Neil Young – Landing On Water [1986]
Year Released: 1986
Record Company: Geffen
1. Weight of the World (3:42)
2. Violent Side (4:23)
3. Hippie Dream (4:14)
4. Bad News Beat (3:18)
5. Touch the Night (4:30)
6. People on the Street (4:33)
7. Hard Luck Stories (4:09)
8. I Got a Problem (3:19)
9. Pressure (2:46)
10. Drifter (5:04)
WEIGHT OF THE WORLD
I used to carry the weight of the world
On my back
I never trusted my friends or my girl
Can you imagine that
I used to shuffle my feet when I walked
I hung my head down low
Kept to myself all my private thoughts
But when I met you girl
I dropped the weight of the world
Weight of the world
I dropped the weight of the world
Weight of the world
I knew some people used to dance all night
But not me
I never knew if it was wrong or right
To be so free
I used to close my eyes
And try to hide from the light of love
Spent all my time with the darkness inside
But when I met you girl
I dropped the weight of the world
Weight of the world
I dropped the weight of the world
Weight of the world
I was alone for all of my life
I was alone for all of my life
I was alone for all of my life
I was alone for all of my life
Until you came my way
I dropped the weight of the world
Weight of the world
I dropped the weight of the world
Weight of the world
VIOLENT SIDE
Here comes the night
Here comes the anger
Hidden so deep inside
No one can see
Behind these eyes
There walks a stranger
Wandering through the dark
Following me
Control the violent side
Electric light shining on your block
Sayin’ to everyone
The power is on
While your alarm
Set up for safety
Keeps out invaders
Who come
But still can’t control
Control the violent side
Got to fight to control the violent side
I’ve got to fight to control it
[Repeat]
HIPPIE DREAM
Take my advice
Don’t listen to me
It ain’t paradise
But it used to be
There was a time
When the river was wide
And the water came running down
To the rising tide
But the wooden ships
Were just a hippie dream
Just a hippie dream
Don’t bat an eye
Don’t waste a word
Don’t mention nothin’
That could go unheard
‘Cause the tie-dye sails
Are the screamin’ sheets
And the dusty trail
Leads to blood in the streets
And the wooden ships
Are a hippie dream
Capsized in excess
If you know what I mean
Just because it’s over for you
Don’t mean it’s over for me
It’s a victory for the heart
Ev’ry time the music starts
So please don’t kill the machine
Don’t kill the machine
Don’t kill the machine
Another flower child goes to seed
In an ether-filled room of meat-hooks
It’s so ugly
So ugly
BAD NEWS BEAT
Have you heard the news
I lost my baby to another man
I got a bulletin of news
Late breaking story that I don’t understand
Should I call her up late
Should I ask her how she really feels
Should I try to make a date
For a time when we can touch
And feel
She’ so on fire
She’s my desire
I’ve got the bad news beat
And my reception is loud and clear
I’ve got a man in the street
Telling me what I don’t want to hear
I’ve got an eye in the sky
Taking pictures that I don’t want to see
She’s got a brand new guy
Looks like she’s never coming back to me
She’ so on fire
She’s my desire
I’ve got an eye in the sky
I’ve got a man in the street
I’ve got the bad news beat
I’ve got the bad news beat
TOUCH THE NIGHT
Out on the road the traffic slowed
Down to a crawl
Strobe lights flashin’ on the overpass
The tangled steel could not reveal
What no one saw
Or how he walked away without a scratch
He thought of her
And walked along the exit ramp
He touched the night
Between two old street lamps
And ev’ry one will touch the night
And ev’ry one will touch the night
And ev’ry one will touch the night
Image in blue dissolve into
The empty night
Slowly fadin’ no one answerin’
She walked away
And left him standing all alone
Between the shadows of his memory
And those who loved and lost
Will know the way it feels
To touch the night
Without the one you love
And ev’ry one will touch the night
And ev’ry one will touch the night
And ev’ry one will touch the night
PEOPLE ON THE STREET
People on the street need a place to go
People on the street need a place to go
Walkin’ with the beat if it’s not too slow
Walkin’ with the beat if it’s not too slow
When the night’s dark shadow falls
On the sidewalk scenes and the concrete canyon walls
People on the street need a place to go
People on the street need a place to go
Walkin’ through the night up and down the avenue
Lookin’ for a place, a place to go, a place to go
There’s a muffled scream from the alley scene
From the alley scene comes a muffled scream
And the siren wails while the system fails
In the steaming heat people walk in the street
People can’ run and hide
If you want to feel good then you gotta feel good inside
