Heartland

MrChris wrote:It is indeed very catchy. I think it should be entered into the Eurovision song contest.

A bit like Marian - 'A Song for Europe', as our stumpy leader used to say. Only it makes you jump up and down a lot, whereas Marian makes you jump down, and not up again.

So please someone find out the lyrics. I haven't even got a decent recording - I've got it from Bristol 2003, but the recording levels are very low, and I haven't worked out how to pump them up for a compilation I'm, well, compiling on windows media player. I'm a flipping peasant, me.

While you're here, have you seen the "PJ Harvey through the years" photos in this months bang magazine? Luvverly - worth the cover price alone.

I think it's definitely "shine on the chrome and plastic" in the third line. The chorus was published on the official Tours page back in the day (Exxile on Euphoria tour), but that was all we ever got.

mh wrote:I think it's definitely "shine on the chrome and plastic" in the third line. The chorus was published on the official Tours page back in the day (Exxile on Euphoria tour), but that was all we ever got.

Ah! That explains where I got the "can I brake" bit from. I knew I'd seen something kind-of official.

Well remembered.

The lyrics seem to change between concerts. Anyway, here is my take on them:

Everybody get a line
I don't mind
She is the ... of the bad ...
Feeling fine
She's married to the soldier
In the army of the blind
The king of ...
The king of light

She says

Given it a few more listens. This is as close as I'll get, I think:

Everybody get a ride
I got mine
She is the queen of the back seat
Feeling fine
She's married to the soldier
In the army of the [blind?]
The king of the front seat
The king of light

She says

Here's my current tuppence. If nothing else, I'm certain that all of the "nazi / reich" stuff is nonsense. And I'm pretty sure about the last couple of lines of the middle bit.

Slip on the wire
Shimmer to shine
[Slide on] the chrome to plastic
The hum of the powerlines
Sum of a love
Trip the light fantastic
Singing:

Do I drive
Or am I driven?
Can I brake
What I've been given?
Take a walk,
Turn
Talk
or Crash and Burn

Everybody got a line
I got mine
She is the queen of the back street
Feeling fine
She's married to a soldier
In the army of [the blind]
But he don't [know | notice us]
So he don't mind
She said:

[chorus]

The hum of the powerlines
Sum of a love.

[Slip on] the wire
Shimmer to shine
[Slide on] the chrome to plastic
Saying:

[chorus]

---------------------
I think the Amsterdam '03 version's the easiest (I've heard) to figure stuff out from, though I do also suspect that the lyrics change a little between performances... at any rate, I think this is an absolute corker of a song.

Actually, to me this is like.. Ribbons 2. It's edgy and sexy - the obvious reference point being Ballard's Crash (though I've only read Atrocity Exhibition, so I don't know if there are any direct allusions in there). (Has anyone ever commented on how many Sisters songs are about, or involve, driving?)

--George

I believe your last two lines are mostly correct, with "notice us". That would explain the "blind" as well. This would yield:

Everybody get a ride
I got mine
She is the queen of the back seat
Feeling fine
She's married to a soldier
In the army of the blind
He won't notice us
So he won't mind

It even makes sense.

mugabe wrote:It even makes sense.

that can't be correct then!

I like it. Hell, I like all of the suggestions. Can we have alternative versions when it's released as single, please God?

mine/back/blind/mind ?

Spot the word that doesn't rhyme.

Evening all,

Just to add a bit more confusion here, I have a copy of the Frankfurt gig from the last tour & after extensive listening (I even made a lot of other people listen & we all unanimiously agreed on this !) The lyrics of the 2nd verse for this gig are clearly...

Everybody Get A Wife
I Got Mine
She Is The Queen Of The Back Seat
She's Feeling Fine
She's Married To A Soldier
In The Army Of The Blind
But He Don't Know
So He Don't Mind

I guess it just adds to the assumption that Von probably changes the lyrics from time to time as I've certainly not heard the word wife on any other copy of the song I have.
Anyway, it fits nicely with the 'She' references don't you think !?!?!

Don't have a copy of it to hand right now, but I have heard loadsa versions of Come Together which also have different lyrics each time, so it fits in well with the theme.

Must say it's very unlike Von to be fine-tuning his lyrics onstage though - Walk Away and NTTC are the only ones I remember where unfinished lyrics got exposed to the public.

Oh, I think it's enigmatic. Besides, sometimes the lyrics change even after the release of the record - although Alice is the only example I can think of at the moment...

Enigmatic indeed.

