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In Barcelona

Mister
I only know one joke and this is it
The hand that made the pieces fit
Swept them away
We hung like icicles at night
Melting slowly with the light
Of each new day
The love we made
Like the taste of lemonade
The sailing ship I used to dream of
The early evening shade
Silhouettes on cobbled streets
Summer nights on crumpled sheets
If love can kill
It will

In Barcelona
How those stars
Shone like Spanish bars
Calling me
Like the moon calls the sea
To Barcelona
In Barcelona
And how that sea
Shipwrecked me

Mister - it was those dark midnight eyes
Those lips those thighs
Mister - it was the songs from street cafes
Echoing the alleyways
The whips of moonlight beating on those shoulders
The hands that might as well have held a knife
That touched me and read my life
The shadows on the wall that crept like soldiers
The face that turned and caught the light
The look that I could never fight
The love we made each night
In Barcelona

Mister
Fetch me a gun that's what I need
A bucket for when I bleed
A light to show the way
And if they ask you why I died
Say I was driftwood on the tide
And couldn't stay
The love we made
Like the taste of lemonade
The sailing ship I used to dream of
The early evening shade
Silhouettes on cobbled streets
Summer nights on crumpled sheets
If love can kill
It will

In Barcelona
How those stars
Shone like Spanish bars
Calling me
Like the moon calls the sea
To Barcelona
In Barcelona
And how that sea
Shipwrecked me

Another day like yesterday

Bon dia señor Coria
Another day like yesterday

Washing hangs from open windows
Early morning conversation
drifts from door to door
Dogs bark, children cry
A boy cycles the alleyways
Singing a song as he passes by
Traders stand in market stalls
Calling the morning prices
The smell of coffee fills the air
And Francisco Coca opens the shop door
As his wife calls from the top of the stair

Bon dia señora, señor Coca
Another day like yesterday

On the street the children play
In this town
Chasing the shadows away
Old men dream of the past today
Strangers walk across the square
Look to the skies as a plane flies over the bay
Red, tiles, television aerials
Sailing boats
And this pavement cafe

Hola Xavi
Another day like yesterday

A young boy - a knife in his belt walks the sands
Sits on a wall looks to the lands beyond the sea
A car stops outside the hotel
Church bells ring, a girl sings
A song of the love that she lost - of the love that she lost
Three, four sailors stand outside a door
Talking good nights, joking red lights
Drinking white wine
It's forty-two steps to the second floor
Montse and Maite sit at the window
Dreaming of Jordi
Talk about killing some time

Bueans dias chicas
Another day like yesterday

On the street the children play
In this town
They're talking today
Can't remember a summer like this - they say
Strangers walk across the square
Look to the skies as a plane flies over the bay
Red, tiles, television aerials
Sailing boats
And this pavement cafe

It's another day like yesterday
Another day like yesterday
Another day like yesterday

Pepe’s Song

Pepe emptied his pockets
Had no money for the train
Stood on the crowded station concourse
Thinking – I’m never ever going home again
So he walked up to a stranger
Said – Hey mister
Won’t you please give me my fare
And two hours later he was rich
And still standing there
He had made an important discovery
How easy taking other people’s money can be

And when Pepe danced
He’d close his eyes
Stretch his wings
And he would fly
Like a bird
Gliding high
In those deep blue
Spanish skies

Pepe picked pockets
And stole his first car
Broke into a luxury apartment
Thinking I want to be like the rich kids are
In the comisaría
Detective García pinned Pepe’s picture
To the wall
Said – I’m gonna get you kid
And all it took was one call
Newspaper reporters
Told of Pepe’s life of crime
From court to institution
And back to the street one more time

And when Pepe danced
He’d close his eyes
Stretch his wings
And he would fly
Like a bird
Gliding high
In those deep blue
Spanish skies

Eloy was a film director
Put Pepe on the screen
And after two movies
He was the most famous
Juvenile delinquent there had ever been
He was a guest on television
He was a host on the late night radio
He fell in love with an actress
From a musical show
He had money, he had love, he had fame
And all the kids on the street
Knew his name

