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Fourth album for The Psychedelic Furs: the memory immediately goes to two hits contained in the record, "The Ghost in You" and "Heaven". It was 1984 and the new wave was shooting its final rounds. So much so that some bands, Simple Minds to name one, had put aside the drive for research and experimentation and those who could were enjoying the success of a hard-earned place in the sun in the more reassuring territory of the mainstream: The Psychedelic Furs, to mention another.
Thoroughbred Londoners, they recorded "Mirror Moves" in Los Angeles and New York, bidding farewell with a wave of the handkerchief to their debut days, which had seen them among the emerging bands and then protagonists of the punk and post-punk scene. But this album is something else by now, and stylistically it approaches more to a melodic rock or a pseudo-pop.
"The Ghost in You", indeed. The opening track of the album, and who could question it? The introductory melody entrusted to the keyboards acts as a bait, the vocal parts – both the main ones and the supporting choruses – do the rest, and the fish take the bait. "Heaven", does anyone have something to say? At the time, it was in heavy rotation on MTV, with that beautiful video of the psychedelic furs happily under the downpour, singing in the rain.
And if this album is ultimately saved, we owe it to the frontman Richard Butler, one of the most remarkable voices of the '80s: a phlegmatic but expressive voice, rough without being raucous, which like many other vocalists of that generation finds its inspiration in David Bowie, succeeding in the best cases in emancipating from it.
As happens in "Here Come Cowboys", a perfect track in itself: bad guitars with a metallic and severe tone, heavy rhythm, the serene and sharp voice of Butler. It's a pity that the rest of the album is not all at the same level, otherwise, in front of the mirror, we would have found a work of a completely different caliber.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 The Ghost in You (04:17)
A man in my shoes runs a light and
All the papers lied tonight
But falling over you
Is the news of the day
Angels fall like rain
And love (love, love)
Is all of heaven away
Inside you
The time moves
And she don't fade
The ghost in you
She don't fade
Inside you
The time moves
And she don't fade
A race is on, I'm on your side and
Here in you my engines die I'm
In a mood for you
Or running away
Stars come down in you
And love (love, love)
You can't give it away
Inside you
The time moves
And she don't fade
The ghost in you
She don't fade
Inside you
The time moves
And she don't fade
Don't you go
It makes no sense when
All your talk and supermen just
Take away the time
And get in the way
Ain't it just like rain?
And love (love, love)
Is only heaven away
Inside you
The time moves
And she don't fade
The ghost in you
She don't fade
Inside you
The time moves
And she don't fade
The ghost in you
She don't fade
Inside you
The time moves
And she don't fade
The ghost in you
She don't fade
02 Here Come Cowboys (03:57)
there are colors flashing
people wearing stars and stuff
there are engines crashing
there's a way to turn it off
it gets so hard at times
to take it serious
it really gets to be a drag
when all we really need is love
here come cowboys
here to save us all
here come cowboys
they're so well inside the law
here come cowboys
they're no fun at all
here come cowboys
you've been waiting so long
you've been waiting for today
don't you put yourself on
don't you take yourself away
it gets so hard at times
to take it serious
it really gets to be a drag
when all we really need is love
here come cowboys
here to save us all
here come cowboys
they're so well inside the law
here come cowboys
they're no fun at all
here come cowboys
03 Heaven (03:27)
Heaven is the home of our hearts
And heaven won't tear you apart
Yeah heaven is the home of our hearts
And heaven don't tear you apart
There's too many kings wanna hold you down
And a world is a window gone underground
There's a hole in the sky where the sun don't shine
And a clock on the wall and it counts my time
Heaven is the home of our hearts
And heaven don't tear you apart
There's a song on the air with a love-you line
And a face in a glass and it looks like mine
And I'm standing on ice when I say that I don't hear planes
And I scream at the fools, wanna jump my train
Heaven is the home of our hearts
And heaven won't tear you apart
Yeah heaven is the home of our hearts
And heaven don't tear you apart
Yeah heaven
Ah heaven
Yeah heaven
04 Heartbeat (05:20)
she's a heartbeat
yeah, she's a heartbeat
she's a door at the end of a dead end street
she's a heartbeat
and footsteps i hear her footsteps
here comes rumours and lies
here comes my life of crime
i hear footsteps
when the music goes down
and the traffic is stopped
and nobody talks at all
when they turn up the town
i hear a heartbeat
and i've shut all the shades
and the radio stops
and nobody moves at all
when the city's asleep
i hear a heartbeat
i hear a heartbeat
in the shadows
out in the shadows
it's like walking on glass
it's the end of the show
in the shadows
and sweet dreams
she sells you sweet dreams
it's like movies and trash
where there's always a girl
and she's sweet dreams
when the music goes down
and the traffic is stopped
and nobody talks at all
when they turn up the town
i hear a heartbeat
and i've shut all the shades
and the radio stops
and nobody moves at all
when the city's asleep
i hear a heartbeat
i hear a heartbeat
heartbeat
05 My Time (04:26)
you've got rain in your eyes
and a head full of stars
all the tears you can hold in your hand
and a room full of sleep
and a promise to keep
isn't it just like love
in a world made of law
you're just losing the game
