The Manhattan Transfer Album

This here's the story about Killer Joe
He's a real bad cat, 'forget I told you so
Silk on the corners of his fancy threads
double breasted pin stripe coat top press
fast talkin' good looking flim flam jive
why he's the kind o' cat that'll make a dead man cry
so look out for Killer Joe!

Killer Joe - Killer Joe
Killer Joe - love dough
(Repeat)

Love of gold
Has made him very cold (Repeat Top)

I hit the big town an'he turned me roun'
He dazzled me with some pretty jive
prettier jive than I've ever heard from
any man alive
He called me "Baby," 'n "Honey"
Messed wit m'head, tol' me he'd show me
a whole mess o'money
An' what did I get?
That's somethin' I ain't figured out yet

Each woman I meet is like a bead
that's strung on a string
an' I wear 'em like I'm wearin' a necklace
Women love me, n'think lots of me
Really! How can they be so reckless
I tell 'em in front, that I do love money
So - later on - then they won't get funny
When I tighten up an' the scene gets heavy
times when I laugh they're over,
now they're gonna' feel a draf'
Tell y'truth, if y'mus know
Only thing can save y'is t'bring me lots o'dough

(Background)
Poor girl - Pity the hick
Poor girl - Man, is he slick
Poor girl - Pity the poor chick

Stars were peepin' low
An' man dud she have eyes for that Joe
'N Joe was jivin' with all of his lies
She felt he must o'meant it
Boy, the chick was in f'some surprise
Yep! 'N Joe ain' 'bout t'let 'er slide
Git'er t'flyin' high 'n wide
Then goof her carpet ride
She was cute, he had class
Y'knew he had 'er soon s'he made his pass

(Background)
(That's Joe!)

Big cities are jungles an' men're like leopards
An' women are lost lambs who've
strayed from kep' herds
An' them leopards - are real wolves
Actin' jus' like shepherds

Look out! Joe got his hook out
He's lookin' so han'some
Guaranteed trouble
Y'think you c'n stan' some
He'll furnish it double
So look out

(Repeat top)

He's got that funny name
An' ramblin' that's his game, that's it
He's Rambo, talkin' bout
Me!
We'll see (Piano)
They call him Rambo 'cause he's travellin'
He don't stay one place
His life's a string he keeps unravellin'
He don't leave no trace
He's got a yen for changin' places
He digs changin' scenes
That way he stays in everybody's good graces

He's happy on the move
He's mobile and free
He wants no strings attached
That's how it's gotta be, see!
He'll keep on ramblin' till the coda
He don't stay one place
Because he's just a ramblin' man
His favorite hobby's hittin' the road
He was a fella livin' solely by the ramblers only code
Some people're born to roam
Fate gave 'em roamin' natures

An' so they wander aroun'
Leavin' people wondrin' when they'll touch the groun'
Hither 'n yon, here 'n beyon'
Wherever they never been before
As soon as you're used t'their face

They're off 'n runnin' again
Gone to another new place
Peripatetic is the only word
that I have ever heard that people could use
that really describes him
There's no other word could do that
Only other word I know that comes
The closest to it is "Gypsy"
An' that don't really fit him at all
"Cause he ain't tellin' fortunes
'N hates bein' dipsy
Everywhere I go they call him Rambo
'Cause he won't stay long

In my ramblin'
I've met a lotta people here 'n there
An' I find they're 'bout the same everywhere
Each with his own little thing
That he uses while he's tryin' to swing
Maybe the look ain't the same
But they play the same game
An' there's quite a bit o' difference
In their outlook, I know
Still 'n yet, their story, lem'me tell you
Is a story that you won't forget
When I was young 'n very green
I felt so stuck with m'present situation
Later, when I got a little older
that was when I discovered I could split
'N find myself another groove
That was all I need
I was on the move
I packed my little sack 'n started ramblin'
To this day I'm a rover who'll always be ramblin'

You git drug stayin' in one place
Depressed an' feelin' low down
Get new kicks movin' roun'

Roamin' the country's educational for you
'N widens your point of view
Tests y' mettle 'n cools y' mind out
'N that's true without a doubt
Y know? I mean y'dig - -
That's Rambo's gig
Rambo is ready to ramble 'n itchin' t'split
Oh yeah, he'll start packin' 'n quit it
Forget it! 'Cause he's done with it

