Saturday, December 11, 2021

Television

Not long ago, we listened as five young British rockers, collectively known as "Japan", demolished Barbra Streisand's "Don't Rain On My Parade".

Here they are again, with an original composition this time. And it's the most amazing song they ever wrote, in my cold opinion. This is from their excellent first album, "Adolescent Sex" (1978):



Apologize again
Time after time after time
The conversation drifts
In no general direction
And your oral love
Is keeping me from bed
And it's talk and it's talk
And it's all you ever said
You know it's all you want
All you want

You don't fool me
You don't fool me
No surprises
No surprises
Love in the hallway
Sex on the carpet
Antagonism rising
You know you try to categorise me
'Cause it's all you ever wanted
Just it's all you want
All you want

But you're changing my love
'Cause all you want is television

No heart is infected
No damage is done
No cavity open
No body no fun
They throw shit in your face
And you smile
They throw shit in your face
And you still come up smiling
You've got nothing to believe in
The diverse, the young and the breathin'
But it's all you want
All you want, all you want, all you want
They said it's all you want
All you want
(Television)

You've got blasphemy with a smile
Insomnia sleeps with you nights
You've got commercial sex appeal
In sterile black and white
You got glorious colourless motion
From reel to reel you run
Nocturnal television
Internal sanctum
But it's all you want
It's all you want

But you're changing my love
'Cause all you want is television

(Television)
All night and day
It's all you ever wanted
You got glorious colourless motion
From reel to reel you run
Nocturnal television
Nocturnal television
It's on all night and day
All night and day
All night and day
Your fucking television
It's all you ever wanted