This is the day

Of the expanding man

That shape is my shade

There where I used to stand

It seems like only yesterday

I gazed through the glass

At ramblers

Wild gamblers

Thats all in the past

 

You call me a fool

You say its a crazy scheme

This ones for real

I already bought the dream

So useless to ask me why

Throw a kiss and say goodbye

Ill make it this time

Im ready to cross that fine line

 

Chorus:

Ill learn to work the saxophone

Ill play just what I feel

Drink scotch whisky all night long

And die behind the wheel

They got a name for the winners in the world

I want a name when I lose

They call alabama the crimson tide

Call me deacon blues

 

My back to the wall

A victim of laughing chance

This is for me

The essence of true romance

Sharing the things we know and love

With those of my kind

Libations

Sensations

That stagger the mind

 

I crawl like a viper

Through these suburban streets

Make love to these women

Languid and bittersweet

Ill rise when the sun goes down

Cover every game in town

A world of my own

Ill make it my home sweet home

 

Chorus

 

This is the night

Of the expanding the man

I take one last drag

As I approach the stand

I cried when I wrote this song

Sue me if I play too long

This brother is free

Ill be what I want to be

 

Chorus

I like that song.

 

 

 

to the meaning though.

 

 

I'm guessing it was Donald Fagan in the Bathroom with the Coke Vial.

Edited November 23, 200619 yr by knightni

Here's one I remember from the 70's. Manfred Man's "Blinded By The Light" Anyone have any suggetions what this guy was on when he wrote the lyrics? Guaranteed one thing! I'm quite sure that he had the munchies at that time....................and saw some nice pretty colors too!!!!!

Check out these verses!!!

Blinded by the light

(Chorus)

Blinded by the light, revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night

Blinded by the light, revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night

Blinded by the light, revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night

(Verse 1)

Madman drummers bummers, Indians in the summer with a teenage diplomat

In the dumps with the mumps as the adolescent pumps his way into his hat

With a boulder on my shoulder, feelin' kinda older, I tripped the merry-go-round

With the stereo pleasin' and sneezin' and wheezin, the calliope crashed to the ground

The calliope crashed to the ground

(Repeat Chorus)

(Verse 2)

Some silicone sister with a manager mister told me I got what it takes

She said "I'll turn you on sonny to something strong, play the song with the funky break"

And go-cart Mozart was checkin' out the weather charts to see if it was safe outside

And little Early-birdy came by in his curly-wurly and asked me if I needed a ride

Asked me if I needed a ride

Oh she was...Blinded by the light, revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night

Blinded by the light,

She got down but she never got tired, She's gonna make it through the night

She's gonna make it through the night

------ guitar solo ------

(Bridge)

But mama, that's where the fun is

But mama, that's where the fun is

Mama always told me not to look into the eye's of the sun

But mama, that's where the fun is

(Verse 3)

Some brimstone baritone Andy Sack from rolling stone preacher from the east

Says, "Dethrone the dictaphone, hit it in it's funny bone,that's where they expect it least"

And some new-mown chaperone was standin'in the corner,watching the young girls dance

And some fresh-sown moonstone was messin' with his frozen zone,reminding him of romance

The calliope crashed to the ground

(Repeat Chorus)

~ Madman drummers bummers, Indians in the summer with a teenage diplomat~

In the dumps with the mumps as the adolescent pumps his way into his hat~

With a boulder on my shoulder, feelin' kinda older, I tripped the merry-go-round~

With the stereo pleasin', sneezin' and wheezin,the calliope crashed to the ground~

Now Scott with a slingshot finally found a tender spot and throws his lover in the sand~

And some bloodshot forget-me-not said daddy's within earshot save the buckshot,turn up the band~

Some silicone sister with a manager mister told me I go what it takes~

She said "I'll turn you on sonny to something strong"

She got down but she never got tired She's gonna make it through the night

Springstein wrote and sang that song first.

Springstein wrote and sang that song first.

AAAHHHHH Yes! I forgot! You are quite correct sir! I guess it is now quite clear that we know who had the serious case of "munchies" when the song was written.

Since this was on Springsteen's first album I always thought it was a critique of the music industry, the spinning your wheels emptiness of youth, and some drug references. For some reason I always thought of Springsteen as not a hard core drug user. Perhaps I heard that in some old interviews. I have come to liking his version more than MMs, but I also like Dylan's All Along the Watchtower as much as JHs

Since this was on Springsteen's first album I always thought it was a critique of the music industry, the spinning your wheels emptiness of youth, and some drug references.

If that is what he was writing about, and/or if there was any other source that it was related to, you've got to admit, it took one heck of an imagination to come up with some of those lyrics.

This one is a doozy.

And go-cart Mozart was checkin' out the weather charts to see if it was safe outside

And little Early-birdy came by in his curly-wurly and asked me if I needed a ride

If that is what he was writing about, and/or if there was any other source that it was related to, you've got to admit, it took one heck of an imagination to come up with some of those lyrics.

