HOUSE ON HOUSE

THE CONCRETE BROTHERS

Uncle Rinus, uncle William, Uncle Sas

And my father

Are working much harder

These last years

And the money disappears

And the bookkeeper disappears

In the smoke of his cigar

A hopeless balance

They buy a blue truck

And hire a carpenter

At the age of 50 my father

Is taking driving lessons

Because his back is almost broken

By lifting too many stones

He is doing the talking

And the business

Wearing a raincoat and a hat

The Concrete Brothers go bankrupt

He is standing on

A new concrete floor

He is talking to the workers

In a strange voice

And I am upstairs on a scaffold

Doing my holiday work

And I watch him

RHYTHM OF THE RAIN

Talk about the weather

The weather is fine

And they say tomorrow

It will be better

Talk about a cloud

The cloud is black

And they say tomorrow

It will be back

It's the rhythm of the rain

The weather forecast

Is much more precise

Much more precise

Than it used to be

It's the rhythm of the rain

The weather, the town

The rhythm and the rain

NICKEL & WOOD

They spread a rumour around

That you will be home late tonight

You bought a one way ticket

To the heart of the city

I've been painting the town

In the company of strangers

I'm on a one way street

To the heart of the night

It doesn't matter what they say

I compare you with my old shoe

That doesn't fit anymore

Though it's not the size

It doesn't fit anymore

Now it's just the price I have to pay

It doesn't matter what they say

I've been waiting here all day

And then I finally

Put my arms around you

It's hurting me and I'm so ashamed

You're still the same

Nickel and wood

They spread a rumour around

That you will be home late tonight

You bought a one way ticket

To that heart of mine

It doesn't matter what they say

They compare us with old shoes

That didn't fit anymore

Though it's not the truth

I admit it once more

After all these years

We're still the same

THE MAGIC OF LASSIE II

The highway ended and he got out

His one good ear to the ground

But where is the magic of Lassie

Voice out of heaven said:

'Quarter past seven'

The sand is running quickly

Through an hourglass

And time passes

I've got a feeling

That I've been away too long

Think what it means to be an animal

Crossing a highway

All the channels are weak tonight

Your hand is cupping

The light of a match

The printed roses on your dress

And where is the magic of Lassie

I've got a feeling

That I've been away too long

MARIA AND THE ICEMAN

Thunder in the mountains

Where the rainbows end

I'm waiting for

Maria at the riverbend

Waiting for

Maria and the Iceman dance

Standing in the mountains

At at riverbend

Looking for Maria

Where the rainbows end

Looking for

Maria and the Iceman dance

YELLOW PRESS

The words in every written line

Those words can never be mine

You have no right to write them down

Sometimes a woman on her own

She takes the bottle when she's home

I'll take my car for I won't drink

Don't, don't talk anymore

Please don't talk anymore

In this apartment walls have ears

YÖPÖLLÖ

Me kuljemme tietä joka kiermurtelee

Ylöspäin kuin savu päämme päällä

Kunnes vihdoin nojaamme

Talon seinään

Täällä hän kerran kirjoitti laulun

Suzannelle

Minä ja ystäväni Hollanista

Purjehdimme yollä Ateenasta

Laivan penkillä me

Kaksi pyhiinvaeltajaa

Ja saavuimme saarelle

Missä aasit eivät koskaan

Kohtaa kuolemaa

Kun yöpöllö laulaa

Se sydämen murtaa

Kun yöpöllö laulaa

Se sydämen murtaa

Aah sydämen murtaa

Huoneessa istuu lintu

Vapaana kuin laulussa

Ja kun menemme ulos se

Lähtee ja lentää

Läpi puiden oksien

Granaatti omenoita mukanaan

Ja se putoaa alas kuin kuu mereen

Niin kaikki katoaa

DAS BILD AM SONTAG (AS USUAL)

