Fast Forward

I'm hitting fast forward
Seems like we'd gotten kind of stuck
Time to get out of town and try to
Set the controls for sometime off in the future
Where people will be happy instead of

Getting dumber and getting scareder all the time
Scared of their own shadows and scared to take a fall
Either miserable with millions or dying for a dime
Desperate to live forever or lucky to live at all

And if I could see myself from some other planet
Would I be shaking my head sadly or
Would I be laughing
Saying it's always been the same
But anyway

Not going back to the Age of Gold or the Age of Sin
Fast forward till I understand the age I'm in

And it's always the old guys bitching
About the young guys growing beards
Or turning into sissies or something
While they're trying to hold back time
As if that isn't weird
Meanwhile the young guys are

Waiting for respect when what they wanna be is cool
Cool calm and collected just as if that isn't strange
Or they wanna blow the whistle, ring the bell and change the rules
When the game goes on forever
It's just the uniforms that change

If this is the best of times or if it's the worst
There's some difference of opinion out there
Everyone is a genius
But no one has any friends
Or is it the other way around

Not going back to the Age of Gold or the Age of Sin
Fast forward till I understand the age I'm in

Sometimes I look at the Moon
And I think I know just how she feels
Going round and round us again
As we go round the Sun
Watching us as fools and geniuses rush in
And you and me age disgracefully
And have way too much fun

And everyone knows about what's over and done
And tied up with pretty ribbons on it
One king after another
With a mad one and a queen or two
Thrown in for good measure and meanwhile

We can make the future, make it every bit as clear
Make a friendly Star Trek universe, 'cause everything's allowed
The only place that's seriously strange to be is here
And the only time that's maddeningly mysterious is now

So I'm hitting fast forward

Come on get on board!
You don't wanna be late now...

Not going back to the Age of Gold or the Age of Sin
Fast forward till I understand the age I'm in

Lyrics written by Joe Jackson
Copyright © Pokazuka Ltd.
Reproduced by permission

If It Wasn't For You

If it wasn't for you my friend why should everything be such a fuss
It's so difficult to pretend that the living is easy with us
You tell me what to do
And I tell you where to go
One and one is two
But not because you tell me so

If it wasn't for you I bet I could do better sleeping at night
It's so difficult to forget every stupid or meaningless fight
You say go away
And I say it's fine with me
Then I want to stay
Nowhere that I'd rather be

You can be anything
A slave or a master
Any joker or any king can be a
Sad bastard
And I'd be one too, if it wasn't for you

If it wasn't for me I guess, you could be someone better by now
It's so difficult to confess, but I see we're together somehow
I don't want to know
If I got it right or wrong
Hope you never go
Hope we're gonna get along

You can be anyone
A beggar or chooser
Any father or any son can be a
Real loser
And I'd be one too, if it wasn't for you

You can be anything
A slave or a master
Any joker or any king can be a
Sad bastard
And I'd be one too, if it wasn't for you

Lyrics written by Joe Jackson
Copyright © Pokazuka Ltd.
Reproduced by permission

Kings Of The City

We were brought up in a boring town
Watching our feet sink into the ground
Never went up on a roof at night – oh no
On top of the city
To look at the lights

Remember the TV was on all day
With so much silence to chase away
Now we sit up on the roof at night – you know
And listen to sirens
And neighbours who fight

Chorus:
We're the A Team, the White Knights
And we want it all
We got the big dream
And the bright lights
But we don't see the stars anymore

We were brought up with the smell of grass
Knowing that nobody had no class
Sitting on top of a tower of steel – now I know
That nobody's perfect
And everything's real

Chorus

Come with me up on the roof tonight – you know
We'll be kings of the city
And look at the lights

Chorus

Lyrics written by Joe Jackson
Copyright © Pokazuka Ltd.
Reproduced by permission

A Little Smile

With just a little smile
We'll straighten it out
Yeah, even a fight like this
You gotta start somewhere
And not with a kiss
Maybe a little word
Following on
From another word or two
Put them together
Soon we can break on through

Chorus:
Someone else might come with another plan
Someone else could be twice as smart
I'll put one foot in front of the other
No other way I can make a start

With just a little joke
We're getting somewhere
Even on a night like this
It doesn't have to be funny
These things are hit and miss
But just a little smile
Is better than that
Better than a pot of gold
You can't ask for more than
Something that won't grow old

