I DON’T CARE 

Don’t have a job- I don’t need work 

You’re out of money- well I’ll just smirk 

If security is first in your mind 

then in no time I will leave you far behind 

Foreign affairs don’t get me down 

Racial strife?  Not in my town 

Seems I’ve heard about depression and pain 

Can’t disturb you when you’re already insane  

Show me something else 

Something bigger than what’s here on the shelf 

Suggest what you dare cause I just don’t care 

No Kandahar or that Bakhmut 

Hey I dig war I think its cute 

See the little boys dressed up like big men 

Bowl them over and watch them get set up once again 

No need to march- no cause for fear 

I still can’t see any nukes from here 

People worrying about the big one 

Flip them over and watch them sizzle ‘til they’re done 

Take me somewhere else 

The place I’m heading bores me more than myself 

I’ve changed my face, I’ve cut my hair 

Cause I just don’t care 

I just don’t carE

©1984 ARICO/BALLETTA MUSIC

 

Tony b- lead vocals and guitars

tony a- guitars and backing vocals

john- guitars and backing vocals

nick- bass guitar

bill- drums

 

                        LOST HIM TO BETTER 

She turns from the window -Tries to shut the nighttime out 

Needs her tears to soothe her -But she can only pout 

            Lost him to better 

            At least that’s what he said 

            Could be in how she thinks 

            Or how she acts in bed 

            Lost him to better 

            The fact is hard to face 

            There is no silver medal 

            There is no second place 

She crosses the bedroom -Her hand goes for the phone 

Crowded conversation -But she’s still all alone 

            Nothing comes of plans 

            Can’t tell where it lands 

            Don’t even know when it’s ready to fall 

            

Stirs to face the morning-Hopes the day can give her life 

Found no help in sleeping -In dreams she was his wife

 ©1984 ARICO/BALLETTA MUSIC

 

tony b- lead vocals and lead guitars

tony a- guitars and backing vocals

john- guitars and backing vocals

nick- bass guitar

bill- drums

 

                        ODE TO A FAT MAN 

You think that you’ve deceived me 

I’ll play the possum’s role 

And while your cards were showing 

My ace was in his hole 

Its gonna be quite shocking 

When hunter turns around 

To find that he’s the hunted 

To face the hungry hound 

            Your time is gonna come, will you be sorry 

            Your time is gonna come, as sure as the nighttime falls 

            It’s gonna come, could be tomorrow 

            Your time is gonna come real soon 

I’ll let you win some battles -Some trivialities 

But when the smoke has finally cleared 

I’ll bring you to your knees 

To overrate your power 

is just a fault of pride 

To underrate your enemies 

its legal suicide         

                        

Some venture into jungle  Armed with 3-piece suit 

But what is learned upon the street 

There is no substitute 

Snake awaits its victim Then suddenly he’s bit 

But in the end I’ll thank you 

You’ve inspired a hit

 ©1984 ARICO/BALLETTA MUSIC

 

tony a- lead vocals and guitars

tony b- backing vocals and lead guitar

john- backing vocals and guitars

nick- bass guitar

bill- drums

 

                                                            OK BY ME 

I’m walking on this cloudy day 

I see this lady, she said to me 

What you doing with your life? 

She turns and starts to walk away 

I turn around to her and I say 

would you like to be my wife 

  

then she looked up at me 

and a smile jumped at my camera lens 

and she say, ok by me, ok by me, ok by me 

I never thought I’d live to see a lady that would go so good with me 

just like Chinese goes with rice 

I knew the tide it had to turn, the sun arrived in time 

to burn away all that superficial ice                       

Feels so good to be beside you in my lonely bed 

and you come on like a tidal wave 

Merlin never dreamt of magic quite like this 

You’re the remedy I crave 

I doubted if it could be real, it seemed like much to good a deal 

for one who had lost at every game 

I sensed a change in chemistry, accelerated energy 

I wondered  if she had felt the same   

            

then she looked up at me 

and a smile jumped at my camera lens 

and she say, ok by me, ok by me, ok by me

©1984 ARICO/BALLETTA MUSIC

 

tony a- lead vocals, guitars , keyboards

tony b-guitars and backing vocals

john- guitars and backing vocals

nick- bass guitar

bill- drums

 

TO THE TRENCHES 

Who’s the one that told us war is over? 

Victory is ours- blow your cover. 

Well, it’s only a break in the action 

Only temporary satisfaction 

We’re victims of a thirst that nothing quenches 

It’s time again to take to the trenches. 

 

People everywhere looking for protection 

There’s no place they can escape detection 

In air and land and sea they’re open to invasion 

We know the answer but where is the equation?