That's Rambo! Travellin' light
Stay too long he'll git uptight
So his motto is "Keep movin'"
You got it! That's his bit!
Nex' time he might leave an address
'Cause the little girl that he met
Las' night
Paid him so much attention
That it got him a bit uptight
We might not have t'call him Rambo
'Cause he jes' might be settlin' down
He's gone the way of all men
Fat, skinny or tall men
It happened to this Rover we know - Rambo

Wait'll y'dig it on the map - Airegin
Spelled backwards
Really're closin' up the gap - Airegin
Gone fac'wards
Back long time ago they saw a ghost
Ghost made a boast
Soon that ghost was host
(Repeat first 8 bars)

Those losing their hue
They goofed 'n got the wrong view
First, things reverse, last is first!
Y' dig it!

Whatta' y' think o'that'n get a load a'
What I tell y'
What this place is no one knows it
There's no traces of the kind o'place it was
Before it got "discovered" by the kind o'
Cat that knows the earth belongs t'him
Back when the world was young
An' man was a living god
An' he walked this earthly sod
This was sod that god would trod on
Till one day a stranger landed
With a line o'jive
Laid it on the natives till he had 'em thinkin'
Maybe that they should really take five
An' he quickly stole the natives' soul
So he could control it
An' he took care of that missionary biz
Till the lan' was his

Never heard a story draggy as that
Tell th' truth I ain't never heard another
That exasperated more
What an exasperating narrative t'play
Upon the sensitive and kindly soul that I am
'Way back when I was crawlin' in m'crib
I was doin' all kinds o'thinkin'
Aw'ready I had figured out the 'cut of m'jib'
The kind o'soul that never liked t'tell 'r live a fib
A body who was steadily reachin' up
A min' always thinkin' on high-minded things
Whee! I was always one t'be free
Ain't never had a keeper why don't people
Learn t'git along t'gether stead o'
Meddlin' aroun' 'n fussin' with the fella nearest to 'em
Me, I'm the old fashioned kind
I was never good at follow-the-leader
Real real real real real real real
That's me, as real as a Yankee can be
That's me

Millions o' years ago
There was a Paleolithic age on Earth
An' the whole world was young
And full o'the vim of constant rebirth
Brontosauruses 'n dinosaurs 'n pterodactyls
Ever'where abounding that was the case
'N plus the millions o' mammoths here 'n there
An' in addition there were lots o'men everywhere
Who had no hi-tech and no intellect 'nary a speck
But in that spot
Where it was so lush, where it was so hot
Where many animal was roamin'
An' nature was kind, life was thrivin'
There livin' was actual an' the feelin' was natural
I'm tellin' the truth
What-a-benign livin' some livin'
All's forgiven come on home

Blew a truly unruly storm
That wrecked a boat in a climate warm
'N full o'ashy-colored cats all lookin'
White like ghosts
'N when the natives checked 'em out
It blew 'em away t'find that they resembled spirits
Long ago there was a legend
'Bout a spirit who would someday come

A look at these cats
'N y' could see they prob'ly had some
So they welcomed 'em with peace and love
And everything there's plenty of
'N soon the tables had turned to rigormortis
That's when the castaway had his say
Like a dog had his day they told the
People that they were spirits actual
Y'see how perfectly a fable c'n be
Incorporated into what a cat'll think is factual
What was an accident turns int' something
So unbelievably heaven-sent
Everybody falls for it
Right on down t' the militants
'N marchin' 'n the martyrs 'n the murder of Lumumba

Wait'll y'dig it on the map - Airegin
Spelled backwards
Really're closin' up the gap - Airegin
Gone fac'wards
Back long time ago they saw a ghost
Ghost made a boast
Soon that ghost was host

Wait'll y'dig it on the map - Airegin
Spelled backwards
Really're closin' up the gap - Airegin
Gone fac'wards

Those losing their hue
They goofed 'n got the wrong view
First, things reverse, last is first!
Y' dig it!