Chorus

Lyrics written by Joe Jackson
Copyright © Pokazuka Ltd.
Reproduced by permission

Far Away

It's me, and me alone
Against the night
So easy to be scared
Without the light
Things under my bed try to shake me
I listen to the trains
Trains to take me

Far away, far away
Far away from England
My dreams and me

It's me and me alone
Against the world
So far from all the cares
Of boys and girls
Monsters in the dark
Still whisper to me
I listen to the planes
Planes that flew me

Far away, far away
Far away from England
My dreams and me

Lyrics written by Joe Jackson
Copyright © Pokazuka Ltd.
Reproduced by permission

So You Say

So you say
And I agree
You're a prize, but not for me
There'll be no more lies now
So you say

I'm a fool
You're a sage
Yes I'll try to act my age
This is no surprise now
So you say

And I thought I knew what went on in my heart
Till you taught me I would never have been smart
Enough to leave you

Tell me once
Not again
Take a breath and count to ten
Time to say goodbye now
So you say

And I thought I knew what went on in my mind
Till you brought me to my senses I was blind
Enough to love you

So you say
And it's true
I'm not so bad, but not for you
It'll all be fine now
So you say

Tell me once
Not again
Take a breath and count to ten
Time to say goodbye now
So you say

Lyrics written by Joe Jackson
Copyright © Pokazuka Ltd.
Reproduced by permission

Poor Thing

Just think of the millions and millions of people
Who could have existed, but didn't exist
Yet here we are
And the millions and millions of planets and stars
Never listed on anyone's list
And here we are

But oh... what a life it is
Oh... what can we do
With you

Chorus:
Poor thing, everything's tragic today
And your life's a mess
Poor thing, maybe you like it that way
That could make sense I guess

Just think of the millions and millions of horrible things
That can happen, that happen each day
But on we go
There must still be a few million chances
That just a few things could still turn out okay
So on we go

Chorus

Lyrics written by Joe Jackson
Copyright © Pokazuka Ltd.
Reproduced by permission

Junkie Diva

Junkie Diva – won't you sing for me
I'm so happy – can't you set me free
Anything you tell me, it's got to be real
Can you tell me how I feel

Junkie Diva – won't you sing the blues
Sing like someone with nothing left to lose
I can really see you when I hear you scream
I could nearly be you, in my dreams

Chorus:
Now now, I'm going down
Pick me up and drop me off in Chinatown
(Down down with the Junkie Diva)
Oh wow, I love that sound
Take me to the river let me watch you drown
(Down down with the Junkie Diva)

Junkie Diva – won't you bleed for me
Look into the darkness
And tell me what you see
I don't want to suffer, I don't want to fight
Sleeping with the light on at night

Chorus

Junkie Diva – I just heard the news
I'm so happy – and there's no excuse
You didn't get a chance to go on too long
You're even better now you're gone

Chorus

Lyrics written by Joe Jackson
Copyright © Pokazuka Ltd.
Reproduced by permission

If I Could See Your Face

If I could see your face
The face of the girl behind the veil
I'd ask you if it feels like a guarantee
To keep you down, or keep you safe
Or just keep you pale
But what makes me think you'd even talk to me

But respect, respect
Respect my culture
We're all a part of the human race
Questions, questions
Would you answer
If I could...

If I could see your face
The face of the man in a German jail [1]
I'd ask you how your sister ran out of luck
How you and your brothers tracked her down
Cause she was living with a German male
And how you could kill your own sister – you evil fuck

But respect, respect
Respect your culture
We're all a part of the human race
Questions, questions
Would you answer
If I could...

If I could see your face

How can I see your face

Lyrics written by Joe Jackson
Copyright © Pokazuka Ltd.
Reproduced by permission

The Blue Time

You come to me in the Blue Time
Between the night and the day
Always too soon for the sunrise
Always too late for a second chance

Between an old and a new time
Reaching out as you slip away
Into the dream that I'm losing
While I awaken into a trance

As it starts to rain
And blue turns indigo

We part again in the Blue Time
Bruising our hearts on the way
A dream fading back to the darkness
Leaving the echo of one last dance

Lyrics written by Joe Jackson
Copyright © Pokazuka Ltd.
Reproduced by permission

Good Bye Jonny

My friend Jonny loved a lady
Who was as bad as women can be
The lady's name was Lily
And Jonny loved her just as much as me
Then one night Jonny lost his head
He found her naked in a sailor's bed
Jonny cried, oh no
Lily sighed, please go
But he pulled a gun instead
The gun it made a bang
And all the angels sang
Good bye!

