The Front Lawn : Lyrics

 

 

Songs from The Front Lawn

More songs from The Front Lawn


When You Come Back Home

 

Some people want to cut you down to their size

Just so they can push you around

They'll tell you they like everyone to grow to the same height

But they'd really rather see you on the ground

 

When they all want to turn you down

Like the sound on their TV set

Theres one place that you're welcome to

Where everything you say

Well, it's all up to you

When you come back home

And you find me waiting there

You're never on your own

And you find me waiting

Come back home

When you come back home and you find me waiting

Come back home and you'll find me waiting there

 

Some people want to cut you down to their size

Some people want to knock you off your feet

They dont know a good thing when they see it

They wouldn't know a good thing if it ran them down in the street

 

When they all want to turn you down like the sound

On their T.V set theres one place that you're welcome to

Where everything you say, well it's all up to you

 

When you come back home

And you find me waiting there

You're never on your own

And you find me waiting

Come back home

When you come back home and you find me waiting

Come back home and you'll find me waiting there

 

When you come back home

I love when you tell me how your day's gone

When you come back home

I want to be the one who stands beside you

When they try to bend you pride

And then they try to get inside you

 

Theme From "The Lounge Bar"

 

There's a man at the bar staring into space

Why is he drinking all by himself

What could have happened to his face?

What's that thing on his head?

Must have had quite a fall

he's listening to the song that's playing

He's hardly moving at all

 

And the song sounds like The Girl from Ipanema

And the song sounds like Ten Guitars

And the song sounds like The Girl from Ipanema goes walking

And walking

 

There's a woman she comes in out of the rain

She waits for a while then she says

"The service is pretty slow around here"

But the man doesn't hear her, he's still listening to the song

And the song sounds like la la la

 

She looks around the bar she hasn't seen for so long

Nothing is changed, the jukebox playing the same old song

But just then a chord-change

Makes the blood change direction in her veins

And her heart sings dance, dance, dance to my Ten Guitars

 

The man at the bar has lost his memory

The man at the bar could be anybody

The bottle helps some people forget

But can the bottle help him remember

Will he ever remember who he was?

 

And the song sounds like The Girl from Ipanema

And the song sounds like Ten Guitars

And the song sounds like The Girl from Ipanema goes walking

And walking

 

How You Doing?

 

DON     - Oh, How you doing? haven't see you for

HARRY - It's quite a while isn't it?

DON     - What are you up to these days?

HARRY - Oh keeping busy, how about you?

DON     - O yeah, yeah it's Kevin isn't it?

HARRY - What did you call me?

DON     - Kevin? Its Kevin?

HARRY - Yeah John.

DON     - Mike

HARRY - Mike!

[both]   - Yeah. Mike That's it... (etc)

HARRY - Oh How you doing. I haven't seen you for

DON     - It's quite a while isn't it?

HARRY - What are you up to these days?

DON     - Oh, keeping busy, how about you?

HARRY - Oh you know. So where are you living anyway?

DON     - Well you'd hardly call it living. I lost my job. I'm having quite a few emotional problems

HARRY - Hamilton? Wellington? Palmerston North?

DON     - Grey Lynn

HARRY - Oh... Nice out there!

DON     - Yeah it's me

HARRY - Yeah

DON     - Grey Lynn, yeah

[both]   - Oh how you doing. I haven't seen you for... oh How you doing. I haven't seen you

DON     - Oh how you doing. I haven't seen you for Oh

HARRY - Yeah, it's quite a while isn't it

DON     - I suppose you're married with a family and everything by now, eh?

HARRY - No way, not me

DON     - Still it's only a matter of time eh?

HARRY - Hehe, Nah

DON     - Yeah... eh?

HARRY - Hehe, Nah

DON     - Yeah... eh?

HARRY - Hehe, Nah

DON     - Yeah... eh?

[both]   - Oh how you doing? I haven't seen you for Oh, how you doing? I haven't seen you for

 

Walk Around The House

 

A walk around the house

Till it's time for bed,

In one of these rooms is a person sleeping,

Breathing.

That is the person I love,

That is the person I say "I love you" to.

 

Eyes still move when they're closed,

Still move when they're closed.

Eyes still move when they're closed, (What is that person seeing?)

Still move when they're closed.

 

I turn off all the lights,

And I stand there in the dark,

Suddenly the house seems more relaxed,

More itself.

That is the moment that I like,

That is the moment that happens every night.

 

This was the living room,

That was a table and some chairs,

That could have been a pile of magazines,

That is the door to the room where I'm going to sleep.

 

Eyes get used to the dark,

Get used to the dark.

Eyes get used to the dark, (What is that person seeing?)

Get used to the dark.

Eyes get used to the dark, (What is that person seeing?)

Get used to the dark.

