1. |
Ringmaster Blues
03:43
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Ringmaster Blues
(Cardier)
You didn't wanna believe it but you knew deep down in your heart
That slowly but surely, the circus was falling apart
And you tried and you tried to put it off as long as you could -
But that never did any good -
Now they're shuttin' you down just like they said they would.
Angel the Acrobat cursed you under her breath -
Happy the Clown called you an asshole and left -
Nothin' you could say would be what they wanna hear -
Realizin' all of your fears
With the Big Top collapsin' down round your ears.
Well, there once was a time when they'd all come from miles around
And they'd hip-hip-hoorah when the circus would roll into town -
You had fire-eaters and Indian elephant rides -
You had all such exotic delights -
What you didn't have was time on your side.
What good is anger when you got nothin' to blame?
What good's a lion-tamer when you got no lions to tame?
You had a brass band playin' like their lives depended on it -
One day they all up and quit -
And you said it don't hurt, no not one little bit.
You had things you don't often see in this everyday world
Like the guy in the blindfold throwin' knives at the beautiful girl -
It was the greatest show on earth - to be perfectly frank,
You had one act that stank -
You couldn't jump through the hoops for the guys at the bank.
You had travelled on through the fires and the floods -
You were once the ringmaster, the circus run in your blood -
From the north to the south, from the east to the west -
You were better than all the rest -
Now that's all in the past, well, that's showbiz I guess.
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2. |
Tomorrow's Another Day
04:08
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Tomorrow's Another Day
(Cardier)
What's up? What's that? What's that shakin' the foundations?
Sky on fire, rain burnin', whole world turnin' upside down -
I hear the sound of someone screamin', someone screamin' and I aint kiddin' -
Things are gettin' pretty vicious but the hors d'oeuvres are delicious.
What's that, what's that you say?
Tomorrow's another day -
What's that, what's that you say?
Tomorrow's another day, another day.
Wild night, cyclonic. What next? Well, the roof's gone missin' -
Was that the sound of bullets whistlin'?
Almost lost my gin and tonic -
Round the ruins, we went walkin'. It was all-singin', all-dancin'
Then some comedian came on wisecrackin'
But I missed the punchline, I was talkin'.
Dorothy's gone, dunno where. Dorothy's gone, she never said nothin' -
Never said nothin' just left us here -
Left us in a spin, in a whirlwind, she disappeared into thin air -
What the hell we gonna do? What's the world comin' to?
Dorothy's gone, dog's gone too.
Don't lose it, you can do it, you can do it, it's ok -
I be yawnin', I be scratchin', I be watchin' the clock tick over -
That's when the walls come down crashin'. You can do it, it's ok -
I wander off in the general direction of the bathroom and, on my way,
I contemplate the curtains burning. Hmmm.
I feel quietly confident of locating my toothbrush. It's ok. It's ok.
And I'll never even cut myself shaving and I'll concentrate on doin' up my buttons
And I'll have a revelation that I might go shoppin'
To buy somethin' else that's not worth havin'.
Not worth havin', not worth havin', buy somethin' else that's not worth havin'.
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3. |
The Best Of It
03:43
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The Best Of It
(Cardier)
I had the deepest sleep. I did not dream at all.
Least I don't think I did and if I did I don't recall.
Sometimes that's all you need - just sleep, and nothin' more
With no added complications like dreams and creaking doors.
And it all falls into place and it's as good as it can get -
Oh yeah, sometimes it all works out. Every piece a perfect fit.
Sometimes we just get by and make the best of it.
Drove the car around the block to pass the time away.
Negotiated every turn in an effortless display.
I was missing things by inches. I could've left 'em all for dead
But with not one bit of damage done, I quit while I was ahead.
And it all falls into place and it's as good as it can get -
Oh yeah, sometimes it all works out. Every piece a perfect fit.
Sometimes we just get by and make the best of it.
I loved you, I embraced you.
I loved you more than I could say.
