Life During Wartime (Stop Making Sense - 1984 live)
Heard of a van that is loaded with weapons packed up and ready to go Heard of some gravesites, out by the highway a place where nobody knows The sound of gunfire, off in the distance I’m getting used to it now Lived in a brownstone, lived in the ghetto I’ve lived all over this town
This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco this ain’t no fooling around No time for dancing, or lovey dovey I ain’t got time for that now
Transmit the message, to the receiver hope for an answer some day I got three passports, couple of visas don’t even know my real name High on a hillside, trucks are loading everything’s ready to roll I sleep in the daytime, I work in the nightime I might not ever get home
This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco this ain’t no fooling around This ain’t no mudd club, or C. B. G. B. I ain’t got time for that now
Heard about Houston? Heard about Detroit? Heard about Pittsburgh, P. A.? You oughta know not to stand by the window somebody might see you up there I got some groceries, some peanut butter to last a couple of days But I ain’t got no speakers ain’t got no headphones ain’t got no records to play
Why stay in college? Why go to night school? Gonna be different this time? Can’t write a letter, can’t send a postcard I can’t write nothing at all This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco this ain’t no fooling around I’d love you hold you, I’d like to kiss you I ain’t got no time for that now
Trouble in transit, got through the roadblock we blended in with the crowd We got computers, we’re tapping phone lines I know that ain’t allowed We dress like students, we dress like housewives or in a suit and a tie I changed my hairstyle so many times now don’t know what I look like! You make me shiver, I feel so tender we make a pretty good team Don’t get exhausted, I’ll do some driving you ought to get you some sleep Get you instructions, follow directions then you should change your address Maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day whatever you think is best Burned all my notebooks, what good are notebooks? They won’t help me survive My chest is aching, burns like a furnace the burning keeps me alive Try to stay healthy, physical fitness don’t want to catch no disease Try to be careful, don’t take no chances you better watch what you say