Search results for 'contraptions'

Put Away Forbidden Playthings [Live]

Elvis Costello

My Flame Burns Blue [LP]

2006

Put away forbidden playthings
Amusements and distractions
And dismantle the contraption and carry it away

In time as beauty dissolves into glamor
It slips from your heart and falls under the hammer
Put away forbidden playthings

Put away forbidden playthings
And never return to pluck out that jewel
Or find the thrill that lingers still
While suffering the dream of disobeying

Put away forbidden playthings
Put away forbidden playthings
Put away forbidden playthings

Suffer, suffer, suffer, suffer, suffer
Suffer for world
Na your fault be that
Me I say: na your fault be that

I want you all to please take your minds
Out of this musical contraption
And put your minds into any goddamn church
Any goddamn mosque
Any goddamn Celestical
Including Seraphoom and Cheruboom

Now, we are all there now
Our minds are in those places
Here we go

Amen!

Dandelion

Boards of Canada

Geogaddi [3-LP]

2002

When lava pours out near the sea surface
Tremendous volcanic explosions sometimes occur
In time, sub-marine seamounts
Or islands, are formed
When lava flows underwater it behaves differently
A new contraption to capture a dandelion in one piece has been put together by the crew
The preparation for a dive is always a tense time
When lava pours out near the sea surface
Tremendous volcanic explosions sometimes occur

Well back in 1876 an ol' boy named Bell
Invented a contraption that we know so well
By the 1950's they were in everybody's home
There's a crazy little thing they call the telephone
Now there's one on every corner, in the back of every bar
You can get one in your briefcase, on a plane or in your car

So tell me why, haven't I, heard from you
Tell me why, haven't I heard from you
I said now darlin', honey, what is your excuse
Why haven't I heard from you

There's no problem gettin' to me
Baby you can dial direct
I got call forwarding, call waiting
You can even call collect

When the service man he told me that my phone was workin' fine
And I've come to the conclusion the trouble isn't with my line
I'm sure the operator will be glad to put you through
So dial zero for assistance if this all confuses you

So tell me why, haven't I, heard from you
Tell me why, haven't I heard from you
I said now darlin', honey, what is your excuse
Why haven't I heard from you

There better been a flood, a landslide of mud
A fire that burns up the wires
And thunder so loud with a black funnel cloud
A natural disaster I know nothin' about

Tell me why, haven't I, heard from you
Tell me why, haven't I heard from you
I said now darlin', honey, what is your excuse
Why haven't I heard from you

Tell me why, haven't I, heard from you
Tell me why, haven't I heard from you
I said now darlin', honey, what is your excuse
Why haven't I heard from you

Effect And Cause

The White Stripes

Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016

2016

I guess you have to have a problem if you want to invent a contraption
First, you cause a train wreck then they put me in traction
Well, first came an action and then a reaction
But you can't switch around for your own satisfaction
Well, you burnt my house down and got mad at my reaction

Well, in every complicated situation of a human relation
Makin' sense of it all takes a whole lot of concentration
Well, you can blame a baby for her pregnant ma
And if there's one of these unavoidable laws
It's that you just can't take the effect and make it the cause

No

Well, you can't take the effect and make it the cause
I didn't rob a bank because you made up the law
Blame me for robbing Peter, don't you blame Paul
Can't take the effect and make it the cause

I ain't the reason that you gave me no reason to return your call
You built a house of cards and got shocked when you saw them fall
Yeah, well, I ain't saying I'm innocent, in fact, the reverse
But if you're headed to the grave, you don't blame the hearse
You're like a little girl yelling at her brother 'cause you lost his ball

yeah

Well, you keep blaming me for what you did, but that ain't all
The way you clean up the wreck is enough to give one pause, yes
Well, you seem to forget just how this all started
I'm reacting to you because you left me broken-hearted
See, you just can't take the effect and make it the cause

Well you can't take the effect and make it the cause
I didn't rob a bank because you made up the law
Blame me for robbing Peter, but don't you blame Paul
Can't take the effect and make it the cause

