Cage The Elephant - Social Cues Album Lyrics

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Broken Boy

I was born on the wrong side of the train-tracks
I was raised with the strap across my back
Lay me on my side or hold me up to the light, yeah

I was burned by the cold kiss of a vampire
I was bit by the whisper of a soft liar
Any good friend of yours is a good friend of mine

Broken boy
How does it feel?
Broken boy
How does it feel?
How does it feel?

Tell me why I'm forced to live in this skin
Tell me why I'm forced to live in this skin
I'm an alien, not just an alien, oh

Tell me why I was born to live in this skin
Tell me how I'm supposed to be forgiven
With my hand in the hive and the sun in my eyes, yeah

Broken boy
How does it feel?
Broken boy
How does it feel?
How does it feel?

I was born on the wrong side of the train-tracks
Always born on the wrong side of the train-tracks
Lay me on my side or hold me up to the light, yeah

I was burned by the cold kiss of a vampire
I was promised the keys to an empire
Any good friend of yours is a good friend of mine, oh

Broken boy
How does it feel?
Broken boy
How does it feel?
How does it feel?

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Social Cues

I think it's strange when people say
You're the next big thing, you'll never fade
The slightest touch and first to fall
Sleight of the hand, modern goal
Starry-eyed child left behind
Choose your favorite vice
I don't have the strength to play nice

Hide me in the back room
Tell me when it's over
Don't know if I can play this bar much longer
I'll be in the back room
Tell me when it's over
Don't know if I can play this bar much longer
I don't know if it is right to live this way, yeah
I'll be in the back room
Tell me when it's over
People always say, "Man, at least you're on the radio"

At least you're on the radio
At least you're on the radio
At least you're on the radio

Close your eyes, don't be afraid
Take some of these, they'll ease the pain
Live fast, die young, pay the price
The best die young, immortalized
Starry-eyed children left behind
To choose their favorite vice
I don't have the strength to think twice

Hide me in the back room
Tell me when it's over
Don't know if I can play this bar much longer
I'll be in the back room
Tell me when it's over
Don't know if I can play this bar much longer
I don't know if it is right to live this way, yeah
I'll be in the back room
Tell me when it's over
People always say, "Man, at least you're on the radio"

At least you're on the radio
At least you're on the radio

Hide me in the back room
Tell me when it's over
Don't know if I can play this bar much longer
I'll be in the back room
Tell me when it's over
Don't know if I can play this bar much longer
I don't know if it is right to live this way, yeah
I'll be in the back room
Tell me when it's over
People always say, "Man, at least you're on the radio"
At least you're on the radio

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Black Madonna

Soft glow on the city
She said, "There's no one here who can touch you right now"
Caught the last flight out at LAX
With your one-way ticket New York-bound
Climb so high, don't make a sound
Don't you forget what goes up, must come down
Climb so high, tell me how it feels

Call me when you're ready to be real
Black Madonna, hallelujah
Makes no difference here, so let's be real
Black Madonna, my black flower
Nowhere left to run, nowhere left to hide
You're not havin' fun, think that you should ride
Call me when you're ready to be real
Black Madonna, my hallelujah

On the phone you sound shifty
You say that you're at home, alone right now
But in the background there's a muffled laugh
As you spin that wool and pull it down
Climb so high, don't hear a sound
Don't you forget what goes around comes around
Climb so high, tell me how to feel

Call me when you're ready to be real
Black Madonna, hallelujah
Makes no difference here, so let's be real
Black Madonna, my black flower
Nowhere left to run, nowhere left to hide
Says this should be gone, at least it was his time
Call me when you're ready to be real
Black Madonna, my hallelujah

Call me when you're ready to be real
Black Madonna, hallelujah
Makes no difference here, so let's be real
Black Madonna, my black flower
Nowhere left to run, nowhere left to hide
You're not havin' fun, think that you should ride
Call me when you're ready to be real
Black Madonna, my hallelujah