 

A walk around the house

Till it's time for bed,

In one of these rooms is a person sleeping,

Breathing.

That is the person I love,

That is the person I say "I love you" to.

 

Andy

 

Lets take a walk along the beach before the tide comes in,

You sure missed one hell of a party last night,

I was just disappointed,

That the rest of the family wont even mention your name,

Yeah, I know you didn't mean to let me down last night.

 

Andy,

Dont keep your distance from me,

Andy

Dont keep your distance from me.

 

So you didn't make it back in time for the birthday boy,

I know things can't stay the same year after year,

Take a look at this beach now,

There isn't much left of the place we knew when we were kids,

When we used to go diving from the rocks over there.

 

Andy,

Dont keep your distance from me,

Andy

Dont keep your distance.

 

What'd you say we go up north Head?

Try to catch the sailing races?

Can you believe this place?

Well can you?

They're making money out of money here,

They're making buildings out of glass.

Their kids look like they stepped out of fashion magazines,

But none of it's going to last.

A man gets angry,

Dont know why I'm telling all this to you,

On Takapuna beach.

On Takapuna beach.

On Takapuna beach.

On Takapuna beach I can still see you,

I can let myself pretend you're still around.

I turned 28 last night.

If you were still alive you you'd be just short of 33.

If only you could see your home town now.

 

Andy,

Dont keep your distance from me,

Andy

Dont keep your distance from me.

 

Tomorrow Night

 

She loves Wellington she was born there,

Out in the Hutt valley,

Then she left home looking for something,

She thought she'd find it in the city.

She'd go dancing in the weekends,

Her friends were starting up new bands,

Tight black dresses and hairspray,

Talking about,

Tomorrow night,

About 8 o'clock,

Tomorrow night

When the town starts filling up,

Tomorrow night about the time when the pubs start jumping,

And the drunks start fighting,

We'll start dancing.

 

She went to London to find work there,

To claim her colonial birthright.

Cleaning hotel rooms in the mother country,

While people trudged to work in the dim light,

She'd go dancing in the nightclubs,

On the underground she'd ride,

Talking loud in a kiwi accent,

Talking about,

Tomorrow night,

About 8 o'clock,

Tomorrow night

When the town starts filling up,

Tomorrow night about the time when the pubs start jumping,

And the band starts playing,

La la la la la la la,

We'll start dancing.

La la la la la la la,

We'll start dancing.

La la la la la la la,

We'll start dancing.

 

She flying over Wellington harbour,

Oriental bay is standing there in the sunlight,

And they're playing a tape for the landing,

Speed bonny boat, like a bird on the wing,

Onward the sailors cry,

No She didnt want to stay there,

She's on her flight,

She'll be standing on the same ground as we are,

Tomorrow night,

About 8 o'clock,

Tomorrow night

When the town starts filling up,

Tomorrow night about the time when the pubs start jumping,

And the band starts playing,

La la la la la la la,

We'll start dancing.

La la la la la la la,

We'll start dancing.

Tomorrow night about the time when the pubs start jumping,

And the drunks start fighting,

We'll start dancing.

 

Claude Rains

 

Claude Rains in Casablanca

He was the French Police Inspector

A functionary through and through

A small man

 

Remember at the end out on the airstrip

He could have tried to stop them

Ingrid Bergman and her friend from the French Resistance

But he pretended not to see

It was a small act of defiance

As the storm broke in the distance

He was on their side after all.

 

Claude Rains gave the order to collect the usual suspects

And the camera came in close up on his face

He watched as the plane left the airstrip

Like hope leaves a dying man

But he hung on to the choice he'd made

 

Claude Rains

Claude Rains

Claude Rains

Claude Rains

 

I saw a new film the other day

And it was set at the start of a nuclear war

The actors weren't as good as Claude Rains

But then there was nothing that they could do

All of their small acts could count for nothing

As the storm broke in the distance

Not much to make a film about

 

Tell Me What To Do

 

I don't want to hear nobody else telling me what to do

I only want to hear those words from you

I don't want to know what's going on in the rest of the world tonight

I only want to know what you like

 

Tell me what to do I only want to hear those words from you

Tell me what to do I only want to hear those words from you

 

I don't want to hear nobody else...

Just say the first thing that comes into your head

Like.... or... or...

