The karaoke lounge is almost empty. A few techno-goth refugees from the RMIT computer science program huddle around an iPad watching Tron. A squiffy-eyed oddball from art college sits alone sketching. I'm here because it's just dawned on me that I neglected to acknowledge the 25th anniversary of the release of one of the seminal albums of all time, by the most innovative, creative band since The Beatles. Some called it the last great album of the 20th century, others the first album of the 21st.
No one seems that interested in performing so I'm going to do a few numbers. Ears prick up immediately as the dystopian guitar winds its way in like a distorted motorcycle engine.
In the next world war
In a jackknifed juggernaut
I am born again
In the neon sign
Scrolling up and down
I am born again
In an interstellar burst
I'm back to save the universe
In a deep, deep sleep
Of the innocent
I am born again
In a fast German car
I'm amazed that I survived
An airbag saved my life
In an interstellar burst
I am back to save the universe
In an interstellar burst
I am back to save the universe
In an interstellar burst
I am back to save the universe.
Now to really get their attention. Forgive the voice-breaking falsetto.
Please, could you stop the noise?
I'm trying to get some rest
From all the unborn chicken voices
In my head
What's that?
(I may be paranoid, but not an android)
What's that?
(I may be paranoid, but not an android)
When I am king
You will be first against the wall
With your opinion
Which is of no consequence at all
What's that?
(I may be paranoid, but no android)
What's that?
(I may be paranoid, but no android)
Ambition makes you look pretty ugly
Kicking, squealing, Gucci little piggy
You don't remember, you don't remember
Why don't you remember my name?
Off with his head, man, off with his head, man
Why don't you remember my name?
I guess he does
Rain down, rain down
Come on, rain down on me
From a great height
From a great height, height
Rain down, rain down
Come on, rain down on me
From a great height
From a great height, height
That's it, sir, you're leaving (Rain down)
The crackle of pigskin (Rain down)
The dust and the screaming (Come on, rain down)
The yuppies networking (On me)
The panic, the vomit (From a great height)
The panic, the vomit (From a great height)
God loves his children
God loves his children, yeah.
They're hyped up now. Let's cool it a little.
Wake from your sleep
The drying of your tears
Today we escape, we escape
Pack and get dressed
Before your father hears us
Before all hell breaks loose
Breathe, keep breathing
Don't lose your nerve
Breathe, keep breathing
I can't do this alone
Sing us a song
A song to keep us warm
There's such a chill
Such a chill
And you can laugh a spineless laugh
We hope your rules and wisdom choke you
Now we are one in everlasting peace
We hope that you choke, that you choke
We hope that you choke
That you choke
We hope that you choke
That you choke.
Okay, the art student is about to cut himself.
Transport, motorways and tramlines
Starting and then stopping
Taking off and landing
The emptiest of feelings
Disappointed people
Clinging on to bottles
And when it comes it's so, so disappointing
Let down and hanging around
Crushed like a bug in the ground
Let down and hanging around
Shell smashed, juices flowing
Wings twitch, legs are going
Don't get sentimental
It always ends up drivel
One day I am gonna grow wings
A chemical reaction
Hysterical and useless
Hysterical and
Let down and hanging around
Crushed like a bug in the ground
Let down and hanging around
Let down again
Let down again
Let down again
You know, you know where you are with
You know where you are with
Floor collapsing
Floating, bouncing back
And one day
I am gonna grow wings
A chemical reaction
(You know where you are)
Hysterical and useless
(You know where you are)
Hysterical and
(You know where you are)
Let down and hanging around
Crushed like a bug in the ground
Let down and hanging around.
They all join me on stage.
Karma police, arrest this man
He talks in maths, he buzzes like a fridge
He's like a detuned radio
Karma police, arrest this girl
Her Hitler hairdo is making me feel ill
And we have crashed her party
This is what you'll get
This is what you'll get
This is what you'll get
When you mess with us
Karma police, I've given all I can
It's not enough, I've given all I can
But we're still on the payroll
This is what you'll get
This is what you'll get
This is what you'll get
When you mess with us
For a minute there
I lost myself, I lost myself
Phew, for a minute there
I lost myself, I lost myself
For a minute there
I lost myself, I lost myself
Phew, for a minute there
I lost myself, I lost myself.
Back to solo for this one.
I will stop, I will stop at nothing
Say the right things when electioneering
I trust I can rely on your vote
When I go forwards
You go backwards
And somewhere we will meet
When I go forwards
You go backwards
And somewhere we will meet
Riot shields, voodoo economics, your turn, your turn
It's just business, cattle prods and the I.M.F
I trust I can rely on your vote
When I go forwards
You go backwards
And somewhere we will meet
When I go forwards
You go backwards
And somewhere we will meet.
A couple more.
A heart that's full up like a landfill
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal
You look so tired, unhappy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us
I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide
And no alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
Silent, silent
This is my final fit
My final bellyache with
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises, please
Such a pretty house
And such a pretty garden
No alarms and no surprises
(Get me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises
(Get me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises, please
(Get me out of here).
Last one.
I'm on a roll
I'm on a roll this time
I feel my luck could change
Kill me, Sarah
Kill me again with love
It's gonna be a glorious day
Pull me out of the aircrash
Pull me out of the lake
'Cause I'm your superhero
We are standing on the edge
The head of state
Has called for me by name
But I don't have time for him
It's gonna be
A glorious day
I feel my luck could change
Pull me out of the aircrash
Pull me out of the lake
'Cause I'm your superhero
We are standing on the edge
We are standing on the edge.
No, seriously. Just one more.
It barks at no one else but me
Like it's seen a ghost
I guess it's seen the sparks a-flowin
No one else would know
Hey man, slow down, slow down
Idiot, slow down, slow down
Sometimes I get overcharged
That's when you see sparks
They ask me where the hell I'm going
At a thousand feet per second
Hey man, slow down, slow down
Idiot, slow down, slow down
Hey man, slow down, slow down
Idiot, slow down, slow down.
I let the last note hang in the air. The techno-goths and the squiify-eyed arts student slowly converge. Group hug.