Oh, but there were times, it must be said, we got in each others way.
And it all falls into place and it's as good as it can get -
Oh yeah, sometimes it all works out. Every piece a perfect fit.
Sometimes we just get by and make the best of it.
Sometimes we just get by and make the best of it.
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4. |
Love Song
04:10
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Love Song
(Cardier)
And I will try to get it right -
Measure the distances, high and wide -
And I will play the architect
As if my calculations are correct -
Just what is it about you?
Just what is it about the things you do?
And at last, I see it here, see it here -
With all of it's complexities, it's clear -
It's written in the heavens high above -
And the obvious solution, the inevitable conclusion
Is that it's love.
Try to find what it's about -
Albert Einstein could not work it out -
Aristotle, Socrates -
Stephen J. Hawking's way too deep for me -
Just what is it? I can't say -
Just what is it makes me feel this way?
And at last, I see it here, see it here -
With all of it's complexities, it's clear -
It's written in the heavens high above -
And the obvious solution, the inevitable conclusion
Is that it's love.
It'll take some exploration of the colour of your eyes -
Or a close investigation of the way you look tonight -
And at last, I see it here, see it here -
With all of it's complexities, it's clear -
It's written in the heavens high above -
And the obvious solution, the inevitable conclusion
Is that it's love.
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5. |
Rust In The Tailfin
03:54
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Rust In The Tailfin
(Cardier)
Rust in the tailfin, trust in the Lord -
Rain in the headlight, lost in the storm -
Swing low, sweet Cadillac, flat to the boards -
Rust in the tailfin, trust in the Lord.
Rust in the tailfin, faith in the night -
With dust in the chromework and a fire in the sky -
Tore up the highway at a hundred or more -
Rust in the tailfin, trust in the Lord.
Swing low, sweet Cadillac -
Swing low, swing low -
Carry me back there -
Carry me home.
Sing Hi-Yo-Silver! Hi-yo! Hi-yo!
Life is a wheelspin at the edge of the road -
Caught in a whirlwind, she rocked and she rolled -
Rust in the tailfin, trust in the Lord.
Swing low, sweet Cadillac...
I saw a rebel walk from the wreck -
I saw an angel in a pretty red dress -
I saw a Bible by the side of the bed -
It had an inscription, this was what it read -
Rust in the tailfin, trust in the Lord...
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6. |
Shing-A-Ling
03:32
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Shing-A-Ling
(Cardier)
Well, she's a hipshake earthquake na na na na -
She's a hipshake earthquake na na na na -
Well, she move, groove, got nothin' to prove -
She's a dancefloor heartbreak na na na na.
Well, I was hardluck bedrock na na na na -
I was threeblock gridlock na na na na -
I was down, down but she come around now
I'm a Casanova bigshot na na na na.
Shake it up, babe, shake it up now -
Shake it up, babe, shing-a-ling-a-ling -
Well, I love it when you shake,
When you shake that thing.
She's a redhot honeypot na na na na -
She's a redhot honeypot na na na na -
She's alright, right, she keep me up all night -
I'm a bloodshot forget-me-not na na na na.
I was a humpback sadsack na na na na -
I was a humpback sadsack na na na na -
Then it was uh wow, whatcha doin' now?
I'm a slapstick crackerjack na na na na.
She's a payday everyday na na na na -
She's a payday everyday na na na na -
Oh, she love love, Lordy up above -
She's a this-a-way that-a-way na na na na.
It was a stinkpot backlot na na na na -
It was a stinkpot backlot na na na na -
Then it was wham bam, dunno where I am
Now it's a Camelot beautyspot na na na na.
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7. |
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Close Encounter (With A UFO)
(Cardier)
I had a close encounter with a UFO,
UFO, UFO -
Close encounter with a UFO -
Didn't tell nobody though.
It come outa the sky and I dunno why,
Dunno why, and I dunno why -
It come crashin' down in my backyard -
I was eatin' a sandwich at the time.