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Night Running

We’re on a night run
Boy you better hold your tongue
Talking like you coming from kingdom come
Rhythm and reeling
The feeling I’m riding
The sound through ceiling
Never got no money
But I’m running from the gun
My engines flooded
They cold blooded no money
Drunk on something uh
Killing the moonlight
With daylight
I've got my X-ray eyes
And I’m feeling so fine

Night Running all night running (We're running)
Star studded not far from it
We’re running all night running
Cold blooded all night running (We roll)
Night running all night running (We're running)
Star studded not far from it
Night running all night running (We're running)
Cold blooded we’re all night running (We roll)

We’re on the night shade
Tell me what we’re hiding from
Like someone could steal it
Are we waiting for some kind of feeling
Or saving it up for the morning?
Under cover
The cloak and dagger
Is there a creature in the attic
Are we for real yeah
Or just pretending
Will it burn it out by the morning

Night Running all night running (We're running)
Star studded not far from it
We’re running all night running
Cold blooded all night running (We roll)
Night running all night running (We're running)
Star studded not far from it
Night running all night running (We're running)
Cold blooded we’re all night running (We roll)

We’re on a night run
No telling who we’re running from
In a world of secrets and demons and people hiding from the sun
Sending my message to everyone losing control
Better not stop 'til I get home
Sentimental flowers don’t grow
Got to live through tidal waves
And parishes and biblical floods
I got the Gris Gris love
And the streets in my blood
I’m on the final run
Falling in and out of love, oh

Night Running all night running (We're running)
Star studded not far from it
We’re running all night running
Cold blooded all night running (We roll)
Night running all night running (We're running)
Star studded not far from it
Night running all night running (We're running)
Cold blooded we’re all night running (We roll)

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Skin and Bones

Close my eyes and drift into the silence
Barely see the ultraviolet
Slipped and fell into the deep end
Oh, the sidewalks shimmer just like diamonds
All the empty words were flying
Well, the heart was low but I never was alone
I never was alone

I've been running for so long
All that's left is skin and bones
Close my eyes and fight to carry on
Sometimes it makes no sense at all
If I stumble, will I fall?
If I fall I'll tuck and roll
Close my eyes and let the love light guide me home
Let the love light guide me home

Washed and fades and falls into another
I'm not getting any further
Left you feeling like an alien
Oh, the sidewalks, they were lying
Lost myself while I was hiding
And the heart was low but I never was alone
I never was alone

I've been running for so long
All that's left is skin and bones
Close my eyes, fight to carry on
Sometimes it makes no sense at all
If I stumble, will I fall?
If I fall I'll tuck and roll
Close my eyes and let the love light guide me home
Let the love light guide me home

Hearts are empty almost all the time
Blind devising ways to lead the blind
And it seems as if there's no end in sight
I don't wanna be there when it all goes down
But if I gotta be there don't let me hit the ground
'Til I hit the ground

I've been running for so long
All that's left is skin and bones
Close my eyes, fight to carry on
Sometimes it makes no sense at all
If I stumble, will I fall?
If I fall I'll tuck and roll
Close my eyes and let the love light guide me home
Let the love light guide me home
Let the love light guide me home

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Ready to Let Go

Sun went down, sun went down over Pompeii
On both sides the vow was broken
Oh my my, I'm the one
Trying to hide this damage done
One day, all our secrets will be spoken

As we slow dance, I became your statue frozen
Times I wonder, are we just a puff of smoke? Yeah
Underneath this bed of ashes, still withholding everything
Like we were never close

Don't you worry, baby, no sense trying to change it
I'ma strike these matches, never had control
I'm ready to let go, no, was I fooling myself?
I'ma spread these ashes, never had control
I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready to let go

Sun went down, sun went down over Pompeii
On holy ground, our vows were broken
We met up, we broke bread
I was blue your dress was red, ain't it strange?
We both knew this day was coming

As we slow dance, I became your statue frozen
Times I wonder, are we just a puff of smoke? Yeah
Underneath this bed of ashes, still withholding everything
Like we were never close

Don't you worry, baby, no sense trying to change it
I'ma strike these matches, never had control
I'm ready to let go, no, was I fooling myself?
I'ma spread these ashes, never had control
I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready to let go