 

It’s time again to go for your weapon 

Make it one you’ve come to depend on 

While we fumble to find safety catches 

They’re lowering doors on bomb bay hatches 

We grit teeth and raise our fist clenches 

And quickly make our way to the trenches

 

People everywhere looking for protection 

There’s no place they can escape detection 

In air and land and sea they’re open to invasion 

We know the answer but where is the equation?

words and music- tony b

 

tony a- lead vocals and guitars

tony b- backing vocals and lead guitar

john- backing vocals and guitars

nick- bass guitar

bill- drums

 

                                                Sunday Man 

I want to be your light -Don’t ever want to fight 

I want to do it right -And make it last all night 

You brighten up the sky 

And all the losers try 

To be your only guy 

You just say goodbye 

Chorus 

            I’ve been looking for a clue 

            I’m Goddamn lonely without you 

            Won’t you please come back to me 

            We could drift out on the sea 

            And I would be your Sunday man 

Life is just a fleeting glance -It’s just a 2 step dance 

A 30 second prance -You’ve got to take a chance 

And you can shine all day 

You can find a way  

Don’t even have to pray 

To make the devil pay

©1984 ARICO/BALLETTA MUSIC

 

JOHN- LEAD VOCALS, GUITARS

TONY A- GUITARS, BACKING VOCALS

TONY B- GUITARS, BACKING VOCALS

NICK- BASS GUITAR

BILL- DRUMS

 

                                    OVERFLOW 

Tempted seductively- torn by what used to be 

There was no one like you 

Nothing now I can do 

Touched by the memories- smiling through weakened knees 

Mouthing words that don’t mean 

Acting roles with no scene 

          I don’t want to be the one you know 

          I don’t want to be the one laid low 

          I don’t want to be your overflow now 

          

Fighting what’s always been- killing a silent dream 

One false move, one miscue 

Carried out but not through 

         I don’t want to be the one you know 

          I don’t want to be the one laid low 

          I don’t want to be your overflow now 

Lights out is far away- someone has got to pay 

For the changes in you 

For the debts overdue

©1984 ARICO/BALLETTA MUSIC

 

steve- lead vocals & bass guitar

tony a- guitar & backing vocals

tony b- lead guitar & backing vocals

mark- drums

 

                                     Too Tired to Go to War 

The worlds in distress while the parties go on 

Deciding which dress or reciting which psalm 

The radio’s talking of invading the shore 

I’m too tired to go to war 

The white house intruder is closing his eyes 

The stock market broker applauding his buys 

The combat swiftly approaches their shores 

            I’m too tired to go to war 

            Cant’ stand the fighting anymore 

            Once the angry young man, now the tired old bore 

            I’m too tired to go to war 

Executives tower above the small fry 

Patting our backs while they blacken our eye 

They’re preaching success as they measure our jaw 

I’m too tired to go to war 

            

Cant’ stand the fighting anymore 

Once the angry young man, now the tired old bore 

I’m too tired to go to war 

The victory marches fill all our air waves 

Economical indexes lull the wage slaves 

The radio’s talking of invading the shore

©1984 ARICO/BALLETTA MUSIC

 

TONY B- LEAD VOCALS, GUITAR

TONY A- GUITAR, KEYBOARDS & BACKING VOCALS

 JOHN- GUITAR & BACKING VOCALS

NICK- BASS GUITAR

 

 

THE SONG IS GONE 

We tried so hard to seize that melody 

Whether chorus held or solo run 

We just can’t find the notes or tune 

Not since the song is gone 

Thru all the years, the joins and splits 

Our search to find the one 

We always knew that in our midst 

We always had the song 

Thru all the starts and stops and fits 

It carried us along 

We raised our heads and slyly smiled 

We always had the song 

The highs, the lows, the out of key 

Found order in its voice 

Through blues and waves both old and new 

We counted on its choice 

We never thought the day would come 

When we were left alone 

And at a loss for notes to sing 

And now the song is gone

words and music- tony a and tony b

 

greg- lead vocals

tony a- guitars & backing vocals

tony b- lead guitar and backing vocals

nick- bass 

 

THE PRIZE 

If I lived in the mountains  

Far away from the rain 

Across the gate from the devil’s house of hate  

Would I win the prize or the pain 

If I rang for the butler 

 If I owned half the town  

And I walked the street looking down at the elite  

Would I win the prize or the pain 

CHORUS: 

I’m so unsure of the way you’re seeing me 

Is it a lure or the truth I can’t see no I can’t see  

 

If I sang like Caruso  

If my blood was champagne  

Would you see all the parts that make up me  

Would I win the prize or the pain  

If I lived in the mountains  

Far away from the rain 

across the gate from the devil’s house of hate  

Would I win the prize or the pain  

Tell me would I win the prize or the pain  

Oh honey would I win the prize or the pain

words and music- tony a

 

tony a- lead vocals , keyboards & guitar

tony b- guitar

steve- bass guitar

mark- drums