In any case, of the new stuff, has changed the lyrics to Come Together, War On Drugs & Susanne (off the top of my head) from time to time so I think its feasible to assume that its possible with Crash & Burn also.

Talking of Come Together, isn't it daft that its still classed as a 'newie'!!!
What was it ? 1993 it was first played !???

Oh, if he'd only immortalise these sounds in the way we all crave...

We're Sisters fans!

Von knows that what we really crave are hissy cassettes with the left channel half the volume of the right.

Lol. Quite true.

Everybody Get A Wife
I Got Mine
She Is The Queen Of The Back Seat
She's Feeling Fine
She's Married To A Soldier
In The Army Of The Blind
But He Don't Know
So He Don't Mind

I must say--this sounds pretty damn good. I used to think it was 'Everybody get away' but with typical Von inflection and echo, 'get a wife' sounds good. The rest sounds good as well, I like it. Now I can sing along with less insecurity than before.

I did think it was 'Married to a solider, in the army of the light', but blind works, and I think it's better than Reich--that whole business didn't make a lot of sense to me.

But since we're all sitting at home doing Exorcist-style language interpretation with our discs, it's the best we got.

Has the official site become too much of a bore for Von? I mean, if you can bother to put 'Colours' down in there...sheesh.

[/code]

Electrochrome wrote:

Everybody Get A Wife
I Got Mine
She Is The Queen Of The Back Seat
She's Feeling Fine
She's Married To A Soldier
In The Army Of The Blind
But He Don't Know
So He Don't Mind

I must say--this sounds pretty damn good. I used to think it was 'Everybody get away' but with typical Von inflection and echo, 'get a wife' sounds good. The rest sounds good as well, I like it. Now I can sing along with less insecurity than before.

I did think it was 'Married to a solider, in the army of the light', but blind works, and I think it's better than Reich--that whole business didn't make a lot of sense to me.

But since we're all sitting at home doing Exorcist-style language interpretation with our discs, it's the best we got.

Has the official site become too much of a bore for Von? I mean, if you can bother to put 'Colours' down in there...sheesh.

[/code]

I think the 'best we got' Crash & Burn wise is definitely 'Everybody Get a Wife'.
I got another copy from 2003 yesterday & its wife time again.

I'll ask Adam Pearson.

kafka wrote:Here's my current tuppence. If nothing else, I'm certain that all of the "nazi / reich" stuff is nonsense. And I'm pretty sure about the last couple of lines of the middle bit.

Slip on the wire
Shimmer to shine
[Slide on] the chrome to plastic


--George

I'm hearing "We" before these three lines on the Anaheim recording, in both verses. I also hear "slide on the chrome AND plastic". Basically what claws wrote.

The backup vocals seem like they sing "Can I **** What I've been given" but the main vocals seem like they're saying "Can I prey(pray) on what I've been given."

I've heard two versions that both sound like Eldrich is saying "on" before he says "what I've been given."

I can't hear anything about nazis or reichs. But I can hear another tin/american soldier.

My take on the lyrics:

We step on the wire
We shimmer to shine
We slide on the chrome and plastic
Take hold of the power lines
The sum our love
Drink the light fantastic
See me

Do I drive?
Or am I driven?
Can I prey on what I've been given
Take a walk
Turn
Talk or crash and burn

Everybody get a wife
Cause I've got mine
She's the queen of the back seat
She can move in time
She sees him: a soldier
in the army of the blind
What he don't know
He won't mind
She says

Do I drive?
Or am I driven?
Can I prey on what I've been given
Take a walk
Turn
Talk or crash and burn

Ahold of the power lines
the sum of a love

We slip on the wire
We shimmer to shine
We slide on the chrome and plastic

Do I drive?
Or am I driven?
Can I pray on what I've been given?
Take a walk
Turn
Talk
Or crash and burn?

There's certainly no Drink the light fantastic.

Rest assured, he's tripping, not drinking.

Interesting listening on the Crash & Burn on here... http://thesistersofmercy.us/tsommp3s/th ... hp?album=8

He's certainly mumbling the 2nd verse a bit.

Almost 100% certain that the last line of the second verse is "But if he don't notice I won't mind".

Nice echo of Rock And A Hard Place" there.

the words to this song are printed out pretty as you please on the Sisters myspace account. Most of you are awfully close, though. I hate to direct anyone to Myspace because then they'll have thousands of "friends" and I like being part of a smaller group, but anyway. Bunch of homo-sapiens.

BlueLamp wrote:on the Sisters myspace account.