01. faithless, the wonder boy

i've had these jeans since i was born
and now they're ripped
and now they're torn
and all my friends have skateboards
i want the toys of other boys
i want a knife and a gun and things
but mum and dad will not give in
but i can't put the needle in
can't put the needle in
can't put the needle in
can't put the needle in
no, i can't put the needle in
can't put the needle in
can't put the needle in
and now i know just what it is
it's got disease and it's got my head
it always runs where i hide
too scared to talk, too scared to try
too scared to know the reasons why
and all my friends say bye bye
and i can't put the needle in
can't put the needle in
can't put the needle in
no, i can't put the needle in
can't put the needle in
can't put the needle in
can't put the needle in

her green plastic wateringcan
for her fake chinese rubberplant
in the fake plastic earth
that she bought from a rubber man
in a town full of rubber plans
to get rid of itself
it wears her out
it wears her out
it wears her out
it wears her out

she lives with a broken man
a cracked polystyrene man
who just crumbles and burns
he used to do surgery for girls in the eighties
but gravity always wins
and it wears him out
and it wears him out
and it wears him out

she looks like the real thing
she tastes like the real thing
my fake plastic love
but i can't help the feeling
i could blow through the ceiling
if i just turn and run
and it wears me out
it wears me out
and it wears me out
if i could be who you wanted
if i could be who you wanted all the time

fitter, happier
more productive
comfortable
not drinking too much
regular exercise at the gym (3 days a week)
getting on better with your associate employee contemporaries
at ease
eating well (no more microwave dinners and saturated fats)
a patient better driver
a safer car (baby smiling in back seat)
sleeping well (no bad dreams)
no paranoia
careful to all animals (never washing spiders down the plughole)
keep in contact with old friends (enjoy a drink now and then)
will frequently check credit at (moral) bank (hole in wall)
favours for favours
fond but not in love
charity standing orders
on sundays ring road supermarket
(no killing moths or putting boiling water on the ants)
car wash (also on sundays)
no longer afraid of the dark
or midday shadows
nothing so ridiculously teenage and desperate
nothing so childish
at a better pace
slower and more calculated
no chance of escape
now self-employed
concerned (but powerless)
an empowered and informed member of society (pragmatism not idealism)
will not cry in public less
chance of illness tires that grip in the wet (shot of baby strapped in back seat)
a good memory
still cries at a good film still
kisses with saliva
no longer empty and frantic
like a cat
tied to a stick
that's driven into frozen winter shit (the ability to laugh at weakness)
calm
fitter, healthier and more productive
a pig
in a cage
on antibiotics
 

theres a little child
running round this house
and he never leaves
he will never leave
and the fog comes up from the sewers
and glows in the dark

baby alligators in the sewers
grow up fast
grow up fast
anything you want it can be done
how?
how did you go bad?
did you go bad?
did you go bad?
some things will never wash away
did you go bad?
did you go bad?

i see you in dark corner of the street
coming after me, yeah
headlights on full beam
coming down the fast lane
coming after me, yeah
i would like to change back now
to the shadow of, the shadow of my former self
it follows me around
it follows me around
did you lie to us tony?
we thought you were different
now you know we're not so sure
drooling looney tunes
moving in a swarm, moving in a swarm
it follows me around
it follows me around
it follows me around
it follows me around
nowadays i get panicked
i cease to exist
i have ceased to exist
i feel absolutely nothing
the words are out of ink
the words you know are out of ink
follow me around
follow me around
follow me around
follow me around