To you my very heart and soul
Everyday my very heart
Very heart and soul ----
I give to you
You never know of giving
Until you give yourself
I do - To you
To you the very life I live I give to you
Very life I live
My deep devotion
My every thought and feeling, too
I give, I do
All my love, all my life to you

I've never known a day of strife
Since you entered my life
My care and my sorrow had me everyway
Before we met, I was tryin'
But my livin' felt like dyin'
To you I give all of my heart and my very soul
The life I'm living
Yes, I'm giving everything to you
It's true, really true
You know that it's true
All my love, all my life I live
I want to give to you

Let me introduce you
I've heard that boredom's entered your life
And you're feelin' real low
Have you met Benny Bailey?
Well he's a fella that you should know

They tell me lassitude's has laid you low
An' you're losin' your grip
you must meet Benny Bailey
At least he's somebody who is hip

To cure an ennui, you need a bon nuit
It's part o' the joie de vie
And his attention, I'm loathe to mention
Is, incident'ly, available

And so if providence should decree
Who'll stand in the way
So you'll meet Benny Bailey
And you'll remember your lucky day

Background Vocals: Once you've met
You won't forget
No stuff
Benny's tough
(Repeat 1,2,3)

This could be your lucky day
Incident'ly, he's the sort
Tho' seen at court
Carries an awful lotta weight
In many less royal quarters
Filled with less than regal daughters
Quite the quixotic Romeo whom every
Filly'll know because they find his
Reputation wherever they go
Whether it's here
Or whether it's in another boudoir
Whee!
He's such a scandal, really
T' handle him demands a savoir fairer
And a great indulgence rarer
Than any that I've encountered surveyin' the scene
But never mind, I'll explain it later
The fact is that he's always ready to please
And that's aroused a lot o'chatter
But it really doesn't matter, not to him
No siree! It's 'bout as big t'him as any flea
He's gotta be maitre'd
Or so it seems to me
Wait'll y'meet, you'll see what I'm sayin'

Background Vocals: Meet this cat
He's where it's at
That's right, outta sight
Benny Bailey
He's no slouch
For this I'll vouch
He's cool, he's no fool

To cure an ennui
You need a bon nuit
It's part of the joie de vie

He's the kind o'cat people hear about
But in a second-handed way
That there's nothing really clear about

Let me introduce you
I've heard that boredom's entered your life
And you're feelin' real low
Have you met Benny Bailey?
Well he's a fella that you should know

They tell me lassitude's has laid you low
An' you're losin' your grip
you must meet Benny Bailey
At least he's somebody who is hip

We're glad you got to meet Benny Bailey
I'm happy fin'lly meeting with you

Livin' in the middle 'n relaxin' while y' loosen only a little
Means y'gotta figure out a way y'oughtta' go
'N steady movin' on ahead're anywhere y'kharma led'n
With a fascinatin' desert f'y'bed

How very inviting!
Such a lush, poetic sight full o'lots o'lovely desert
And a rare, exotic mystery at night
How y'gonna beat it f'r a magic delight

Thrill to the chant of - the Muezzin
Callin' all t'pray aroun' the closin' o'the day
Becomes a regular occurrence
Git offa' the camel's back
Put you a tent up, lay you a mat down
Ready t'dream o'what'cha lack
Meanwhile, y'quietly sleepin' soun'ly

Ray's Rockhouse, that's my joint
House of soul, git my point
We don't care what's your blues
Come in here, lose yo' blues
When trouble comes a-knockin'
Everything looks better while y'rockin'
You don't notice trouble while y'rockin'
Rock! (Repeat for 12 bars)

(Chorus)
Let's rock! That's what we're offerin' you
Let's rock! That's what we wantcha' t'do
Let's rock! Rock all y' troubles away
Let's rock! Rock till the dawnin' o'day
Let's rock! Rockhouse is ready t'roll
Let's rock! Rockhouse is good f'th'soul

Ev'ry Saturday night there's a scene
That's a part o'the fun
Mrs. Tucker will enter the joint
In a search for her son
Every Saturday night he sneaks out
Leavin' her in the lurch
But she's lookin' t'bring him on home
'Cause tomorrow is church
She really hates the rockhouse
She's sure the devil is in control here
Nothin' but rock'n'roll here

Yodle-dole-dole (Echo) Lady who
gotr a lotta rockin' to do
Swing - whatta y'waitin' for
We got plenty o'soul for you

Everybody gotta loosen your hip
Do a few rolls wait'll y'feel
Y'back'll slip then y'rockin'
Rock!

