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Cold Fact Coming From Reality After The Fact At His Best The Best Of Rodriguez

Alive Live Fact Sugar Man - The Best Searching For Sugar Man (soundtrack)

Cold Fact Lyrics

Lyrics taken from the 1971 South African album back cover and 1991 South African CD booklet. Corrections by Brian Currin. Updated February 2008 for Light In The Attic CD release. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Sugar Man Only Good For Conversation Crucify Your Mind This Is Not A Song,It's an Outburst: Or, The Establishment Blues Hate Street Dialogue Forget It Inner City Blues I Wonder Like Janis Gommorah (A Nursery Rhyme) Rich Folks Hoax Jane S. Piddy

SUGAR MAN Sugar man, won't you hurry 'Cos I'm tired of these scenes For a blue coin won't you bring back All those colors to my dreams Silver magic ships you carry Jumpers, coke, sweet Mary Jane Sugar man met a false friend On a lonely dusty road

Lost my heart when I found it It had turned to dead black coal Silver magic ships you carry Jumpers, coke, sweet Mary Jane Sugar man you're the answer That makes my questions disappear Sugar man 'cos I'm weary Of those double games I hear Sugar man, Sugar man, Sugar man, Sugar man, Sugar man, Sugar man, Sugar man Sugar man, won't you hurry 'Cos I'm tired of these scenes For the blue coin won't you bring back All those colors to my dreams Silver magic ships you carry Jumpers, coke, sweet Mary Jane Sugar man met a false friend On a lonely dusty road Lost my heart when I found it It had turned to dead black coal Silver magic ships you carry Jumpers, coke, sweet Mary Jane Sugar man you're the answer That makes my questions disappear ONLY GOOD FOR CONVERSATION My pocket don't drive me fast My mother treats me slow My statue's got a concrete heart But you're the coldest bitch I know In the factory that you call your mind Graveyard thoughts of stone A master thief I wouldn't enter there You've nothing I would care to own, so help me You're pretending that you got it made You know I know you know no truth You're still serving cookies and kool-aid You're so proper and so cute My pocket don't drive me fast My mother treats me slow My statue's got a concrete heart But you're the coldest bitch I know, so help me CRUCIFY YOUR MIND Was it a huntsman or a player

That made you pay the cost That now assumes relaxed positions And prostitutes your loss? Were you tortured by your own thirst In those pleasures that you seek That made you Tom the curious That makes you James the weak? And you claim you got something going Something you call unique But I've seen your self-pity showing As the tears rolled down your cheeks Soon you know I'll leave you And I'll never look behind 'Cos I was born for the purpose That crucifies your mind So con, convince your mirror As you've always done before Giving substance to shadows Giving substance ever more And you assume you got something to offer Secrets shiny and new But how much of you is repetition That you didn't whisper to him too THIS IS NOT A SONG IT'S AN OUTBURST: OR THE ESTABLISHMENT BLUES The mayor hides the crime rate council woman hesitates Public gets irate but forget the vote date Weatherman complaining, predicted sun, it's raining Everyone's protesting, boyfriend keeps suggesting you're not like all of the rest Garbage ain't collected, women ain't protected Politicians using, people they're abusing The mafia's getting bigger, like pollution in the river And you tell me that this is where it's at Woke up this morning with an ache in my head I splashed on my clothes as I spilled out of bed I opened the window to listen to the news But all I heard was the Establishment's Blues. Gun sales are soaring, housewives find life boring Divorce the only answer smoking causes cancer This system's gonna fall soon, to an angry young tune And that's a concrete cold fact The pope digs population, freedom from taxation Teeny Bops are uptight, drinking at a stoplight Miniskirt is flirting I can't stop so I'm hurting Spinster sells her hopeless chest Adultery plays the kitchen, bigot cops non-fiction The little man gets shafted, sons and monies drafted

Living by a time piece, new war in the Far East Can you pass the Rorschach test? It's a hassle it's an educated guess. Well, frankly I couldn't care less. HATE STREET DIALOGUE Woman please be gone You've stayed here much too long Don't you wish that you could cry Don't you wish I would die Seamy, seesaw kids Childwoman on the skids The dust will choke you blind The lust will choke your mind I kiss the floor, one kick no more The pig and hose have set me free I've tasted hate street's hanging tree I've tasted hate street's hanging tree I kiss the floor, one kick no more The pig and hose have set me free I've tasted hate street's hanging tree I've tasted hate street's hanging tree The inner city birthed me The local pusher nursed me Cousins make it on the street They marry every trick they meet A dime, a dollar they're all the same When a man comes in to bust your game The turnkey comes, his face a grin Locks the cell I'm in again. I kiss the floor, one kick no more The pig and hose have set me free I've tasted hate street's hanging tree I've tasted hate street's hanging tree I've tasted hate street's hanging tree I've tasted hate street's hanging tree... FORGET IT But thanks for your time Then you can thank me for mine And after that's said Forget it Don't be inane There's no one to blame No reason why You should stay here And lie to me