Houses

Tattoed by warfare

Holes in houses

That once were homes

Silence

Trees stand in silence

As usual

They speak of different times

Time's passing by

They know

Time's passing by

Streets are deserted

As usual

Everyone stays inside

Das Bild Am Sontag is lying

As usual papers lie on the street

Time's passing by

I know

Time's passing by

Holes in houses

That once were homes

TYPIST OF CANDY

One key of her typewriter is 4

And the sign of the percent

She says that it looks like

The face of a former boyfriend

She once typed a whole page

Of those little noughts and fours

And one big X at the bottom

Meant 'over' of course

With a backbone of candy

She's sitting behind her machine

Her eyes are as bright

As the stars in the sky

And they're green

Tap tap tap tap

With one finger

On the same key

I know it's the key of the dollar

She's looking at me

Don't think that it's easy

Don't think that it pleases me

In big hands of people

Who want it all

My typist of candy

You're feeling so sad and so blue

And where is that pretty girl

I once knew

She taps the whole paper black

And she gives it to me

My typist of candy

There's only one questionmark key

FISHES

Too many fishes in the sea

Too many eyes looking at me

Why am I turning

Why are they already gone

Too many rivers in this town

Too many eyes looking down

Why am I turning

Why are they already gone

Too many heartaches in this world

Too many rivers turn into mud

Why can people be so cruel

What might have happened

Between us did not

Too many fishes in the sea

Too many rivers looking at me

Why am I turning

Why am I already gone

Too many heartaches in my town

Too many eyes are looking down

Why can people be so cruel

What might have happened

Between us, did not

TEAR FALLS

She's walking through a field

With a light in her hand

I'm watching her face

Another land

The tear falls, tear falls down

The car is driving from the land

To the sea

I'm looking at her face

She's looking at me

The tear falls, tear falls down

The car is moving through the streets

Of the town

In the heat of the morning

I'm looking around

In Tear Falls Town

The tear falls, tear falls down

Sentimental fool, can't you hear me

I am watching you, can't you see me

In Tear Falls Town

The car is driving through the

Field in my hand

I'm watching a face in another land

The tear falls down

THE SINGING TELEGRAM

Oh when, when will I see you

On a river, on a highway

In a boa or in a car

In a town where no one is sleeping

Doesn't matter where you are

Oh when, when will I see you

On a highway in a car

On a river in a boat

In a town where everyone is sleeping

Doesn't matter where you go

Oh when, oh when will I see you

TABLE TOWN

In the Rainbow Room

The lights are going down

I sit beside her in a corner

Table Town

Where the bottle's falling down

Behind her

I'm here in time

Fortunetelling man

You always look into my eyes

You say the same thing

In a corner

Table Town

The ice is melting

It starts raining

I'm here in time

Tuesday in a Table Town

Why I'm here beside you

Why I feel like I've known you

For a long time

I will never know, I will never see

My fortune's told

I'm here in time

I'm here in time

In Table Town

DE RODE VAAS

Hier in Athene

Het uitzicht nog altijd hetzelfde

De kamer is anders dan toen

Vijftig jaar later

Ik denk aan het licht

Licht door een vaas en het rood

Ik zeg zeg

Hier in de hal van het gele hotel

Aan het plein

Sprak ik een donkere vrouw

Stijf in een stoel

Maar haar mond sprak van

Eiland, geliefde, jeugd

Ik zit hier, maar m'n hart

Ik zeg zeg

Pieter, Pieter kijk eens door het glas

Ik zie een eiland in een rode zee

Pieter, Pieter kijk eens door het glas

Zoals een vogel

Valt een gele maan in de zee

Hier in een boot naar het eiland

Zo vlakbij Athene

Hier in de zee ligt een vrouw

Voet in het water en

Zij heeft nog altijd mijn tenen

Dwars door haar middel, de zon

I zeg zeg

Kijk eens door het glas

SOMETIME IN WINTER

Sometime in winter

I gave my heart to you

Sometime in summer

I gave it back to you

Sometimes October I fly

It's the turn of the season, goodbye

Sometimes October I fly

And I die, I die, I die

KING OF BELGIUM

And now the King of Belgium

is dying

He's lying on the street

And how the Queen of Holland

Is crying

The teardrops on her feet

Because the King of Belgium

Is fighting

The knife in his hand

And how the Queen of Holland

Is trying

To save a piece of land

And her face is a spectacle-rose

That blooms

When it's love at first sight

And now the King of Belgium

Is swimming

He's drowning in the pool

And how the Queen of Holand

Is waving

She will reign as well as rule

And she stands at a corner

And says

'You're the King

The King of my heart'

In the land of milk and honey

It's always sunny

In the land of milk and honey

There's a lot of money

And now the King of Belgium

Is dying

He's lying on the street

And how the Queen of Holland

Is crying

The teardrops on her feet

And she stands at a corner

And says

'We will never, never part'

And she takes his hand

And breaks his heart

COLD GREY MORNING

Once on a cold grey morning

A working man was killed

He was building a bridge

Across the canal

He was standing on iron

Wet because of the rain

He was slipping and

Slowly falling down

And his eyes could see the town

All the houses were upside down

And the sounds of

The horns of the cars

And the bikes went by

Slowly falling

Through the chimney of a boat

And no one ever saw him again

Daidaidadaidaidodauh

On a cold black night

The rain is falling down

A woman on a bike

Is crossing the bridge

All at once a stranger

Is sitting behind her back

His arms around her waist

His hands still on fire

Are cupping her breasts

Dance with me, Lady

I'm falling

Into the water...

STAY

The words of this song are

improvised during the recording

and will make no sense on paper

THE POTATO EATERS

Who puts the food and the light

On the table tonight

Who puts the sole and the shoe

On the table tonight

Who puts the food and the light

On the table tonight

Who puts the sole and the shoe

In the bowls tonight