(Repeat Chorus)

Sisters of the flockhouse
Ain't got no business comin' to th'rockhouse
All the people in here
Are all in t'sin in here
Of this there's no doubt
That's why Miz' Tucker is pullin' Sam out
Rock!

(Repeat Chorus)

All the night it's bli-bli-bli
'N blop-blop-blop 'n drip, drip, drip
I'm turnin' the faucet off

Pretty uptight from bli-bli-bli
'N blop-blop-blop, I hate this trip
I'm turnin' the faucet off

That faucet's drippin'

Turnin' the faucet off

Tryin' t'sleep, I need my rest
But there's no rest f'me, I guess
I'm turnin' the faucet off

(Repeat Top)

My mind is flippin'

Turnin' the faucet off

I'm tryin' my best to sleep
I'm tryin' without success
I tell y' it just ain't fair a faucet
Measures in this mess
That's it, I guess!

Every night I gotta git up in the middle of the gol'durn night
An' it's colder'n a Swedish well-digger's behin'
But I gotta do it
Otherwise I'm outta' m'min. stone crazy

Stop the faucet from drippin'
'N drivin y'nuts - stone nuts
It's drivin' you crazy
One more drip an' you'll scream

No stuff, you can look him
An' tell he has enough
Whoa-oh, lemme tell y'really
It's rough

Talkin' 'bout them blee blop blues

I'm hip to that drip goofin' my sleep
I'm so tired o'gittin' up in the night
What a catastratrose
Pride's got me feelin' I'm boun't'
Behave like an oaf
I'll git me a hammer - Bam!
Quite the difference in the way
The faucet soun's now
I'm gonna go bam-bam-bam-bam
Bam-bam-bam on that faucet
Damn that faucet for the stupid ol'
Drip that it is I tell y'
I really am sick o'that drip
Maybe the plumber man's
Got him a better, prettier tip
About stoppin' that drip
But as f'now

Background:
When you be deep within y'nightly nap
An' nothin worser than a drippin' tap
You try t'lay there an' preten' you deaf
But soon y' fin'ly know there ain' nothin' left
That you jus' cannot stand it anymore
You're hip
Drip drip drip drip
An' so y'git up an' you're half asleep
You're so disgusted that'cha wanna weep
You bump your knee while tryin' t'find the lamp
Your throat is dried up and y'feelin' a cramp
You can't feel dum'r an' you'd like t'kill the plum'er
You envy children in summer camp

But as for now
But as for now
The drippin' soun'
The drippin' soun'
Has got me so I'm 'bout t'tear the plumin' down
I'm 'bout t'tear the plumin' down I'm talkin' down
Y'gotta stop
Y'gotta stop
The constant seep
The constant seep
Because it makes it real impossible t'sleep
Real impossible t'sleep, I'm talkin' sleep
Your plum'er goofed
So face the fact
Y' gotta use
A lot o'tact

Your plumber really gotta' straighten
Up his act
Next time you're li'ble to crack

Folks with leaky faucets
Think o'wakin' up millions o'times
T'stop the faucet drippin'
Part o'the trouble o'livin' with plumbin'
Is the dues a fella always pays
Adoptin' fancy citified ways
That's what'cha git f'livin in the city
Whenever a nature lover hears your tale
You ain' gonna git lots o'pity

Dig - when y'r bothered by the blee bop blues
Dig this - turn the faucet off'n you'll stop blues
Then dig this - you won't have t'sing th'
Blee bop blues

When pipes're drippin' nerves're strainin'
People jus' can't help complainin'
Everybody really c'n dig that

Stuff that pipe

End this endless incredible gripe
End this endless gripe

That's them dues' - Blee blop blues
Yeah - - - - - - -

Clif---------------------------------------ford
I know he'll never be forgotten
Long as there's still sound
He was a king uncrowned
Not all kings are given crowns
I know I'll always remember