Don't say anymore Just walk out the door I'll get along fine You'll see But thanks for your time Then you can thank me for mine And after that's said Forget it If there was a word But magic's absurd I'd make one dream come true It didn't work out But don't ever doubt How I felt about you But thanks for your time Then you can thank me for mine And after that's said Forget it INNER CITY BLUES Going down a dirty inner city side road I plotted Madness passed me by, she smiled hi I nodded Looked up as the sky began to cry She shot it Met a girl from Dearborn, early six o'clock this morn A cold fact Asked about her bag, suburbia's such a drag Won't go back 'Cos Papa don't allow no new ideas here And now he sees the news, but the picture's not too clear Mama, Papa, stop Treasure what you got Soon you may be caught Without it The curfew's set for eight Will it ever all be straight I doubt it Seven jealous fools playing by her rules Can't believe her He feels so in between, can't break the scene It would grieve her And that's the reason why he must cry He'll never leave her Crooked children, yellow chalk writing on the concrete walk Their King died Drinking from a Judas cup

looking down but seeing up Sweet red wine 'Cos Papa don't allow no new ideas here And now you hear the music but the words don't sound too clear Mama, Papa, stop Treasure what you got Soon you may be caught Without it The curfew's set for eight Will it ever all be straight I doubt it Going down a dusty, Georgian side road I wonder The wind splashed in my face can smell a trace Of thunder I WONDER I wonder how many times you've been had And I wonder how many plans have gone bad I wonder how many times you had sex And I wonder do you know who'll be next I wonder I wonder wonder I do I wonder about the love you can't find And I wonder about the loneliness that's mine I wonder how much going have you got And I wonder about your friends that are not I wonder I wonder wonder I do I wonder about the tears in children's eyes And I wonder about the soldier that dies I wonder will this hatred ever end I wonder and worry my friend I wonder I wonder wonder don't you? I wonder how many times you been had And I wonder how many dreams have gone bad I wonder how many times you had sex And I wonder do you know who'll be next I wonder I wonder wonder I do LIKE JANIS And you measure for wealth by the things you can hold And you measure for love by the sweet things you're told And you live in the past or a dream that you're in And your selfishness is your cardinal sin And you want to be held with highest regard It delights you so much if he's trying so hard And you try to conceal your ordinary way With a smile or a shrug or some stolen clich

But don't you understand, and don't you look about I'm trying to take nothing from you So why should you act so put out for me? 'Cos emotionally you're the same basic trip And you know that I know of the times that you slip So don't try to impress me, you're just pins and paint And don't try to charm me with things that you ain't And don't try to enchant me with your manner of dress 'Cos a monkey in silk is a monkey no less So measure for measure reflect on my said And when I won't see you then measure it dead 'Cos don't you understand, and don't you look about I'm trying to take nothing from you So why should you act so put out, And sit there in wonder and doubt, for me? GOMMORAH (A NURSERY RHYME) Come on down and see me You know my name well I'm everything you read I've got it to sell The ladies on my street Aren't there for their health Welfare checks don't pave The road to much wealth The cat and the rat things Go bump through the night They'll come do a dance thing Just turn off your light Gommorah is a nursery rhyme You won't find in the book It's written on your city's face Just stop and take a look A story of pure hate With pictures between A tale for your kids To help them to dream Sleep now little children Don't lose your way 'Cos tourists don't see things In the clearness of day Gommorah is a nursery rhyme You won't find in the book It's written on your city's face Just stop and take a look RICH FOLKS HOAX

