The Promised Land

I left my home in Norfolk, Virginia, California on my mind
I straddled that greyhound and rode him into Raleigh, and on across Caroline
I had motor trouble that turned into a struggle, halfway across Alabama
And that 'Hound broke down and left me all stranded in Downtown Birmingham

Right away I bought me a through train ticket, ridin' across Mississippi clean
And I was on the Midnight Flyer out of Birmingham, smokin' into New Orleans

Somebody helped me get out of Louisiana, just to help me get to Houston Town
There are people there who care a little 'bout me
And they won't let a poor boy down

Sure as you're born, they bought me a silk suit, they put luggage in my hand
And I woke up high over Albuquerque on a jet to the Promised Land

Workin' on a T-bone steak, I had a party flyin' over to the Golden State
When the pilot told me in thirteen minutes
He would get us at the Terminal zone

Swing low, chariot, come down easy, taxi to the Terminal zone
Cut your engines and cool your wings, and let me make it to the telephone
Los Angeles, give me Norfolk, Virginia, Tidewater 41009
And tell the folks back home this is the Promised Land callin'
And the poor boy's on the line
[Repeats 2x]

And tell the folks back home this is the Promised Land callin'
And their big boy's on the line

You Never Can Be Too Sure About The Girl

You sure know what your name is, you sure of where ya live
You know how much you make, ah, ya know how much you give
You know where your house is, you know which road to take
Ah, you're sure 'bout lots of things, look out there's one mistake

[Chorus:]
There just ain't no doubt, there's just one thing you're never too sure about
Never can be too sure about the girl
Oh, you never can be too sure about the girl
You leave her there, when you get back
She calls ya Bill, when your name is Jack
Never can be too sure about the girl

You know about the truth, you can see it in her eyes
One thing you know about love, it'll cut ya down to size
You hear what they tell you, do you do what you're told
And if they say yes, does it mean it's really so?

[Chorus]

You're ready for the thrill tonight, you think you'll take it slow
But she's forgotten more, boy, than you will ever know
She calls you up in the middle of the night, she says she's lonesome and alone
You're all revved up, finally some place to go
You knock on that door - nobody's home

Never can be too sure about the girl
Ooh, you never can be too sure about the girl
You leave her there, when you get back
She calls ya Bill, when your name is Jack
Never can be too sure about the girl
Oh, you never can be too sure about the girl
She'll drive you crazy boy, oh, girl, no no
Never can be too sure about the girl
Never too sure, never too sure, never too sure, never too sure
Never too sure about that girl
No, you never can be too sure about the girl
Oh, you never can be too sure about the girl... [To fade]

Priscilla

You like ridin' around with your big brother, in your uncle's custom van
You wanna bleach your hair so bad, but your mama don't understand
Hangin' around by the monument, dancin' to the radio
You got a memory even shorter than your dress
But there's nothin' that you don't know

[Chorus:]
Priscilla, Priscilla, nearly sixteen but they treat you like a kid
Priscilla, Priscilla, they're gonna kill ya for what you did

Cuttin' class with a backstage pass, and always skippin' lunch
Ya put your hand on the knees of the boys, and daddy's vodka in the punch
Learned how to jump start your grandma's car, how to French inhale your Kools
And now you know that breakin' hearts is easy as breakin' the rules

[Chorus]

You don't remember no revolution, you don't belong to no baby boom

Just you and your headphones, dreamin' in your pink bedroom

Strong girls break the records, and rich girls break their nails

Smart girls always know by heart, what some girls always fail

Bad little girls grow up to be good, and good girls finish last

But crazy girls don't care how they grow up, as long as they grow up fast

[Chorus]

Don't You Look At Me Like That

I still dream of you wakin' up, openin' your eyes
Like a little girl I once knew
Walkin' to the window, lookin' down on the street
You walk with me, and I walk with you

Well I thought it all over, it doesn't make any sense
Why did it fall apart, when it seemed so innocent?
You and I were like a light from a fallen star
You can't go back, you can't run away from your heart

[Chorus:]
Don't you look at me like that, 'cause I fall all over again
And I just can't hold on to your love anymore
Don't you look at me like that, 'cause I start all over again
And it just can't be, like it was once before

Don't stand there in the rain, lookin' like some long lost angel
You and I were like a light from a fallen star
You can't go back, you can't run away from your heart

Don't stand there in the rain, lookin' like some long lost angel
(No, I never could turn away from you)

[Chorus]

If You Really Want To

You say you're all alone,
and after all the changes you've been through today
You can use a little tenderness, right now

OK, I've been alone,
and I can understand the way you feel tonight
Maybe together we can charge it all right now

I can tell by the look in your tear-filled eyes
You need somebody you can hold onto

