Radiohead - A Simple Life Lyrics

How come I end up where I started?
How come I end up where I went wrong?
Won't take my eyes off the ball again
You reel me out, then you cut the string

How come I end up where I started?
How come I end up where I went wrong?
Won't take my eyes off the ball again
You still reel me out and then you cut the string

You used to be alright
What happened?
Did the cat get your tongue
Did your string come undone
One by one
One by one
It comes to us all
It's as soft as your pillow

You used to be alright
What happened?
Etcetera, etcetera
Fads for whatever
Fifteen steps
Then a sheer drop

How come I end up where I started?
How come I end up where I went wrong?
Won't take my eyes off the ball again
You reel me out, then you cut the string

Are you such a dreamer
To put the world to rights?
I stay home forever
Where two and two always makes up five

I lay down the tracks
Sandbag and hide
January has april's showers
And two and two always makes up five

Its the devil's way now
There is no way out
You can scream it, you can shout
It is too late now

Because

You have not been paying attention
Paying attention
Paying attention
Paying attention

You have not been paying attention
Paying attention
Paying attention
Paying attention

You have not been paying attention
Paying attention
Paying attention
Paying attention

You have not been paying attention
Paying attention
Paying attention
Paying attention

I try to sing along
But the music is all wrong
'Cause I'm not
'Cause I'm not
I swat 'em like flies but like flies the bugs keep coming back, not
But I'm not

All hail to the thief
All hail to the thief

But I'm not
But I'm not
But I'm not
But I'm not

Don't question my authority or put me in the box
'Cause I'm not
'Cause I'm not
Oh go and tell the king that the sky is falling in

When it's not
But it's not
But it's not
Maybe not
Maybe not

Oh, I was moved by your screen dream
Celluloid pictures living
Your death could not kill my love for you
Take two people romantic
Smoky nightclub situation
Your cigarette traces a ladder

Here's looking at you kid
Celebrate years
Here's looking at you kid
Wipe away tears

Long time since we're together
Now I hope it's forever
Ideal love flies away now
White jacket black tie wings too
You gave her away to the hero
Words don't express my meaning
Notes could not spell out the score
But finding not keeping's the lesson

Here's looking at you kid
Hard to forget
Here's looking at you kid
At least not yet

Your memory stays
It lingers ever
Will fade away never

This is just a nightmare
Soon I'm gonna wake up
Someone's gonna bring me 'round

Running from the bombers
Hiding in the forest
Running through the fields
Laying flat on the ground

Just like everybody
Stepping over hills
Running from the underground

This is your warning
4 minute warning

I don't wanna hear it
I don't wanna know
I just wanna run and hide

This is just a nightmare
But soon I'm gonna wake up
Someone's gonna bring me 'round

This is your warning
4 minute warning

no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no
i don't know why you bother
nothing's ever good enough for you
i was there and it wasn't like that
you came here just to start a fight

you had to piss on our parade
you had to shred our big day
you had to ruin it for all concerned
in a drunken punchup at a wedding.

hypocrite opportunist
don't infect me with your poison
a bully in a china shop
when i turn round stay frozen to the spot.

you had to piss on our parade
you had to shred our big day
you had to ruin it for all concerned
in a drunken punchup at a wedding.

the pointless snide remarks
of hammerheaded sharks
the pot will call the kettle black

in a drunken punchup at a wedding.
no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no

If I get old
I will not give in
But if I do
Remind me of this

Remind me that
Once I was free
Once I was cool
Once I was me

And if I sit down and cross my arms
Hold me to this song

Knock me out
Smash out my brains
If I take the chair and start to talk shit

If I get old, remind me of this
That night we kissed and I really meant it
Whatever happens, if we're still speaking
Pick up the phone, play me this song

Above the traffic noise and fires
Can you hear me?
I'm standing right next to you
As the crowds pour out on a cold cold night
There's a place we can go
There's a place where we both can hide

And we'll stay quite still
We won't make a sound
We'll turn out the lights

Then we'll leave and disappear into the night
We turn out the lights
We just want a simple life
We turn out the lights
Please turn out the lights

On down the road we walk alone
Can you see me?
I'm scared that I'm losing you
As the crowds press on through the cold cold night
There's a place we can go
There's a place where we both can hide

And we'll stay quite still
We won't make a sound
We'll turn out the lights

Then we'll leave and disappear into the night
We turn out the lights
We just want a simple life
We turn out the lights
Please turn out the lights

All the faults we made, I'd make them all again
I gave my promise and the life we have is sacred
I wouldn't lie to you
I could not lie to you
Turn up, we'll leave the noise behind
So turn out the lights
Please turn out the lights