Mott The Hoople and Ian Hunter

American Music

(Ian Hunter)

I have a dream-its only one dream
But I know dreams can come true
And I have a wish-its only one wish
But I know wishes can too

I wanna be-faraway from here
With those honky tonk heroes-burnin' my ears-oh

Love American music-I play it all night long
Just me n' records-n' a vivid imagination
I love to dance in the mirror-I practice every single word
And it seems to me American music-is all I've ever heard
Oh oh oh-oh oh oh its lonely on the underground
I sit and watch my world go round n' round n' round n' round n' round
I sit and watch the world go round

I hear the sons of Memphis-I hear the brothers or Harlem
I hear the Nashville Cats n' the rag time mamas outa New Orleans
I hear the Windy City-I hear a gospel singers hymn-and it seems to me
American music is all there's ever been

C'mon baby oh oh -oh oh-oo-oo
I love the names of the cities-I hear the echo echoing
And it seems to me American music is all there's ever been

The Loner

(Ian Hunter)

I was born
On the 3rd of June-hard labor-Gemini moon
I was raised In a country town-livin' dead were all puttin' me down
And my flesh and blood-my flesh and blood
Kicked me out - they never understood that..
That its alright-its alright- its alright to be a loner

Skin and bone, skin and bone, lean lookin' won't you let me take you home
How about is babe, how about , a little love 'til the money runs out
We'll give 'em hell babe, we'll give 'em hell
I ain't the kind that's gonna kiss and tell
I'm alright -you know I'm alright- its alright to be a loner
Its alright-its alright- its alright to be a loner

Turn out the lights-bring on the night- oh baby I'm a loner

I got my bags-I got my boots- I got ma wits about me-I got my roots
I gotta guitar-40 years old- I'm gonna play it til the stories been told

We'll knock 'em dead girl-we'll knock 'em dead
So when you think o' me remember what I said
Its alright girl-its alright girl- its alright to be a loner...
Its alright-you know its alright-its alright to be a loner
Tonights the night I'm gonna strap you in tight
oo baby, I'm the loner

Women's Intuition

(Ian Hunter)

Through the haze the mirror cries-hits you right between the eyes
You don't know-but you got the judas in you babe
You can't trust
You can't deliver
Always whinin' you were sold down the river
I gave you-the best years of-your miserable life

Where did you go wrong girl, where did you go wrong
Where did you go wrong babe-nice try, wrong guy
You're gonna wind up on your ass-you should have listened to your
WOMEN'S INTUITION

You can come (run)-but you can't hide-something messed you up inside
Ain't my fault-don't blame me-if you're dazed and confused
You're a lie, you're a television, tryin't drag into your prison
Had enough o'sleepin' rough-its over with you

where did you go wrong babe
Where did you go wrong
Where did you go wrong girl
Nice try
Goodbye
You're gonna wind up on your ass-you should;ve listened to your
WOMEN'S INTUITION

Tarred by the same old feathers-guess we got to stick together
But I say to you-don't ever invade-my destiny
Bad enough I ain't normal, give up tryin't make me formal
What I need when I bleed
Don't mean nothing to you

Where did you go wrong babe, where did you go wrong
Where did you go wrong girl
Dumb moves, no class
You're gonna wind up on your ass-you should 've listened to your
WOMEN'sINTUITION

Tell It Like It Is

(Ian Hunter/Mick Ronson)

Do you remember truth-you used to tell it everyday
Oh what a feelin'-there was nuthin' in the way
I won't get excited- if you don't slash your wrists
oh oh oh-something is gravely amiss
You gotta tell it like it is

Whats the matter baby- cat got your tongue?
You bin creepin' 'round the alleyways-all night long
You can't hide a secret-more than a week
oh oh oh- we gotta get to the bottom of this
You gotta tell it like it is

Hangin' on a corner- of the danger zone
Just another nightmare- let me take you home

C'mon baby, c'mon baby

You've gotta tell it like it is...