If you really want to, I'd love to hold you
If you really want to, then I'd love to be the body that you hold onto

You say, he broke your heart,
he left you crying, but he did not set you free
And now you feel like you can never love again

OK, so let me know,
it's up to you how long you let his memory stay
And do you really wanna carry on this way

I can tell by the look in your tear-filled eyes
You need somebody you can hold onto

If you really want to, I'd love to hold you
If you really want to, then I'd love to be the body that you hold onto

If you really want to, if you really want to,
then I really can't deny you

So many things you need to know, so many left to say
But you mean more than words I know,
I can help you chase the pain away

I can tell by the look in your tear-filled eyes
You need somebody you can hold onto

If you really want to, if you really want to
If you really want to, then I'd love to be the body that you hold onto
If you really want to, if you really want to,
then I really can't deny you

If you really want to, if you really want to
If you really want to... [To fade]

[Chorus]

Bad Attitude

They say you never come home,
boy you been drivin' too fast
When you gonna shape up,
how long is this gonna last

You may be laughin' today,
but listen to some good advice
An' take a look at tomorrow
in a workin' man's weary eyes

You gotta pick a career,
go for the gold
Smile for the camera,
do what you're told
Well you can take away the ladder 'cos I ain't gonna climb it
If there's a stairway to heaven I swear I'm gonna find it

Well there are winners and outlaws and leaders and lovers
Behind every man in the news
And one thing I know is behind everyone
there's a boy who had nothin' to lose
Behind every man who has somethin' to say
There's a boy who had nothin' to prove

An' every hero was once,
every villain was once
just a boy with a bad attitude

Every hero was once,
every villain was once
just a boy with a bad attitude

She says you never call,
how come you're actin' so tough
You either hold me too tight,
or you don't hold me enough

Don't be afraid of me angel,
I ain't about to clip your wings
Just put your feet on the ground
and your arms around the real thing

You gotta love me for keeps,
feather the nest
Plan for the future,
an' gimme your best
Boy we're never gonna have a normal family life
Steamin' up and down the speedway on the back a' your bike

Well there are winners and outlaws and leaders and lovers
Behind every man in the news
And one thing I know is behind everyone
there's a boy who had nothin' to lose
Behind every man who has somethin' to say
There's a boy who had nothin' to prove

An' every hero was once,
every villain was once
just a boy with a bad attitude

Every hero was once,
every villain was once
just a boy with a bad attitude

Bad attitude, you got us tearin' our hair
Such a bad attitude, boy you just don't seem to care

We try to lay down the rules, but you were born to refuse
What's the world gonna do with a boy like you

You got it bad, you got a bad attitude

You try to lay down the rules, well I was born to refuse
What's the world gonna do with a man like you

You got a bad -
no, you got a bad,
you got a bad -
ooh, you got a bad
You got a bad -
no, you got a bad,

You got a bad attitude

Every hero was once,
every villain was once
just a boy with a bad attitude

Every hero was once,
every villain was once just a boy -

Well there are winners and outlaws and leaders and lovers
Behind every man in the news
And one thing I know is behind everyone
there's a boy who had nothin' to lose
Behind every man who has somethin' to say
There's a boy who had nothin' to prove

An' every hero was once,
every villain was once
just a boy with a bad attitude

Every hero was once,
every villain was once
just a boy with a bad attitude

Oh, you got a bad,
ooh, you got a bad,
oh, you got a bad attitude

No, you got a bad,
you got a bad,
you got a bad attitude

---

Bad Attitude (1984)



Bad Attitude
Modern Girl
Surf's Up
Piece Of The Action
Jumpin' The Gun
Cheatin' In Your Dreams
Don't Leave Your Mark On Me
Sailor To A Siren

Modern Girl

Once a beautiful Miss America
married Mr. Right
Had a little baby girl,
born on a stormy night
But that was once upon a time,
now it's a brand new world

Gimme the future, gimme the future,
gimme the future with a modern girl

Gimme the future, gimme the future,
gimme the future with a modern girl

Somewhere just between the past and somethin' dawnin' new
There's a break in the chain,
there's a skip in the clock
Girl that's where I'm gonna find you

Between the boy I was before and what I'm gonna be
There's a clash on the border,
a flame in the sky
Girl that's where you're gonna find me

Can't you hear the planet groanin' like a broken down machine
Rusted with the guilty tears of fallen kings and queens
But you and I stand innocent,
baby it's a brand new world

Gimme the future, gimme the future,
gimme the future with a modern girl
Gimme the future, gimme the future,
gimme the future with a modern girl

(Gimme the future, gimme the future,
gimme the future with a modern girl)

[Bridge:]
We're the son and the daughter on a new freeway
(Gimme the future, gimme the future)
Laughin' while the road maps blow away
(Gimme the future with a modern girl)
We're the son and the daughter and we ain't afraid
(Gimme the future, gimme the future)
Won't be makin' the mistakes our fathers made
(Gimme the future with a modern girl)

(Gimme the future, gimme the future)
oh, gimme the future with a modern girl
(Gimme the future, gimme the future)
oh, gimme the future with a modern girl

Once a beautiful Miss America married Mr. Right
Had a little baby boy,
born on a stormy night
But that was once upon a time,
now it's a brand new world

Gimme the future, gimme the future -
gimme the future with a modern girl...