Always
The warmth
All his warmth
Of his sound
Was in his sound
Lingers so long I'm sure he's still around
Still around -------------Those who've heard
For all those who've heard

Truly, they repeat him yet
Even yet

So those who hear won't forget
And the ever-present sound
That abounds in his praise
Echos throughout the universe
For endless spans of time uncountable
By days
The pretty little piquant passages
Clifford played
They are with us now
And I'm positive that they will endure
Should time and sacred circumstance allow
Yes, they'll live forever

Oh, yes, I remember Clifford now
Seems I always feel that Clifford's spirit's
Hangin' roun' me somehow
We remember

Each and every single day
I hear his lovely trumpet tone

Such exquisite singing

In every horn that seems to have a sound
That's all its own
So somebody tell me how
How can we ever day for certain
Someone that played
Like Clifford Brown could play
Could really be said to have gone away

I only know that I hear him now
And I believe that I always will
You've got to believe
I remember Clifford still, yes I hear him still

I know he'll never be forgotten
He was a king uncrowned

I know I'll always remember
'Member Clifford Brown
I'll always remember Clifford Brown

We sing a spring
(Sing joy spring)
A rare and most mysterious spring
(This most occult thing)
Is buried deep in the soul
(It's story never has been told)

The joy spring, the fountain of pleasure
Is deep inside you whether you're diggin' it or not
Once you're aware of this spring
You'll know that it's the greatest
Treasure you've got
And furthermore
The joy spring, the bounteous treasure
Cannot be bartered away and never
Can be sold
Nothing can take it from you
It's yours and yours alone to have
And to hold
And something more:
It never is lost to fire or theft
It's always around
When trouble is gone the pleasure
Is left I've always found
It's burglar-proof same as the treasure
Man lays up in heaven worth a
Price no one can measure
that says a lot
So joy spring this fountain of pleasure
That's deep inside you let me inform
You in all truth *(to Coda second time)
Ponce de Leon sought this
When he was searchin' for the fountain of youth

Ol' Ponce de Leon laughed so much he
Never did find the magic fountain
But many people with a well-adjusted
Spirit they could hear it when y'told
'em it was there tellin' them was
Like tellin' it on the mountain

It's quite a lift havin' the gift of
laughter I'm a man who knows in a
minute I can tell y'just exactly how the story goes
It involves a firm conviction in another
previous life givin' your mind a chance to fly
Fly aroun' the universe investigatin' other
galaxies n' certain other subtle
types o'life tryin' t'dig it gettin'
pretty well-acquainted with a lot of
other strife an' pretty much acquirin'
yourself plenty of education
pretty soon here comes earth birth
'n then y'ready t'put it all t'work
but soon as you're finished bein' born
you start forgettin' what you knew
'Cause you're another kinda you - a
reincarnation manifestation
of spirit in sensation

Y'really got that right
The average person isn't bright
not so bright that they recall the fatal fall
down here t' this earth
their minds disguise their death to spirit
life and call it birth
that's their reason for forgetting and they
find it very upsetting when reminded
tell 'em they've lived before
They'll show y' the nearest open door
Gotta have feelin' while dealin' with
walkers in their sleep
they can't imagine somethin' as deep

Here they come - here they come - there they are
Unimaginative and ignorant of falling from a star
Here they come - there they are - there they go
Life is over in a minute an' they never dug
it in it or enjoy a minute of it
'cause they put too much above it
that was gross
somethin' that was worth a couple bucks
at mos'

So there is the reason that the maker of man
included there in his plan
A certain fountain deep within'
where there was laughter, youth 'n gold
for human beings t'have 'n hold
'n share the memory of where we've all been

Brothers called Grimm knew chances were slim'
Anybody would dig that the human soul
was Snow White
and the Seven Dwarfs were seven tempers
in man
whose digging out the gold completes
the plan
An Bacon was hip that Shakespeare
couldn't read
and so he gave him all the rhymes
that have lasted through the years
and kept eternal truths alive through
several centuries
That's how we know them now
they lasted 'cause they're true

What was it from "MacBeth?"
"Life's but a walking shadow
a player poor
that struts and frets upon the stage
and's seen no more
A tale that truly has an idiotic ring
That's full of lotsa sound and fury
signifying nothing..."

