Reprinted here are the lyrics from the Stranglers ‘Feline’ album,
(C) 1982 CBS Records. Songs included are:
Midnight Summer Dream
It’s a Small World
Ships That Pass in the Night
The European Female
Let’s Tango in Paris
Paradise
All Roads Lead to Rome
Blue Sister
Never Say Goodbye
These are, of course, reprinted without permission.
* * * * * *
Midnight Summer Dream
Woke up on a good day
And the world was wonderful
A midnight summer dream had me in its spell.
I dreamt about an old man
Sat and watched the rain all night
He couldn’t sleep a wink as all the drops fell.
He told me of the beauty
Hidden in our foreheads
He told me of the ugliness
We show instead.
And when we put a foot wrong do we learn
From all the pain
A midnight summer dream as he watched the rain.
Then at midnight he poured another drink
And bent my ear
After midnight we sat up half the night
Or maybe more
And he began to tell me what it was all for
I woke up in an armchair
He had gone i don’t know where
Left me there to sit and look at the rain
Don’t remember much at all
But his words were echoing
A midnight summer dream and then wake again.
Maybe I’ll never find him
Maybe he’s gone forever
Maybe I’ll have to sit here
Watching weather.
One thing’s pretty certain helped me
Make it in the night
Showed me somewhere else besides wrong and right
And at midnight if you can’t sleep
Then I can bend your ear
After midnight we’ll sit up half the night
Or maybe more
And I’ll begin to tell you what it is all for.
Wake up on a good day and the world
Feels wonderful
Midnight summer dream has me in its spell.
It’s a Small World
Many roads to travel down and there are
Many surprises to find
But as luck will have it you can stumble
In the valley of the blind
Friends will always tell you fate will rear
Its ugly head to frighten you
But the hands of time hold something and
He’s offering it all to you.
Watch out for a surprise
It’s nature’s biggest prize
And if it comforts you discover
It’s a small world too.
Read your books and study hard to find the kick
That makes you carry on
And if luck’s a kind friend she will show you
How and why it all began.
Just look in the backyard
You won’t have to look hard
The crossword’s final clue discover
It’s a small world too.
When your friends are gathered round
And you draw straws to find out who goes first
Climb the wall out of the pleasure garden
See a flower die of thirst.
A circle’s always round
The truth lies underground
You may just join the few discover
It’s a small world too.
Ships That Pass in the Night
We’re waiting for better weather on a ship
To pass in the night
Solve all of our problems for us on a ship
To pass in the night
We don’t care if it’s one way passage on a ship
To pass in the night
Keep all of the lanterns burning for the ship
To pass in the night.
Suddenly you see a mast
Approaching you pretty fast
Hope it’s not like the last
But it just sails right past.
Keep scanning romantic oceans for the ship
To pass in the night
Some kind of religious notion on a ship
To pass in the night
Or vote for a politician as a ship
To pass in the night
Or pay for a good physician like a ship
To pass in the night
Suddenly you see a mast
Approaching you pretty fast
Hope it’s not like the last
But it just sails right past….
The European Female
I knew she was a feline
She moved with ease and grace
Her green eyes they held mystery.
No emotion on her face.
She speaks her lips are kissing
The air around her face
I don’t always under-stand her
But I love her air and grace.
The European female she is here
The European female’s here
We’ll be together for a thousand years
And do you really fear
That you might fall.
I saw her in the Strasse
And in the Rue as well
Pursued her in the Hight Street
She had me in her spell.
Let’s Tango in Paris
Sentimental through the night
Sharing secret candlelight
We’re away
Every day
Laughing, joking just sustains
Situation quite insane
Flowing wine
Quite sublime
Not so far for me to say
I could take you there today
Let’s tango in Paris.
You might find yourself with me
Share your glass of vanity
We’re away
Every day
Not for me to say
I could take you there today
Let’s tango in Paris.
Paradise
I went in search of paradise
They said it would be good for my head
So I went in search of paradise
But she took me by my head instead.
Paris – London
Glamour and despair
Ruins – we were ruined over there
Ruins – we ruined over there-er-er.
And when you think you’re in paradise
But then you find your arms are tied
Captive in the name of paradise
The chains are all her lies.
Paris – London etc.
The picture on the screen is moving still
It’s moving all the time
If only you could freeze frame a moment there
You could have paradise all the time.
Paris – London etc.
I don’t think anyone ever found paradise
‘Cos paradise is based on lies….
(Repeat till fade.)
All Roads Lead to Rome
The streets of Tarmac are strait as a die
With steel fingers clawing at the sky
Inside the wall of the citadel
Yellow chariots race
Peasants and their peasants’ smells
Hungry enough to touch your face.
The beasts from the end of the century
Adorn themselves with jewellery
Inside the wall of the citadel
Yellow chariots race
peasants and their peasants’ smells
Hungry enough to touch your face.
Their eyes they change colour from grey to green
And when they’re blue they weigh the scene
The endless games played in the timeless zone
Remind me all roads lead to Rome
Inside the wall of the citadel
Yellow chariots race
Peasants and their peasants’ smells
Hungry to touch your frightened face
All roads lead to Rome
All roads lead to Rome
All roads lead to Rome
All roads lead to Rome.
Blue Sister
Blue sister please don’t cry
Blue sister dry your eyes
Your lover’s been taken away by some friends
That he met in the night.
That scene’s not a new one to you
You’ve seen it a million times too
The players, their lines are old too
Blue sister know that I care about you.
Blues sister are no cure
For you sister that’s for sure
Your eyes have been shouldering pain
And the tears show emotion so pure.
That scene’s not a new one to you …. etc.
Blue sister you’ll survive
Blue sister’s inner drive is
Your man don’t drive him away
If you want him here stay alive.
That scene’s not a new one to you …. etc.
Never Say Goodbye
Black friend of the night
Why did you leave in such a hurry?
White friend of the day
You left us juggling our worries
Never say goodbye
For we’ll all be with you someday
Fond adieus but never say goodbye
Like lovers in the past
They swim and surface in our memories
Questions never asked
I’ll save them all for the next century
Never say goodbye
For we’ll all be with you someday
Fond adieus but never say goodbye.
Tell us what’s over the horizon
Is it worth the chance
To hang around for more surprising?
Never say goodbye
For we’ll all be with you someday
Fond adieus but never say goodbye.
+++ lyrics typed by Someone Else, Ai fictionwriters 2/86
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