ETC - Live at Hideout (May 2005)

approximate lyrics for ETC set as played by two-quarters of ETC -- May 4th, 2005 at Hideout Circular Road, Singapore...

BIG GIRL'S BLOUSE

Look at you now - you’re a big girl’s blouse
When you should be out, doing us proud.
Given to distraction & what distraction gives to you

How can you expect to find your feet
When you’ve so many pairs of shoes?

You not taking the all pills in your antibiotic regime
Because you say they don’t match that day’s colour scheme
So ask the nice lady at the dispensary
“Can I have my pills in neutral please?”
Because you did say you really want to get better
"At least, right after this cigarette yeah"

Look at you now - you’re a big girl’s blouse
When you should be out, doing us proud.
Given to distraction & what distraction gives to you

How can you expect to find your feet
When you’ve so many pairs of shoes?

Like how you said how your life was a mess
You wanted a change - what would I suggest?
But before I could get to say, you go:
"I know, I know, I know, I know ... I’ll change hairdresser”

Look at me now in your big girl’s blouse
It really shouldn’t be allowed…
Driven to distraction & what distraction drives you to

What is it that you’re so hungry for
When you never touch your food?

Stop sitting at home in front of the telly - Pull your finger out and give it some welly - Stop sitting at home in front of the telly - Pull your socks up now won’t you, you wet nelly - Stop sitting at home in front of the telly - Pull your finger out and give it some welly...




ASTROGAL

This town ain't big enough for the both of us
So let's move away
But anytown that would have us
Is not the type of town where we would want to stay

Astrogal, pack it in your sad case
I'm your Astroboy - I can give you space

Liked you enough to let you go
But loved you so much - it just about killed me though

This bed is big enough for the two of us
...till you bring your friends along
So you and me are Off and On I suppose:
We still get on while you get off with other blokes

Astrogal, pack it in - you sad case
I'm your Astroboy - because I can give you space

Loved you enough to set you free
But wanted you so much - it just about slayed me

This heart is big enough for the both of us
You checked out, but somehow you still stay
What we thought must have been happiness,
Was just relief from not feeling pain

Astrogal, pack it in a sad case
I'm your Astroboy - I give you space

Confuse what we want with what we need
What we thought was happiness was just relief

"What panet are you on?
Ground control? Major Tom?"



EX’S CASSETTES

caught you listening to cassettes made by an ex
and sneaking crafty cigarettes
guess you haven't quit despite what you said

haven't eaten - smoke instead
and you switched to their old brand too
saying you like the taste of it
how do you spell “desperate”?

loneliness remembers what happiness forgets
loneliness remembers what happiness forgets

and now you're listening to those old phone messages you kept
and o those letters - read & re-read
... held as evidence
hold them to your chest...

loneliness remembers what happiness forgets
loneliness remembers what happiness forgets
when you're listening to cassettes made by an ex
songs about love and songs about sex
songs about dancing and songs of regret
songs about breaking up and songs of regret

lovelorn, languid - songs about love and songs about sex
songs about dancing and some just plain stupid
how lonliness remembers what happiness forgets
and songs about songs and songs about songs
and songs about songs and this one
about listening to listening to cassettes made by an ex
ex's cassettes



GUILTY PARTY

Misery loves company – thanks for calling dear
Some Misery Guts love company
Who called who what here?

My own worst enemy is anyone but me
And if it is then I was led astray
To this guilty party where they took one look at me
And handed me the blame

Let’s have a guilty party
Let’s throw a guilty party
Let’s crash a guilty party
Send invites to You & Who...?
Love, Me & the Monkey

And I’m always running late with all these dreams to navigate
Some blame themselves – Some blame fate
I’d blame time but I left it too late

And you've been hurting behind net curtains
And the neighbours think you're insane
You're not sure you can ever be certain
Of being any more than Ye of Little Faith

Let’s have a guilty party
Let’s throw a guilty party
Let’s crash a guilty party
RSVP to: Me & the Monkey

Spent a penny on your thoughts - but got not a word from you
So I talked & talked & talked...
Like I really ought not to



PRETTY FALL

i like you best when you like me best - and i like you most of all
guilty only of innocence as i innocently fall
i like you most when you like me most - i still like you best of all
and there's no save-face pride to come - to come before my fall

and that is all i am on - a pretty fall

i like you most when you like me most- i still like you most of all
and now i know what it is to want i know i don't want any more
and so i find myself helpless in freefall
you could be my parachute - i know i want to be yours

and that is all i am on - a pretty fall



BUNGALOW

I’ve only one floor
and my mirror must be so
bored of me

you can’t keep a good man down supposedly
so then what are we?
we are down - definitely

and I know I’m as low a bungalow

dream at million miles an hour
yeah, that’s fast
but I hold fast and never get very far

instead, in bed – inertia
interested?
yeah, but ‘inertia can hurt ya’*

and I know I’m as low a bungalow

hello, hello, hello is anyone at home?
my bed's unmade and i feel the same
is this is as far as I’ll ever go?
lying low in my bungalow



SON HOUSE SOON IS NOW (after Morrissey / Marr)

"I am the Seventh Son... and the heir of a shyness that is..."

"I am the Southern Air"

"...and you cry and you want to die - ain't that the blues?"



HANDPHONES ON THE DANCEFLOOR

she’s upwardly mobile - downward we spiral / to the main floor / “who’s spinning?” well, hands up who is/ we got chicks with light sticks / and if you’re surrounded by all your friends, then who is left to call on Handphones on the Dancefloor?

I know it must take practice to dance like that, what with that thing in your ear, pitcher of beer, fags & handbag / and so we dance to the beat of mobiles ringing / I heard it ain’t over till the large lady’s singing but right now she’s messaging that I said she was fat ... well you know you know that I’d never say that / you know I always hesitate when a girl asks about her weight / oh you know it's best to hesitate... what are you sending me these messages for on Handphones on the Dancefloor?

lalala...ooh you send me, ooh you send me: SEMI COLON and a CAPITAL ‘P’... means: you’re sticking your tongue out at me / and then it's COLON and END PARENTHESES… s’posedly being friendly / why can't you come and stick your tounge out at me personally?

“listen, they’re playing our tune” and it goes: boom boom boom boom…

baby i'd save the last dance for us / if only we knew what it was because the DJs fucked off / he's wandering round the club looking to score / leaving us with Handphones on the Dancefloor



NOTHING LIKE EXPECTATION

the ride back home was sober - hope lay dead in the back
and every light we stopped at people stared in - made it worse
felt like i was a passenger in your hearse

there's nothing like expectation - no, nothing like expectation
nothing like expectation to make things worse
when it's not worked out the way you wanted

if we both have expectations then i'm really glad of that
because i've been cruising on Auto so to know i can bruise
it's like getting something lost, getting something lost...
It's like getting something lost, back

there's nothing like expectation
nothing like expectation to make things worse
when it's not worked out the way you wanted

things never work out the way you intend - but things always work out in the end
hope for the best - expect the worst
life is simple - the heart is not
all desire passes if you wait around long enough

nothing like expectation... nothing like expectation...