The moon is hanging in the purple sky Baby's sleeping while its mother sighs Talking 'bout the rich folks Rich folks have the same jokes And they park in basic places The priest is preaching from a shallow grave He counts his money, then he paints you saved Talking to the young folks Young folks share the same jokes But they meet in older places So don't tell me about your success Nor your recipes for my happiness Smoke in bed I never could digest Those illusions you claim to have going The sun is shining, as it's always done Coffin dust is the fate of everyone Talking 'bout the rich folks The poor create the rich hoax And only late breast-fed fools believe it So don't tell me about your success Nor your recipes for my happiness Smoke in bed I never could digest Those illusions you claim to have going JANE S. PIDDY Now you sit there thinking feeling insecure The mocking court gesture claims there is no proven cure Go back to your chamber, your eyes upon the wall 'Cos you got no one to listen, you got no one to call And you think I'm curious Drifting, drowning in a purple sea of doubt You wanna hear she loves you but the words don't fit the mouth You're a loser, a rebel, a cause without But don't think me callous Dancing Rosemary, disappearing sister Ruth It's just your yellow appetite that has you choking on the truth You gave in, you gave out, outlived your dreams of youth And I can't get jealous So go on, you'll continue with your nose so open wide Knocking on that door that says "Hurry come inside" But don't bother to buy insurance 'cos you've already died And you can't be serious

I saw my reflection in my father's final tears The wind was slowly melting, San Francisco disappears Acid heads, unmade beds, and you Woodward world queers I know you're lonely I know you're lonely I know you're lonely... Spoken: Thanks for your time And you can thank me for mine And after that's said Forget it Bag it, man (Okay) All lyrics written by Rodriguez except "Gommorah" and "Hate Street Dialogue" by Harvey/Coffey/Theodore

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Home Music Blog Tour Dates Talk About Rodriguez Archives Contact

Rodriguez Info

More Rodriguez Info

Discography

Cold Fact Coming From Reality After The Fact At His Best The Best Of Rodriguez Alive Live Fact Sugar Man - The Best Searching For Sugar Man (soundtrack)

Coming From Reality / After The Fact Lyrics

Lyrics taken from the South African CD booklet and the original US release of Coming From Reality with modifications, corrections and re-interpretations by Brian Currin with help from Eva Rodriguez and Toshio Nomura. Updated February 2008 for Light In The Attic CD release. 1. Climb Up On My Music 2. A Most Disgusting Song 3. I Think Of You 4. Heikki's Suburbia Bus Tour 5. Silver Words 6. Sandrevan Lullaby - Lifestyles 7. To Whom It May Concern 8. It Started Out So Nice 9. Halfway Up The Stairs 10. Cause Bonus Tracks on 2009 re-issue: 11. Can't Get Away 12. Street Boy 13. I'll Slip Away
CLIMB UP ON MY MUSIC Have you ever had a fever, From a bitter-sweet refrain, Have you ever kissed the sunshine, Walked between the rain. Well, just climb up on my music, And my songs will set you free, Well, just climb up on my music, And from there jump off with me. Well, there was a girl named Christmas, Did I tell ya she drank gold, She wasn't very hard to capture,

But she was rather hard to hold. Well, just climb up on my music, And my songs will set you free, Well, just climb up on my music, And from there jump off with me. Have you ever been in darkness, And your mind could find no peace, When you woke up after midnight, Found your swans had turned to geese. Well, just climb up on my music, And my songs will set you free, Well, just climb up on my music, And from there jump off with me. A MOST DISGUSTING SONG see original lyric sheet I've played every kind of gig there is to play now I've played faggot bars, hooker bars, motorcycle funerals In opera houses, concert halls, halfway houses. Well I found that in all these places that I've played all the people that I've played for are the same people So if you'll listen, maybe you'll see someone you know in this song. A most disgusting song. The local diddy bop pimp comes in Acting limp he sits down with a grin next to a girl that has never been chased The bartender wipes a smile off his face The delegates cross the floor, curtsy and promenade through the doors, and slowly the evening begins. And there's Jimmy "Bad Luck" Butts who's just crazy about them East Lafayette weekend sluts Talking is the lawyer in crumpled up shirt And everyone's drinking the detergents that cannot remove their hurts While the Mafia provides your drugs, your government will provide the shrugs, and your national guard will supply the slugs, so they sit all satisfied. And there's old playboy Ralph who's always been shorter than himself, and there's a man with his chin in his hand, who knows more than he'll ever understand. Yeah, every night it's the same old thing Getting high, getting drunk, getting horny At the Inn-Between, again.

