Echo And The Bunnymen : Porcupine

Post-punk / United-Kingdom
(1983 - Warner Music Group / WEA / Rhino Records)
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Lyrics

1. THE CUTTER

Who's on the seventh floor
Brewing alternatives
What's in the bottom drawer
Waiting for things to give
Spare us the cutter
Spare us the cutter

Couldn't cut the mustard
Conquering myself
Until I see another hurdle approaching
Say we can, say we will
Not just another drop in the ocean

Come to the free for all
With cellotpe and knives
Some of them six feet tall
We will escape our lives
Spare us the cutter
Spare us the cutter

Couldn't cut the mustard
Conquering myself
Until I see another hurdle approaching

Say we can, say we will
Not just another drop in the ocean
Am I the happy loss
Will I still recoil
When the skin is lost
Am I the worthy cross
Will I still be soiled
When the dirt is off
Conquering myself
Until I see another hurdle approaching

Say we can, say we will
Not just another drop in the ocean
Ocean

Watch the fingers close
When the hands are cold
Am I the happy loss
Will I still recoil
When the skin is lost
Am I the worthy cross
Will I still be soiled
When the dirt is off
Am I the happy loss
Will I still be soiled
When the dirt is off


2. THE BACK OF LOVE

I'm on the chopping block
Chopping off my stopping thought
Self doubt and selfism
Were the cheapest things I ever bought

When you say it's love
Do you mean the back of love
When you say it's love
Do you mean the back of love
We're taking advantage of
Breaking the back of love
We're taking advantage of
Breaking the back of love

Easier said than done you said
But it's more difficult to say
With eyes bigger than our bellies
We want to but we can't look away
What were you thinking of
When you dreamt that up
What were you thinking of
When you dreamt that up
Taking advantage of
Breaking the back of love
When you're surrounded by a simple chain of events
Behind my eyes, behind my eyes
Your eyes don't lie
Eventually you'll shack those shackles off
Dreams above those eyes
Those eyes
We can't tell our left from right
But we know we love extremes
Getting to grips with the ups and downs
Because there's nothing in between

When you say that's love
Do you mean the back of love
When you say that's love
Do you mean the back of love
Taking advantage of
Breaking the back of love
What were you thinking of
When you dreamt that up
We're taking advantage of
We're breaking the back of love
Breaking the back of love


3. MY WHITE DEVIL

John Webster was
One of the best there was
He was the author of
Two major tragedies
The White Devil and
The Duchess of Malfi
The White Devil and
The Duchess of Malfi
Change in the nether
Do I get the choice
Chance in forever

When do we get the spoils
Now that love is upside-down
It's down to us to say that
Our monkey brains
Content to laugh
When laughing wanes
It's time to change
Make on the when
I will be then
You on the then
We will be then
Here it comes again
Knocking on its feet
Here it comes again
Knocking on its feet Don't say it's like I'm inferior
Don't say it's like I'm inferior
Don't say it like I'm inferior
Is it enough now
To tell me you matter
When you haven't a clue how
To bring me to tears

How many leaves must you crumble
Till you believe what I told you
That your legs are just stubbles
Change in the nether
Do I get the choice
Chance it forever
When do we get the spoils


4. CLAY

Am I the half of half-and-half
Or am I the half that's whole
I've got to be one with all my halves
It's my worthy earthly goal
It's my worthy earthly goal
It's my worthy earthly goal

Are you the heavy half
Of the lighter me
Are you the ready part
Of the lighter me
When I came apart
I wasn't made of sand
When you fell apart
Clay crumbled in my hands
Long way a life load
Statues and haloes

Am I the half of half-and-half
Or am I the half that's whole
Am I the half that's whole
Am I the half that's whole
Are you the wrongful half
Of the rightful me
Are you the mongol half
Of the cerebral me

When I came apart
I wasn't made of sand
When you fell apart
Clay crumbled in my hands
When I came apart
I wasn't made of sand
When you fell apart
Clay crumbled in my hands
If we exercise just some control
When we exercise our sum control
Oh isn't it nice
When your heart is made out of ice
Oh isn't it nice
When your heart is made out of ice
Are you the heavy half
Of the lighter me
Are you the ready part
of the hesitant me
Am I the "shall" in pote-tial
Or am I the "suck" in "cess"
Pools of delusion
Deluge me
Am I the more or less
Am I the more or less
Am I the more or less