Good bye Lily, good bye Lily
We could have had it all
But it never lasts forever
And now we've nothing at all
Good bye Lily, good bye Lily
Life can be so cruel
I'll keep going, just keep going
Just another poor fool
And though my heart may break in two
A hundred years from now
These things will all be forgotten
Good bye Lily, good bye Lily
We were more than friends
Someday maybe – in heaven maybe
Or the other place
I will see your face
And be happy again

My friend Jonny was a rover
He was a gypsy who never had a home
But now his journey's over
And flowers grow on top of his bones
Into battle we both were led
With Jonny carrying our flag ahead
And though the day was dark – a bomber found his mark
Just another young man's head
The bomb it made a boom
Which spelled poor Jonny's doom
Good bye!

Good bye Jonny, good bye Jonny
We could have had it all
But it never lasts forever
And now we've nothing at all
Good bye Jonny, good bye Jonny
Life can be so cruel
I'll keep going, just keep going
Just another poor fool
And though my heart may break in two
A hundred years from now
These things will all be forgotten

Good bye Jonny, good bye Jonny
We were more than friends
Someday maybe – in heaven maybe
Or the other place
I may see your face
And be happy again

English lyrics by Joe Jackson (based on the original German lyrics by Hans Fritz Beckmann)
Reproduced by permission

Neon Rain

I stepped out in the pouring rain
To find a place where they feel my pain
Gonna cry where they can't complain
Gonna howl like a hurricane

You don't like me
You don't need me
You won't see me
On the other side of town in the Neon Rain

Got a head like an egg that is gonna crack
Gonna go straight to hell and I won't come back
Gonna head down the track on a Mystery Train

Got the drug gonna drive me sane
Gonna fly like an aeroplane
When my mind can't take the strain
Crack my head and eat my brain

You don't need me
You won't see me
On the other side of town in the Neon Rain

Lyrics written by Joe Jackson
Copyright © Pokazuka Ltd.
Reproduced by permission

Satellite

I remember lying wide awake at night
Had to have you at my side to make it right
You were my high and low
You taught me to fly
And I would always be your satellite

I remember floating free of appetite
Hanging high upon a breeze just like a kite
You were my pride and joy
And my suicide
And I would always be your satellite

Chorus:
You keep on spinning till you start to slow
Gravity is gonna get you someday
Like a swimmer in the undertow
When the water's gonna take you under

I remember giving in without a fight
Just so you could be my sin and my delight
You were my girl and boy
You were the world
And I would always be your satellite

Chorus

Lyrics written by Joe Jackson
Copyright © Pokazuka Ltd.
Reproduced by permission

Keep On Dreaming

God must think he's God or something
Lording it over us
Seems to like to make us feel
Ridiculous
Gives us just one life then lets us
Think it's not enough
Where can you get a better deal

But we can dream
Or we can work and scheme and
Make it go much too long
And I could scream
But it don't work and dreams are
Maybe where God cam from
So I'll

Keep on dreaming till I get it right
Even if I never get it right

God just made himself the master
Of the Universe
Made us into black and white and his and hers
Gave us just two eyes but what we
See is just a blur
But we get to sleep at night

And we get to dream
Or we can work and scheme and
Make it go much too long
And I could scream
But it don't work and dreams are
Maybe where I belong
So I'll

Keep on dreaming till I get it right
Even if I never get it right

Keep on singing till I get it right
Keep on swinging till I get it right
Keep on thinking till I get it right
Keep on drinking till I get it right

Keep on dreaming till I get it right
Even if I never get it right

Lyrics written by Joe Jackson
Copyright © Pokazuka Ltd.
Reproduced by permission

Ode To Joy

Impossible to see
Impossible to show
Impossible to verify
Impossible to know

When she'll come or go
There's nothing you can do to make her real
Friends and lover know
Don't say no
When you feel

Joy

If she comes or goes
It's nothing that you did to make her real
Friends and lover know
Just don't say no
When you feel

Joy

When she'll come or go
There's nothing you can do to make her real
Friends and lover know
Don't say no
When you feel

Joy

Lyrics written by Joe Jackson
Copyright © Pokazuka Ltd.
Reproduced by permission

Footnote:

[1] Probably a reference to this real-life event from 2005: Honor killing of Hatun Sürücü