electronic :: songs

(electronic)

every time i watch tv
on the news is something major
i’m a prisoner, set me free
turn this atoll into vapour

genocide put on the side, it’s always new
politicians want to share their point of view

united nations are demanding
foreign troops have made a landing
city dealers at an auction
shares are falling fast

suicide is not an option
waiting for the crash

i walk this wild road
can you tell me, will i reach the end
this endless night goes on
but i still can’t find my way home

misguided youth are mixing juice with alcohol
desert states are praying for the rains to fall
peace in ireland is an issue
goodbye bombs, we’re gonna miss you

the southern ice has almost gone
the silly fools just carry on

i walk this wild road
can you tell me, will i reach the end
this endless night goes on
but i still can’t find my way home

i walk this wild road
can you tell me, will i reach the end
this endless night goes on
but still i carry on

this world’s out of reach, but i don’t want it
the people are creeps, that live here on it
it’s always the same, it’s not gonna change
when we go to school with saddam hussein

i’d cry all night, if i could change it
ask jesus christ, could he arrange it

is there anyone out there who cares
if a child can run free?
can a girl walk the street?
will united get beat?

album version—6:26

twisted tenderness
twisted tenderness::deluxe

before late at night was shelved in the uk there were rumours that this would be the third single from twisted tenderness; in the end it proved to be the final track on the last electronic album, and it’s a song that’s worthy of that distinction. its barbed lyrics are a good example of bernard’s increasing interest in the state of the world as a subject over his own neuroses, although the serious message is nicely offset by the final line, the equal of one day’s capricious second verse.

sumner: “i went through quite a long period of my life where all my lyrics used to be about myself. i learned to externalise my lyrics and write about things going on in the outside world. the track flicker is the perfect example of that. neil tennant was talking about some group and he said their lyrics all sounded like they’d read it in the newspaper the day before. and karl bartos said that kraftwerk used to take negative comments that people made about them and write songs about them. so i thought: why don’t we combine the two things?” .