This one is a doozy.

And go-cart Mozart was checkin' out the weather charts to see if it was safe outside

And little Early-birdy came by in his curly-wurly and asked me if I needed a ride

 

Actually, another theory was the record company demanded a Morrison look and feel and he just tossed together some random rhymes.

 

Example:

 

The soxtalk boxtop was walkin' pop the tether shots to see if it has beat upsides . . .

I'm a f***in' music genius like Morrison, Dylan, and Springsteen.

I'm thinking there might be at least one or two references to Asbury Park.

I'm thinking there might be at least one or two references to Asbury Park.

 

I'm pretty sure that Go-Kart Mozart and Early Birdy were acquaintences of Springsteen in his youth -- or maybe they were just names that he made up that scanned well.

Bruce grew up in Freehold, NJ but I'm thinking the Calliope crashed to the ground has to do with the Asbury Casino Palace burning down around 1970.

Actually, another theory was the record company demanded a Morrison look and feel and he just tossed together some random rhymes.

 

Example:

 

The soxtalk boxtop was walkin' pop the tether shots to see if it has beat upsides . . .

I'm a f***in' music genius like Morrison, Dylan, and Springsteen.

And little early Buehrle came to spring training very early, and said "Last year my pitches needed a guide!!"

And little early Buehrle came to spring training very early, and said "Last year my pitches needed a guide!!"

 

Another genius of rock poetry

Good thread. I know a bit more about the Springsteen tune, but have always had me theories about the Dan tune as well.

 

Rex is right about the song being chock full of references to Spreengsteen's youth, asbury Park, caricatures of peopel he knew etc. The first album project he tried to pitch to Columbia was passed on because the songs were not up to radio play par, according to the execs. Spirit in the Night and Blinded by the ight were Bruce's attampts at radio-frienfly rock.

 

Manfred Mann took liberties with the lyrics throughout, the most obvious instance being his turning "cut loose like a deuce" into "wrapped up like a deuce." Maybe it's the family gambling genes, but i always thought cut loose like a deuce referred to throwing away bad cards in a hand of poker. But I have been told that is incorrect and "Deuce" here is slang for a hotrod, ala' the Beach Boys "Little Deuce Coup".

 

As for Deacon Blues, I love the song and it fits well with Lagan's homages to the down-and-out of the night (a recurring theme along with his cowboy homage songs).

 

The Crimson Tide reference is obvious as Alabama footbal was a powerhouse when Aja came out. Most likely (I've been told yes and no), "Deacon Blue" is juxtaposed reference to the Wake Forest Deacon Demons who lost as many games as Alabama won is a really lyrical (and at the time topical) reference to names 'for the winners and the losers.'

 

f**an has talked about Becker's astute interpretation of the line – that Mssrs. f**en and Becker thought the Alabama football team was a bunch of hicks but still they got this great larger-than-life name, "Crimson Tide." The idea for the song was to give the loser in the song an equally great larger-than-life title – "Deacon Blue."

 

The song is about a jazz or blues musician/junkie/alcoholic who has found comfort of sorts in a world most people would find undesirable. Again, the "gentleman loser" is really common and recurring territory for Dan. Midnight Cruiser, Kid Charlamagne, Do It Again, Haitian Divorce, Bad Sneakers, With A Gun, Don't Take Me Alive. . . songs about the seedy side.

 

Again, the gambler family gene (thankfully, recessive in me) digs the dual-meaning of "drink scotch whiskey all night long and die behind the wheel" - that the referecnce could as easily mean dying at the roulette table (or using that as a life metaphor) as it could be literally being killed in a car wreck.

 

Good stuff.

"wrapped up like a deuce."

 

Isn't it, "revved up like a deuce"?

Isn't it, "revved up like a deuce"?

 

Well. . . that would make more sense, then. So . . . nevemin d.

 

Ah, well. Excuse me while I kiss this guy.

Well. . . that would make more sense, then. So . . . nevemin d.

 

Ah, well. Excuse me while I kiss this guy.

 

 

the bathroom is on the right, jim.

Actually.. "kissing that guy" would have him on the left, PA.

 

Actually.. "kissing that guy" would have him on the left, PA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

shhh I was making a "bad moon on the rise" joke.

Actually.. "kissing that guy" would have him on the left, PA.

 

 

Maybe I'm a Log Cabin Soxtalker.

Let's pee in the corner,

Let's pee in the spotlight.

Let's pee in the corner,

Let's pee in the spotlight.

 

 

To be fair though, Michael Stipe is one hell of a mumbler.

 

To be fair though, Michael Stipe is one hell of a mumbler.

Hold me closer, Tony Danza

 

 

Hold me closer, Tony Danza

 

 

FEEEEEEEEEEEEVER DAWWWWWWWWWWWWG.... Scratchin' at my back doooooooooooor.

FEEEEEEEEEEEEVER DAWWWWWWWWWWWWG.... Scratchin' at my back doooooooooooor.

 

Now bring us some friggin' pudding