Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - Rock Art And The X-Ray Style - 1999

Late news breakin', this just in
Tonight there was a power cut in the city of madness 
And all conversations died in the burst of a solar flare 
In the darkness an angel won the beauty pagent 
Stroboscopic snowflakes fell from the stratosphere
And all the neon blew down funky Broadway 
And shorted out the eastern shore 
Only saxophones and beach trombones 
Were left to shout out, "We all need a little more."

I'm waiting for the rays of the morning sun 
Somebody tell me clearly, has the new world begun
Let all the wailing wail, let the drummer drum
We're waiting for the rays of the morning sun, hey, the morning sun
Whoa, oh, the morning sun, hey, hey, the morning sun
Has anybody seen the morning sun

I'm lost in a world beyond the lost city
I'm looking for a phone and I cant find one 
Gotta Tony Bennett eight track in the hotel pity 
The moon turned and shot someone 
I'm lost in a mack truck, Jack, in the city of words 
Only dead men stomp on the brake pedals in the city of nerves
Sow me some reaps, Jack, I'm dead on the heap 
Show me some glycerine, Mac, downhill is so steep 

I'm waiting for the rays of the morning sun 
Somebody tell me clearly, has the new world begun
Let all the wailing wail, let the drummer drum
We're waiting for the rays of the morning sun, hey, the morning sun
Whoa, oh, the morning sun, hey, hey, the morning sun
Has anybody seen the morning sun

Late news breakin', this just in
Late news breakin', this just in

The whole city is a debris of broken heels and party hats
I'm standing on the corner that's on a fold on the map 
I lost my friends at the deportee station 
I'll take immigration into any nation 

I'm waiting for the rays of the morning sun 
Somebody tell me clearly, has the new world begun
Let all the wailing wail, let the drummer drum
Waiting for the rays of the morning sun, hey, the morning sun
Whoa, oh, the morning sun, hey, hey, the morning sun
Has anybody seen the morning sun
Has the new world begun

Who is that screaming in Lunar Park
If they make Tony Adams captain 
We could all go screaming in Lunar Park
I say yes, oh, yes - you should check it out
Check it out, yeah, check it out
Check it out, check it out

It's gonna boom Mariachi
This really fine piece of madera
And this will be the counter
Of the Pueblo Tabacalera
Shape, it up, shape it up, shape it up, shape it up
All around the world

Oh, this keel could save a life
When the storms hit the Pacific 
To make it really true 
You really gotta be specific 
Shape, it up, shape it up, shape it up, shape it up
Shape, it up, shape it up, shape it up, shape it up
All around the world

Keep the lantern bright
Keep food upon the table
If you shape it well tonight
As well as you are able
Keep the lantern bright
Keep food upon the table
If you shape it well tonight
As well as you are able
All around the world

From the Yukon comes a cowboy
De La Foret en La Montagne
Puts a grease gun to his elbow, saying
Never go against the grain
Never go against that grain
Shoot the dog, shoot the dog

Oh, keep the lantern bright
Keep food upon the table
If you shape it well tonight
As well as you are able
Keep the lantern bright
Keep food upon the table
If you shape it well tonight
As well as you are able
Shape, it up, shape it up, shape it up, shape it up
Shape, it up, shape it up, shape it up, shape it up
All around the world
All around the world

Keep the lantern bright
Keep food upon the table
If you shape it well tonight
As well as you are able
Keep the lantern bright
Keep food upon the table
If you shape it well tonight
As well as you are able
All around the world

I see a million walk the city mile
The tickertape kings and the juveniles
Will anybody tell me which way to go
Will anybody come back on the C.B. radio

I'm counting the stars and the telegraph poles
And each one represents the hopes of a soul
You'd think that God wouldn't be so hard
When you see all the little children running, running in the backyard

On a Mississippi gourd with a Sub-Sahran song
Somebody is wailing in the financial district sun
Can anybody feel the distance to the Nile
I wanna live and I wanna dance awhile

Gonna make like Eddie on my rockabilly train
Gonna beat out the blues on my ball and chain
Oh, you can't pull a hold-up with a Be-Bop gun
There's people living now
who aint got no heart and ain't never had none

Down on the border they crawl all the way
To get a clip of living with a clean-all spray
Can anybody feel the distance to the Nile
I wanna live and I wanna dance awhile

You can't pull a hold-up with a Be-Bop gun
There's people living now
who aint got no heart and ain't never had none

I hear a payphone ringing out on murder mile
The sucker who picks up gets his number dialled
And all the sparkling waters that ever flowed
Could never wash down this town so clean that it glowed
And I need to see in an x-ray style
I need some rock art that don't come in a vial
Can anybody feel the distance to the Nile
I wanna live and I wanna dance awhile

