(scroll down for lyrics to The Flying Lizards LP, Fourth Wall LP, and 'The Laughing Poiceman' 7")

Note: the source materials for these lyrics are the booklets contained in the 1995 Toshiba-EMI Japan CD releases of the first two albums. Apparently, there are quite a few mistakes (example: according to David, the first four lines of each section of "Russia" are actually in Sanskrit - not what is listed). Supposedly the transcriber for the Japanese versions of the albums gave up in frustration and just made up lyrics in places where they couldn't understand the words. Since that was way back in 1980, subsequent translations over the years probably have compounded the problem. Since they are interesting for fans of the Lizards to finally get to look at, and are at least mostly correct, I have decided to go ahead and keep them up for now. Just keep in mind that if what they are saying doesn't really match up with what is listed, it may not (it's more fun that way anyway, right?).
 

The Flying Lizards    LP

Mandelay Song   [2:27]  [Bertold Brecht/Kurt Weill]

Mutter Goddams Puff in Mandelay,
Sieben Bretter an der grunen See.
Goddam, was ist das fur'n Etablissement,
Da stehen schon funf zehn die Bretterwand entlang,
In der Hand die Uhr und mit Hohe.
Gibt's denn nur ein Mensch in Mandelay.
Menschen sind das schonste auf der Welt
Denn sie sind zum Teufel wert ihr Geld.
Und es ware alles einfach in der Ordnung,
Wenn der Mensch der drinn'ist, nicht so langsam ware.
Nehmt dem Browning, schiesst mal durch das Turchen,
Denn der Mensch, der drinnen, hindert den Verkehr.

(chorus):
Rascher, Johnny he! Rascher, Johnny he!
Stimm't ihn an, den Song von Mandelay.
Liebe, die ist doch an Zeit nicht gebunden,
Johnny, mach rasch, denn hier geht's um Sekunden,
Ewing nicht stehet der Mond uber dir, Mandelay,
Ewing nicht stehet der Mond uber dir.

Mutter Goddams Puff in Mandelay,
Jetzt ruht uber dir die grunen See.
Goddam, was ist das fur'n Etablissement,
Jetzt stehen keine funf mehr die Bretterwand entlang,
Jetzt gibt's keine Uhr und kein Hohe.
Und kein Mensch mehr ist in Mandelay.

Damals gab's noch Menschen auf der Welt
Und die waren eben wert ihr Geld.
Jetzt ist eben nichts mehr auf der Welt in Ordnung,
Und ein Puff wie dieses, kennt man heute nicht mehr.
Keinen Browning mehr und auch kein Turchen,
Wo kein Mensch ist, da ist auch kein Verkehr.
 

Her Story  [4:37] [General / Strike / Goldman / Solomon / Cunningham / Evans]

Knights in shiny armour
Always takes the key
History, history, hypocricy
But you can still make money
By singing sweet songs of love

(chorus):
I own you
You don't own me
You are my territory
This is a love song
This is a love song

I blame our books
I blame the TV
I blame top twenty for my jealousy
But you can still make money
By singing sweet songs of love
 

TV  [3:51]  [General / Strike / Solomon / Cunningham / Evans]

I knew you'd go far
In my white convertible car
Recline in my seat
Lying back in this heat
Look me up on channel three

So sophisticated
Charming and educated
And I hope you don't mind
Nothing's harder to find
Someone sensual like you

Elton John's style
With an eagle profile
Small screen smile
Coquille St. Jaques
Coquille St. Jaques

I think you're very, very, very,
Very, very, very, very, very, very...

Etends moi
Au dessous de toi
Je suis une sphinx
Les genoux a chacque cote
De vos cuisses

It won't take long
Oh you're so strong
Recline in my seat
Back in this heat
In my white convertible

I told you before
You've made me so sore
With your foot on the floor
All the way to my door
Your beautiful teeth, what's underneath?

There's nothing left to do

I think you're very, very, very,
Very, very, very, very, very, very...
 