[Repeats out]

[Bridge]

Nowhere Fast

It's getting cold, it's getting dark,
the nights are longer every day
The air is heavy and the clouds
will never burn away
And we've been waitin' here so
long that we've forgotten what it's like
To turn into the fire, lookin' straight into the,
straight into the light

[Bridge:]
Your heart is tryin' to rock but it can barely beat at all
Your soul is tryin' to run but all your body does is crawl
You don't need any signal, you don't need any sign
Nothin's gonna stop you once you cross over the line
I wanna tear it all apart and take the clothes right off your back
We're tearin' down the highway and we're breakin' away, breakin' away
Breakin' away, we're breakin' away from the pack

We're breakin' away from the pack
And if you don't have anywhere to go
You go down on the pedal and you're ready to roll
And even if you don't have anywhere to go
You go down on the pedal and you're ready to roll
And your speed is all you'll ever need, all you'll ever need to know

[Chorus:]
You and me we're goin' nowhere slowly and we gotta get away from the past
There's nothin' wrong with goin' nowhere baby
But we should be goin' nowhere fast
Everybody's goin' nowhere slowly
They're only fighting for the chance to be last
There's nothin' wrong with goin' nowhere baby
But we should be goin' nowhere fast

It's so much better goin' nowhere fast

You shouldn't always see your world so clearly
You shouldn't always know your place so well
And all we're doin' here is hangin' around
And goin' anywhere has gotta be heaven, 'cos stayin here is gonna be hell
And goin' anywhere has gotta be heaven, 'cos stayin here has gotta be hell

I'm getting lost, I'm getting found,
I'm getting born again each day
We're dyin' on the vine until we finally,
'til we finally get away
The boundaries of this town are closin' in just like a noose
The future's gonna rust if we don't put it to some, put it to some use

[Bridge]

[Chorus]

Surf's Up

The waves are poundin' on the sand tonight
I want to take your hand and make it feel so right
I know I'm ready and I'll never be like this again
And the sky is trembling and the moon is pale
We're on the edge of forever and we're never gonna fail
I know you're ready and we're runnin' on the back of the wind

[Chorus:]
And my body is burnin' like a naked wire
I wanna turn on the juice, I wanna fall in the fire
I'm gonna drown in the ocean in a bottomless sea
I'm gonna give you what I'm hopin' you'll be givin' to me
And when the waves are poundin' on the sand tonight
I wanna take your hand and make it good and make it right
Now the sky is trembling and the moon is pale
We're on the edge of forever and we're never gonna fail

How hard, how hard, how hard do I gotta try (I want all of your love)
Surf's up (I need it so bad),
surf's up (I need it so bad)
Surf's up and so am I (I gotta give you some love)
Surf's up and so am I

[Chorus]

Surf's up and so am I,
surf's up and so am I

Piece Of The Action

Somewhere a red-eyed waitress glances at another movie magazine
Down on the corner there's a grocery boy stuffin' boxes fulla hungry dreams
Someone's cleanin' up the offices, one window burnin' in the dark
Somebody's cryin' is there any way in hell
To light a comet from a single spark

Workin' so hard I can't remember much about the freedom I been workin' for
Felt like a prisoner 'til I looked in your eyes
And saw a million wide open doors
Ya tell me put a little money away, well every dog will have his day in time
Well I been slavin' like a dog and I got nothin' to show ya
But a collar and a fist fulla nickels and dimes

[Chorus:]
I want a piece, a piece of the action,
give me a shot at the real thing
I want a piece of the action, a piece of the action
Gonna turn on the master, gonna cut these strings
Gonna turn on the master, gonnacut these strings

Been livin' just like my old man did and neither once of us could get it right
Punchin' in when the day begins and punchin' out the local boys at night
There's someone leanin' on a peelin' porch
And someone leavin' on a silver plane
And I finally know the man I'd rather be
Girl I won't be back to getcha 'til they know my name

[Chorus]

They hand you a paycheck every week and steal a piece of your soul every day
An' I don't need no gold watch in fifty years, baby let's be golden today

[Chorus 3x]

Somewhere a red-eyed waitress glances at another movie magazine
Down on the corner there's a grocery boy stuffin' boxes fulla hungry dreams