Stiff Little Fingers

You lit a flame in my heart
And it is burning still
And every time I hear you shout
It still gives me a thrill
I can see you up there
With your right leg pumping

Goodbye inspiration
Voice of a generation
Goodbye Inspiration
I won't be playing Strummerville again

You wore your heart on your sleeve
With honesty and pride
You gave me hope,made me believe
That what I did was right
You brought out a passion
That had long been missing
Yeah you brought out a passion
That you never stopped giving

[Chorus x2]

And if music seems mundane
It's cos the companies get their own way
And all the young bands seem to say
Please turn our rebellion into money

So thanks for giving me my creed
I'll try to stay onside
Y'or helping me to dare to dream
After all this time
Cos I still see you up there
On a stage and playing
Yeah I still see you up there
I still agree with what your saying

[Chorus x2]

You had us almost believing we were good enough for no one, no how
You had us take it or leave it, it's the best deal you're gonna get right now son
a little dig here, a little word did you really think that you could control us?
Maybe we didn't make it clear, you can have your opinions but you don't own us

If I ever see your face again it will be far too soon
to say the things I want to say to you.

You took us for this you took us for that
You took us for granted you can't get away with that

If there comes a time when you have to decide whether to trust in someone new
they have to have faith, they have to be true, they have to believe in what you do

If I ever see your face again it will be far too soon
to say the things I want to say to you.

You took us for this, you took us for that
You took us for granted, you can't get away with that

Maybe you're thinking i'm an angry man
but you were building us up so we would knock each other down
and you won't get away with it......no way


If I ever see your face again it will be far too soon
to say the things I want to say to you.

You took us for this, you took us for that
You took us for granted, you can't get away with that
I

Now i'm a little bit older
I'm expected to accept all the things that I can't change
I'm supposed to stand aside
While the fairness you can't hide is paraded before my face
I won't acquiesce take second best I'm never satisfied
Cos there's a fire inside won't be denied
And i'm still burning see you'll never put the spark out in my soul
still burning and injustice builds a bonfire in my core
Still burning.

If i turn my back on all the honesty you lack
Would that make me more mature?
By pretending to be blind, and accepting all your lies
I'd be giving in for sure
I won't acquiesce or take second best
I'm never satisfied cos there's a fire inside won't be denied
And i'm still burning you'll never put the spark out in my soul
Still burning and injustice build a bonfire at my core
Still burning

We like to think we live in a fair & justice society
Yet we can still lock a man away for 19 years
Having denied him the use of witness statements
That might have cleared his name
and we call that justice?

Not in my eyes

When I went out last night
I saw a dead man walking
And he smiled at me
As he went on his way

And then he sang a song
full of loss and longing
Thats could break your day or make your day

Why did this man seem so alone
When he was standing
In a crowd of laughing people laughing?

When I went out last night
I saw a dead man walking
And he smiled at me
As he went on his way

I talk to God sometimes, but nobody's listening
I talk to God sometimes, but nobody's there
What's done is done, no salvation for me
I talk to God sometime but nobody's there you see it's an

Empty sky, empty sky with dying stars & satellites

In the end i know there's nothin' else
In the end I know I'm talking to myself
What's done is done I will not be deceived
What's done is done & I know all that I can see is an

Empty sky, empty sky with dying stars & satellites

I talk to God sometimes but God knows why
I talk to God sometimes but i get no reply
I will not die it's the world that will end & once I'm gone I will not be back again

Empty sky, empty sky with dying stars & satellites

You gotta show me gotta make see
You gotta give me one good reason
And just because they don't agree
It doesn't make them guilty of treason

You say we've got to fight fire with fire
We can never let them win
We got to build ourselves a funeral pyre
It's just the world that we're living in

You know everything changes
There can be no turning back
We're pointing guns in the faces of strangers
I hear the shout attack attack attack