Well it was a techno D-day out on Omaha beach 
I was a reserve D.J. playing Columbian mountain beats 
Andres Landero, ay mi sombrero 
Hold onto your hats, we gotta go

Because the noise inspectors with the sound detectors 
Were coming on down the beach 
And the councellors wanna pounce on us
There we go disturbing the peace 
And the Cornish sun had only just begun
To sink into the western sea 
So to keep it low so the cops don't know
I spun my Harry Belafonte 

Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah 

On a techno D-day, a techno D-day
Out on Omaha beach
Where the troops believe in a life of freedom
And this is all about free speech

The day became night by the campfire light
The crowd began testifying
Using the headphones for a mike, for tenor saw's delight
I sang another new sound is dying

On a techno D-day, a techno D-day
Where the long arm of the law cannot reach
On a techno D-day, a techno D-day
We waited on Omaha beach
We waited and we waited

Behind me in the booth was the techno crew
Ready with the crucial beats
Still, they said keep it low, spin your calypso
We're waiting for Babylon to retreat
The crowd was ready to riot, they were sick of being quiet
We're still waiting for the signal to go
Then the walkie talkie gear spat out the all clear
And the boys hit the decks in full flow, go, g-g-go

It was a techno D-day, a techno D-day
Way out on Omaha beach
Where the troops believe in a life of freedom
And this is all about free speech
Techno D-day, a techno D-day
Way out on Omaha beach
Where the troops believe in a life of freedom
And this is about free speech
Go, go techno D-day, go techno D-day
Sometimes you have to get out of reach
It was a techno D-day, a techno D-day
And this is all about free speech

On the road to rock 'n' roll
There's a lot of wreckage in the ravine
Some you recognise
Used to hang out on the scene
On the road to rock 'n' roll

We'll be in the delta by and by
And if you don't believe in good and evil
You can tell the devil why
On the road to rock 'n' roll
Come on everybody drift away
On the road to rock 'n' roll
Where I learned to play
Rock 'n' roll, rock 'n' roll, rock 'n' roll
What I learned to play

On the road to rock 'n' roll
Everybody carries a good luck charm
Said to spook the highway wind
Blowing off old Parchman farm
On the road to rock 'n' roll
They'll try to hook you by the eye
There's a mirror in your soul
You should turn it to the sky

On the road to rock 'n' roll
The lonely sing a soulful song
Leave a little light in the wilderness
For somebody to come upon
On the road to rock 'n' roll
With everybody deep in their dreams
And the snow is falling on the city
Ask the music what it means

On the road to rock 'n' roll
Come on everybody drift away
On the road to rock 'n' roll
Where I learned to play
Rock 'n' roll, rock 'n' roll
Rock 'n' roll where I learned to play
On the road

Gonna take a nitcomb to get rid of me
Cos I just realized that it was meant to be
And I'm singing to all the torn betting slips
Flying around my feet
I'm talking to all the chewing gum
That's stuck everywhere on the street
And they're ringing the bells all over the city on a Saturday night
Nobody knows why, but they know its gonna be alright

Cos it's gonna take a nitcomb to get rid of me
Cos I just realized that it was meant to be
I'm standing at the sale of the shoes of bankrupt men
I just had to buy a pair to show I can live again
They're ringing the bells all over the city on a Saturday night
Nobody knows why, but they know its gonna be alright

It's gonna take a nitcomb to get rid of me
Cos I just realized that it was meant to be
And they're banging on the sheets of metal, sheets of gold
And these were the finest shoes that were ever sold
Raining on roofs, raining on drums
Love buys a six-pack and gives it to the bums
They're ringing on the bells in the city on a Saturday night
Nobody knows why, but they know its gonna be alright

Yeah, oh
One of those top nights of the year
And I see everyone's here
Oh, took me a long time to get it
But when its taken time
Think and don't forget it

You gotta live in this world, go diggin' the new
Live in this world - boy, tran or girl
Live in this world, oh, get diggin' the new

I can see we're really close to something
It's a feeling so near
But I got no time for the Luddites
Always lookin' back down the track
Saying, "Can you spot one more detail, Jack."

You gotta live in this world, go diggin' the new
Live in this world - boy, tran or girl
Live in this world, oh, get diggin' the new

Crashing head-on into the future
It won't even leave a dent
Just walk in like you own it
Remember, it ain't set in cement

You gotta live in this world
Live in this world, go diggin' the new
Live in this world - boy, tran or girl
Live in this world, get diggin' the new
Live in this world
You gotta live in this world, go diggin' the new
Live in this world - boy, tran or girl
Live in this world, oh, get diggin' the new

Okay, dream of freedom

Under the moon in the dragon room
Inside the mind of a soul confined
Don't talk about soon in the dragon room
Under the scream of a jet machine