And there's the bearded schoolboy with the wooden eyes Who at every scented skirt whispers up and sighs and there's a teacher that will kiss you in French Who could never give love, could only fearfully clench Yeah, people every night it's the same old thing Getting pacified, ossified, affectionate at Mr. Flood's party, again And there's the militant with his store-bought soul There's someone here who's almost a virgin I've been told And there's Linda glass-made who speaks of the past who genuflects, salutes, signs the cross and stands at half mast Yeah, They're all here, the Tiny Tims and the Uncle Toms, redheads, brunettes, brownettes and the dyed haired blondes, Who talk to dogs, chase broads and have hopes of being mobbed, who mislay their dreams and later claim that they were robbed And every night it's going to be the same old thing Getting high, getting drunk, getting horny Lost, even, at Martha's Vineyard, again I THINK OF YOU Just a song we shared, I'll hear Brings memories back when you were here Of your smile, your easy laughter Of your kiss, those moments after I think of you, and think of you and think of you. Of the dreams we dreamt together Of the love we vowed would never Melt like snowflakes in the sun My days now end as they begun With thoughts of you, and I think of you and think of you. Down the streets I walked with you Seeing others doing things we do Now these thoughts are haunting me Of how complete I used to be And in these times that we're apart I'll hear this song that breaks my heart And think of you And I think of you And think of you and think of you And I do HEIKKI'S SUBURBIA BUS TOUR Did you read the Sunday paper about the strong stomached 25 Who from an expedition All came back alive From that hostile country

Where only the stones survive On Heikki's suburbia bus tour one. Picture-taking tourist The war was half a deal The natives can't believe it It all seems so unreal Just to ask the question, Now how does it feel On Heikki's suburbia bus tour ride 2,752 un-scheduled stops Watch them kill the crabgrass But look out for the cops Hospitals for flowers The matron ladies cry Itchy trigger fingers as our caravan walks by Overcrowded laughter 'cause they're all four gallons high On Heikki's suburbia bus tour ride Read the Sunday paper though you may disagree About the maiden voyage of poets A to Zee None confuse to answer That happiness is free On Heikki's suburbia bus tour ride. SILVER WORDS Baby I ain't joking And it's not what I'm smoking I really think you're nice Don't think I'm kidding And don't think that I'm bidding If silver words are your price But oh if you could see The change you've made in me That the angels in the skies Were envious and surprised That anyone as nice as you Would chance with me But oh if you could see The change you've made in me That the angels in the skies Were envious and surprised That anyone as nice as you Would chance with me SANDREVAN LULLABY - LIFESTYLES Instrumental introduction (guitar/violin duet) The generals hate holidays Others shoot up to chase the sun blues away Another store front church is open

Sea of neon lights, a boxer his shadow fights Soldier tired and sailor broken Winter's asleep at my window Cold wind waits at my door She asks me up to her place But I won't be down anymore Judges with metermaid hearts Order super market justice starts Frozen children inner city Walkers in the paper rain Waiting for those knights that never came The hi-jacked trying so hard to be pretty Night rains tap at my window Winds of my thoughts passing by She laughed when I tried to tell her Hello only ends in goodbye America gains another pound Only time will bring some people around Idols and flags are slowly melting Another shower of rice To pair it for some will suffice The mouthful asks for second helpings Moonshine pours through my window The night puts it's laughter away Clouds that pierce the illusion That tomorrow would be as yesterday... Instrumental coda TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN Don't sit and wait Don't sit and dream Put on a smile Go find a scene I'm sure you'd meet Someone who would really love you Don't sit and hope Don't sit and pine If you've been hurt Make up your mind I'm sure you'd find Someone who would really love you I don't know why you sit around I only know if love is gone Don't sit alone with your pride To whom this may concern to say Don't wait for love to come your way Don't waste your time Make up your mind And make it happen

I don't know why you sit around I only know if love is gone Don't sit alone with your pride Listen to me and you would see Just how fine your romance could be I don't know why you sit around I only know if love is gone Don't sit alone with your pride Listen to me and you would see Just how fine your romance could be IT STARTED OUT SO NICE see original lyric sheet It started out with butterflies On a velvet afternoon With flashing eyes and promises Caught and held too soon In a place called Ixea With it's pumpkin oval moon It started out so nice Genji taught Orion Sea-purple harmony While Kogi hit secrets into seashells And even the ocean laughed beneath that celestial canopy Cuz it started out so nice With the dust of stars they intermingled Durock of Avon would only jingle Marble money tunes As pale earthly circles swooned Volume left Bohemia, a triangle for his thumb Questions fell but no one stopped to listen That eternity was just a dawn away And the rest was sure to come Leaves, caught in winter's ice Abandoned circus grounds of flower captains Prisms in a palm one way it happens The air was silver calm The softly met were slowly moving on Then all things in common suddenly grew strange Now the Wurs were chasing other rainbows Trying to find where the wind blows To empty corners past dusty memories Now in the third millennium the crowded madness came Crooked shadows roamed through the nights The wizards overplayed their names And after that the Wurs never bothered to have Summer reasons...again,

but it started out so nice it started out so nice We started out so nice.