Russia  [6:11]  [Cunningham]

I think I'll go to Russia
'Cause I don't like porn or cocoa
I think I'll go to Russia
'Cause I don't like porn or cocoa
I must explain I'm not complaining
I'm just having fun
I must explain I'm not complaining
I'm just having fun

I think I'll go to Russia
'Cause I don't like porno girls
I must explain I'm not complaining
I'm just having fun
I think I'll go to Russia
'Cause I don't like porno girls
I think I'll go to Russia
'Cause I don't like porno girls

The horrors in your daily paper
Those aren't true at all
I know I'm gonna live forever
'Though it beats the rule
I must explain I'm not complaining
I'm just having fun
I must explain I'm not complaining
I'm just having fun

Summertime Blues  [3:09]  [E. Cochran / J. Capeheart]

I'm gonna raise a fuss
I'm gonna raise a holler
About working all summer
Just to try to earn a dollar
Every time I call my baby
Try to get a date
My boss says
"No dice son you gotta work late"

(chorus):
Sometimes I wonder
What I'm a gonna do
But there ain't no cure
For the summertime blues

Oh my momma, papa told me
Son you gotta make some money
If you wanna use the car
To go riding next Sunday
Well I didn't go to work
Told the boss I was sick
"Now you can't use the car
'Cause you didn't work a lick"

I'm gonna take two weeks
Gonna have a fine vacation
I'm gonna take my problem
To the United Nations
Well I called up my congressman
And he said, quote
"I'd like to help you son
But you're too young to vote"
 

Money (That's What I Want)  [5:52] [Barry Gordy Jr. / Janie Bradford]

The best things in life are free
But you can give them to the birds and bees
I want money

(chorus):
(That's what I want)
That's what I want (That's what I want)
That's what I want (That's what I want)
That's what I want (That's what I want)

Your love brings me such a thrill
But your love won't pay my bills
I want money

Money don't get everything it's true
What it don't get I can't use
I want money

I want money
I want to borrow some money
In fact I want so much money
Give me your money
Just give me money

"Need some directions for it
It should not appear between the speakers
In a correctly tuned system"
 

The Flood  [4:57]  [Cunningham]

Don't say no?
To my life again
Like the parts
That make up just the beginning

I am burning, burning, burning,
Oh I'm burning, burning, burning,
Oozing cauldron, cauldron of pleasure
 

Trouble  [2:46]  [Cunningham]

(instrumental)
 

Events During Flood  [3:25]  [Cunningham]

(instrumental)
 

The Window  [4:52]  [Cunningham]

Can you hear him bang on the window?
(He's throwing things at the window)
Can you hear him bang on the window?
(He's throwing things at the window)
Can you hear him bang on the window?
(He's throwing things at the window)
Can you hear him bang on the window?
(He's throwing things at the window)

(chorus):
I don't want to let him in
I wish he wasn't twice my size
Don't want to let him in
I wish he wasn't twice my size
Don't want to let him in
I wish he wasn't twice my size
Don't want to let him in
I wish he wasn't...

Sometimes I think he's a vampire
(He's making holes to drain blood)
Sometimes I think he's a vampire
(He's making holes to drain blood)
Sometimes I think he's a vampire
(He's making holes to drain blood)
Sometimes I think he's a vampire
(He's making holes to drain blood)

Sometimes you fight for the world
Sometimes you fight for yourself
Sometimes you fight for the world
Sometimes you fight for yourself
Should I sit and listen
Sit, wait, listen hoping that the door's shut tight?
 

Note: the Virgin Japan CD bothered to transcribe these in with the lyric sheet, so here they are:

Additional recordings made in Munich, Maidstone and in transit - between track noises

between tracks 1 and 2: "Some people look really horrid, I'm starting to feel ill now."
between tracks 2 and 3: "OK, have a good evening."
between tracks 6 and 7: "A dime? Ten cents, ten P", "Ten P, no it's not ten P", "Ten P"
 
 
 
 

Fourth Wall      LP
 

Lovers And Other Strangers  [3:09]  [Palladin/Cunningham/Beresford] - lyrics by P. Palladin

"Men's club, take one. We had to be pretty tricky to get these men to break a tradition."

Lovers and other strangers
Challenge other dangers
Lovers and other dangers
Challenge other strangers

Living's such a misery
But do it all - die peacefully
Hey living's just for history
Write it down - it's poetry

Quarter to four knock on the door
The day begins forget some more
Looking for sin - tempting the law
Always get through it - wonder what for?

Really I try - hurting inside
You ask me what's wrong?
You want to know why?
I tell you the truth
And wish I had lied

"I don't know what to do"
 

Glide/Spin  [3:30]  [Palladin/Cunningham] - lyrics by P. Palladin

Can this be?
Can't really believe the things you said to me
Is what you think based on what you see
Delude yourself?
In fantasy?
Hey,
I only gave you sound advice
No,
it ain't enough just being nice
Spin the bottle, hit or miss
It points to you
Want to kiss?