Don't you worry, baby, no sense trying to change it
I'ma strike these matches, never had control
I'm ready to let go, no, was I fooling myself?
I'ma spread these ashes, never had control
I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready to let go

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House of Glass

Climb into my corner, my self inflicted coma
Stand up, lay down, repeat in the same order
Fall straight through the floor and let the time just run me over
Another mirrored image corrupted and distorted
I'm underwhelmed, uninterested, I wonder why I'm over it
Walk it off, the kettle's black
The dotted line, the house is glass

(The house is glass) The house is glass
(The house is glass) The house is glass

It's an illusion, this admiration
Of mutilation, my isolation
It's an illusion, this admiration
Of mutilation, my isolation, my isolation
My isolation, it's an illusion

Slide on down the staircase, that picture-perfect moment
Receiver projected, act like if you own it
Smile for the camera, repeat and do it over
Smile for the camera, repeat and do it over
Joke's on you, the needle prick
Cut me down, I need a break
Walk it off, the kettle's black
The dotted line, this house is glass

(The house is glass) The house is glass
(The house is glass) The house is glass

It's an illusion, this admiration
Of mutilation, my isolation
It's an illusion, this admiration
Of mutilation, my isolation, my isolation
My isolation, it's an illusion

Brick by brick
Make it last
Hit that line
The house is glass

It's an illusion, my isolation
My isolation, my isolation
It's an illusion, it's an illusion
My isolation, my isolation, my isolation

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Love's the Only Way

Looking out my window at the city below
From my fancy hotel suite
Tell me where the wind blows, tell me how a heart knows
Where a soul can find some sleep

I can see the sunshine, breaking through the skyline
I can feel the warmth it brings
I can't help but stop and think

There's gotta be a place
Love's the only way
There's gotta be a place
Love's the only way
Love's the only way, oh

Never made the wind blow, never made a heart grow
Never made a dove take flight
Never made the sun rise, still can't get my heart right
Only ever made mistakes

Still, I can see the sunshine, breaking through the skyline
I can feel the warmth it brings
I can't help but stop and think

There's gotta be a place
Love's the only way
There's gotta be a place
Love's the only way
Love's the only way, oh

Look out for yourself, its all the rage
You make up the rules or so they claim
One day you'll find life’s not a game
It's not the wave that move the sea
But the sea that moves the wave

There's gotta be a place
Love's the only way
There's gotta be a place
Love's the only way
Love's the only name
Love's the only way
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

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The War Is Over

When I was a young man, I never needed anyone
Bruised and broken, shattered, always on the run
Safe behind a half-smile, layin' in the shadows
I became a rich man, I held the world up with my hands
Inside I was a poor man, still screaming, "I don't understand"
"Why am I always running?" "Why am I always hiding?"
"What's the point in living when living feels like dying?"

You can build your walls, love will tear it down
You can hide a heart inside a man-made house
You can build your walls, build 'em to the sky
One day you will find love was on both sides
The war is over

I came upon a wise man, he said, "Sit beside me son"
"When I was a young man, I was like you, the prodigal son"
Safe behind a half-smile, hidin' in the shadows
Tell 'em that it's all right, tell 'em 'cause you said so

You can build your walls, love will tear it down
You can hide a heart inside a man-made house
You can build your walls, build 'em to the sky
One day you will find love was on both sides

The war is over, love's already won
The war is over, the war is over
The war is over, love's already won
The war is over, the war is over

Time stands still so long
I feel so low
I know what follows, what follows

You can build your walls, but love will tear it down
You can hide a heart inside a man-made house
You can build your walls, build 'em to the sky
One day you will find love was on both sides

The war is over, love's already won
The war is over, the war is over
The war is over, love's already won
The war is over, the war is over

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Dance Dance

Down on the corner, polyphonic visions
All the eyes were diamonds, technicolor wishes
Five-star paranoia, hi-fi superstition
Time to drop the needle, show 'em what they're missin'
Chasin', we'll all fake it 'til we forget
Turn the lights down and keep chasin'
Are we vibin' or just lyin'? Yeah, we're vibin'