 

Tell me what to do I only want to hear those words from you

Tell me what to do I only want to hear those words from you

Why don't you tell me (I've got one or two ideas)

Why don't you tell me (You can whisper in my ear)

It's the words that turn me on

I like the words

 

A Man And A Woman

 

Eugene said they'd be driving up last night

But the car's not there - that's strange

Why dont we take these things around the back

Maybe drop in later to thank him

You really should meet him

Look, there's a window open

Look, there's a curtain blowing

I wonder who left it like that

Wait a minute

 

A man and a woman

A woman and a man,

Look at them lying there

Sleeping in each other's arms

Don't wake them up, leave them sleeping

Don't wake them up, don't let them know we've seen them

Don't say a word to anyone

'Cause that's Sarah there, that's Eugene's wife

But that's not Eugene

 

Look, it's none of our business

Look, sometimes people just have to tangle up their lives

 

A man and a woman

A woman and a man

Look at them lying there

Sleeping in each other's arms

Don't wake them up, leave them sleeping

Don't wake them up, they look just like a picture

Don't try to tell me that it's wrong

Sure Eugene's my friend but he's never going to know

So let's just go now

 

I'll Never Have Anything More

 

I'll never have anything more than I've got today

If I'm not happy now I'll probably stay that way

There is no denying I've got to keep on trying

But I'll never have anything more than I've got today

No I'll never have anything more than I've got today

 

 


The Big Room

 

Good evening everybody

It's good to se you here

You people down the front

you people way back there

 

You're out there in the dark

We're down here in the light

But we're here for the very same reason

There's a Front Lawn show tonight!

 

Some of us shaved our facces

Some of us cleaned our teeth

Some of us drove a big flash car

And parked it in the street

 

Some of us put on trousers

Some of us on perfume

But we're all in the same room

We're all in the same room

 

We're all in the same room

It's a big big room

It's a big big room

People al in the same room

It's a big big room

It's a big big room

 

It's true these walls have echoed to sound of many feet

Flesh from every surburb has sweated in that seat

Many eyes have seen the glory

And many hearts have swelted

Many ears have heard the story

And many noses smelled

 

The smell of other people

The way they do their hair

How do they find the seat to sit in?

What do they do when they get there?

 

Come down angels and devils fill the air

And turn us round and round and round

Come down old ones

Ancient spirits come down!

 

We're all in the same room...

 

Found Another Body

 

I've found another body a bit like mine

I found it learning up against the wall

I found the other body to be all that i needed to be

To be

Doo bee doo bee doo

 

I've found another body a bit like mine

I found thee other body was yours

And you were quite at home in it

You walked across the room in it

To me, to me, to me

Doo bee doo bee doo

 

I've found another body...

 

Excuse me i just have to say

I hope you don't mind if i talk this way

But i want to feel your body!!!

 

I've found it getting closer to me

The closer bodies get

The closer bodies get

To what it is they want to do

What it is they want to do

 

Doo bee doo bee doo

 

I've found another body...

 

Everyone Disappears

 

She is falling asleep

When she comes around

He is stroking her hair

Where it's falling down round her face

And he brushes it aside with his hand

And the rest of the passengers seem to understand

 

Everyone disappears when they kiss

Everyone disappears when they kiss

There were three hundred names on the passenger list

But everyone disappears when they kiss

 

Half an hour ago

They were so far apart

Carefully unwrapping their meals

But now the movie starts

And if you were nearby you'd say something was going on

In row forty-three there's certainly something going on

 

Everyone disappears when they kiss...

 

When they kiss

He was a little surprised to find himself kissing her

When they kiss

It didn't seem right but it didn't feel wrong

When they kiss

He had no idea how long they were kissing for

Suddenly she turned away

He felt a fool

They didn't talk again for an hour or so

 

Everyone disappears when they kiss

 

Coming Ready Or Not

 

Calling

Your name

I know you can't hear me

I call just the same

 

You're hiding

From me

I'm coming to get you

One two three

I'm coming ready or not

Falling

Slowly

Into my arms you're falling

 

I hold you

And then

One two three four five six seven eight nine ten

I'm coming ready or not

One two three four five six seven eight nine ten

I'm coming ready or not

 

A Good Address

 

A good adress

The number on the letter box

Then the name of the street that we live in

A name dreamt up by some city councillor

Then five more numbers for the phone

 

I liked the look of it

On the insurance policy

On the page where we first signed our name together

And on the time payment form for the furniture

I couldn't wait to write it down again

 

A good adress

Quite a few of us on the same street

A good adress

Starting families at the same time

A good adress

A good adress

 

And bit by bit we filled it with possessions

Good things that we'd worked hard and saved for

A stove that was made in America

A fridge and a frezzer in one

 

They built them well

Back there in the fifties

When we moved in it took three men to lift them

And thirty-six Ferndale Road, Blockhouse Bay

Could only be

 

A good adress...