It was a situation I did not like -
A flying saucer had just busted my bike -
A funny little guy stuck his head outside -
He said, 'Excuse me, where the hell am I?’
Well, he looked at me, and I looked at him,
And he looked at me, and I looked at him -
I said, 'Why do you look like a parkin' meter?'
He said, 'I dunno why. And I don't care either!’
I had a close encounter with a UFO,
UFO, UFO -
A close encounter with a UFO -
Didn't tell nobody though.
He said he had a message from outer space -
He had the secret to eternal happiness -
He said, 'Hop inside. We'll take a ride
And maybe spread the word to the human race!'
Well, I said, 'No thanks. That's ok. That's ok. Thanks anyway.'
He said, 'You wouldn't know what happiness was like!'
I said, 'I'd be happier if you hadn't busted my bike!'
So he took off. He said, 'Adios!'
I said, 'Adios!' He said, 'Adios!'
Left me here to count the cost
And everything went back to the way it was.
I had a close encounter with a UFO,
UFO, UFO -
Close encounter with a UFO -
Didn't tell nobody though.
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8. |
She Flew Away
03:54
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She Flew Away
(Cardier)
She flew away up to the moon -
She just up and left one afternoon -
Turned the tv on loud as it could get
After she set fire to the kitchenette -
She clicked her heels as she left the ground
And she saw her dreams scattered all around.
And they wondered why just what it was
That made her try to touch the stars -
She flew away up to the moon -
She just up and left one afternoon.
She wore a gown of baby blue
And her hair teased up and her high-heel shoes -
Left the photographs lying where they fell -
Left the casserole on the wall as well.
And they wondered why as they shook their heads -
Why she would take off the way she did -
She flew away with a biscuit tin -
The one she kept her secrets in.
And she laughed aloud as she landed there -
And she danced all night, she was light as air -
And she sang a song about a little girl
Who never ever had a worry in the world.
And they wondered why just what it was
That made her try to touch the stars -
She flew away up to the moon -
She just up and left one afternoon.
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9. |
Rattle The Cage
03:15
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Rattle The Cage
(Cardier)
Not much to do here in the zoo -
Walls are grey and the food is too
And it's gone three but the clock struck four -
I don't think I can take it no more.
You gotta rattle the cage -
Rattle the cage and let the big beast roar.
Well, I thought it was tough enough
But you keep dishin' up the same old stuff -
If you buy this miracle you can get one free -
It's the same for you, it's the same for me.
Shatter the windows, kick at the doors -
Say, 'Hey now, neighbour. Couldn't take it no more!'
One shot is what you need
But you couldn't get a kick in a stampede -
You're a princess kissin' the wrong frogs -
You're the only tree in a street of dogs -
And you're starin' through the bars
And you're wonderin' who you are -
Shatter the windows, kick at the doors -
Say, 'Hey now, mama. Couldn't take it no more!'
Not much to do here in the zoo -
Lie upon the bed-bunk and think about you -
It's a big city and it never sleeps -
It just makes promises that it can't keep -
Where the winners lose and the losers win
And you can't go out but you can't stay in -
Look up at the light for somethin' to do -
Not much to do down here in the zoo.
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10. |
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Wouldn't Wanna Change A Thing
(Cardier)
You are the sigh of violins
Drifting on the faintest breeze -
You are the laughter overheard
At the wedding of childhood sweethearts -
You are the longest lonely night -
You are the love of my life.
Tell me that I don't exist -
Tell me there's no time for this -
You are the scars upon my wrist -
You kiss me once then close the door
And I keep comin' back for more -
You are the love of my life.
And you know I wouldn't wanna change a thing -
I wouldn't wanna change a thing -
Oh, if I had to do it all again -
You know that I would fall again -
Wouldn't wanna change a thing.
Meet me in some perfect place
Where all impossibilities will disappear without a trace -
Where I'll completely understand -
Where there is every chance you'll be
The love of my life.