Dance, dance, dance
Everybody dance, dance, dance

Ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah

Down on the corner out on the city
All the girls got money, all the boys look pretty
The Velvetones are talkin', all the lips are kissin'
Time to drop the needle, show 'em what they're missin'
Chasin', we'll all fake it 'til we forget
Turn the lights down and keep chasin'
Are we vibin' or just lyin'? Yeah, we're vibin'

Ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah

Dance, dance, dance
Everybody dance, dance, dance
Dance, dance, dance
Everybody dance, dance, dance

Ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah

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What I'm Becoming

Slowly drift across the floor, can't escape from my mind
Yet I feel like moving on, but I'm still taking my time
A window, a sparrow, a spare room, a shadow
Tied to the place where I told you

I'm so sorry, honey, for what I'm becoming
Everything you wanted seems so far from me
Never meant to hurt you, no, never meant to make you cry
I'm so sorry, honey, for what I'm becoming

Caught me walkin' through the walls, still there's nothing I find
Took the picture from the frame, am I wasting my time?
A stranger, the basement, a table, the pavement
Tied to the place where I left you

I'm so sorry, honey, for what I'm becoming
Everything you wanted seems so far from me
Never meant to hurt you, no, never meant to make you cry
I'm so sorry, honey, for what I'm becoming

Never meant to hurt you, no
Never meant to make you cry
Never meant to hurt you, no
Never meant to hurt you

I'm so sorry, honey, for what I'm becoming
But everything you wanted seems so far from me
Never meant to hurt you, no, never meant to make you cry
I'm so sorry, honey, for what I'm becoming

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Tokyo Smoke

Hey man
Hand me down with the crooked back
What's your father's name? Boy, you don't know where you're at
Pick yourself up, you don't look so good
Maybe you should lay down
Taught me how to fall
But you never told me I was supposed to stay down

Stick and move
Sharpen up the knife
Keep it tight
Stay between the lines
Make your mark
Take your own advice
Don't be surprised when you trip and stumble
I played the fool again
My old unfaithful friend
Stick and move
Sharpen up the knife
Don't be surprised if you can't stay between the lines

Quicksand color blind in the hourglass
All spun out 'cause you can't stop looking back
Better stay still, don't you make a move
What'd you hope to find here?
Taught me how to fall
But you never told me I was meant to die here

Stick and move
Sharpen up the knife
Keep it tight
Stay between the lines
Make your mark
Take your own advice
Don't be surprised when you trip and stumble
I played the fool again
My old unfaithful friend
Stick and move
Sharpen up the knife
Don't be surprised if you can't stay between the lines

Endless shot rounds
No smoking guns
Fizzled and faded
Now back on the run
My sticks and stones
Tokyo smoke
I played the fool 'til I started to choke
My public smile
My double face
Half in the light
Half in the shade
Need some fresh air
No place tonight
Guess I'll stay in and continue to fight
Lost trace of trail
Spiderweb spun
Pale white and blue
Now I'm coming undone
Play sticks and stones
Three shades of black
Two steps away
And I can't get back

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Goodbye

All my life I read between the lines
Held on too tight, you know I tried
But in the end it left me paralyzed
It's alright, goodbye, goodbye
Seems like yesterday, I was a child
Just a ripple in the folds of time
I wish you well, I want to see you smile
It's alright, goodbye
Goodbye

Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
I won't cry, I won't cry, I won't cry
Lord knows how hard we tried
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye

So many things I want to say to you
So many sleepless nights I prayed for you
My heart's an ashtray and I lost my mind
You bring the smokes, I've got the time
I want to scream, I want to laugh, I want to close my eyes
I want to hide somewhere that's hard to find
Stop wasting time trying to shape your life
It's alright, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye

Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
I won't cry, I won't cry, I won't cry
Lord knows how hard we tried
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye

My pretty bird, my favorite lullaby
How'd I become the thorn in your side?
All your laughter turned into a cry
It's alright, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye

Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
I won't cry, I won't cry, I won't cry
Lord knows how hard we tried
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye