they die, they seldom cry An ode by any other name I know might read more sweet Perhaps the sun will never shine upon my field of wheat But still in closing, let me say for those too sick, too sick to see though nothing shows, yes, someone knows I wish that one was me |
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from Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly...plus (1968)
A local picture house
Was showing a Batman movie You see this guy fly up in the sky Thought to myself, "Why shouldn't I?" Bought a pair of wings Went upon the wall Was about to jump into the air When a man from the street called, he said: "Hey wait a minute! Don't you realize the danger? What do you think you are Some kind of angel?" I considered for a minute Thought "He only speaks the truth" For the barbells on my eyelids Only emphasized my youth And the sawdust in my plimsolls Means the same to him as me But that's neither here nor further So I spoke considerately "If you understand Just what I'm trying to say, Whatever you do, don't grin, You'll give the game away!" By now a crowd had gathered And it seemed that all was lost In the anger of the moment I had diced with death and lost It seemed to me the time was right So I burst into song In the anger of the moment The crowd began to sing along I could not see a way out of this predicament Just then a breeze Cruised through the trees And up in the air I went I must have flown a mile Or maybe it was eight Thought to myself pretty soon I'd hit the Golden Gate Just then a passing bird For no reason I could see Took a peck at my wings And that was the end of me I went down, hit the ground Faster than the speed of sound Luckily I broke no bones Only tore my underclothes ... (fades, returns, fades again...) |
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from Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly...plus (1968)
My Prussian-blue electric clock's
alarm bell rings, it will not stop and I can see no end in sight and search in vain by candlelight for some long road that goes nowhere for some signpost that is not there And even my befuddled brain is shining brightly, quite insane The chandelier is in full swing as gifts for me the three kings bring of myrrh and frankincense, I'm told, and fat old Buddhas carved in gold And though it seems they smile with glee I know in truth they envy me and watch as my befuddled brain shines on brightly quite insane Above all else confusion reigns And though I ask no-one explains My eunuch friend has been and gone He said that I must soldier on And though the Ferris wheel spins round my tongue it seems has run aground and croaks as my befuddled brain shines on brightly, quite insane |
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from Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly...plus (1968)
(brooker / reid)
Skip softly, my moonbeams, avoid being seen Pretend that perhaps you are part of a dream Which (seen by some other such person as me) Would only glow smiling and nod and agree Skip softly, my moonbeams, for I have heard tell That the stairs up to heaven lead straight down to hell That pride is the last thing which comes before fall I'd as soon talk to you as make love to a wall |
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from Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly...plus (1968)
You know I caught a glimpse, thought I understood
But I left it all far behind Now if I'd known then what I know now Do you think I would've been so blind? Gonna take myself down to a wishing well I'm gonna make myself one last wish And if you follow me there, better bring what you've found 'Cause my night has come and I'm going down Gonna buy myself a big rockin' chair And when I'm sittin' in that, then no one will peek And if my friends will come, they'll see what I'm suffering from I wish, I wish, I could rock myself to sleep Gonna take myself down to a wishing well Gonna make myself one last wish If you follow me there, better bring what you've found 'Cause my night has come and I'm going down ...... |
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from Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly...plus (1968) | |||||
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from Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly...plus (1968) | |||||
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from Procol Harum - A Salty Dog (1969)
"All hands on deck! We've run afloat!"
I heard the captain cry "Explore the ship! Replace the cook! Let no one leave alive!" Across the straits, around the horn How far can sailors fly? A twisted path, our tortured course And no one left alive We sailed for parts unknown to man Where ships come home to die No lofty peak, nor fortress bold Could match our captain's eye Upon the seventh sea-sick day We made our port of call A sand so white, and sea so blue No mortal place at all We fired the guns and burned the mast And rowed from ship to shore The captain cried, we sailors wept Our tears were tears of joy Now many moons and many Junes Have passed since we made land Salty Dog, the seaman's log Your witness in my own hand |
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from Procol Harum - A Salty Dog (1969)
It's not that I'm so cheerful, though I'll always raise a smile
And if at times my nonsense rhymes then I'll stand trial My friends are all around me but they only breathe through fear Were I to cry, I'm sure that still they'd never see a tear In darkness through my being here, away from you The bright light of your star confronts me shining through Dull and sullen, much subdued, my skull a stony glaze Whirlpools rage on constantly, I'm not so well these days There must be something somewhere near who sees what's being done The harbour lights are burning bright, my wax is almost run In darkness through my being here, away from you The bright light of your star confronts me, shining through Come Lollard, raise your lute and sing, and to my ears her beauty bring Like Maddox in the days of old we'll feast and drink until we fold And folding still we'll spare a thought for what's been lost and what's been caught And maybe then begin again for love is life, not poison In darkness through my being here, away from you The bright light of your star confronts me, shining through Oh, shining through.... |
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from Procol Harum - A Salty Dog (1969)
Some say they will and some say they won't
Some say they do and some say they don't Some say they shall and some say they shan't Some say they can and some say they can't (All right!) All in all it's all the same, But call me if there's any change Some say there's nothing and some say there's lots Some say they've started while some say they've stopped Some say they're going and some say they've been Yes, some say they're looking and some say they've seen (Oh, yes!) All in all it's all the same, But call me if there's any change |
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from Procol Harum - A Salty Dog (1969)
You'd better listen anybody,
'cos I'm gonna make it clear That my life is unimportant; What I've done I did through fear There's a river running through me: On its tide I tried to hide Nonetheless I could not shake it, And in the end it swept aside All my feeble unimportance. I can't say it, never mind Can't you hear me mother calling you? I'm cold, I'm deaf, I'm blind And if only 'cos you're lucky, We both know that's no find I did think I'd be an actor. What I am I'll leave behind You'd better listen anybody, 'cos it's me and you --that's it And in case you find your maker Perhaps you'll plead for us a bit All my sick is in my stomach, All my sweat is clearly fear And if you could see inside me I don't think you'd have me here Tell the helmsman veer to starboard, Bring this ship around to port And if the sea was not so salty I could sink instead of walk And in case of passing strangers Who are standing where I fell Tell the truth: you never knew me, And in truth it's just as well |
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from Procol Harum - A Salty Dog (1969)
Well I opened my eyes this morning,
I wasn't at home in bed There were four angels standin' 'round me I thought I must be dead Yeah I opened my eyes this mornin' Thought I must be dead There were four angels standin' 'round me And the room was beaded red Won't you have mercy On your wicked son? Take me up to heaven, Or hell where I belong Well Well the sky began to tremble The rain began to fall Four angels standin' 'round me And it weren't no social call Yeah, the sky began to tremble The rain began to fall Got down on my knees prayin' Lord But it didn't do no good at all Won't you have mercy On your wicked son? Take me up to heaven, Or hell where I belong Well |
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from Procol Harum - A Salty Dog (1969)
I sat me down to write a simple story
Which maybe in the end became a song In trying to find the words which might begin it I found these were the thoughts I brought along At first I took my weight to be an anchor And gathered up my fears to guide me round But then I clearly saw my own delusion And found my struggles further bogged me down In starting out I thought to go exploring And set my foot upon the nearest road In vain I looked to find the promised turning But only saw how far I was from home In searching I forsook the paths of learning And sought instead to find some pirate's gold In fighting I did hurt those dearest to me And still no hidden truths could I unfold I sat me down to write a simple story Which maybe in the end became a song The words have all been writ by one before me We're taking turns in trying to pass them on Oh, we're taking turns in trying to pass them on |
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from Procol Harum - A Salty Dog (1969)
The Devil came from Kansas.
Where he went to I can't say Though I teach I'm not a preacher, And I aim to stay that way There's a monkey riding on my back, Been there for some time He says he knows me very well But he's no friend of mine I am not a humble pilgrim There's no need to scrape and squeeze And don't beg for silver paper When I'm trying to sell you cheese The Devil came from Kansas. Where he went to I can't say If you really are my brother Then you'd better start to pray For the sins of those departed And the ones about to go There's a dark cloud just above us, Don't tell me 'cos I know I am not a humble pilgrim There's no need to scrape and squeeze And don't beg for silver paper When I'm trying to sell you cheese No I never came from Kansas, Don't forget to thank the cook Which reminds me of my duty: I was lost and now I look For the turning and the signpost And the road which takes you down To that pool inside the forest In whose waters I shall drown I am not a humble pilgrim There's no need to scrape and squeeze And don't beg for silver paper When I'm trying to sell you cheese |
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from Procol Harum - A Salty Dog (1969)
When you knew that I had given all the kindness that I had
Did you think that it might be time to stop? When you knew that I was through That I'd done all I could do Did you really have to milk the final drop? Not content with my mistake You behaved just like a snake And you left me for a wasp without a sting Tell all my friends back home That I did it on my own And that to their well-worn cares they should cling When you knew that I had given all the kindness that I had Did you feel you had to break that lonely vow? When you knew that I was through That I'd done all I could do Did you really have to sow that final plough? Not content with my mistake, you behaved just like a snake And you left me for a wasp without a sting Tell all the folks back home that he did it on his own And that to their well-worn cares they should cling |
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from Procol Harum - A Salty Dog (1969)
There's you, you're sleeping over there
Whilst me I'm sitting here With so much sea between us I can't make it much more clear There'll be no time for crying We won't make it more than six I could change my plea to guilty But I don't think it would stick Still those other ratings far too easy to despise You've said so much in silence now I truly am disguised Let him who fears his heart alone Stand up and make a speech For him perhaps an emperor's throne If he could only speak Far too few and far to follow For shame I'll heed the cry Be with me when I need a drink Be with me when I die Still those other ratings far too easy to despise You've said so much in silence now indeed I am disguised |
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from Procol Harum - A Salty Dog (1969)
(Fisher / Reid)
We'll hoist a hand, becalmed upon a troubled sea 'make haste to your funeral,' cries the valkyrie We'll hoist a hand or drown amidst this stormy sea 'here lies a coffin,' cries the cemetery, it calls to me And all for nothing quite in vain was hope forever tossed No thoughts explained, no moments gained, all hope forever lost One moment's space, one moment's final fall from grace Burnt by fire, blind in sight, lost in ire We'll hoist a hand, becalmed upon a troubled sea I fear a mighty wave is threatening me We'll hoist a hand, or drown amidst this stormy sea 'come follow after,' cry the humble, 'you will surely see ...' But still for nothing quite in vain was hope forever tossed No moments gained, no thoughts explained, all hope forever lost One moment's space, one moment's final fall from grace Burnt by fire, blind in sight, lost in ire |
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from Procol Harum - A Salty Dog (1969) | |||||
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from Procol Harum - Home (1970)
About to die - the crowds applaud you
About to die - they'll resurrect you Light a candle up in kingdom come Light the way for the saviour's son A candle burning bright enough to tear the city down About to die - the crowds reward you About to die - their cheers ignore you Light a candle up in kingdom come Light the way for the chosen one No candle burned with fire enough to tear that city down About to die - the crowds applaud me About to die - they'll resurrect me Light a candle up in kingdom come Light the way for the savior's son A candle burning bright enough to tear the city down |
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from Procol Harum - Home (1970)
Chicken in the farmyard, there's an oven in your bin
You're growing old with sorrow, you're growing fat with sin I was living in the graveyard, I was hanging from the wall I was living in the desert, I was trying not to fall Once I stood upon Olympus, then the heavens opened wide I beheld that flaming chariot and I saw the sacred bride Now and then my life seems truer, now and then my life seems pure All in all, my thoughts are fewer - maybe death will be my cure |
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from Procol Harum - Home (1970)
Did you hear what happened to Jenny Droe?
Couldn't believe it, but it's true Twenty-six, and now she's dead I wish that I could've died instead Did you hear what happened to Jenny Droe? Did you see how thin and pale she grew? So much suffering, could not hide Endless heartache until she died Did you hear what happened to Jenny Droe? Strike me dead, make it a truce Strike me dead, let me go Nothing that I didn't know Did you hear what happened to Jenny Droe? Couldn't believe it, but it's true Twenty-six, and now she's dead I wish that I could've died instead |
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from Procol Harum - Home (1970)
(originally Wash Yourself)
Wash yourself and see your sorrow, make every pitcher clean Take a mop to swab the floor and destroy the evil dream Counting houses full of lead, the evil eye on high The streets awash with blood and pus, the new moon's in the sky God's aloft, the winds are raging God's aloft, the winds are cold After leaving I was weeping - count it out in tolls Watch the book, the page is turning - how the tale unfolds Inside every cancered spectre, inside-outside find your own God's aloft, the winds are raging - God's aloft, the winds are cold |
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from Procol Harum - Home (1970)
I'll bathe my eyes in a river of salt
I'll grow myself right up to the sky I'll sing in the forest, tear down the trees I'll foul all the fountains and trample the leaves I'll blacken your Christmas and piss on your door You'll cry out for mercy, but still there'll be more I'll put a blight in the orchard I'll run wild through the fields I'll waylay your daughter and kidnap your wife Savage her sexless and burn out her eyes I'll blacken your Christmas and piss on your door You'll cry out for mercy, but still there'll be more |
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from Procol Harum - Home (1970)
As I lay down dying, a floor for my bed
And a bundle of newspaper under my head I dreamed a dream, as strange as could be Concerning myself, and somebody like me We were in some city, the stranger and me The houses were open, and the streets empty The windows were bare, and the pavements dirty I asked where I was; my companion ignored me We entered a graveyard and searched for a tombstone The graves were disturbed, and the coffins wide open And the coprses were rotten, yet each one was living Their eyes were alive with maggots crawling I cried out in fear, but my voice had left me My legs were deformed, yet I moved quite freely My head was on fire, yet my hands were icy And everywhere light, yet darkness engulfed me I managed to scream and woke from my slumber I thought of my dream and lay there and wondered Where had I been? What could it mean? It was dark in the deathroom as I slithered under |
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from Procol Harum - Home (1970)
Pailing well after sixteen days, a mammoth task was set
Sack the town, and rob the tower, and steal the alphabet Close the door and bar the gate, but keep the windows clean God's alive inside a movie! Watch the silver screen! Rum was served to all the traitors; pygmies held themselves in check Bloodhounds nosed around the houses, down dark alleys sailors crept Six bells struck, the pot was boiling - soup spilled out on passers-by Angels mumbled incantations, closely watched by God on high Lightning struck out - fire and brimstone! Boiling oil and shrieking steam! Darkness struck with molten fury, flashbulbs glorified the scene Not a man who had a finger, not a man who could be seen Nothing called (not name nor number) - Echo stormed its final scream Daybreak washed with sands of gladness, rotting all it rotted clean Windows peeped out on their neighbors, inside fireside bedsides gleam SHALIMAR, the trumpets chorused, angels wholly all shall take Those alive will meet the prophets, those at peace shall see their wake |
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from Procol Harum - Home (1970)
Ain't gonna ride that whisky train
Ain't gonna burn up no more flame Throw away my bottle down the drain Ain't gonna ride that whisky train To think that I could be so wrong To be so sick and still go on The way I drink it's been too long Don't see much point in carrying on I'm gonna lose these drinking blues I'm gonna find a girl to make me choose Between lovin' her and drinking booze I'm gonna lose these drinking blues Ain't gonna ride that whisky train I'm tired of burning in the flame Throw away my bottle down the drain Ain't gonna ride that whisky train |
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from Procol Harum - Home (1970)
There's too many women and not enough wine
Too many poets and not enough rhyme Too many glasses and not enough time Draw your own conclusions My old dog's a good old dog My old man's a silly old sod The human face is a terrible place Choose your own examples Went to the river, but I could not swim Knew I'd drown if I went in Lost my faith in a terrible race Rest-in-peace hereafter |
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from Procol Harum - Broken Barricades (1971)
It was all once bright jewels
And glittering sand The oceans have ravaged And strangled the land Waste fills the temples, Dead daughters are born The presses are empty The editors torn Whose husband was the first to fall? Who died the worst death of them all? How many splinters in each separate band? How many stations in the final hand? Now gather up sea shells, And write down brave words Your prayers are unanswered, Your idols absurd The seaweed and the cobweb, Have rotted your sword Your barricades broken, Your enemies Lord. |
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from Procol Harum - Broken Barricades (1971) | |||||
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from Procol Harum - Broken Barricades (1971)
Tulips lips oh Luskus Delph
Your baking breath breeds body 'x' With silken measures try to gauge The inside sweetness of your cave. Peach preserve your simmering jewel Hid away like orphans' gruel Help me find the widow's crack Make me stick like ceiling wax Almond eyed my turkish pearl Burn me up sweet oyster girl Shove me in your steaming vat Make me split like chicken fat |
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from Procol Harum - Broken Barricades (1971)
Cellar full of diamonds, turret full of gold
All for a mermaid's locket, too much to hold Drink the seals' blood from the ocean, Drink the whole ocean dry Steal the moonshine from the night-time, Steal the sun from the sky Black-skinned warrior, Zulu Queen Sold for a silver dollar, shipped across the sea Worked like a Mexican donkey, Used like a hole in the ground Branded her skin like she didn't feel a thing Crying without a sound |
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from Procol Harum - Broken Barricades (1971)
Skeptic at the feast in ashes
Huntsmen at the voyeurs' ball Funeral parlour guests invited Mourning poorly worn by all Old and mouldy words of passion Savage Rose destroyed them all Wrote her fate in neon captions Slender sender made me crawl Playmate of the Mouth expected Passionata bless the small Baby sandwich soaped for comfort Slippery sliding ten feet tall Playmate of the Mouth expected Passionata bless the small Baby sandwich soaped for comfort Slippery sliding ten feet tall |
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from Procol Harum - Broken Barricades (1971)
Poor Mohammed at the peep show
Kick the beggar down the stairs Can't keep guard, he's old and feeble Steal his books, burn his prayers Poor Mohammed at the keyhole Sit him by the kitchen door Slop his food all around the table Let him lick it off the floor Put Mohammed in the cellar Keep him there 'til half past ten Ties some bacon to his beard Let the rats out on him there |
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from Procol Harum - Broken Barricades (1971)
Climbing out of open windows
Crashing down from broken stairs Keeping watch on smoking cinders Falling over burning chairs Tossed and crossed and screwed in transit broken , splintered, bruised and thrown Badly shattered, gale force frighty Rrushed across and shown alone Speech reduced by poor relations Strung from weeks of self abuse Chopped up, churned out weeks of greazy Spark plugs burned up, power's fused |
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from Procol Harum - Broken Barricades (1971) | |||||
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from Procol Harum - Broken Barricades (1971)
Simple sister
Got whooping cough Have to burn her toys Take her treats Eat her sweets Scare off all the boys Simple sister Got whooping cough Have to put her out Wear her clothes Steal her bows Tell her that she's stout Simple sister Got whooping cough Lock her in a cell Throw the key Into the sea Hope she never gets well |
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from Procol Harum - Broken Barricades (1971)
Simple sister
Got whooping cough Have to burn her toys Take her treats Eat her sweets Scare off all the boys Simple sister Got whooping cough Have to put her out Wear her clothes Steal her bows Tell her that she's stout Simple sister Got whooping cough Lock her in a cell Throw the key Into the sea Hope she never gets well |
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from Procol Harum - Broken Barricades (1971)
I will meet you on the other side of the moon
The doctors say they must operate soon But there's no knowing what they'll find when they open up the wound I will meet you on the other side of the moon I will meet you at the bottom of the sea We will lie inside the ocean and scheme Our friend the arab will guide us while we dream I will meet you at the bottom of the sea |
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from Procol Harum - Grand Hotel (1973)
She's fuddled my fancy, she's muddled me good
I've taken to drinking, and given up food I'm buying an island, somewhere in the sun I'll hide from the natives, live only on rum I'm selling my memoirs, I'm writing it down If no one will pay me I'll burn down the town I'll rent out an aircraft and print on the sky If God likes my story then maybe he'll buy I'm buying a ticket for places unknown It's only a one-way: I'm not coming home She's swallowed my secret, and taken my name To follow my footsteps and knobble me lame |
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from Procol Harum - Grand Hotel (1973)
Bringing home the bacon,
tender juicy steaks Breast-fed baby dumpling gobbling up the cakes Milk-fed baby dumpling, slobbering, goo-faced, mean Wet-nursed sour purse spot face, blubbering in the cream Emperor baby dumpling, loaded, bloated curse Mighty baby dumpling, stuffing 'til he bursts |
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from Procol Harum - Grand Hotel (1973)
This war we are waging is already lost
The cause for the fighting has long been a ghost Malice and habit have now won the day The honours we fought for are lost in the fray Standards and bugles are trod in the dust Wounds have burst open, and corridors rust Once proud and truthful, now humbled and bent Fires which burnt brightly, now energies spent Let down the curtain, and exit the play The crowds have gone home and the cast sailed away Our flowers and feathers as scarring as weapons Our poems and letters have turned to deceptions |
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from Procol Harum - Grand Hotel (1973)
He fell from grace and hit the ground
They tried in vain to bring him round No one saw him make the fall They couldn't understand at all His fall from grace was swift and straight The doctors didn't hesitate What he had they were not sure He didn't have a temperature His fall from grace was swift and sure The doctors said they knew no cure. They felt and poked and pushed his pulse He couldn't understand at all He fell from grace and hit the ground He fell into the sea and drowned They saw him struggling from the harbour They saw him wave as he went under |
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from Procol Harum - Grand Hotel (1973)
Tonight we sleep on silken sheets
We drink fine wine and eat rare meats On Carousel and gambling stake Our fortunes speed, and dissipate. It's candlelight and chandelier, It's silver plate and crystal clear. The nights we stay at Hotel Grand Tonight we dine at Hotel Ritz. (A golden dish with every wish ). It's mirrored walls, and velvet drapes, Dry champagne, and bursting grapes. Dover sole, and Oeufs Mornay, Profiteroles and Peach Flambe, The waiters dance on fingertips The nights we dine at Hotel Ritz One more toast to greet the morn The wine and dine have danced till dawn Where's my Continental Bride? We'll Continental slip and slide Early morning pinch and bite - (These French girls always like to fight) It's serenade and Sarabande, The nights we stay at Hotel Grand Les nuits qu'on passe a l'Hotel Grande. |
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from Procol Harum - Grand Hotel (1973)
Tonight we sleep on silken sheets
We drink fine wine and eat rare meats On Carousel and gambling stake Our fortunes speed, and dissipate. It's candlelight and chandelier, It's silver plate and crystal clear. The nights we stay at Hotel Grand Tonight we dine at Hotel Ritz. (A golden dish with every wish ). It's mirrored walls, and velvet drapes, Dry champagne, and bursting grapes. Dover sole, and Oeufs Mornay, Profiteroles and Peach Flambe, The waiters dance on fingertips The nights we dine at Hotel Ritz One more toast to greet the morn The wine and dine have danced till dawn Where's my Continental Bride? We'll Continental slip and slide Early morning pinch and bite - (These French girls always like to fight) It's serenade and Sarabande, The nights we stay at Hotel Grand Les nuits qu'on passe a l'Hotel Grande. |
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from Procol Harum - Grand Hotel (1973)
Doctor where's your remedy?
I've got enough to pay the fee Can't you see I'm awful sick? I'll pay you well to do the trick Doctor where's your magic box There's no one here to count the cost Name your price and make the sale There's no-one here to tell the tale Doctor please don't lock your door I've never troubled you before Just a pinch to ease the pain I'll never trouble you again |
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from Procol Harum - Grand Hotel (1973)
Doctor where's your remedy?
I've got enough to pay the fee Can't you see I'm awful sick? I'll pay you well to do the trick Doctor where's your magic box There's no one here to count the cost Name your price and make the sale There's no-one here to tell the tale Doctor please don't lock your door I've never troubled you before Just a pinch to ease the pain I'll never trouble you again |
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from Procol Harum - Grand Hotel (1973) | |||||
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from Procol Harum - Grand Hotel (1973) | |||||
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from Procol Harum - Grand Hotel (1973) | |||||
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from Procol Harum - Grand Hotel (1973)
She took all the pleasure and none of the pain
All of the credit and none of the blame I came home to an empty flat She'd left me a note and taken the cat The cord that they knotted to keep us apart Could never be broken: it was tied to my heart She grew thin and I grew fat She left me and that was that I'm thinking of renting a villa in France A French girl has offered to give me a chance Or maybe I'll take an excursion to Spain And buy a revolver and blow out my brains |
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from Procol Harum - Exotic Birds And Fruit (1974)
Psychiatrists and lawyers destroying mankind