Livin' in a heart

(Ian Hunter)

Once upon a time, somewhere in the back of my mind
I fell in love with you
But then, everything went wrong, I couldn't even write a song
There was nothing to look forward to

I don't go out very much, I'm always home on my own
Baby I was just too blind to see
I wasn't to conquer the world but the world had a mind of its own
Maybe I tried a little too hard
Maybe I pushed you away too far

Gotta room in your heart for a lonely heart
Gotta room in your heart for two
It might be nice-living in a heart with you

So sing and all the world will shine, somewhere in this nursery rhyme
A happy ending lies-for all the lovers with the lonely eyes
Easy come-easy go-this is just to let you know
Baby I apologize

How could I turn away love, how could I turn into stone
How could I turn my back on you
I wanted to be a success but success ever leaves you alone
Maybe I tried a little too hard
Maybe I pushed you way too far

Big Time

(Ian Hunter)

One more town on the merry-go-round
One more room with no view
One more punk eatin' nothing but junk
Trin' to make a phone call to you
Well maybe I'll never, get myself together
But something's in the back of my mid
It only takes one call-you can laugh at 'em all
You're never too small to hit the big time

One more slob feeling sick as a dog
After one more night on the booze
One more dive more dead that alive
Tryin' to get my message through
Now, maybe I'll never get my self together
Maybe its the end of the line
But I'm having a ball-bouncin' off the walls
You're never too small to hit the big time

You're never too small, you're never too small
You're never to small to hit the big time
They can make you crawl, they can make you fall
But you're never to small to hit the big time
You're never too small, you're never to small You're never too small to hit the big time
If you're fat, if you're bald it don't matter at all
'cos you're never to small-I said you're never to small

To hit the big time (Yes indeed)
(The big time(- limousines)
(The big time)-you can have it all
(The big time)- I say you're never too small

One more crowd shoutin'-turn it up loud
One more rose at my feet
One more ring from that cute little thing
One more reason to cheat
Well, maybe I'll never get myself together
Maybe its the end of the line...

Cool

(Ian Hunter)

You might be a celebrity-everybody sits up and begs
You might be the sexiest thing since God invented legs
You might be a dictator, a dealer or a saint
Cool is here to tell you when you're cool and when you ain't
If you lose your cool-if you lose your cool-if your cool don't work
If your cool's gone fishin' you ain't nothing but a cool jerk

Now you might be a nazi-lookin' for a friend
You might be a beginning- looking for an end
Some folks go for the ice and snow-some like it Florida hot
Cool is here to tell you what is cool and what is not

You can write a book about the money you took
You and pose on the cover nude
You can flip on an ego trip-time'll do the cover on you
But don't you ever cross me dude
'Cos that ain't cool, that's an attitude

You might be a macho man
Do 50 million sit-ups a day
You might be an expert, with something important to say
You might be an evangelist-livin' on the wages of sin
Cool is here to tell you what is out and what is in

Beg a Little Love

(Hunter/McNasty)

Life takes a little piece of you away
Most everyday of your life
Oh learn to get wise, you learn to compromise-
You learn to criticise yourself
I guess we all grow up 'cos one day everything-
seems so further from the truth
And you try to find yourself- in this endless youth
I said you try to find yourself-and you
Beg a little love

Fate takes another stab at your face
And you can never cease to resist
And you take it on the chin-that old sucker punch again
Reminds you what you've missed
When the colors blazed and your jealousy raged
You were so sensitive to every touch
And it ain't to forget in this endless youth
So you find a perfect stranger- and you
Beg a little love

What do you get in the end
Did you really need that friend
Your emotions dulled to save your heart
From failing at the hardest part
But you still get down on your knees
I said you get down n your knees
And you beg

Now there's nothing left to laugh at
Nothing left to say-nothing left do
There's nothing left-so there's nothing left to ask for
But you still get down on your knees- and you beg

These words are my sacrificial lamb
Burnin' a hole down my heart
Dancin' down that river of no return
You know you missed that boat- but you still get
down on your knees

After all o' those years
After all o' those fears
After all o' those dreams
After all o' those screams
After all o' those nights
After all o' those fights

When my mind had gone, when both o' my minds had gone
When my minds had gone

I'm still a child
And I get down on my knees and I beg
Beg a little love

Following In Your Footsteps

(Ian Hunter/Mick Ronson)

