THE JOKER
I look out from this scratched and faded view
Makeshift repairs instead of getting new
Don’t you ever get tired of tracing all the wires
Knowing that the switches won’t switch for you?

I work at the job that’s easiest, you see
Paying rent instead of living free
Don’t you wanna be bad instead of just being sad
Finding out you can be you instead of me?

The Joker he stares proudly at the wall
He can be who he wants to be
But he don’t wanna ‘be’ at all
He’s an empty Harlequin
With colours growing dim
And he struts about inside his little world

I keep up with the latest lines of talk
So I can ride instead of having to walk
Don’t you like the fashions that got a little passion?
Being daring takes an extra bit of thought

I sleep with one eye fixed upon the clock
Waiting for the Reaper’s ghostly knock
Don’t you keep the days checking which ones can stay
Using them for your story’s clever plot?

The Joker he stares proudly at the wall
He can be who he wants to be
But he don’t wanna ‘be’ at all
He’s an empty Harlequin
With colours growing dim
And he struts about inside his little world

Words by Peter Greatorex. Copyright ℗ 1989 Pig Pen Music.

Lyrics by P. Greatorex.
Music by G. Davies/P. Greatorex/J. Willmot/S. Malpas/B. Ballard.

Copyright © 2015 Wud Records.
Copyright ℗ 1989 Explicit Music/Pig Pen Music.

Sequenced at Silent Running Studios by George Davies and Jeff Willmot 1992.
Re-recorded, engineered, mixed and produced at Wud Records Studio One by George Davies 2015.

Performers:

PJ Speed – vocals
Zak Black – guitars
Maxx Damage – bass

Fun Facts:

• The Joker shares its verse vocal melody with Armed & Dangerous, from the Signmaker album.
• George’s challenge as writer of musical things was to make the two songs sound different.
• Although the lyrics were written during Alien Heat days, the music was written by George while he was living in Plymouth and came together with the vocals during the early days of Dark Company.
• Simon created the long notes on the trumpet, some of which can be heard in the demo version of this song on Dark Company’s Signmaker album.
• Jeff played most of the trumpet solo using the S900 as Simon had long since departed the band by then.
• The comedy B on the piano at the very end was Jeff’s doing.
• It is in the key of Bm and the tempo is 138BPM.
• During his guest appearances with Dark Company, Andy would sing the lyrics “I sleep with one eye fixed upon the clock, Waiting for the Reaper’s throbbing c*ck.”