It's a fine, fine deviding line
Between the truth and the lies sometimes
I don't know what you hope to find
I only know you got to be true to yourself

And no you're out there on the fields of glory
Fighting for my freedom
I know it sounds like the same old story
But you've got to stand up for what you believe in

You know everything changes
There can be no turning back
We're pointing guns in the faces of strangers
I hear the shout attack attack attack

It's a fine, fine deviding line
Between the truth and the lies sometimes
I don't know what you hope to find
I only know you got to be true to yourself

Sometimes it's hard what's right and what's wrong
Sometimes I feel like I don't even belong

I can't believe you can look me in the eye while dying
Are you for real with your little intrigues then denying
All your words we've already heard
Thought I'm not surprised you can't cut your ties with me

Here we are (right behind you cause you're on our side)
Here we are (we bought the ticket, take us for a ride)
cause we all expect the truth
We must be the best of fools

You shake my hand and I count my fingers as you're leaving
A popular man with the people that you keep deceiving
Smoke and mirrors and that confidence
Help with the illusion and the dream

Here we are (right behind you cause you're on our side)
Here we are (we bought the ticket, take us for a ride)
cause we all expect the truth
We must be the best of fools

And so it goes make the snake oil we're still buying
God only knows if the effort's worth it, you're still trying
Hard to tell if you can pull it off
but you're still in charge and we're still on the team

Here we are (right behind you cause you're on our side)
Here we are (we bought the ticket, take us for a ride)
cause we all expect the truth
We must be the best of fools

Here we are (right behind you cause you're on our side)
Here we are (we bought the ticket, take us for a ride)
cause we all expect the truth
We must be the best of fools

I waited but you never came
So everything stayed the same
Coulda been great
I waited

I was still inspired but obviously out of tune
I must be dumb as shit to think,we could blow
Away these blues
I waited, I waited, I waited but you...never came

I waited, I kept the faith, I was patient in my own way
Thought you would come, thought you would stay
I waited but you never never never

I was still inspired but obviously out of tune
I must be dumb as shit to think,we could blow
Away these blues
I waited, I waited, I waited but you...never came

I waited, I kept the faith, I was patient in my own way
Thought you would come, thought you would stay
It coulda been good it coulda been great

I was hitting the best but obviously out of time
I never though that I would be left behind
I'd be left behind
I waited, I waited, I waited but you...never came

I waited but you never came
So everything stayed the same
Coulda been great
I waited

I waited, I waited, I waited but you...never came

Someone's falling down tonight
While facing front you stand and scream for more
The room jumps hot and chucked aside
The empty cans teeter across the floor
But at the edge the girl who shows in every crowd
And never seems to have enough
Is tossed by waves of sound and up on music loud
When all at once it gets too much

Someone's falling down
Someone's falling down
Because she can't stand no more
Someone's falling down

She says her mother kicked her out
She's got no name and no home to telephone
She's hitching rides and sleeping out
But she's OK with nowhere else to go
So what else can you do but simply pick her up
And watch her simply walk away
Does no-one care enough you know it's not enough
To put her on her feet again

Someone's falling down
Someone's falling down
Is it me or you or who?
Someone's falling down

I don't know
But I won't be told the streets of heaven are paved with gold

I'm gonna stop looking over my shoulder to check what's right
I'm gonna stop thinking it over. And start tonight
Do it fast or do it slow
Do it once then let it go

I don't know
I don't know
I don't know
But I won't be told

You're gonna stop looking over my shoulder to see what I'm at
Okay, You're a little bit older. Okay, all right, so what
You did it thus. You did it so
The difference is you think you know

I don't know
I don't know
I don't know
Still I won't be told

I don't know but I won't be told
I'm not putting myself on hold
I'm not buying and I won't be sold
I won't find out till I'm out of control

I'm gonna stop being cautious and sober. Get out and get on
I'm gonna start taking me over. And off on the run
You did it once. I don't care how
'cause that was then and this is now

I don't know
I don't know
I don't know
But I won't be told
I don't know
And I hope I live before I get old
I don't know
I don't know
And you can't tell me

Living on Government hand-outs
Water in the milk from a hole in the roof
Where the rain comes through
What can you do? You can't move

You got tears from your little sister
Crying 'cause she don't have a dress without a patch in
For the party to go
Aw, but you know she'll get by 'cause she's ....