 

This is what we all had dreamt of

As we fought the war to end all wars

That at the end of the war to end all wars

There would be

 

A number on a letter box

Then the name of the street that we live in

A name dreamt up by some city councillor

Then five more numbers for te phone

 

A good adress

 

The Beautiful Things

 

The beautiful things

We see them, every moment of the day

We see them, we want them, right away

The beautiful things

We're full of desire

Every second, every moment of the day

Desire to touch

To have, to have and to hold

The beautiful things

 

We come from the land of the new

From a better place than this

Where everything's clean and fresh and new

And the people are young and handsome and true

 

But the world we live in is cold and it's dark

And it's full of the dirt and the death and disease

And the loneliness

Yes the loneliness

And the heartache and sorrow and fear

 

But it's OK

It's all right

Because on every shelf in every shop there's things

Yes things

Things from the land of the new

 

We are born clean

We are born clean

We are born clean

As if we'd come out of a washing machine

 

So we buy them

These things

These things that are clean and new

And we become clean and new just like themm

 

Yes we buy them

These things

These things that are clean and new

And every time we buy we're born again

 

So we buy

And we're born, we buy and we're born

 

So we buy

And we buy and we buy and we buy and we buy!

 

The beautiful things...

 

Queen Street

 

She parked her car

By the Salvation Army

She walked down Queen Street

There was nowhere she had to be

 

In front of the Savings Bank

There were Christians with a microphone

Singing let's put God in the driver's seat

He's the one who's going to get us home

 

When she got the Civic Theatre

I was standing by a traffic light

I was looking the other way

She could've slipped out of sight

 

But she caught my eye

She said hello

She seemed to want to talk

And outside Smith and Caughey's

We decided to take a walk

 

And it started on Queen Street

It started on Queen Street

 

We were walking close together

By the time we hit Victoria Street

Hey! Something for your girlfriend sir?

Said a woman selling jewellry

 

We crossed the street to Vulcan Lane

We saw ourselves in the window of a cafe

As if we were in colour

And everything else was in black and grey

 

And it started on Queen Street...

 

Coincidences

They bring us into this world

Coincidences

They tear us apart

If she'd looked in a window

She might not've seen  him

If he'd lost his car keys

He'd never have lost his heart to her

 

There's no plan, there's no order

(There's no plan, there's no order)

Weak swimmers in the deep deep water

(Weak swimmers in the deep deep water)

 

But here I am

(Here he is)

Docteur Evans

(Docteur Evans)

I can only do my best

(He can only do his best)

 

I'm like a lifeguard

(He's a lifeguard)

I suppose

(He's a lifeguard

He's got his lifeline and his vest)

And I can rescue one in a hundred

(He can rescue one in a hundred)

They went back to his place and they went to bed

They got undressed and got into bed

 

And it started on Queen Street...

 

Breakfast Anthem/Mess Song

 

We are the people

Who eat toast and butter and jam

People in other places

Just wouldn't understand

 

We are the people

Who drink milk with our tea

People in other places

Don't do it like  you and me

 

Suddenly you just look up

What do you see?

Everything's a mess

Everything's a mess

 

If you don't do things properly

You make a mess

And even if you do things right

You make a mess

 

There's always a point at the end of breakfast

When everything's a mess

 

And if you walk away and leave it

And come back in half an hour

The mess is even worse

It got worse all by itself

 

There must be no sign

That breakfast has happened

There must be no sign

That any of this has happened

 

Everything that we do makes a mess

Everything that we do makes a mess

Makes a mess...

Makes a mess...

 

B
ecause She's Gone

 

Because she's gone,

You'll never see that sweet face again,

Because she's gone.

 

Because she's gone,

You'll drift across the ocean with the wind,

Because she's gone.

 

Because she's gone,

All you can do is find a place,

Where noone on earth can see your face,

All you can do is hide away,

Because she's in another's arms today.

 

Because she's gone,

You'll never hear that sweet voice again,

Because she's gone.

 

Because she's gone,

You drive down empty streets that never end,

Because she's gone.

 

Because she's gone,

She cannot know that she's been betrayed,

You don't leave flowers on her grave,

Her body's cold down in the clay.

Because she's in another's arms today.

And he will hold her forever,

And he will hold her when the night comes,

And he will hold her till the sun freezes over,

Because she's gone.

Because she's gone.

Because she's gone,

All you can do is find a place,

Where noone on earth can see your face,

All you can do is hide away,

Because she's in another's arms today.

And he will hold her forever,

And he will hold her when the night comes,

And he will hold her till the sun freezes over,

Because she's gone.

Because she's gone.

Because she's gone.

 

Weeding Song

 

They say a man is made mostly of water

And it's water that keeps us together

As we pass it on to our children

And they pass  it on their own

 

And just as water is attracted to water

We all find someone to love and to care for

But water must find its own level

So we must make our choices alone

My friends you've come to witness something wonderful

So let's get on with it

 

Do you Graeme

Take this washing machine

To have and to hold?

 

Do you Graeme

Take this washing machine

To honour and obey you?

 

Do you washing machine

Take this man

To cherish and install you?

To put his dirty things inside you

 

I now declare you joined then

In matrimony

 

And what money has joined

Let no man put asunder!