Some folk leave courage, some folk leave you hope 
Why am I out here hangin'
like a fool at the end o' my rope 
Some folk leave you wisdom, 
some folk leave you signs 
You can never be sure what went on before 
Life is just a matter of time
Picture of you, clouding my view 

I'm following in your footsteps, 
tryin' to make some sense of it all 
Maybe it's a sign of weakness, 
but that's where my footsteps fall 
I'm following in your footsteps, 
tryin' to hang on to your dreams 
You never got what you wanted 
So I never got what I need 
I'm following in your footsteps, 
'cos that's where the footsteps lead
Someone must have given me anger, 
someone must have given me hate 
Or why would I stand here shakin',
when there's so many chances to take
Pictures of you, 
climb into view 
I'm following in your footsteps, 
tryin' to make some sense of it all 
Maybe it's a sign of weakness, 
but that's where my footsteps fall
I'm following in your footsteps, 
watchin' my children grow 
They're following in my footsteps 
Takin' it on the road 
We're following in your footsteps 
'cos that's where the footsteps go 
We're following in your footsteps, yeah 
'cos that's where your footsteps go

Sons N' Lovers

(Ian Hunter)

I was your baby-you were my girl
When I asked you to marry me- the tears fell

Sons N' lovers, sons n' lovers, waving
My childhood goodbye-it seems so sad
Well how long have you been my best friend
This won't be the end of Sons n' lovers-sons n' lovers--she won't wanna talk anymore about it

You were my lady- I was your number one
When I said I was leaving- tears run

Sons n' lovers-sons n' lovers, breakin'
Tryin' not to hurt each others hearts
Well how long can we exist- I know
We can't go on like this
Sons n' lovers-son's and lovers--I don't wanna lie anymore

Was that you I saw--walkin' out along the shore
Was that you I saw-talkin' to him
Was that you i saw-puttin' his hands in yours
Thats alright ma- you can still love him
Thats alright ma- you can still love
And through the years-you know- we will remember
Time will never take old times away
How long for you to discover that- there still some strings attached to
Sons n' lovers-sons and lovers
But I don't wanna play anymore
Sons n' lovers

Pain

(Donnie Kehr/Ian Hunter)

I believe in magic 
Ain't it kinda tragic 
When you find out 
Angels can be devils 
You were never on the level with me babe, at all

Pain, pain, pain !
I got this pain 
Sittin' on the midnight train

Beggars can be choosers 
Winners can be losers 
I'll get over you somehow 
It's gonna take a little time 
To put you to the back of my mind, forever

Pain, shootin' down the length o' my brain 
I got this pain 
Nothin' is the same 
When love is a victim 
Love is a victim of pain

Ain't no doubt about it babe 
Love is a victim of pain I'm lonely 
And I don't know what to do about you babe 
'Cos Loneliness is such a drag 

How Much More Can I Take

(Ian Hunter)

You're breakin' my heart 
Stealing my thunder 
How much more can I take 
You're draggin' me down 
Holding me under 
How much more can I take
How much more can I take 

Won't somebody break 
The news to you gently. 
You fill my eyes 
But you don't fill the hunger 
How much more can I take

I see your face 
Everywhere, every place 
How much more can I take 
You're here in the night 
You're here in the morning sunlight 
How much more can I take

How much more can I take 
I (wish that I could) make your mind up (for you). 
You fill my eyes 
But you don't fill the hunger 
How much more can I take

How much more can I take 
Won't somebody help me 
I'm naked as the day I was born 
These clothes have a way of changin' what I'm feelin' 
I try and I try but I can't put 'em on

I sit here alone 
Wait by the telephone line 
How much more can I take 
I'm jealous as hell 
Mixed up 'n mean as well 
How much more can I take
How much more can I take 
I know she'd like to break 
Those stones over my body. 
You fill my eyes 
But you don't fill the hunger 
How much more can I take 

Sweet Dreamer

(D. Gibson/Mick Ronson)

(Instrumental)

These lyrics have been determined after careful listening to the tracks in question, and are provided for educational purposes only. Due to the possibility of mis-hearing, we cannot vouch for their accuracy. Copyright remains vested in the lawful copyright holders.

Credits

Transcribed by Rob Thormeyer except Following In Your Footsteps, Pain and How Much More Can I Take transcribed by Marc Sansoucy