Great Lines # 7 The Go-Betweens

'When the rain hit the roof. With the sound of a finished kiss. Like a lip lifted from a lip. I took the wrong road 'round.'

 

Grant McLennan must have been unbelievably pleased with himself when he wrote these lines. I thought about just quoting the above lines in this post but then looked at the whole lyric sheet and thought the whole thing just blindingly good, virtually every line deserved attention. I've just recently bought The Go-Betweens' boxset which should come to me at the beginning of next year. I bought it early so am hoping to get one of the 600 books from Grant's personal collection that will go out to the first 600 orders. Here's hoping! Sometimes you can't put a price on things like this.

 

 

 

'A trader in furs living in exile
Boy, what a kook, look at that passport
Stale bread and paper without privilege
If you live here learn the language

When the rain hit the roof
With the sound of a finished kiss
Like a lip lifted from a lip
I took the wrong road 'round

A room in a lighthouse near the park
The ghosts in the next room hear you cough
Time drags on Sundays spent in Mayfair
With all your riches, why aren't you there?

Well, the wind acts like a magnet
And pulls the leaf from the tree
And the town's lost its breath
I took the wrong road 'round

Handsome is good, pretty is better
What was that phrase, grace under pressure?
Blind by the light bulb, blood to the bank
Lost all yours letters when the ship sank

In the disjointed breaking light
The soft blue approach of the water
Makes a sound you won't forget
I took the wrong road 'round

Stranded at low-tide where the river bends
Wouldn't you know it? That's how life ends
Lucky at cards, that's an old lie
Lucky in love, that's how life ends

Well, the turncoats turned around
When they heard the sound of the bell
Dropped their coins into the well
I took the wrong road 'round

Started out Oliver, ended up Fagin
Don't you worry, it's my problem
What's my name, what's my number?
I'm the lonely one

It's just at the end of the day
When the light makes its slow move away
That I know all I can say is
I took the wrong road 'round.'

 

Grant McLennan