click on song titles to read lyrics

all songs written by Alan Andrews  ©1996

babble on

i don’t want the candles 
i don’t want the lights down low 
don’t want to hear harry connick on the stereo 
i know the way she likes it 
my baby likes it hard and long 
let’s put our black sabbath records on 
because there’ll be plenty of time for harry 
when were dead and gone 
let’s babble on 

i don’t want to sleep all night 
but if you want to hang out in bed 
that’s all right 
hey why don’t you put that bible away 
i’ll show you a whole new way to pray 
there’ll be plenty of time for jesus 
when were dead and gone 
let’s babble on 

baby let’s babble let’s rattle let’s straddle 
let’s do something wrong 
let’s begin it let’s lose it or win it 
let’s get it on let’s bang the gong 
let’s babble on 

i don’t know who killed j.f.k. 
either the f.b.i. got him or he got away 
i never did see a u.f.o. 
if i did i’d hop on in and away i’d go 
there’ll be plenty of time for mystery 
when were dead and gone 
let’s just babble on 

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i want to hold you 
like the claws of a hammer 
or a sentence in stammer 
like when a mother holds her child 

i want to love you 
like a bear loves honey 
or the rain loves thunder 
like the call loves the wild 

i want you to know 
i haven’t felt this good 
in a long long time 
that’s why i thought i’d write 

i want to watch you 
like an old time movie 
one of those old movies 
we would watch on the late late show 

i want to kiss you 
like the first time i kissed you 
like clark gable 
when he still gave a damn 

i want you to know 
i haven’t felt this good 
in a long long time 
that’s why i thought i’d write 

the next time i go away 
i’ll come back to you 
with things to say 

i want to touch you 
like the ceiling of the chapel 
or the skyline of the apple 
or the way the day touches night 

i want to hold you 
like the claws of a hammer 
or a sentence in stammer 
that’s why i thought i’d write 

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inspiration
                  
inspiration 
i need you now 
i feel so lonely 
i’ve paid the price 
suffered the loss 
wasn’t that the cost 
of inspiration 

inspiration 
where have you gone 
don’t you still love me 
touch my lips 
like a lover’s tongue 
like when we were young 
inspiration 

you’ve got me 
looking in the attic 
for those boxes with no mark 
got me 
digging like a miner 
for diamonds in the dark 
got me 
painting pretty pictures 
got me 
buying old books 
i’m as guilty as a preacher 
for all the souls he took 
got me hoping 
got me praying 
got me living on the edge 
you’ve got all the windows open 
and you put me on the ledge 
inspiration 
where have you gone 

inspiration 
i’m dying here 
i need you to save me 
take me away 
to that other place 
and let’s dance face to face 
inspiration 

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the ballad of orson welles
                              
this is the ballad of orson welles 
the man who gave us war of the worlds 
frightened the country 
but got all the girls 
oh well 

then he gave us citizen kane 
perhaps the greatest film ever made 
that brought him riches 
and that brought him fame 
nobody was bigger than orson welles 

orson welles , orson welles 
orson welles , orson welles 

i know what you’re thinking 
keep it to yourself 
someday I’ll be bigger than orson welles 

got himself a fine black suit 
when he was 45 he wore a 52 
he said pate foie gras 
sure does take it’s toll on you 
nobody was bigger than orson welles 

orson welles , orson welles 
orson welles , orson welles 

i see you laughing 
you can go to hell 
someday i’ll be bigger than orson welles 

when i die And i’m at the pearly gates 
i don’t give a damn 
what saint peter has to say 
hey pete where can i find the free buffet 
i want to tie one on with orson welles 

orson welles , orson welles 
orson welles , orson welles 

i know what you’re saying 
only time will tell 
someday i’ll be bigger than orson welles 

keep on laughing 
i hear the dinner bell 
someday i’ll be bigger than orson welles 

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let’s get together again

you try someone new 
i’ll try someone new 
and when we’re both blue 
let’s get together again 

why don’t you paint the town 
and i’ll play the clown 
and when we’re both blue 
let’s get together again 

me and you 
such a perfect fit 
but sometimes it’s hard to admit it 

hey take your leather whip out 
i’ll out my leather mask on 
and when were black or blue 
let’s get together again 

hey tie your lover up 
i’ll tie my lover up 
and when they’re both bound 
let’s get together again 

me and you 
such a wild pair 
but sometimes we get a little bit scared 

i heard you pierced your nose 
i’m gonna pierce my tongue 
and when all the piercing’s done 
let’s get together again 

why don’t you shave your head 
and i’ll trim my beard 
i’m getting normal 
you’re getting weird 
let’s get together again 

you try someone new 
i’ll try someone new 
and when we’re both blue 
let’s get together again 