Oh, you think I coulda worked it out -
You think I woulda learned by now
But I wouldn't wanna change a thing.
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11. |
Hawaiian Sands
03:20
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Hawaiian Sands
(Cardier)
Palm trees swayin'
In the breeze of a ceiling fan.
Hawaiian music playin'
Through an old tin can.
Bartender's got this flower stuck behind his ear.
He says, well, well, what the hell. It's a livin'.
And there's a cold wind in the city
And the rain keeps comin' down
And there's only one bar open
On the darkest street in town.
Used to be a rundown place.
Wasn't worth a goddamn.
Now, the sign says, 'Welcome To The Hawaiian Sands'.
The Hawaiian Sands.
Now, the sign says, 'Welcome To The Hawaiian Sands'.
And every now and then,
I look up from my beer
And I take in my surroundings
Like that scene on the wall over there
Where everybody's got some kind of grass skirt on
And they're laughin' and wavin' their hands.
Dancin' under a volcano
In some far-off land.
The Hawaiian Sands.
Now, the sign says, 'Welcome To The Hawaiian Sands'.
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12. |
Rare Bird
04:23
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Rare Bird
(Cardier)
Love, love, sweet love, she’s a rare bird flyin'.
High up in the sky, circlin' around -
I heard the song of a rare bird singin’ -
Never flyin' away but never comin' down.
It's the finest thing that you ever did see
When she's flyin' high, when she's flyin' free.
In a clear blue sky, she will sail forever -
Guess that's just the way, the way it's meant to be.
I found a love, such a thing of beauty -
Never let it go, I kept it locked away -
All through the night, y'know, she shone so brightly
But the song she sang was never quite the same.
It's the finest thing that you ever did see
When she's flyin' high, when she's flyin' free.
In a clear blue sky, she will sail forever.
Guess that's just the way, the way it's meant to be.
Love, love, sweet love, she’s a rare bird flyin’ -
You unlock the door, you turn your face away -
Now, now, now she's gone, you watch her disappearing
But you hope and pray, one day, you'll hear that song again.
It's the finest thing that you ever did see
When she's flyin' high, when she's flyin' free.
In a clear blue sky, she will sail forever.
Guess that's just the way, the way it's meant to be.
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13. |
Pas De Deux
00:56
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14. |
Sideshow Alley
04:13
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Sideshow Alley
(Cardier)
Strike up the band -
Bang on the drum, join in the dance -
Come see the sideshow once again -
You'll ride on horses made of wood. Your money's good.
Just step inside -
Though you may not believe your eyes -
You'll laugh so hard that you could cry -
The seven wonders of this earth.
Your money's worth.
Sideshow alley, doncha love the noise, the ballyhoo?
Yes, you do.
You'll take home a miracle or two.
You'll see it all -
You'll see the weird and wonderful
Where painted pictures are the walls. -
Don't be afraid you will be fine,
Just wait in line.
Sideshow alley, round and round the rows of coloured lights.
The strangest sights.
You will see them all here tonight.
Where the absurd and the bizarre enchant you underneath the stars -
Where the disfigured and grotesque will pas de deux and arabesque.
It's got to be the grandest place you've ever seen -
It's made from half-forgotten dreams and pages torn from storybooks,
Come take a look.
Sideshow alley, doncha love the noise, the ballyhoo?
Yes, you do.
You'll take home a miracle or two.
Sideshow alley, round and round the rows of coloured lights.
The strangest sights.
You will see them all here tonight.
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Glenn Cardier Sydney, Australia
Post 2000, Glenn Cardier’s re-emergence as a songwriter/performer of real distinction has been nothing short of extraordinary. In typical single-minded fashion, he writes, performs and produces his music. Onstage, there are the trademark flashes of dark humour and thumping rockabilly/blues. But underlying it all are the songs. Happy/sad songs. Sweet/crazy songs. Cardier songs. CDs on the website. ... more
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