Halo Payload
The hubcap of this life
Is in that contraption on the corner
We're loading lots of useless things
Into that contraption on the corner
And everything depends upon how far away I get
Yes everything depends upon how far away I get
Halo Payload
Big spirit come to save me
When the cargo hits the ground
Oh weak spirit come to save me
When the cargo hits the ground
Halo Payload

Walking Down Death Row

Pete Seeger

Song and a Stone

2014

Walking down death row,
I tried once more to sing of hopes that used to be.
But the thought of that contraption, down the hall,
Waiting for whole families, one dozen, two or three,
"If you'd only stuck together, you'd not be here!

Land of Promise

Dennis Brown

Distant Relatives

2010

The Promise Land
Going to The Promise Land
Yes the Promise Land, oh gosh now
To the Promise Land
Ye

Imagine Ghana like California with Sunset Boulevard
Johannesburg would be Miami
Somalia like New York
With the most pretty light
The nuffest pretty car
Ever New Year the African Times Square lock-off
Imagine Lagos like Las Vegas
The ballers dem a ball
Angola like Atlanta
A pure plane take off
Bush Gardens inna Mali
Chicago inna Chad
Magic Kingdom inna Egypt
Philadelphia like Sudan
The Congo like Colorado
Fort Knox inna Gabon
People living in Morocco like the state of Oregon
Algeria warmer than Arizona bring your sun lotion
Early morning class of yoga on the beach in Senegal
Ethiopia the capitol of fi di Congression
A deh so I belong
A deh di The King come from
I can see us all in limos
Jaguars and Beamers

Riding on the King's Highway
To the Promise Land
Going to the Promise Land
Oh gosh
Ye the Promise Land
Yeaha the Promise Land
Oooh

Promised Land I picture Porsches
Basquiat portraits
Pinky rings realistic princesses
Heiresses bunch a kings and queens
Plus I picture fortunes for kids out in Port-Au-Prince
Powerless they not allowed to fit
But not about to slip
Vision Promised Land with fashion like
Madison Ave Manhattan
Saks 5th Ave and
Rodeo
Relaxing popping labels
Promise Land no fables
This where the truth's told
Use them two holes
Above your nose
To see the proof yo!
Imagine a contraption that could take us back when
The world was run by black men
Back to the future
Anything can happen
If these are the last days
And 100-foot waves come crashing down
I get some hash and pounds
Pass around some bud then watch the flood
Can't stop apocalypse
My synopsis is catastrophic
If satellites is causing earthquakes
Will we survive it
Honestly man it's the sign of the times
And the times at hand

There's a lot of work to be done, oh gosh
In the Promised Land
Talking 'bout the Promised Land, oh gosh
Take me to The Promise Land
The Promise Land
The Promise Land
The Promise Land

There's plenty of land for you and I
Buy and buy
Lots of food to share for everyone
No time for segregation

In the Promised Land
Yes a to The Promised Land
The Promised Land
Going to The Promise Land, ohh
There's a lot of work to be done, oh gosh
In the Promise Land

When my time comes, I'm on my way to heaven, so I won't
be puttin one of those demon contraptions on my head!

Okay, Pibb... Just remember that the half pipe ain't the easiest
thing to do...

When I lost my faith in people
I put my trust in things
To avoid the disappointment
Trusting people brings

What trust in people brings
What I've brought myself
What I've brought to others
When they hoped for someone else

I tried to do it all myself then
Surrounded by my stuff
All I found were limitations
I could not rise above

There are gadgets and contraptions
Immaculate machines
There's a program you can download now
That will even dream your dreams

It'll even dream your dreams
For a monthly fee
Clear up your complexion
You get a hundred hours free

Possessions cannot save you
The way somebody can
When I learned to care for others
Then the boy became a man

When I lost my faith in people
I lost everything
Though I lose my independence
I am a freer man

Suffer, suffer, suffer, suffer, suffer
Suffer for world
Na your fault be that
Me I say: na your fault be that

I want you all to please take your minds
Out of this musical contraption
And put your minds into any goddamn church
Any goddamn mosque
Any goddamn Celestical
Including Seraphoom and Cheruboom

Now, we are all there now
Our minds are in those places
Here we go

Amen!

