Well it's there at the doorway and out in the street
Drives down the highway and aims at their feet
It sneaks in the bathroom and plays in the bed
Sits down to breakfast and shouts out instead
Upsets the rhythm of buttering bread
And it's fun for the head
Do it, do it, do it, do it
Doing the African shuffle
Do it, do it, do it, do it
Doing the African shuffle
In the evenings it hangs out in dance halls and bars
Leaps out of windows and sails by in cars
It's there in the alcove with whiskey and coke
Friend of the able and everyday folk
Blasting a path through the cigarette smoke
And talking's a joke
Do it, do it, do it, do it
Doing the African shuffle
Do it, do it, do it, do it
Doing the African shuffle
(instrumental break)
Doing the African shuffle
(African shuffle)
Doing the African shuffle
(African shuffle)
Doing the African shuffle
(African shuffle)
Doing the African
Do it, do it, do it, do it
Doing the African shuffle
Do it, do it, do it, do it
Doing the African shuffle
Do it, do it, do it, do it
Doing the African shuffle
Do it, do it, do it, do it
Doing the African shuffle
CALIFORNIA
Up above the sunny skies in south California
There's a wounded rocket flying high, heading homeward
It came from a hollow, under a hill
And soon there'll be nobody left to kill
In California
Last night captain Black went dancing at the Whiskey A-Go-Go
When a well-known groupie knocked him back, busted his ego
Stoned out of his head, he crawled off to bed
The following morning he went to the pad
The missile was standing pointing to the skies of California
California
The red balloon was flying high, watching the weather
Captain Black was trying hard to get it together
Immediate names came into his brain
A rocket from China, a Russian plane
He pushed the wrong button and soon there'll be no place called California
California
California
California
California
California
MAN IN THE MIDDLE
See the office, see the phone
Call the number, no one home
Take a powder, have to think
Now the question, where to drink
He's a number nine man with a price on his head
A smile on his mirror and a sag in his bed
Man in the middle - left right
Man in the middle - that's right
Man in the middle - (ah!)
Take an evening, that's his style
Likes to boogie, style a while
Make it easy, piece of meat
Now the question, got no feet
He's a silicone man with a lump on his face
A stain on his shirt and a rat in the race
Man in the middle - left right
Man in the middle - that's right
Man in the middle - (ah!)
He never thought that he'd be number nine
But now he's in it, he's doing fine
Where he's going he doesn't know
But where it's showing he's never slow
Man in the middle - left right
Man in the middle - that's right
Man in the middle - (ah!)
See the jacket, up for sale
Takes the ante, save the whale
There's a call out, sprung again
Now the question, he don't know who to blame
Man in the middle - left right
Man in the middle - that's right
Man in the middle - (ah!)
Man in the middle - left right
Man in the middle - that's right
Man in the middle - all night
Man in the middle - all (way?)
Man in the middle - left right
Man in the middle - that's right
Man in the middle - all night
Man in the middle - (left right)
WALKING IN THE RAIN
Walking down the street
Kicking cans
Looking at the billboard
All so ran
Summing up the people
Checking out the race
Doing what I'm doing
Feeling out of place
Walking, walking in the rain
Feeling like a woman
Looking like a man
Sounding like a no-no
Make it when I can
Whistling in the darkness
Shining in the light
Coming the conclusion
Right is might is tight
Walking, walking in the rain
Come in all you jesters
Enter all you fools
Sit down no-no
Ogre, ghouls
Trip the light fantastic
Dance the swivel hips
Coming the conclusion
Button up your lips
Walking, walking in the rain
Walking, walking in the rain
HEY, ST. PETER
The morning was cold and lonely
City lights old and grey
The sun arose trying to smile
Gave it all away
The honky-tonk called a stranger
The stranger couldn't pay the bill
Made a stand, raised his hand
Sang a song, no time to kill
I said, Hey, hey, hey, St. Peter
I've got a tale to tell
I've just been down in New York town
It really feels like hell
It really feels like hell
Billy was out of fashion
Manhattan was years ago
Yesterday he wasted time
Money was kind of slow
Billy had friends of glory
Billy was a friend of fame
Took a chance, raised his hand
Sang a song, now he's back in the game
I said, Hey, hey, hey, St. Peter
I've got a tale to tell
I've just been down in New York town
It really feels like hell
It really feels like hell
I said, Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, St. Peter
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, St. Peter
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, St. Peter
It really feels like hell
It really feels like hell
(instrumental break)
Hey, St. Peter
Before you ring your bell
Just been down in New York town
Done my time in hell
Done my time in hell
I said, Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, St. Peter
