| Artist | Warren Zevon |
| Album | Excitable Boy |
| Year | 19?? |
| Credits | |
| Comments | |
| Tracks |
Johnny Strikes Up The Band Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner Excitable Boy Werewolves of London Accidentally Like a Martyr Nighttime in the Switching Yard Veracruz Tenderness on the Block Lawyers, Guns and Money |
Dry your eyes, my little friend Let me take you by the hand Freddie get ready Rock steady When Johnny strikes up the band They'll be rocking in the projects Walking down along the strand Freddie get ready Rock steady When Johnny strikes up the band When Johnny strikes up the... When Johnny strikes up the... When Johnny strikes up the band And Johnny is my main man He's the keeper of the keys He'll put your mind at ease He's guaranteed to please Back by popular demand Look around, my little friend Jubilation in the land Freddie get ready Rock steady When Johnny strikes up the band When Johnny strikes up the... When Johnny strikes up the... When Johnny strikes up the band
Roland was a warrior from the Land of the Midnight Sun
With a Thompson gun for hire, fighting to be done
The deal was made in Denmark on a dark and stormy day
So he set out for Biafra to join the bloody fray
Through sixty-six and seven they fought the Congo war
Fingers on their triggers, knee-deep in gore
For days and nights they battled the Bantu to their knees
They killed to earn their living and to help out the Congolese
Roland the Thompson gunner...
His comrades fought beside him - Van Owen and the rest
But of all the Thompson gunners Roland was the best
So the CIA decided they wanted Roland dead
That son-of-a-bitch Van Owen blew off Roland's head
Roland the headless Thompson gunner (Time, time, time
For another peaceful war
Norway's bravest son But time stands still for Roland
'Til he evens up the score)
They can still see his headless body stalking through the night
In the muzzle flash of Roland's Thompson gun
In the muzzle flash of Roland's Thompson gun
Roland searched the continent for the man who'd done him in
He found him in Mombassa in a barroom drinking gin
Roland aimed his Thompson gun - he didn't say a word
But he blew Van Owen's body from there to Johannesburg
Roland the headless Thompson gunner...
The eternal Thompson gunner, still wandering through the night
Now it's ten years later but he still keeps up the fight
In Ireland, in Lebanon, in Palestine and Berkeley
Patty Hearst heard the burst of Roland's Thompson gun
And bought it
Well, he went down to dinner in his Sunday best Excitable boy, they all said And he rubbed the pot roast all over his chest Excitable boy, they all said Well, he's just an excitable boy He took in the four a.m. show at the Clark Excitable boy, they all said And he bit the usherette's leg in the dark Excitable boy, they all said Well, he's just an excitable boy He took little Susie to the Junior Prom Excitable boy, they all said and he raped her and killed her, then he took her home Excitable boy, they all said Well, he's just an excitable boy After ten long years they let him out of the Home Excitable boy, they all said And he dug up her grave and built a cage with her bones Excitable boy, they all said Well, he's just an excitable boy
I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain He was looking for a place called Lee Ho Fook's Going to get himself a big dish of beef chow mein Werewolves of London If you hear him howling around your kitchen door Better not let him in Little old lady got mutilated late last night Werewolves of London again Werewolves of London He's the hairy-handed gent who ran amuck in Kent Lately he's been overheard in Mayfair Better stay away from him He'll rip your lungs out, Jim I'd like to meet his tailor Werewolves of London Well, I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen Doing the Werewolves of London I saw Lon Chaney, Jr. walking with the Queen Doing the Werewolves of London I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's His hair was perfect Werewolves of London Draw blood
The phone don't ring And the sun refused to shine Never thought I'd have to pay so dearly For what was already mine For such a long, long time We made mad love Shadow love Random love And abandoned love Accidentally like a martyr The hurt gets worse and the heart gets harder The days slide by Should have done, should have done, we all sigh Never thought I'd ever be so lonely After such a long, long time Time out of mind We made mad love Shadow love Random love And abandoned love Accidentally like a martyr The hurt gets worse and the heart gets harder
Nighttime in the switching yard Get it out on the mainline Listen to the rhythm of the train go by Listen to the train whistle whine Nighttime in the switching yard See that train... The midnight train runs both ways Do it Doot dat doot dat doot dadoot Listen to the train whistle whine Listen to the train Listen to the track
I heard Woodrow Wilson's guns I heard Maria crying Late last night I heard the news That Veracruz was dying Veracruz was dying Someone called Maria's name I swear it was my father's voice Saying, "If you stay you'll all be slain You must leave now - you have no choice Take the servants and ride west Keep the child close to your chest When the American troops withdraw Let Zapata take the rest" I heard Woodrow Wilson's guns I heard Maria calling Saying, "Veracruz is dying And Cuernavaca's falling" Aquel dia yo jure (On that day I swore Hacia el puerto volvere To the port I will return Aunque el destino cambio mi vida Even though destiny changed my life En Veracruz morire In Veracruz I shall die Aquel dia yo jure On that day I swore) I heard Woodrow Wilson's guns I heard them in the harbor Saying, "Veracruz is dying"
Mama, where's your pretty little girl tonight Trying to run before she can walk - that's right She's growing up She has a young man waiting She's growing up She has a young man waiting Wide-eyes She'll be street-wise To the lies And the jive talk She'll find true love And tenderness on the block Daddy, don't you ask her when she's coming in And when she's home don't ask her where she's been She's going out She has a young man waiting She's going out Can't keep her young man waiting She'll be okay Let her have her day It's a long way It's a long walk She'll find true love And tenderness on the block I know how much it hurts to see her go She has a mind of her own, you know She's all grown up She has a young man waiting She's all grown up She has a young man waiting She was wide-eyed Now she's street-wise To the lies And the jive talk She'll find true love And tenderness on the block She'll find true love And tenderness on the block
Well, I went home with the waitress The way I always do How was I to know She was with the Russians, too I was gambling in Havana I took a little risk Send lawyers, guns and money Dad, get me out of this I'm the innocent bystander Somehow I got stuck Between the rock and the hard place And I'm down on my luck And I'm down on my luck And I'm down on my luck Now I'm hiding in Honduras I'm a desperate man Send lawyers, guns and money The shit has hit the fan Send lawyers, guns and money...
So much to do, there's plenty on the farm I'll sleep when I'm dead Saturday night I like to raise a little harm I'll sleep when I'm dead I'm drinking heartbreak motor oil and Bombay gin I'll sleep when I'm dead Straight from the bottle, twisted again I'll sleep when I'm dead Well, I take this medicine as prescribed I'll sleep when I'm dead It don't matter if I get a little tired I'll sleep when I'm dead I've got a .38 special up on the shelf I'll sleep when I'm dead If I start acting stupid I'll shoot myself I'll sleep when I'm dead So much to do, there's plenty on the farm I'll sleep when I'm dead Saturday night I like to raise a little harm I'll sleep when I'm dead