Halfway there the problem's clear
I said I love you
Yea I care
Yea I care

Wonder wonder wonder why
How could this be?
You'll never know what you mean to me
Tried real hard not to do it
But we both know who really blew it

Heed
Be warned
Should you loose
I'll shrug and say that's how it goes
And say perchance I don't pass go
I swear I was a friend not foe

Hit or miss, it points to you
It points to you you you you you you
you you you you you you you you
you you you you you you you you
you you you you you you you
you you...
 

In My Lifetime  [2:20]  [Cunningham]

In my lifetime
In my lifetime
And I don't want to see your face ever again
And I don't want to see your face ever again
And I don't want to see your face ever again
And I don't want to see your face ever again
In my lifetime
In my lifetime
In my lifetime
In my lifetime
 

Cirrus  [1:24]  [Cunningham]

(instrumental)
 

A-Train  [5:09]  [Palladin/Cunningham] - lyrics by P. Palladin

Like dead man's shoes
They'll wear no more
Vagrans wander
To where?
What for?

Like those who moan
Have yet to live
Some just take
Some just give

Like the weather
That won't go away
If you got the choice
Then why stay?

Like the mindless creatures
Who work each day
While learned men think
Hypocrits pray

Like politicians with schedules to keep
Bums spend their days wondering where they'll sleep

Like all great masters
Locked away in bins -
Makes me wonder why I condone these sins

Do de
De doodle do
Look at me
Look at me
What do you see
What do you see
I see a girl
I see a girl
A grown girl
A grown girl
A grown girl
A grown girl
A grown girl
 

New Voice  [5:42]  [Cunningham]

(instrumental)
 

Hands 2 Take  [4:05]  [Nyman/Cunningham/Palladin] - lyrics by P. Palladin

From one dark age to another
Scream on shitsu style
Soaring telepolitics
And phones that you don't dial
Anything you want
In the land of toll-free
At least in self abuse
There's a little dignity

(chorus):
So you're, you're screaming, you're screaming
Out for more
You got hands to take
Hey what are you waiting for?

From one moment to another
The dark before the rise
Sitting down - not standing
Is a common dwarf disguise
 

An Age  [2:31]  [Cunningham]

(instrumental)
 

Steam Away  [4:47]  [Cunningham]

"But, as I'm draped over there with the strain
and with the steam from the hot water,
I could feel the moleskin just sort of pulling away."
 

Move On Up  [5:27]  [Mayfield]

Hush now child
And don't you cry
Your folks might understand you
By and by
Just move on up
Towards your destination
Though you might find
From time to time
Some complication

Bite your lip
And take a trip
There may be
That road ahead
And you cannot slip

Just move on up
Be so fine
Into the steeple
Of beautiful people
There's only one kind

So move on up
And keep on wishing
Remember your dream
It's your only scheme
So keep on pushing

Take nothing less
Than the second best
You're not afraid of
Rumours people say
So you can pass the test

Just move on up
To a greater gain
It's just the rule of fate
If you put your mind to it
You can surely do it

Move on up
Move on up
Move on up
Move on up
Move on up
All the time
Just move on up
 

Another Story  [3:08]  [Cunningham]

The beast waits on one leg
While the clown tells another story

"...another witness"

And at the end of the story
A number of questions were asked:
Who was the man with the blue felt hat
And what was he doing on the grass?
 

Lost And Found  [2:47]  [Fripp/Cunningham]

(instrumental)
 
 
 
 

The Laughing Policeman    7" single
   by: The Suspicions (aka: The Flying Lizards)
 

The Laughing Policeman  [2:30]  [Grey] (Hillside Publications - St. Giles Ltd.)
    I had to transcribe these from the actual song, so there may be mistakes

I notice a policeman
He's always on our street
A fat and jolly red-faced man
He really is a treat

He's too kind for a policeman
He's never known to frown
And everybody says
He is the happiest man in town!

He laughs while he's on duty
He laughs while on his beat
He laughs at everybody
When he's walking down the street

He never can stop laughing
He says he's never tried
But once he did arrest a man
And laughed until he cried!

His jolly face is wrinkled
And then he shut his eyes
He opened up his great big mouth
It was a wonderous size!

He said: "I must arrest you!"
He didn't know what for
And then he started laughing
Until he cracked his jaw!

Now if you chance to meet him
While walking 'round the town
Shake him by his fat ol' hand
And give him half a crown

His eyes will glint and sparkle
He'll gurgle with delight
And then you'll start him laughing
With all his girth and might!