M.U. - THE BEST OF JETHRO TULL
Teacher
Well the dawn was coming, 
heard him ringing on my bell. 
He said, ``My name's the teacher, 
that is what I call myself. 
And I have a lesson 
that I must impart to you. 
It's an old expression 
but I must insist it's true. 
Jump up, look around, 
find yourself some fun, 
no sense in sitting there hating everyone. 
No man's an island and his castle isn't home, 
the nest is for nothing when the bird has flown.'' 
So I took a journey, 
threw my world into the sea. 
With me went the teacher 
who found fun instead of me. 
Hey man, what's the plan, what was that you said? 
Sun-tanned, drink in hand, lying there in bed. 
I try to socialize but I can't seem to find 
what I was looking for, got something on my mind. 
Then the teacher told me 
it had been a lot of fun. 
Thanked me for his ticket 
and all that I had done. 
Hey man, what's the plan, what was that you said? 
Sun-tanned, drink in hand, lying there in bed. 
I try to socialize but I can't seem to find 
what I was looking for, got something on my mind. 
Aqualung
Sitting on a park bench -- 
eyeing little girls with bad intent. 
Snot running down his nose -- 
greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes. 
Drying in the cold sun -- 
Watching as the frilly panties run. 
Feeling like a dead duck -- 
spitting out pieces of his broken luck. 
Sun streaking cold -- 
an old man wandering lonely. 
Taking time 
the only way he knows. 
Leg hurting bad, 
as he bends to pick a dog-end -- 
he goes down to the bog 
and warms his feet. 
Feeling alone -- 
the army's up the rode 
salvation à la mode and 
a cup of tea. 
Aqualung my friend -- 
don't start away uneasy 
you poor old sod, you see, it's only me. 
Do you still remember 
December's foggy freeze -- 
when the ice that 
clings on to your beard is 
screaming agony. 
And you snatch your rattling last breaths 
with deep-sea-diver sounds, 
and the flowers bloom like 
madness in the spring. 
Thick As A Brick (Edit #1)
Really don't mind if you sit this one out. 
My words but a whisper -- your deafness a shout! 
I may make you feel but I can't make you think. 
Your sperm's in the gutter -- your love's in the sink. 
So you ride yourselves over the fields 
and you make all your animal deals 
and your wise men don't know how it feels 
to be thick as a brick. 
And the sand-castle virtues are all swept away 
in the tidal destruction 
the moral melee. 
The elastic retreat rings the close of play 
as the last wave uncovers the newfangled way. 
But your new shoes are worn at the heels 
and your suntan does rapidly peel 
and your wise men don't know how it feels -- 
to be thick as a brick. 
And the love that I feel is so far away. 
I'm a bad dream that I just had today -- 
and you shake your head and say it's a shame. 
Spin me back down the years and the days of my youth. 
Draw the lace and black curtains and shut out the whole truth. 
Spin me down the long ages; let them sing the song. 
Bungle in the Jungle
Walking through forests of palm tree apartments --- 
scoff at the monkeys who live in their dark tents 
down by the waterhole --- drunk every Friday --- 
eating their nuts --- saving their raisins for Sunday. 
Lions and tigers who wait in the shadows --- 
they're fast but they're lazy, and sleep in green meadows. 
Let's bungle in the jungle --- well, that's all right by me. 
I'm a tiger when I want love, 
but I'm a snake if we disagree. 
Just say a word and the boys will be right there: 
with claws at your back to send a chill through the night air. 
Is it so frightening to have me at your shoulder? 
Thunder and lightning couldn't be bolder. 
I'll write on your tombstone, ``I thank you for dinner.'' 
This game that we animals play is a winner. 
Let's bungle in the jungle --- well, that's all right by me. 
I'm a tiger when I want love, 
but I'm a snake if we disagree. 
The rivers are full of crocodile nasties 
and He who made kittens put snakes in the grass. 
He's a lover of life but a player of pawns --- 
yes, the King on His sunset lies waiting for dawn 
to light up His Jungle 
as play is resumed. 
The monkeys seem willing to strike up the tune. 
Locomotive Breath
In the shuffling madess 
of the locomotive breath, 
runs the all-time loser, 
headlong to his death. 
He feels the piston scraping -- 
steam breaking on his brow -- 
old Charlie stole the handle and 
the train won't stop going -- 
no way to slow down. 
He sees his children jumping off 
at the stations -- one by one. 
His woman and his best friend -- 
in bed and having fun. 
He's crawling down the corridor 
on his hands and knees -- 
old Charlie stole the handle and 
the train won't stop going -- 
no way to slow down. 
He hears the silence howling -- 
catches angels as they fall. 
And the all-time winner 
has got him by the balls. 