Drivin' 'em crazy...and stealing 'em blind Bankers and brokers ruling the world Storing the silver and hoarding the gold Ain't no use in preachers preaching When they don't know what they're teaching The weakest man be strong as samson When you're being held to ransom Famine and hardship in true living colour Constant reminders...the plight of our brother Daily starvation our diet of news Fed to the teeth with a barrage of views Ain't no use in preachers preaching When they don't know what they're teaching The weakest man be strong as samson When you're being held to ransom Black men and white men, and arabs and jews Causing congestion and filling the queues Fighting for freedom the truth and the word Fighting the war for the end of the world Ain't no use in preachers preaching When they don't know what they're teaching Weakest man be strong as samson When you're being held to ransom |
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from Procol Harum - Exotic Birds And Fruit (1974)
Psychiatrists and lawyers destroying mankind
Drivin' 'em crazy...and stealing 'em blind Bankers and brokers ruling the world Storing the silver and hoarding the gold Ain't no use in preachers preaching When they don't know what they're teaching The weakest man be strong as samson When you're being held to ransom Famine and hardship in true living colour Constant reminders...the plight of our brother Daily starvation our diet of news Fed to the teeth with a barrage of views Ain't no use in preachers preaching When they don't know what they're teaching The weakest man be strong as samson When you're being held to ransom Black men and white men, and arabs and jews Causing congestion and filling the queues Fighting for freedom the truth and the word Fighting the war for the end of the world Ain't no use in preachers preaching When they don't know what they're teaching Weakest man be strong as samson When you're being held to ransom |
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from Procol Harum - Exotic Birds And Fruit (1974)
Who will search for Holy Grail
Past the edge beyond the veil Who will come beyond the light Far from reach beyond all sight Who will share this bitter cup let the wild dogs tear them up let the cold winds blow them down drive them deep beneath the ground Who will live in darkest night Dankest gloom and quietest quiet Buried deep beneath the ground Far from any human sound Who will search for treasure trove Scour the seas and scale the globe Past the peaks beyond the heights Farmost reaches furthest sights Who will share this bitter cup let the wild dogs tear them up let the cold winds blow them down drive them deep beneath the ground |
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from Procol Harum - Exotic Birds And Fruit (1974)
They tell us that we're savages
who haven't got a hope We're burning in the furnaces, we're choking at the smoke They say we haven't got a choice, refuse to recognize our voice Yet they enjoy comissions from the proceeds of the joke Those Butterfly Boys at play with their toys Stinging like bees itching like fleas Butterfly Boys you got the toys You got the breeze we cought the freeze Butterfly Boys give us a break We got the groceries you got the cake They tell us that we're savages who cannot understand We're sailing on a sinking ship, we're swimming in the sand They put their fingers in their ears, refuse to recognize our fears And fly off to Jamaica when we call them underhand |
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from Procol Harum - Exotic Birds And Fruit (1974)
In praise of fruit I wrote this song
Because of fruit my heart is strong Who could estimate its worth? Fruit's the finest food on earth Fresh fruit, juice and seeds Please don't touch, please don't squeeze Fresh fruit, juice and pulp Like to gulp the whole lot up Here's another point of view Fruit is good for doggies too Rover wags his tail with glee When he gets his vitamin C Have you caught a touch of flu And you can't think what to do Famous doctors all agree fruit's the safest remedy Fresh fruit Good and sweet Makes you want to give up meat Fresh fruit, ripe and firm Makes them squealing taste-buds squirm. |
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from Procol Harum - Exotic Birds And Fruit (1974) | |||||
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from Procol Harum - Exotic Birds And Fruit (1974)
The end of the evening, unable to cope
Unique entertainment no longer a joke The close of the picture, the end of the show Merciless torment, torturous blow New lamps for old Bright shiny gold Innocent youth Falsehood for truth The eye of the needle, the loss of the thread Triumphant victor, glorious dead The cause becomes duty; duty's the blow Which kills the picture: death of the show |
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from Procol Harum - Exotic Birds And Fruit (1974)
It seems as clear as yesterday
We saw it in a dream but dream became insanity an awful gaping scream So sad to see such emptiness So sad to see such tears And heaped up leaves of bitterness turned mouldy down the years Nothing but the truth. Common words in use Hard to find excuse Harder than the truth Like Icarus we flew too high We flew too near the sun They caught us in that awful glare Our hapless throats were strung But just before the final stroke They took us victims of the rope And cast us far beyond the deep To lie in never ending sleep It seems as clear as yesterday They cast us in the deep We lie in darkest night for good Never ending sleep A never ending bitter gloom Whose darkness seldom clears A God forsaken emptiness Which fills our hearts with tears |