That's right signifying nothing
I'll repeat it! Nothing
Don't forget it - Nothing
And that's the reason for that spring
of joy
That the Father put inside of every
single girl and boy

Show time! Everyone's on
let's hit the stage
It's show time everyone an' proceed
to act your age

Whatever you're frownin' at is funny
enough f'laughin'
so you're wastin' all your humor on a frown
While you're bringin' your spirit down

You gotta book yourself a comic in your act
without some laughter life's a maudlin
farce 'n that's a fact

Once you know about the spring you always can smile
It becomes your one expression
and you're always wearin' it like the
Buddhas do

(Repeat Intro to *)
(Coda)
Ponce de Leon sought this
When he was searchin'
for the fountain of youth
I say in truth he
sought a magical thing
For he was searchin'
for the joy spring

Move, c'mon -- move

Nothing's lacking motion
Not the heavens or the ocean
Or the planets or the weather
All are moving all together
On the move

Let's go - let's go
Let's get t'movin' it
Let's go - Let's get t'groovin' it
Why're y'hesitating
Can't you feel the rhythm waitin'
Strike a groove, let's move
Git it on!

That's right! That's right!
Don't ever have t'fight
That's right
Don't hold y'self so tight
Give it a solid minute
And you'll find you've fallen in it
What's to prove?

Just move - git it on

Move it any way you want to move
As long as you can fin' a groove
that's cool, that'll do

Move fast or move it slow
Same any way you go
(Repeat Chorus)
Background

Make a motion - move!
Strike a groove
make an effort - swing!
Shake that thing
Make a motion
Move-groove

I'm movin' I'm movin'
I'm taking it on out
Gotta bottle up 'n git it
Listen to me - dig
Time never hesitates,
It's always just a little bossy

Everybody knows a rolling stone
Is never really very mossy
Y' never wanna hesitate
Y' feet'll take y'with 'em
'Cause when y'moving
You ain't got the time
F'nothing else
But paying strict attention
To the music and the fascinatin' rhythm
So I'm tellin' y'man
To move it right along

'N hurry up and sing your little song
'N while you're moving madly
You can sing yourself a happy
Little ditty while you groove
And then you never have to worry
'Bout striking a good groove

I was diggin' whatcha talkin' 'bout
And listenin' to the groovy way
You spit it out
And baby that was really somethin' to hear
Funny, when you're movin' and you're groovin'
How you haven't got a second
F' a little light revivin'
'Cause you go too fast
Time passes, this groove's too good to last
When you're talking fas' y'lyin'
'N there ain't nobody buyin'
That's the sayin'
Everybody's layin' down
But you got a way
Playing what you play
Saying what you say
Turnin' everything 'round
Everybody's gotta dig it
If they don't they're deaf

I can testify that you were really gittin' in it
Much as any person ever could
'N y'really did it good

Come and face the facts
Come show the people how you move it on the sax
Rich, you move in style!
Make all the moves, find all the strangest grooves
Man , what a tone!
Come play the saxophone
Come show the people how you move it on the horn

Let's git movin' it
Git to groovin' it
Better get to movin' while the gittin' is good
Let's go - let's go
Let's move git it on

That's right - that's right
Never have t'fight
How you gonna move it

Let's go - let's go
Why are you hesitatin'?
Can't y'feel the rhythm waitin'?
Strike a groove
Let's move git it on

When y'hold yourself tight?
Let's go - let's go
Let's move git it on

Move it any way you wanna move
As long as you can strike a groove
That's cool that'll do
Move fast or move it slow
Same any way you go
Let's git movin' it
Get t'groovin' it
Better git movin' while the gittin' is good

Let's go - let's go
Give it a solid minute
And you'll find you've fallen in it
What's to prove?
Just move git it on

Strike that groove
'N move
'N don't be hesitatin'
One lil' bit
Got t'hip y' that's it
So now will y'move?

Background:
Let's go - let's go
Why are you hesitatin'?
Can't y'feel the rhythm waitin'?
Strike a groove
Let's move git it on

Gotta move - gotta move