Who knows in the hills
Who knows when she will
When all the hidden pity in the forbidden city comes out
When all the hidden pity in the forbidden city comes out
When all the hidden pity in the forbidden city comes out
When all the hidden pity in the forbidden city comes out, oh, yeah

Gold silk in a loom in the dragon room
That silk that will be for the flag of the free

Who knows in the hills
Who knows when she will
When all the hidden pity in the forbidden city comes out
When all the hidden pity in the forbidden city comes out
When all the hidden pity in the forbidden city comes out
When all the hidden pity in the forbidden city comes out, oh, yeah
Yeah, China
Whoa, oh, China
Yeah, China

When all the hidden pity in the forbidden city comes out
When all the hidden pity in the forbidden city comes out
When all the hidden pity in the forbidden city comes out
When all the hidden pity in the forbidden city comes out
Oh, China

Well, so long liberty
Let's forget you didn't show
Not in my time
But in our sons' and daughters' time
When you get the feeling
Call and you got a room
Meantime, we're cutting our hands at the ke-bab shop
In the streets of fear
Forgetting all out best tai-kwon-do moves
On a barrel of beer
We trying to get a signal on a Ragga F.M.
Do the D.T.I., bust CNN
Sucking the wine right outta the vine
Spitting it out again

Groovin', lets cut out of the scene, go groovin'
Groovin', lets cut out of the scene, go groovin'
Drive, drive, drive
Distance no object, rasta for I

Yalla, yalla, yalla, ya-lah
Yalla, yalla, ya-li-oo, whoa
Yalla, yalla, yalla, ya-lah
Jumbalaya on the Bayou

Kool Moe Dee was in the treacherous three
There's old school, new school and Brownie McGee
Going underwater to explode
Now night is falling on the grove
You can but dream

And I hear
Yalla, yalla, yalla, ya-lah
Yalla, yalla, ya-li-oo, whoa
Yalla, yalla, yalla, ya-lah
Jumbalaya on the Bayou

Yalla, yalla, yalla, ya-lah
Yalla, yalla, ya-li-oo, whoa
Yalla, yalla, yalla, ya-lah
There's jumbalaya on the Bayou tonight in the grove

Well, so long liberty
Just let's forget you never showed
Not in my time
But in our sons' and daughters' time
When you get the feeling
Call and you got a room
Meantime, we're cutting our hands on the ke-bab shop
In the streets of fear
Forgetting all those best tai-kwon-do moves
On a barrel of beer
Trying to get a signal through from Ragga F.M.
Do the D.T.I., bust CNN
Sucking the swine right outta the vine
Spitting it back again

Groovin', lets cut out of the scene, go groovin'
Groovin', lets cut out of the scene, go groovin'
Drive, drive
Distance no object, rasta for I

Somebody got a vision of a homeland
From a township, from a township window
Through a township window
Some crazy widow dares to have a vision
Starts seething, like
Seeming like a homeland on the plain
Not in focus yet
Seeming like a homeland on the plain
Not a focus yet

I'm groovin' with a free syle nation
And maximum density

And I say
Yalla, yalla, yalla, ya-lah
Yalla, yalla, ya-li-oo, whoa
Yalla, yalla, yalla, ya-lah
Jumbalaya on the Bayou

Yalla, yalla, yalla, ya-lah
Yalla, yalla, ya-li-oo, whoa
Yalla, yalla, yalla, ya-lah
Only to shine, shine in gold, shine

From Willesden to Cricklewood
I tell you the town looked good
Walking lonely avenues
Where rhinestone cowboys find the blues
There's people in doing their thing
Gettin' all the mozzarella in
And the passing time and phassing moons
Words flying in cloudy rooms
Plastic bags, milk and eggs
The poor old crone's got aching legs
How I would love to speak
To everybody on the street
Just for once to break the rules
I know it would be so cool

From Willesden to Cricklewood
From Willesden to Cricklewood

From Willesden to Cricklewood
Come with me and be no good
Be a mad man on the street
Sing something out like reet petite
Let's hip-hop at traffic lights
Ten thumbs up and smilin' bright
Crossing all the great divides
Color, age and heavy vibes

From Willesden to Cricklewood
I tell you the town looked good
From Willesden to Cricklewood
From Willesden to Cricklewood

Oh, let's go down to Al Rashid's
All the Aussie lagers are on me
Now you've got the Absinthe out
Your old mother, she wants a stout

From Willesden to Cricklewood
As I went it all looked good
Thought about my babies grown
Thought about going home
Thought about what's done is done
We're alive and that's the one
From Willesden to Cricklewood
From Willesden to Cricklewood

Oh, let's go down to Al Rashid's
All the Aussie lagers are on me
Now you've got the Absinthe out
Your old mother, she wants a stout

From Willesden to Cricklewood
I tell you the town looked good
From Willesden to Cricklewood
From Willesden to Cricklewood