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from Procol Harum - Exotic Birds And Fruit (1974) | |||||
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from Procol Harum - Exotic Birds And Fruit (1974) | |||||
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from Procol Harum - Procol's Ninth (1975)
Ooh I need your love babe
Guess you know it's true Hope you need my love babe Just like I need you Hold me love me Hold me love me I ain't got nothing but love babe Eight days a week Love you every day girl Always on my mind One thing I can say girl Love you all the time Hold me love me Hold me love me I ain't got nothing but love babe Eight days a week Eight days a week I love you Eight days a week is not enough to show I care Ooh I need your love babe Guess you know it's true Hope you need my love babe Just like I need you Hold me love me Hold me love me I ain't got nothing but love babe Eight days a week Eight days a week I love you Eight days a week is not enough to show I care Love you every day girl Always on my mind One thing I can say girl Love you all the time Hold me love me Hold me love me I ain't got nothing but love babe Eight days a week Eight days a week Eight days a week |
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from Procol Harum - Procol's Ninth (1975) | |||||
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from Procol Harum - Procol's Ninth (1975)
I was trying hard to win
Save the world and be the king I was out there in the race Trying hard to force the pace Fool's gold fooled me too Bright and shiny looked brand new Fool's gold broke my heart Shone so brightly then fell apart Fools gold bitter sting Broken promise hollow ring Fool's gold cast the die Broken promise empty lie I was locked in bitter strife Fighting monsters all of my life I was out to break the pledge Force myself across the edge Fool's gold fooled me too Bright and shiny looked brand new Fool's gold broke my heart Shone so brightly then fell apart Fool's gold fooled me too Shine so brightly, looked brand new Fool's gold broke my heart Shone so brightly then fell apart Fool's gold fooled me too Fool's gold fooled me too Fool's gold fooled me too Fool's gold, fool's gold fooled me too |
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from Procol Harum - Procol's Ninth (1975)
I keep forgetting you don't love me no more
I keep forgetting you don't want me no more I keep forgetting that you told me that you Didn't want me around anymore But these stupid old feet Just head for your street Like they've done so many times before And this stubborn old fist At the end of my wrist Keeps knocking on your front door I keep forgetting you don't love me no more I keep forgetting you don't want me no more I keep forgetting about those heartbreaking nights Ant those heartbreaking things that you said Though it's plain as can be You're finished with me I can't believe our love is dead Though I know in my heart We've drifted apart I just can't get it through my head I keep forgetting you don't love me no more I keep forgetting you don't love me no more I keep forgetting you don't love me no more But these stupid old feet Just head for your street Like they've done so many times before And this stubborn old fist At the end of my wrist Keeps knocking on your front door I keep forgetting you don't love me no more I keep forgetting you don't love me no more Oh, I keep forgetting you don't love me no more, oh I keep forgetting I keep forgetting I keep forgetting |
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from Procol Harum - Procol's Ninth (1975)
While horsemen ride across the green
And Snow White still remains unseen. Pegasus, the winged horse, Relays his messages by Morse. And like some pirate sailor We crossed the Spanish Main And brought our magic carpet To a marble staircased plain. While Handel plays his melody Doctors cause uncertainty And though I know the lifeguard's brave There is no one for him to save. And like some pirate sailor We crossed the Spanish Main And brought our magic carpet To a marble staircased plain. Cock Robin views his frozen feet And wraps them in a winding sheet And calls out for his favourite drink The Persian that's as warm as mink. And like some pirate sailor We crossed the Spanish Main And brought our magic carpet To a marble staircased plain. |
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from Procol Harum - Procol's Ninth (1975) | |||||
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from Procol Harum - Procol's Ninth (1975)
I was standing on the mountain top staring at the sun
I was trying to act the hero's part not fooling anyone I was living for the moment but the moment never came Taking notes and stealing quotes, trying to make a name My time's been taken with taking my time By making my mind up, yes to make up my mind I was living in the country: I was trying not to freeze I was working on the cabbage plants, chopping down the trees I was learning how to cook the goose and how to milk the cow Taking out the dog for walks, teaching him how to bow My time's been taken, yes, with taking my time Oh, I'm making my mind up to make up my mind, yes Yes, my time's been taken, oh, with taking my time, yeah I'm making my mind up, yeah to make up my mind oh.... |