Read this bit (go to Editorial Reviews) first and then listen to the title track of his latest album from here (Go to discography and then listen to Are You Lookin at Me?). It's very autobiographical but at the same time can easily be applied to our lives. Here's the lyrics. Please listen to the song if you can. And fans of the series LOST will find a definite similarity between his accent and that of Desmond. And do I even need to say, its a lovely song. Great melody, great songwriting.
Well I loved the Lone Ranger an' ah loved that Denis Law
Him an' George Best, sure knew how tae kick a ba'
I wanted tae be a cowboy, an' learn tae crack a whip
Tae stand up in that lonely street, two six guns on ma hip
Along the mighty Beatles came, an' everyone went ahhh
They could play and sing and everything, and of course that John could draw
Well that wis it fur me, ah never once looked back
Ah'd tricks tae learn, waves tae catch, had a plan of attack
"Are you lookin' at me?"
I said "Are you lookin' at me, pal?"
Then we headed south, where the surf came crashin' in
From black an white tae colour, from innocence tae sin
It was summer in December, blowing heatwaves in ma mind
People talkin' funny, some cruel an' some were kind
From the crackle of the cane, to the frown of a big black snake
From the breakers at Bondi, down to Wallaga Lake
From the sound of a million fly screen doors, closing on the past
Like that chimney the fires couldn't burn, I was built to last
"Are you lookin' at me?"
I said "Are you lookin' at me, pal?"
When I flew across the ocean, ah wis number 1
People gave me everything, an' ah didn't need a gun
Walkin' down that avenue, I never felt so alive
People callin' out ma' name, an' ah'd only just arrived
There wis a tight rope walkin' bagpiper, in the middle of Central Park
Steam wis risin' from the ground, an' ah wore my cape out after dark
I had myself a moment, my day out in the sun
It's an unfinished story, but it's more than just begun
An' ah know more than one thing, but not more than two or three
An ah'll tell ye if you'll listen, an' ah'll tell ye for free
It's no life being a cowboy, an' eatin' aw them beans
The coffee's cold, the herd is gone, an' aw ye've got's yer dreams
You can always put yer spurs back on, but save them fur Halloween
Ye're better off heading north, or somewhere ye've never been
"Are you lookin' at me?"
I said "Are you lookin' at me, pal?"
Him an' George Best, sure knew how tae kick a ba'
I wanted tae be a cowboy, an' learn tae crack a whip
Tae stand up in that lonely street, two six guns on ma hip
Along the mighty Beatles came, an' everyone went ahhh
They could play and sing and everything, and of course that John could draw
Well that wis it fur me, ah never once looked back
Ah'd tricks tae learn, waves tae catch, had a plan of attack
"Are you lookin' at me?"
I said "Are you lookin' at me, pal?"
Then we headed south, where the surf came crashin' in
From black an white tae colour, from innocence tae sin
It was summer in December, blowing heatwaves in ma mind
People talkin' funny, some cruel an' some were kind
From the crackle of the cane, to the frown of a big black snake
From the breakers at Bondi, down to Wallaga Lake
From the sound of a million fly screen doors, closing on the past
Like that chimney the fires couldn't burn, I was built to last
"Are you lookin' at me?"
I said "Are you lookin' at me, pal?"
When I flew across the ocean, ah wis number 1
People gave me everything, an' ah didn't need a gun
Walkin' down that avenue, I never felt so alive
People callin' out ma' name, an' ah'd only just arrived
There wis a tight rope walkin' bagpiper, in the middle of Central Park
Steam wis risin' from the ground, an' ah wore my cape out after dark
I had myself a moment, my day out in the sun
It's an unfinished story, but it's more than just begun
An' ah know more than one thing, but not more than two or three
An ah'll tell ye if you'll listen, an' ah'll tell ye for free
It's no life being a cowboy, an' eatin' aw them beans
The coffee's cold, the herd is gone, an' aw ye've got's yer dreams
You can always put yer spurs back on, but save them fur Halloween
Ye're better off heading north, or somewhere ye've never been
"Are you lookin' at me?"
I said "Are you lookin' at me, pal?"
9 comments:
Colin Hay is wonderful isn't he? Good to see another admirer of his music. I was guided to your blog because of a Google alert for something else, hope you don't mind my sudden comment from out of the blue. By the way, in the lyrics you printed for the song, Denis Law's name is misspelled. There is only one "n" in Denis - any fan of 60's football/soccer would hasten to correct it :-)
Are you familiar with Hay's song called My Brilliant Feat? He wrote it for the footballer George Best who is also mentioned in Are You Lookin' at Me, and there is a beautiful video available on iTunes for My Brilliant Feat, too.
@anonymous.. thanks for the comment.. it feels great actually!!
Colin Hay Is wonderful and I just copied the lyrics from the Men At Work site. will correct the mistake :)
and yeah I know about the legendary George Best and My Brilliant Feet is another gem :)
heehee... its my brilliant fEAt :D :P
@cathatfished.. oh go away!! :D
i wish there was a smiley for poking my tongue out at u.. and doing a little jig :D hehe!!
coward :D
Did he publish the lyrics such that he wrote in his accent / dialect? Or were you trying to capture what you heard?
If you were listenting to a country song or southern person sing, or say a Bostonian who said Lina as Linder which would you write? the words or their accent?
This is a fantastic song! Thank you for the lyrics. And to Anon who posted on April 18th... I enjoyed the way the lyrics were posted. The attitude was unnecissary! And when you're correcting a person's grammar, you should do some spell check, and capitalizaion perhaps! ;)
Kate
@Kate.. Thanks for dropping by! and so much talk about the lyrics.. which i just copied and pasted from Colin Hay's website :D
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