And when Pepe danced
He’d close his eyes
Stretch his wings
And he would fly
Like a bird
Gliding high
In those deep blue
Spanish skies

Pepe got a habit
He ran out of money to support
It cost him his job, his girl, his car, his apartment
And the respect for which he’d fought
He walked the city streets
But whichever way he turned all he could see
Were the banks that seemed to call out to him
You can rob me
Pepe’s story was about to end as it had begun
Just a lonely boy on the run

And when Pepe danced
He’d close his eyes
Stretch his wings
And he would fly
Like a bird
Gliding high
In those deep blue
Spanish skies

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon
From the steps of the old wishing well
Where each boy picked a card
And the talk got us hard
Where the priest first caught us in hell

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon
To the bridge where each look was a dare
Where the bull was a train
Shooting sparks in the rain
And the steam hung like breath in the air

When the beating of the drum
Tarum tara tara tarum
Spoke of the love that was to come
When the light of the moon
Cooled the hot afternoon
And the band played
Tthe Les Demoiseeles D'Avignon tune

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon
From the woods where the locust trees bled
Where those angel voices broke
And the young men woke
From dreams that tossed pillows from the bed

When the beating of the drum
Tarum tara tara tarum
Spoke of the love that was to come
When the light of the moon
Cooled the hot afternoon
And the band played
Tthe Les Demoiseeles D'Avignon tune

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon
To the walls of this dark prison cell
Where fear is a smile
And the innocent stand trial
And youth's just a story we tell

When the beating of the drum
Tarum tara tara tarum
Spoke of the love that was to come
When the light of the moon
Cooled the hot afternoon

And the band played
The Les Demoiselles D'Avignon tune

Beautiful Paris

Paris is cold, Paris is hungry
No-one is eating chestnuts in the street
Paris is wearing an old woman’s clothes
Unable to breathe. There’s no air in the metro
Paris is falling asleep on her feet

Misery knocked last night on the door
Of the wise and the foolish, the rich and the poor
In unhappy Paris the shadow of darkness
Is hiding the kindness
In everyone’s heart

Paris don’t cry out for help
In these appalling times
Paris don’t cry out for help
In these appalling times

Beneath your pale skin,
Your naked body may be thin,
There may be teardrops in your eyes,
But it's so good to be alive.

Paris have faith, have faith in each other
Those people with no boots. no gloves and no grace,
They are your sisters, they are your brothers,
And it is their blood that runs through your veins,

Paris wake up to the morning beautiful Paris,
Paris wake up to the sun Beautiful Paris,
Paris wake up from the darkness Beautiful Paris,
Paris wake up to the light, there will be light again.

The lottery song

First verse
In a bar in the barrio chino
La señorita Marietta
Smiles at the handsome marino
As he gives her a cigaretta
Says – come with me, my handsome marino
We go my apartamento
We have fun, we laugh, we dink whisky
For 2000 pesetas completo

Señorita, says the young marinero
I’ve been robbed by a cruel policia
I cannot give you dinero
All I have is this lotería
Says la señorita Marietta – I do not believe in destino
But in a room in Barceloneta
She gives in to the handsome marino

Second verse
Under the light of la luna
To the rat-tat-a-tat of a pandero
They dance the dance of fortuna
La señorita and the young marinero
Drink to the love of her mama
To the priest, the pimp, the guardia
To all the men who have lain on her cama
To Catalunya, to Barça, la liga

They all play the sorteo
The quiquis on the Paralelo
The beautiful and the feo
The criminal in the Modelo
And each has his own sueño
To have a car, a swimming pool, dinero
To be rich, famous, to be dueño
Or to be loved by a young marinero

Third verse
Amore, amor, marinero
It’s like the vroom vroom vroom of a Vespa
It’s the first time you drink Coca Cola
It’s jealousy, it’s hate, it’s locura
It’s cha-cha-cha-charlando in the Rambla
¡Hola! ¡Oyez! ¡Díme! ¿Que pasa? Etcetera
It’s a place, it’s a thing, a persona
It’s tonight in Barcelona

It’s a song they sing at El Molino
It’s Romeo y Julieta
The moment the handsome marino
Met la señorita Marietta
Outside the Parc Ciutadella
They kiss by the churrería
Says la señorita Marietta
Life is a lotería