When I came apart
I wasn't made of sand
When you fell apart
Clay crumbled in my hands
When I came apart
I wasn't made of sand
When I was the Cain
You were the Abel
When I came apart
Clay crumbled in my hands


5. PORCUPINE

There is no comparison
Between things about to have been
Missing the point of our mission
Will we become misshapen
A change of heart
Will force the nail
Nailed to the door
To all avail
There are no divisions

Between things about to collide
Hitting the floor with our vision
A focus at some point arrives
A change of mind
Will force the nail
To hit the head
And set the sail
A change of skin
Will shed the tail
Hung on the wall
For use again
A change of heart
Will force the nail
There is no comparison

Between things about to have been
Smash the pig
This pork is mine
I'm pining for the pork
Of the porcupine
I'd best be on my best behaviour
Best behave yourself you hear
There are silent ways of wishing now
Wish I had what's turning round
Round the corridor
There are people there
Through the peephole I can see me down
Very nice

Some pressure feelings
You know how you hope
For something to hope for
There
What is that paper there
Paper is a collander
Collander's picking holes in me
He's the holy water there
Water's paper like an impure
A strange moment as yours
Paper is a collander
Collander is picking holes in me
Suck the pig this pork is mine
'Pining for the pork of the porcupine
I'm beginning to see the light


6. HEADS WILL ROLL

Partly politic
Heads will roll
Mostly politic
God must call
Till the winning hand does belong to me
What if no one's calling
God then must be falling
If I ever met you
In a private place
I would stare you
You into the ground
That's how I'd articulate
The value of my face
The value on my face

What if no one's calling
God then must be falling
What if no one's calling
God then must be falling
What if no one's calling
God then must be falling
What if no one's calling
God then must be falling


7. RIPENESS

I found a thing in a bedroom
Change the shape of the world
For long enough
Got the boat ‘till as far as I could
Afford it to take me
It was far enough
Mature you said at the wrong time
Broke my aging skin 'cause age was mine
Had a field day
Smelt like roses
Harvesting my thoughts 'cause it was time

When you grasped the question
Did you miss the meaning
When you met your challenge
Did you go out fighting
We will discover
Ripeness twice over
Sing your song
Worth its weight
In god gold
Curse its fate

When you grasped the question
Did you miss the meaning
When you met your challenge
Did you go out fighting
How will we recover
Ripeness when it's over
I lost something in a big room
Change the shape of the world
For long enough

When you grasped the question
Did you miss the meaning
When you met your challenge
Did you go out fighting
When you climbed on top
Did you fall on shadows
And then clambering off
Did you fall on rainbows
How will we recover
Ripeness when it's over
How will we recover
Ripeness when it's over

Neither kinder nor the kinder
Are you fuel for the fire
Neither uber nor the over
Must have others to inspire
I've discovered my Nietszche
I've discovered my Nietszche
Death should be unleashed
or something
Do tell me
What's the difference
Do tell me
What's the difference


8. HIGHER HELL

Smack in the middle of today
Got to learn new words
Merely got to simply say
I think we all misheard
Cracked in the middle of me
Have to find my heart
Smiling equates with happy
But I know they're miles apart

Just like my lower heaven
You know so well my higher hell
When confronted by
Continuing the course
Will you open up
Or do I have to force
The words right out
Of your stubborn mouth
Stunted of course
Guilty in their growth

Just like my lower heaven
You know so well my higher hell
Crashed through the floor today
I couldn't find my legs
Suppose you live and learn
Learn it again and again
Smack in the middle of today
Got to find new words
Merely got to simply say
I think we all misheard

Just like my lower heaven
You know so well my higher hell
When confronted by continuing the course
Will you open up or do I have to force
The words right out
Of your stubborn mouth
Stunted of course
Guilty in their growth


9. GODS WILL BE GODS

How can you pretend
When there's so much at stake
That it's a different world
And your hands don't shake
At the end of the room
And the foot of the bar
We knew that soon
We'd be making our mark
Why do you defend
The part you have to take