My dart skipped with Carrari in the back
Come to party
Mega mega, mega mega
Mega mega, mega mega

If you're not in the Bat Cave
It's a fatal attraction
To some fatal contraption

Mega mega, mega mega
Mega mega, mega mega

Don't panic, I'm megamanic
Mega mega, mega mega
Mega mega, mega mega
Mega mega, mega mega
Mega mega, mega mega

Give you a buck fifty
No more, no less
It's a vanilla mess

I never panic, I'm megamanic
Mega mega, mega mega
Mega mega, mega mega

Who's the new chief
Fun Quai?

Suffer, suffer, suffer, suffer, suffer
Suffer for world
Na your fault be that
Me I say: na your fault be that

I want you all to please take your minds
Out of this musical contraption
And put your minds into any goddamn church
Any goddamn mosque
Any goddamn Celestical
Including Seraphoom and Cheruboom

Now, we are all there now
Our minds are in those places
Here we go

Amen!

Suffer, suffer, suffer, suffer, suffer
Suffer for world
Na your fault be that
Me I say: na your fault be that

I want you all to please take your minds
Out of this musical contraption
And put your minds into any goddamn church
Any goddamn mosque
Any goddamn Celestical
Including Seraphoom and Cheruboom

Now, we are all there now
Our minds are in those places
Here we go

Amen!

Suffer, suffer, suffer, suffer, suffer
Suffer for world
Na your fault be that
Me I say: na your fault be that

I want you all to please take your minds
Out of this musical contraption
And put your minds into any goddamn church
Any goddamn mosque
Any goddamn Celestical
Including Seraphoom and Cheruboom

Now, we are all there now
Our minds are in those places
Here we go

Amen!

Suffer, suffer, suffer, suffer, suffer
Suffer for world
Na your fault be that
Me I say: na your fault be that

I want you all to please take your minds
Out of this musical contraption
And put your minds into any goddamn church
Any goddamn mosque
Any goddamn Celestical
Including Seraphoom and Cheruboom

Now, we are all there now
Our minds are in those places
Here we go

Amen!

Suffer, suffer, suffer, suffer, suffer
Suffer for world
Na your fault be that
Me I say: na your fault be that

I want you all to please take your minds
Out of this musical contraption
And put your minds into any goddamn church
Any goddamn mosque
Any goddamn Celestical
Including Seraphoom and Cheruboom

Now, we are all there now
Our minds are in those places
Here we go

Amen!

(Humans used to, humans used to)
(Humans used to, humans used to)

Then one fateful day those batteries died
At the same moment that, that big doll sprung a leak
Johnny looked at Janie looked at Johnny looked at Janie
Oh, they both found it difficult to speak

I wish I could say they threw those contraptions away
And fell in love all over again
But Johnny taped up that hissing woman
When Janie stole the batteries from his Sony Walkman

Because their love is bein kept alive by artificial means
They've grown emotionally attached to those modern sex machines
Their relationship is not as healthy as it seems
'Cause their love is being kept alive, love is being kept alive
Love is being kept alive by artificial means

Keep my lawyers on retainer like an overbite
When you the stoner type
A lot of weed be overhyped
Half a pound of more, a quarter won't suffice
You see what my composures like
Been on the road for forty nights
Never make a ho your wife
But these days heaux is life
Always got something in the air like Poltergeist
There's your want
An activity, paranormal
I feel it in every corner, aroma of marijuana
By now this shit should be legal on every corner
That'll happen once they get profits off every grower
Madness, I see Babylon and it's crashing
I'm asking, why this was crafted, who is the admin?
The masses, feel like we're captive in this contraption
I'm spazzin
I'm Captain Stabbin
Salute the savage
Bandz

You and me brother, in his hands
He's got the whole world in his hands

(Aww aw)

This world is not what you think it is
This world is not what you think it is
This world is not what you think it is
Am I the hand that moves or the fingerprint?