He picks up Gideons Bible -- 
open at page one -- 
old Charlie stole the handle and 
the train won't stop going -- 
no way to slow down. 
Fat Man
Don't want to be a fat man, 
people would think that I was 
just good fun. 
Would rather be a thin man, 
I am so glad to go on being one. 
Too much to carry around with you, 
no chance of finding a woman who 
will love you in the morning and all the night time too. 
Don't want to be a fat man, 
have not the patience to ignore all that. 
Hate to admit to myself half of my problems 
came from being fat. 
Won't waste my time feeling sorry for him, 
I seen the other side to being thin. 
Roll us both down a mountain 
and I'm sure the fat man would win. 
Living In The Past
Happy and I'm smiling, 
walk a mile to drink your water. 
You know I'd love to love you, 
and above you there's no other. 
We'll go walking out 
while others shout of war's disaster. 
Oh, we won't give in, 
let's go living in the past. 
Once I used to join in 
every boy and girl was my friend. 
Now there's revolution, but they don't know 
what they're fighting. 
Let us close out eyes; 
outside their lives go on much faster. 
Oh, we won't give in, 
we'll keep living in the past. 
A Passion Play (Edit #8)
Colours I've none; dark or light, red white or blue. 
Cold is my touch (freezing). 
Summoned by name I am the overseer over you. 
Given this command to watch o'er our miserable sphere. 
Fallen from grace, called on, to bring sun or rain. 
Occasional corn from my oversight grew. 
Fell with mine angels from a far better place, 
offering services for the saving of face. 
Now you're here you may as well admire 
all whom living has retired from the benign reconciliation. 
Legends were born surrounding mysterious lights 
seen in the sky (flashing). 
I just lit a fag and then took my leave in the blink of an eye. 
Passionate play; join round the maypole in dance, 
primitive rite (wrongly). 
Summoned by name I am the overseer over you. 
Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day
Meanwhile back in the year One, 
when you belonged to no-one, 
you didn't stand a chance son, 
if your pants were undone. 
'Cause you were bred for humanity 
and sold to society 
one day you'll wake up 
in the Present Day 
a million generations removed from expectations of being who you really want to be. 
Skating away, skating away, 
skating away on the thin ice of the New Day. 
So as you push off from the shore, 
won't you turn your head once more 
and make your peace with everyone? 
For those who choose to stay, 
will live just one more day 
to do the things they should have done. 
And as you cross the wilderness, 
spinning in your emptiness: 
you feel you have to pray. 
Looking for a sign that the Universal Mind has written you into the Passion Play. 
Skating away, skating away, 
skating away on the thin ice of the New Day. 
And as you cross the circle line, 
the ice-wall creaks behind 
you're a rabbit on the run. 
And the silver splinters fly 
in the corner of your eye 
shining in the setting sun. 
Well, do you ever get the feeling that 
the story's too damn real and in the present tense? 
Or that everybody's on the stage, and it seems like you're 
the only person sitting in the audience? 
Skating away, skating away, 
skating away on the thin ice of the New Day. 
Skating away, skating away , skating away 
Rainbow Blues
Through northern lights on back streets 
I told the coachman, "Just drive me on, 
It's the same old destination 
but a different world to sing upon." 
So he threw back his head and he counted. 
I jumped out about five to nine. 
And I waved at the stage door-keeper 
said, "Mister, get me to the stage on time." 
Oh, but the rain wasn't made of water 
and the snow didn't have a place in the sun 
so I slipped behind a rainbow 
and waited till the show had done. 
I packed my ammunition. 
Inside the crowd was shouting, "Encore", 
But I had a most funny feeling 
it wasn't me they were shouting for. 
So when the tall dark lady smiled at me 
I said, "Oh, baby let us go for a ride." 
And we came upon two drinks or four 
and popped them oh so neatly inside. 
Oh, but the rain wasn't made of water 
and the snow didn't have a place in the sun 
so we slipped behind a rainbow 
and lay there until we had done. 
Let me pack you deep in my suitcase. 
Oh, there's sure to be room for two 
or you can drive me to the airplane 
but don't let me catch those rainbow blues. 
Nothing Is Easy
Nothing is easy. 
Though time gets you worrying 
my friend, it's o.k. 
Just take your life easy 
and stop all that hurrying, 
be happy my way. 
When tension starts mounting 
and you've lost count 
of the pennies you've missed, 
just try hard and see why they're not worrying me, 
they're last on my list. 
Nothing's easy. 
Nothing is easy, you'll find 
that the squeeze won't turn out so bad. 
Your fingers may freeze, worse things happen at sea, 
there's good times to be had. 
So if you're alone and you're down to the bone, 
just give us a play. 
You'll smile in a while and discover 
that I'll get you happy my way ---
nothing's easy.