Chorus
73.500 – 125.000 pesetas
34.088 – 125.000 pesetas
4.399 – 125.000 pesetas
15.864 – 250.000.000 de pesetas

End of song

Tango Antonio

It was midnight on Santa Monica Street
Piaf played to a crowded Bar Pastis
Cats eyes shone from the shadows
As I strutted and swaggered past the doorway
Where Antonio stood
With his hands in his pockets

I heard his voice behind me call out – Wait!
And I shivered with the excitement as I turned
And our eyes met
And I knew that from that moment I was his
To do with what he wanted
Anything, Antonio

The cards spoke of a stranger
Of the pain he’d put me through
But when you hit me I just cried
I said “I hate you” but I lied
I was in love and there was nothing I could do

Oh Antonio – even though you hurt me so
I will never let you go - Antonio
I fought for everything I ever wanted
And I’ll fight to keep you
Antonio – believe me
I will never let you leave me
You can beat me and deceive me
But I will never let you go!

On the fifth floor, first door on the right
In Antonio’s room to the sound
Of a tap drip dripping through the night
I lit another cigarette and walked towards the door
Past the bed where Antonio lay
His arms stretched out under the pillow

I heard his voice behind me call out – Wait!
And my heartbeat quickened as I turned
And our eyes met
And the blood that was racing through my veins
Held me like a prisoner inn chains
There was no escape, Antonio

The cards spoke of a stranger
Of the pain he’d put me through
But when you hit me I just cried
I said “I hate you” but I lied
I was in love and there was nothing I could do

The white light arcade

Coloured lights, jokes and candy
A marching brass band
A carousel, giants, jugglers
A girl turning cartwheels in the sand
You follow the arrows
And in the white light arcade you stand
Your heart beating beating beating
Your ticket in your hand

They told you – you only get one ride
So make it the best ride you can find
And your eyes open wide
With the feeling inside
As you leave your shadow behind

Here we go – higher and higher
Hold on – we’re going up
We’re going round
Here we go – higher and higher
Hold on – we’re at the top
We’re going down

Faster and faster we go
The world spinning round below
Here we go – higher and higher
Hold on – we’re going up
We’re going round
We’re at the top
We’re going down

Coloured lights, jokes and candy
How soon the memories fade
Tinker, tailor, rich man, poor man
You’re just a face in the passing parade
You follow the arrows
How you wish you could have stayed
But soon it will be morning
Time to leave the white light arcade

They tell you – you only get one ride
So make it the best ride you can find
Let your eyes open wide
With the feeling inside
As you leave your shadow behind

Here we go – higher and higher
Hold on – we’re going up
We’re going round
Here we go – higher and higher
Hold on – we’re at the top
We’re going down

Faster and faster we go
The world spinning round below
Here we go – higher and higher
Hold on – we’re going up
We’re going round
We’re at the top

This time last week

A sleep saxophone and three goodnight kisses on the telephone
When the traffic lights see me coming they turn to red
I remember we lay one hot summer night
With the fridge door open and the fluorescent light
Lit your body so pale - so white
And I said

This time last week
I was sitting in a metro bar
Staring at the walls
A cigarette between my lips
Now I wanna slouch and grin
And drink another gin
Play dominoes
Play castanets
Now I got love
At my fingertips

Starting sentences we know we won't finish
Switching off the TV
You're an acrobat, a long-distance runner
You walk backwards in front of me
We could push two single beds together
Look out at the window at the evening sky
Watch the storm clouds filled with electric light bulbs
Steaming by

On the last train home
Got a parrot on my shoulder
You know, Wordsworth was a lot like you
When the waiter sees me coming
He smiles then turns away
Oh those Badalona boys
Beat your drums, blow your trumpets
I'm standing in a subway
Looking this way, looking that way
Thinking what an end to a perfect day

Because this time last week
I was sitting in a metro bar
Staring at the walls
A cigarette between my lips
Now I wanna slouch and grin
And drink another gin
Play dominoes
Play castanets
Now I got love
At my fingertips