With your fingers on the world
Hoping your hands don't shake
When you get the time
Why not think about
Connecting yours and mine
And turning in to out
Back to the bar
I was feeling it
The hole in the floor
Was where I would sit
Positions will be lost
And things will fall in place
The falling will not stop
Till we have found our face

Oh will you mention
Oh will you mention
My name to one
Oh will you mention
My name to me
Gods will be gods
But my lord forgot
I was made out of skin
Bones will be bones
But when I came home
There was no one in
So where were you staying
While I was out playing
Was nobody laying the foundation,
The fulfilling of our killing

How can you pretend
That there's so much at stake
And it's a different world
And everything shakes
I am total waste
You're the after taste
I am total love
I am total hate
Let's face facts
We won't mind
We will find


10. IN BLUER SKIES

What needs must be
I realised
I'm walking out
From blackened skies
You say belief
Is in our eyes
But how can I believe
In blind lies

I'm counting
On your heavy heart
Could it keep me
From falling apart
Have we been born to follow
Tied to a bitter rein
Or will we begin to grow
Bound by this simple chain

Will we evolve tonight
Sparkle like brittle stars
Can we dissolve tonight
Held by your hungry arms
I'm counting
On your heavy heart
Could it keep me
From falling apart
I would be ready
Ready to go
Was your heart heavy
Heavy with sorrow
Had you been heavy
We could have both been grown
Now your hearts heavy
Heavy with sorrow

I'm counting
On your heavy heart
Could it keep me
From falling apart
What needs have been
You'll realize
I've found myself
In bluer skies
I know belief
Is in your eyes
We can't believe
In blind light
I'm counting
On your heavy heart
To keep me
From falling apart


BONUSTRACKS


11. FUEL

There is an easier route
Have you had enough
Of your infancy, well?
Would you pass me the bit
Between Heaven and Hell?

There's an easier route
The hypotenuse
By bypassing the tongue
Home and dry and unstuck

Come and get me
I'm coming, ready or not
I can learn you
A few minor things
A hymn to learn and sing

Falling over ourselves
Never bothered to choose
Do they laugh at your need?
Are they changing to you?

There's a book on the floor
Many pages for me
I can fit it too well
Do you know what that means?

Come and get me
I'm coming, ready or not
Falling over myself
Getting ahead of you...

Have you had enough
Of your infancy, well?
Are you planning the move
Between Heaven and Hell?

You can teach me
A few major things
Some animal things
Some hymns to learn and sing

Come and get me
I'm coming, ready or not...


12. THE CUTTER (ALTERNATE VERSION)

(See lyrics on track 1)


14. PORCUPINE (ALTERNATE VERSION)

(See lyrics on track 5)


15. RIPENESS (ALTERNATE VERSION)

(See lyrics on track 7)


16. GODS WILL BE GODS (ALTERNATE VERSION)

(See lyrics on track 9)


17. NEVER STOP (DISCOTHEQUE)

Good God, you said
Is that the only thing you care about
Splitting up the money
And share it out
The cake's being eaten
Straight through the mouth
Poison
Poised to come back in
Season
For all the ones who lack
Reason

Measure by measure, drop by drop
And pound for pound, we're taking stock
Of all the treasure still unlocked
The love you found must never stop

The king is dead
And long live the people who aim above
All the simple stuff never understood
Like right from bad and wrong from good
Deny
That you were ever tempted by the
Lie
That there's an answer in the
Sky

Measure by measure, drop by drop
And pound for pound, we're taking stock
Of all the treasure still unlocked
The love you found must never stop

Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh

Never stop
Never stop
Never stop
Never stop
Never stop
Never stop
Never stop
Never stop
Never stop

Measure by measure, drop by drop
And pound for pound, we're taking stock
Of all the treasure still unlocked
The love you found must never

Measure by measure, drop by drop
And pound for pound, we're taking stock
Of all the treasure still unlocked
The love you found must never stop

(Stop) Never stop
(Stop stop) BR Never stop (Stop)
Never stop (Stop stop)
Never stop (Stop stop stop)
Never stop (Stop stop stop)
Never stop

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