John Cale, Bob Neuwirth - Secrets lyrics

"What do you think is going on here?" the old man said from his chair
"D'you think this is anything new? Now look here, son
This is just like it was back in the old days before the last war
Then the politics changed, the scene rearranged and became how we know now is quo
Oh yeah, there were times when everyone smiled and agreed and the good times would roll, but a heartbeat away was the crime that did pay - the shot that was heard around the world"
"If you go to sleep," the old man explained, "you're just going to miss on your turn
But if you stay awake the path that you take may in fact become a bridge to be burned"

And the old man turned away, (Secrets, secrets)
Wiped the sincere from his eyes
(Secrets, secrets)
"It's already too late," he whispered, "but that's certainly no reason to cry." (Dirty little secrets)

"You see, the last pioneer is waving his flag, framing the organ, bone by bone, burning in sections, twisting his flag and walking on glass as he is clearing his tomb"
"Yeah, nevertheless, there's no money," said the kid
"Eh well, high-price hookers are watching the math," said the old man
"Prepare to face the music and laugh, or bring the shadows down on the heads of the soft ladies that lie on their mechanical beds"
"Well, nevertheless, there ain't no money," the kid said
"Well, so total the future and rewrite the past," said the old man
"Raise the hammer and stifle the news, polish the armor and dust off the grass
There's more dead-end options here than we'll ever use"
"But nevertheless, there's no money," said the kid

"Well, hell, there's glitter galore in Italian gold." (Secrets, secrets)
"Well, nevertheless there ain't no money." (Secrets, secrets)
"With second-hand hardware all over the world?" (Dirty little secrets)

"Hey, nevertheless, there ain't no money"
"Well, listen, tides have turned, the crowd's flooding in"
"Yeah, nevertheless there ain't no money"

"Hey kid, second class will sell to the valley again
Don't worry" (Secrets, secrets)
"Nevertheless there ain't no money, said the kid
(Secrets, secrets)
"Well, what do you want me to do about it?" said the old man
(Dirty little secrets)
"I've come up with every argument I can for the fact that the lawyers are leeching the marrow out of the bone of anyone who's got an original idea in this country"

"Well what country are you talking about?" said the kid
"I'm talking about the country where my nephew makes honey out of old orange peels and plastic out of old Band Aids
I'm talking about a country where the sun never sets, I'm talking about a country where fish are the bricks that build the edifices from which you can throw yourself in a veritable syndrome of court reverence
Ahaha, greed, God, and bulletproof vests"

"Nevertheless there ain't no money," said the kid
"Marks and pounds and pieces of flesh?" said the old man
"Nevertheless there ain't no money," said the kid
"Hey, no protection is worth a damn," said the old man
"Nevertheless there ain't no money," said the kid
"They're sending the waters off Heligoland"
"Nevertheless there ain't no money," said the kid
"They're carving the marble, shaping the urn"
"Nevertheless there ain't no money"
"A goateed image in Turkish stone?"
"Nevertheless there ain't no money
Oh my God," said the kid, "what am I going to do with my life now?"

"The woman settled for anomalous clothes and socks some place in Vermont"
"Nevertheless there ain't no money," said the old man
(The young man is evidently not worth suing)
"Nevertheless there ain't no money"
"The State of Vermont is in America?" said the kid

"Nevertheless there ain't no money," said the old man
"They're doing it again and again and again"
"Nevertheless there's no money"