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, St. Peter
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, St. Peter
It really feels like hell
It really feels like hell
It really feels like hell
LADY KILLER
There's a Jaguar in the driveway
A great big swimming pool
A big round bed and a five foot two
To keep him cool
And there's a hot rod on the table
A suitcase full of cash
A big fat smile when he's facing the sun
The man got class
He's the law
Gets the draw
Broke a jaw
Won the war
And he knows the score
Lady-killer
Watch it, watch it
Lady-killer
There's a mad dog down in Sheba
A growl in northern Spain
And there's a plan to take him out
He wins again
And he's knight in PR. armour
Always gets the girl
A big fat smile when he's facing the sun
And saves the world
He's the law
Gets the draw
Broke a jaw
Won the war
And he knows the score
Lady-killer
Watch it, watch it
Lady-killer
Awake
A dream
A room
A scheme
The real thing
"Walter Mitty come home"
Get it
Get it
You got it
Lady-killer
Watch it, watch it
Lady-killer
Lady killer
That's a fact, man in black, wears a stack
Lady killer
Oh look out
Lady killer
Keeps it cool, goes to school, knows the rule, plays the fool
Lady killer
Knows that I'll make a call, very tall, on the ball
Lady killer
Lays it down all around, knows the sound, plays the clown
Lady killer
Man in heat, got a beat, keep the street nice and neat
He's a lady killer
Lady killer
THE MAN WHO KNEW THE ANSWER
There's a sign down back of main street
Says: Dreams are not for sale
Took a life to find that out
Lost behind a veil
Born in line of duty
Awakened with a frown
Found it hard to readjust
Closed the old church down
Read a book of fables, of wizards and of gnomes
Reaped the autumn harvest, the seeds already sown
Didn't have a number, didn't have a name
The man that knew the answer, he couldn't play the game
Well he drank the cool clear water
And he breathed the old sunrise
Laughed away the mornings
Didn't hear the sighs
Joined the Manhattan party
Found himself at home
Climbed upon the ladder
Left for lands unknown
Then one autumn evening, as the day was on its last
Came out of the sunset, the legend from the past
Their heads were turned in wonder, in anger and in shame
From the man that knew the answer, that couldn't play the game
HOLE IN THE MIDDLE
Summer city, morning sun
Early ending, just begun
Making daisies, laying round
Nothing doing, nothing found
Saw the fat man, saw the smoke
Cried a little, cracked a joke
What's the difference, just for fun
Look out mama, here I come
Hole in the middle, going down
Hole in the middle, way way down
Hole in the middle, slipping
Hard to figure, hard to take
Problem bigger, hard to fake
Ignore the answer, ignore the shame
Ignore the fat man, take the blame
What a shame
What a game
What's her name
Summer city, hazy day
Problem bigger, plain as day
Hole in the middle, going down
Hole in the middle, way way down
Hole in the middle, sliding
Hole in the middle, two you know
Hole in the middle, two to go
Hole in the middle, spinning
Going down
Hole in the middle
Hole in the middle
Spinning round
Hole in the middle
Hole in the middle
The whole thing
Hole in the middle
Hole in the middle
Hole in the middle
Hole in the middle
Hole in the middle
DOWN AMONG THE DEAD MEN
It was night
A starry moonless sight
Out in the mid Atlantic
There sailed a ship of light
She was big
This ship of luxury
Everything was peaceful
No safer place to be
And she sailed
Through the night
On her way
Down among the dead men
Down among the dead men
The band played
She sailed the virgin
She sailed the sea
Down among the dead men
Captain Smith
The master in command
A man with wealth of wisdom
A fine upstanding man
But the fog
He didn't hear the calls
The ice mountain was waiting
For fifteen hundred souls
And she sailed
Through the night
On her way
Down among the dead men
Down among the dead men
The band played
She sailed the virgin
She sailed the sea
Down among the dead men
Down among the dead men
And into history
FIRST AND LAST
In the wheel of turning circles
In an orbit of the moon
Through a maze of moving pathways
There floats a spinning spoon
In spite of its existence
A test for weary heads
A marker for the new man
The road ahead
Aye ya, ya ya ya ya
Aye ya, ya ya ya ya
Aye ya, ya ya ya ya
Aye ya, ya ya ya ya
In the middle of the star swarm
An overfill of life
There'll be a blinkered star child
Balanced on a knife
Lost to all the glory
Inward looking eyes
Extroverted hero
Losing paradise
In the wheel of turning circles
In an orbit of the moon
Through a maze of moving pathways
There floats a spinning spoon
In spite of its existence
A test for weary heads
A marker for the new man
The road ahead
In the middle of the star swarm
An overfill of life
There'll be a blinkered star child
Balanced on a knife
Lost to all the glory
Inward looking eyes
Extroverted hero
Losing paradise
First and last
First and last
First and last
First and last....
All songs copyright (c) 1978 J. Albert & Son Pty. Ltd.