People on the street need a place to go
People on the street need a place to go
Rising through the grates come the fumes of industry
Floating to the sky
Keep walkin’ with the beat
Walkin’ with the beat
Keep walkin’ with the beat
Walkin’ with the beat
When the night’s dark shadow falls
On the sidewalk scenes and the concrete canyon walls
People on the street need a place to go
People on the street need a place to go
HARD LUCK STORIES
Don’t tell me hard luck stories
And I won’t tell you mine
Don’t tell me hard luck stories
And I won’t tell you mine
Ev’ry time you’re feelin’ fine
Got another good one on the line
It slips away, you feel it slip away
Slip away
I don’t want no more from you
Won’t do what you want me to
Turn me loose
Come on turn me loose, turn me loose
Ev’ry time I’m feelin’ good
The phone rings and I knock on wood
Hoping that it won’t be you
Calling like you always do
All you ever seem to say is
How much bad luck came your way
You won’t try to start again
You just count on your old friends
Don’t tell me hard luck stories
And I won’t tell you mine
Don’t tell me hard luck stories
And I won’t tell you mine
Now you call up every day
Got no money no place to stay
That girl made a mess of you
You got what was comin’ too
Build her up and let her down
Tastin’ ev’rythin’ in town
Treat her right, you never
Treat her right, treat her right
Now she’s gone and you’re alone
Bit your fingers to the bone
Slip away, you feel it slip away
Slip away
You don’t know what’s goin’ on
How you lost it, what went wrong
What ever happened to
The love that you once knew
Don’t tell me hard luck stories
And I won’t tell you mine
Don’t tell me hard luck stories
And I won’t tell you mine
I GOT A PROBLEM
I got a problem I can’t explain
It’s hard to solve it, I can’t lose face
They all try to help me, but I can’t see the light
Me and my shadow are so in despair
‘Cause we keep hurtin’ someone who cares
Ev’ry time we talk about it
I break out in a cold sweat
There must be some way outta here
But I can’t find it yet
I got a problem that’s so intense
I try to fight it, but there’s no defense
Ev’ry time we talk about it
I break out in a cold sweat
There must be some way outta here
But I can’t find it yet
I got a problem, I got a problem
I got a problem, I got a problem
Ev’ry time we talk about it
I break out in a cold sweat
PRESSURE
A funny thing happened yesterday
I felt the pressure in a brand new way
It kept hitting me from all directions
I got this feeling I was cracking up
My knees were shaking and I couldn’t close my eyes
I fought to gain control
And make corrections
A funny thing happened yesterday
I felt the pressure in a TV way
Don’t feel, don’t feel
Feel pressure from me
Don’t feel, don’t feel
No pressure from me
Don’t feel, don’t feel
Feel pressure from me
You watch the box and the video jocks
If you could talk that could even be you up there
That’s why you need max head room
Too much pressure for peace on earth
Too much tryin’ to get your money’s worth
Too much dying
The Eldorado, the Mercedes Benz
The job security that never ends
Don’t feel, don’t feel
Feel pressure from me
Don’t feel, don’t feel
No pressure from me
Don’t feel, don’t feel
Feel pressure from me
I feel the pressure building ev’ry night
One of these days I’m gonna go out like a light
Oh, baby
I feel the pressure building ev’ry night
One of these days I’m gonna go out like a light.
DRIFTER
I’m just a drifter
I’ll stay until you tie me down
I’m not a quitter
I’d like to stay and see the whole thing go down
Don’t try to tell me what I gotta do to fit
Don’t try to rescue me I’m gonna go with my ship
What about you, did I ever take a thing from you?
What about me, how do I know that your love is true?
What about you, how can I count on you to count on me?
I like to drive my car
If I’ve got someplace to go
I like to feel the wheel
Put down the top and let it roll
Don’t try to fence me in, don’t try to slow me down
Don’t try to speed me up, or tie my feet down to the ground
What about you, did I ever take a thing from you?
What about me, how do I know that your love is true?
What about you, how can I count on you to count on me?
I’m just a drifter
I’ll stay until you tie me down
Don’t try to rescue me, don’t try to rescue me
I like to feel the wheel, I like to feel the wheel
I like to feel the wheel
—————————-
Neil Young: guitar, synthesizer, vocal
Danny Kortchmar: guitar, synthesizer, vocal
Steve Jordan: drums, synthesizer, vocal
And featuring
The San Francisco Boys Chorus on Violent Side and Touch The Night
Recorded at Broken Arrow Ranch, Woodside, CA and Record One, Los Angeles, ca. Aug. 1983-Mar. 1986
Produced by Neil Young & Danny Kortchmar