HALFWAY UP THE STAIRS I'm only halfway up the stairs Not up or down I'm only halfway up the stairs Since you let me down So won't you tell me Tell me please What you're gonna do Cause you know I wouldn't be halfway with you I don't want to seem impatient And please don't think me fast but we've got something going And I don't want to let it pass so won't you tell me, Tell me please What you're gonna do 'Cause you know I wouldn't be halfway with you I don't want to seem impatient And please don't think me fast But we've got something going And I don't want to let it pass So won't you tell me, Tell me please What you're gonna do Cause you know I wouldn't be halfway with you CAUSE see original lyric sheet Cause I lost my job two weeks before Christmas And I talked to Jesus at the sewer And the Pope said it was none of his God-damned business While the rain drank champagne My Estonian Archangel came and got me wasted Cause the sweetest kiss I ever got is the one I've never tasted Oh but they'll take their bonus pay to Molly McDonald, Neon ladies, beauty is that which obeys, is bought or borrowed Cause my heart's become a crooked hotel full of rumours But it's I who pays the rent for these fingered-face out-of-tuners and I make 16 solid half hour friendships every evening Cause your queen of hearts who is half a stone And likes to laugh alone is always threatening you with leaving Oh but they play those token games on Willy Thompson And give a medal to replace the son of Mrs. Annie Johnson Cause they told me everybody's got to pay their dues And I explained that I had overpaid them

So overdued I went to the company store and the clerk there said that they had just been invaded So I set sail in a teardrop and escaped beneath the doorsill Cause the smell of her perfume echoes in my head still Cause I see my people trying to drown the sun In weekends of whiskey sours Cause how many times can you wake up in this comic book and plant flowers?

The 3 songs that are not on Cold Fact or After The Fact, transcribed by Brian Currin November 1997.
I'LL SLIP AWAY And I'll forget about the girl that said no Then I'll tell who I want where to go And I'll forget about your lies and deceit And your attempts to be so discreet Maybe today, yeah I'll slip away And you can keep your symbols of success Then I'll pursue my own happiness And you can keep your clocks and routines Then I'll go mend all my shattered dreams Maybe today, yeah I'll slip away Cause you've been down on me for too long And for too long I just put you on Now I'm tired of lying and I'm sick of trying Cause I'm losing who I really am And I'm not choosing to be like them And if you get bored and you got loneliness Or it's dislike for me you express I won't care if you're right or you're wrong I won't care cause you see I'll be gone Maybe today, yeah I'll slip away Maybe today, yeah Maybe today, yeah Maybe today, yeah girl I'll slip away CAN'T GET AWAY Born in the troubled city In Rock and Roll, USA In the shadow of the tallest building I vowed I would break away Listened to the Sunday actors But all they would ever say

That you can't get away from it No you can't get away No you can't get away from it No you can't get away Schooled on the city sidewalks Coldness at every turn Knew I had to find the exits I never, ever would return Scoffed at the prophet's omens That said I would live to learn That you can't get away from it no you can't get away no you can't get away from it no you can't get away Going unaided toward the west coast Stopped in the sleepy town Left my change and walked out I didn't even turn around What they were getting next to Was that old familiar sound That you can't get away from it no you can't get away no you can't get away from it no you can't get away In a hotel room in Amsterdam On a wild and windy August night As a cloud passed over a cold moon My heart was seized with terror and fright Seeping up through the floorboards Coming in through the walls Coming in through the doorway Ringing up and down the halls That you can't get away from it no you can't get away no you can't get away from it no you can't get away no you can't get away no you can't get away no you can't get away... STREET BOY Street boy You've been out too long Street boy Ain't you got enough sense to go home Street boy You're gonna end up alone You need some love and understanding Not that dead-end life you're planning Street boy

You go home but you can't stay Because something's always pulling you away Your fast hellos and quick goodbyes You're just a street boy With the streetlights in your eyes You better get yourself together Look for something better Street boy You've been out too long Street boy Ain't you got enough sense to go home Street boy You're gonna end up alone You need some love and understanding Not that dead-end life you're planning Street boy Your sister says that every week You just come home to eat and go to sleep And you make plans you never keep Because your mind is always in the streets You better get yourself together Look for something better Street boy You've been out too long Street boy Ain't you got enough sense to go home Street boy You're gonna end up alone You need some love and understanding Not that dead-end life you're planning Street boy There's one last word then I'll conclude Before you pick up and put on your attitude Bet you'll never find or ever meet Any street boy who's ever beat the streets Street boy Street boy Street boy Street boy Street boy Street boy Sweet boy All lyrics written by Rodriguez

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