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permanent sleep

the neighbors blast their music through the walls 
the guy upstairs has had too much alcohol 
i got the rowdy kids hanging out in the hall 
and i’m so tired lord i want to fall 

my momma got the television playing so loud 
she’s watching threes company but two’s a crowd 
i’m putting on my walking shoes 
i got to lose these snoozing blues 

i’m putting on my bullet proof vest 
go to central park where i could take my rest 
lay right down in a chalk outline 
with a note saying don’t wake me up before nine 
i need my sleep 

found a squirrel in my pocket looking for some nuts 
some street sweeper came by and left me in the dust 
a bum said he hadn’t had a bite in a week 
so I bit him once and went back to sleep 

i’m putting on my bullet proof vest 
go to central park where i could take my rest 
lay right down in a chalk outline 
with a note saying don’t wake me up before nine 
i need my sleep 

i woke up under an old shade tree 
with a one-eyed birdie staring at me 
i never seen a bird with a face or an eye like that 
that ain’t his face that ain’t his eye--oh splat! 

i’m putting on my bullet proof vest 
go to central park where i could take my rest 
lay right down in a chalk outline 
with a note saying don’t wake me up before nine 
i need my sleep 

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noah built his ark

i left my mother on the side of the road 
i left her waiting and cold 
i said now mother i’ve gotten way too old 
i must be moving on 

brother dear brother the clothes that i’ve left 
black suit’s for mourning you can burn all the rest 
answer their questions but never take their test 
i must be moving on 

i know the light must be scared of the dark 
both of them victims and both play their part 
but it wasn’t raining when noah built his ark 
i must be moving on 

they were all waiting for my train to arrive 
years of torture how did you all survive 
i wanted to touch you but i was barley alive 
i must be moving on 

i know the light must be scared of the dark 
creeps in our window and tears you apart 
but it wasn’t raining when noah built his ark 
i must be moving on 

i left my woman but to her i’ll return 
again 

just like the light returns to the dark 
both of them victims and both play their part 
but it wasn’t raining when noah built his ark 
i must be moving on 

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riding the train

before i met you honey 
i used to drive my harley home 
fine fine fine fine machine 
disappear for weeks where the buffalo roam 
three years later what do you get 
three years older three times the regret 

before i met you darling 
i was such a pretty boy to see 
fine fine fine fine machine i was 
i was always cool with my own company 
on the day we became man and wife 
you got me and i got life 
i’m riding the train 

i’m just another suit riding the train 
just another suit riding the train 
i’m just another suit i’m riding the train 

i was a fine machine 
used to be a fine fine machine 
used to be a fine fine machine 
now i’m riding the train 

before i met you sweetie 
used to keep my strat on ten 
now this old d-28’s my only friend 
i used to stay out till the morning light 
now i read the sunday papers on a saturday night 
i’m riding the train 

i’m just another suit riding the train 
just another suit riding the train 
i’m just another suit i’m riding the train 

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phony french

let’s go back to paris before the war 
i’ll write a novel you’ll learn how to draw 
new york city has become such a bore 
let’s pretend we’re phony french 

let’s go meet picasso before he got the blues 
let’s grease matisse while he’s painting a nude 
i want to party all night with jean cocteau 
let’s pretend we’re phony french 

bon jour madame 
bon soir monsieur 
leave your brooklyn accent at the door 
i want to hear the entire jacques brelle score 
let’s pretend we’re phony french 

let’s go back to clichy in the quiet days 
let’s see josephine 
shake her tits and ass at the champs elysees 
henry miller’s gonna get everybody laid 
let’s pretend we’re phony french 

stopping by for brownies over at gerty stein’s 
it’s early yet hitler has not made up his mein 
i want a bowl of them greazy fries 
let’s pretend we’re 

bon soir monsieur 
bon jour madame 
i don’t give a damn if you can’t can can 
get there on anything but air japan 
let’s pretend we’re phony french 

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