they give you these words
but they've taken your name
now you're out in the cold
now ain't that a shame
isn't it just like love
you can have anything
you can hold in your hand
and a hero is always alone
at the end of the day
it's a price that you pay
with your pieces of love
all your pieces of love
and it's my time
to turn you around
and it's my time
to hold out a hand
and it's my time
to turn on a light for you
my time
it's my time
there's a world at the door
with her heart in her sleeve
and there's nowhere to turn
there is you
there's a deal to be made
and a price to be paid
isn't it just like love
you can have anything
you can hold in your hand
and a hero is always alone
at the end of the day
it's a price that you pay
with your pieces of love
all your pieces of love
and it's my time
to turn you around
and it's my time
to hold out a hand
and it's my time
to turn on a light for you
my time it's my time
so we stand in the dark
and the sun never shows
and you're whispering secrets
that everyone knows
so we know that they told you
they just want to hold you
use you and take you
and lose you and fake you
you have everything
you can hold in your hand
but a hero is always alone
at the end of the day
it's a price that you pay
with your pieces of love
all your pieces of love
it's my time
to turn you around
and it's my time
to hold out a hand
and it's my time
to turn on a light for you
my time it's my time
you can have anything
you can hold in your hand
and a hero is always alone
at the end of the day
it's a price that you pay
with your pieces of love
all your pieces of love
it's my time
to turn you around
and it's my time
to hold out a hand
and it's my time
to turn on a light for you
my time it's my time
06 Like a Stranger (04:01)
nothing goes on today
she says
all of our running 'round
to get away
yes and it's complicated
some now
and some later
one of the girls
you'd have to say
and you talk like a stranger
you hurt for a change
and they ease you
and cool you
and love you so strange
and you talk like a stranger
you hurt for a change
and they ease you
and cool you
and love you so strange yeah
oh when she's lonely
she says
out of a face that tells you
take me home
yes and she keeps on talking
it's no blind and sleep walking
one of the girls
you'd have to say
and you talk like a stranger
you hurt for a change
and they ease you
and cool you
and love you so strange
and you talk like a stranger
you hurt for a change
and they ease you
and cool you
and love you so strange yeah
and you talk like a stranger
you hurt for a changeand they ease you
and cool you
and love you so strange
and you talk like a stranger
you hurt for a change
and they ease you
and cool you
and love you so strange
and you talk like a stranger
you talk like a stranger today
07 Alice's House (03:55)
In the house where Alice lives
(Alice's)
it's a mess of souvenirs
let to remind you telling the time
?
?
people say it's cold outside
you disagree, she's telling me...
(CHORUS)
Come and spend the day at Alice's House
pass some time away at Alice's House
write a note saying "Please don't go, please don't go"
In the
without a key
the butler is serving tea
wearing a shirt without any sleeves
(CHORUS)
in the bedroom down the hall
your secret sleeps
why don't you stay?
In the house where Alice lives
(Alice's)
It's a mess of souvenirs
let to remind you telling the time
(CHORUS)
Alice's house
08 Only a Game (04:12)
yeah we're in on the act
and love's in the back
with all of your roses and you
yeah you you you
a high heeled girl
and we talk just like jazz
like a song from the edge
and we move like a piece of the times
for you you you
a high heeled girl
high heeled girl
the party goes on til it's late
and there's nobody home
and i look in your face
and i see that i'm here all alone
and it's only a game
and it's only a game
and it's only a game
and it's only part of the act
and love's in the back
and everything's fun fun fun
we're so loose for you
won't you stay?
they're just winding me up
to take me away
with a face full of plans
and a dangerous game
we're a two minute hit for a day
for you you you
a high heeled girl
with your rings and your drums
and a day at a time
and a foot on the floor of your love
it's you you you
a high heeled girl
high heeled girl
the party goes on til it's late
and there's nobody home
and i look in your face
and i see that i'm here all alone
and it's only a game
and it's only a game
and it's only a game
and it's only a game
and it's only part of the act
and love's in the back
and everything's fun fun fun
we're so loose for you
won't you stay?
they're just winding me up
to take me away
and it's only a game
and it's only a game
and it's only a game
and it's only a game
and it's only a game
and it's only a game
and it's only a game
and it's only a game
09 Highwire Days (04:03)
they tore up our kisses and ran
on tomorrow's pages
and the lions have eaten the lamb
on tomorrow's pages
there's a day of your life in your hands
full of people you don't understand
in my highwire days
i can see all the way
i see through the games you play
in my highwire days
they pushed all the buttons and things
on tomorrow's pages
and the sirens do nothing but sing
on tomorrow's pages
and you put on your prettiest face
and you wait for the news that we made
in my highwire days
i can see all the way
i see through the games you play
in my highwire days
our dreams have all gone up on sale
on tomorrow's pages
and we paid for the cross and the nails
on tomorrow's pages
and we put on our prettiest face
and we wait for the news that we made
in my highwire days
i can see all the way
i see through the games we play
in my highwire days
in my highwire days
i can see all the way
i see through the games we play
in my highwire days
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