Lyrics for singles by Emerson, Lake and Palmer
From The Beginning
Lucky Man
Jerusalem
Still... You Turn Me On
Benny the Bouncer
Karn Evil 9
I Believe In Father Christmas
There might have been things I missed
But don't be unkind
It don't mean I'm blind
Perhaps there's a thing or two
I think of lying in bed
I shouldn't have said
But there it is
You see, it's all clear
You were meant to be here
From the beginning
Maybe I might have changed
And not been so cruel
Not been such a fool
Whatever was done is done
I just can't recall
It doesn't matter at all
You see, it's all clear
You were meant to be here
From the beginning
He had white horses
And ladies by the score
All dressed in satin
And waiting by the door
Oooh, what a lucky man he was
Oooh, what a lucky man he was
White lace and feathers
they made up his bed
A gold-covered mattress
on which he was laid
[chorus]
He went to fight wars
for his country and his king
For his honor and his glory
the people would sing
[chorus]
A bullet had found him
his blood ran as he cried
no money could save him
so he laid down and he died
[chorus]
[chorus]
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy lamb of god
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear: o clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Til we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land
Do you want to be an angel
Do you want to be a star
Do you want to play some magic on my guitar?
Do you want to be a poet
Do you want to be my string?
You could be anything
Do you want to be the lover of another
Undercover? you could even be the man on the moon
Do you want to be the player
Do you want to be the string?
Let me just tell you something
It just don't mean a thing
You see it really doesn't matter
When you're buried in disguise
By the dark glass on your eyes
Though your flesh has crystalised
Still .... you turn me on
Do you want to be the pillow where I lay my head
Do you want to be the feathers lying in my bed?
Do you want to be a colour cover magazine
Create a scene
Every day a little sadder
A little madder
Someone get me a ladder
Do you want to be the singer
Do you want to be the song?
Let me tell you something
You just couldn't be more wrong
You see I really have to tell you
That it all gets so intense
From my experience
It just doesn't seem to make sense
Still .... you turn me on
Benny was the bouncer at the Palais de Dance
He'd slash your granny's face up given half a chance
He'd sell you back the pieces, all for less than half a quid
He thought he was the meanest-
Until he met with Savage Sid
Now Sidney was a greaser with some nasty roots
He poured a pint of Guinness over Benny's boots
Benny looked at Sidney
Sidney stared right back in his eye
Sidney chose a switchblade
And Benny got a cold meat pie
Oh! what a terrible sight
Much to the people's delight
One hell of a fight
Sidney grabbed a hatchet, buried it .... in Benny's head
The people gasped as he bled
The end of a Ted?
Well, they dragged him from the wreckage of the Palais in bits
They tried to stick together all the bits that would fit
But some of him was missing
And "part of him" arrived too late
So now he works for Jesus
As the bouncer at St. Peter's Gate
Cold and misty morning, I heard a warning borne in the air
About an age of power where no one had an hour to spare
Where the seeds have withered, silent children shivered, in the cold
Now their faces captured in the lenses of the jackals for gold
I'll be there
I'll be there
I will be there
Suffering in silence, they've all been betrayed
They hurt them and they beat them, in a terrible way
Praying for survival at the end of the day
There is no compassion for those who stay
I'll be there
I'll be there
I will be there
There must be someone who can set them free
To take their sorrow from this odyssey
To help the helpless and the refugee
To protect what's left of humanity
Can't you see
Can't you see
Can't you see
I'll be there
I'll be there
I will be there
To heal their sorrow
To beg and borrow
Fight tommorow
Step inside! hello! we've the most amazing show
You'll enjoy it all we know
Step inside! step inside!
We've got thrills and shocks, supersonic fighting cocks
Leave your hammers at the box
Come inside! come inside!
Roll up! roll up! roll up!
See the show!
Left behind the bars, rows of bishops heads in jars
And a bomb inside a car
Spectacular! spectacular!
If you follow me there's a speciality
Some tears for you to see
Misery, misery
Roll up! roll up! roll up!
See the show!
Next upon the bill in our house of vaudeville
We've a stripper in a till
What a thrill! what a thrill!
And not content with that, with our hands behind our backs
We pull Jesus from a hat
Get into that! get into that!
Roll up! roll up! roll up!
See the show!
== == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == ==
Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends
We're so glad you could attend
Come inside! Come inside!
There behind the glass stands a real blade of grass
be careful as you pass
Move along! Move along!
Come inside, the show's about to start
guaranteed to blow your head apart
Rest assured you'll get your money's worth
The greatest show in Heaven, Hell or Earth
You've got to see the show, it's a dynamo
You've got to see the show, it's rock and roll ...
Right before your eyes we pull laughter from the skies
And he laughs until he cries, then he dies, then he dies
Soon the Gypsy Queen in a glaze of Vaseline
Will perform on guillotine
What a scene! What a scene!
Next upon the stand will you please extend a hand
to Alexander's Ragtime Band
Dixieland, Dixieland
Roll up! Roll up! Roll up!
See the show!
Performing on a stool we've a sight to make you drool
Seven virgins and a mule
Keep it cool. Keep it cool
We would like it to be known the exhibits that were shown
were exclusively our own
All our own. All our own
Come and see the show! Come and see the show! Come and see the show!
See the show!
They said there'll be snow at Christmas
They said there'll be peace on Earth
But instead it just kept on raining
A veil of tears for the Virgin's birth
I remember one Christmas morning
A winter's light and a distant choir
And the peal of a bell and that Christmas Tree smell
And their eyes full of tinsel and fire
They sold me a dream of Christmas
They sold me a Silent Night
And they told me a fairy story
'Till I believed in the Israelite
And I believed in Father Christmas
And I looked at the sky with excited eyes
'Till I woke with a yawn in the first light of dawn
And I saw him and through his disguise
I wish you a hopeful Christmas
I wish you a brave New Year
All anguish pain and sadness
Leave your heart and let your road be clear
They said there'll be snow at Christmas
They said there'll be peace on Earth
Hallelujah Noel, be it Heaven or Hell,
The Christmas we get, we deserve