[Chorus:]
Living in the love of the common people
Smiles through the heart of the family man
Poppa's gonna buy her a dream to cling to
Momma's gonna love her just as much as she can
And she can

It's a good thing you don't have bus fares
They would fall through a hole in your pocketand you'd lose them
In the snow on the ground
You gotta walk into town to find a job

Trying to keep yourself warm
But the hole in your shoe lets the snow come through
And chills you to the bone
So now you better go home where it's warm and you can

[Chorus]

Living on dreams ain't easy

So somebody's told you how to be a man
Just fuck 'em and leave 'em and score as many as you can

But always have someone who's close to your heart
And if you want to keep her, keep her in the dark
'Cause you love her, so you just can't tell her
Yet that's a lie and you know full well

You have to pay the price of admission
You have to pay the price of admission
You have to pay the price of admission
Sometime in your life somewhere along the line

And now she tells you that she's fucked others too
She didn't spend those nights waiting in on you



But though she gave her all, she never gave her heart
And she wants to keep you, so she cannot keep it dark
'Cause she loves you, so she has to open wide
She lets you in up close and blows away your pride

And you have to pay the price of admission
You have to pay the price of admission
You have to pay the price of admission
This time in your life, and lay it on the line

So somebody showed you how to be a man

Looking back it's funny that we never lied
That night we met when were both alone
We knew at once that what we'd want was just that night
Knew it couldn't be forever
Cause we each told of another
And then found something all our own

[Chorus]
We both agreed we felt the need that goes skin deep
We said up front that's all we'd want and so
We took the love that felt so good and had to be
Just a case of touch and go

When we'd got that usual block out of the way
We both relaxed, sat back and felt so sure
Saw eye to eye and looked each other in the face
Hours we talked with warmth and laughter
And we still could talk more after
In the dark up on the seventh floor

[Chorus]

Some might joke I came and went
And snigger she's a whore
But there's two people know it meant much more

Looking back was not allowed that morning so
We stuck by what we'd said
Rose and left without regret
But for a moment it was touch and go

We both agreed we felt the need to touch and go
But oh, you know, it was touch and go

They say our country's on the rocks and Britain's the greatest
They say the blacks get all the jobs. They say that they are lazy
A nice girl won't let you have sex. Enjoys it if you make her
The media all twist the facts. I read it in the paper

Stands to reason
You've heard it said so it has to be the truth
Fact or fiction. What's the difference. They say it's so
But think again. Repeat mistakes and it's never gonna change
And you never get the truth if you never ask yourself, what do they know?

They say all cops are bastard thugs. They're all a bunch of racists
The Scots are mean. The Irish mugs. At heart all men are rapists
Girls today they ask for it. I never touched your mother
And youngsters now are all on drugs. Yes, thanks, I'll have another

Stands to reason
Mark my words. Take a tip from one who knows
You will know more when you're older. They say it's so
But come again. Question it when you see it doesn't fit
And you never get the truth if you never ask yourself

So you ask me what's the score
Well, I can only say to make up your own mind
I'd rather see the whole world die than you or I believe a lie

What do I know?

We had it hard when I was young. We used to have such great times
A man took pride in what he'd done. You should have seen the breadlines
To get back to that golden age there must be unemployment
But kids today don't want to work. They're just out for enjoyment

Stands to reason
It won't change 'cause it's always been the same
People hating, people fighting. They say it's so
Do you believe that? Perhaps you do but it's only up to you
And you never get the truth if you never ask yourself
What do they know?