Darlin', darlin', darlin'

Well back in 1876 an ol' boy named Bell
Invented a contraption that we know so well
By the 1950's they were in everybody's home
There's a crazy little thing they call the telephone
Now there's one on every corner, in the back of every bar
You can get one in your briefcase, on a plane or in your car

So tell me why (why), haven't I (haven't I), heard from you?

Yeah-yeah, oooh

Well, back in 1876 an old boy named Bell
Invented a contraption that we know so well
By the 1950's, they're in everybody's home
It's a crazy little thing they call the telephone

Now there's one on every corner
In the back of every bar
You can get one in your briefcase
On a plane, or in your car

So tell me why (why)
Haven't I (haven't I)
Heard from you (why haven't I heard from you?)

How to Be Dumb

Elvis Costello

Original Album Series

2012

Like a building thrown up overnight in one of those reverse earthquakes

They emptied out all the asylums, they emptied out all the jails
The "new bruise" was the name of a dance craze
By "Jesus cross and the cruel nails"
Followed up by "torturing little beaver"
With their contraption of barbed wire
Between the fear and the fever lies all the rejection they require
They'll be howling by midnight, they'll be drooling by dawn
Skulls shrunk down to the size of their brains
Heads shaven and shorn

[Chorus]

Trapped in the house of the perpetual sucker
Where bitterness always ends so pitifully
You always had to dress up your envy in some half-remembered
Philosophy

Now you're masquerading as pale powdered genius
Whose ever bad intention has been purged
You could've walked out any time you wanted but face it you
Didn't have the courage
I guess that makes you a full time hypocrite or some kind of
Twisted dilettante
Funny though people don't usually get so ugly 'til they think
They know what they want
Scratch your own head stupid
Count up to three
Roll over on your back
Repeat after me

Don't you know how to be dumb?

Tuesday my heart is brimming
I'm a child in the wild wind
Dead leaves and daylight dimming
No beginning and no end
Inside a candle of defiance
moonlight
A river of pearls

'Cause we're going to need more 
than money and science
To see us through this world

You say it can't be done
You'd rather die of fun
Get out of the way
For me for you for everyone 
Forever is tomorrow is today

Shut all the windows
Shut all the doors
We're keeping it all out of sight
We're keeping it all
It's tearing us apart
You don't know your good
From your bad from your black
From your blood from your wrong 
From your right
So you camouflage your heart

I don't want no other distractions
There's too much here to see
Faint hearts or jaded reactions
Contraptions of history

You say it can't be done
You'd rather die of fun
Get out of the way
For me for you for everyone 
Forever is tomorrow is today

Shut all the windows
Shut all the doors
I'm keeping it all out of sight
I'm keeping it all
It's mine and mine alone
Corrosion Collision
I need a vision
To tear off the cloak of the night
And shatter eyes of stone

You say it can't be done
You'd rather die of fun
Get out of the way
For me for you for everyone 
Forever is tomorrow is today
Forever is tomorrow is today
Forever is tomorrow is today

Oh, it will make your bed and tuck you in
And play the "Theme from 'Shaft'" on violin
Then it will clean your sheets and fluff your pillows
And keep your attic free of armadillos

It's a most fascinating contraption
It can't say no
It's a most fascinating contraption
Just wind it up, sit back, and let it go

And it will take you to forbidden zones
Then it will click its heels and send you home
Oh, it has countless charms and endless uses
It will call up your mom to make excuses

It's a most fascinating contraption
It can't say no
It's a most fascinating contraption
Just say the word and it shall make it so

Invented by a doctor named Moreau
It's cooler than a naked Eskimo
Like something out of Edgar Allan Poe 

It will fix anything that you want mended
Elongate anything you want extended
It knows a million different ways to make you laugh
Then it will go to church and pray on your behalf

It's a most fascinating contraption
It stands alone
It's a most fascinating contraption
A house without one isn't quite a home
It's a most fascinating contraption
It's my only friend
It's a most fascinating contraption
The only one on whom I can depend