Johnny Mathis' Feet
Live version (3:39)
[recorded at London, Shepherd's Bush Empire, 20/10/1996, on Everybody Knows (Except You)]
Neil: This is called ‘Johnny Mathis’ Feet’ and it’s by The American Music Club.
I lay all my problems at Johnny Mathis’ feet.
I said: “Johnny, Johnny tell me. Can you tell me how to live?
All my hopes are unravelling and I just lost my lease
Of my house without love, doors, windows, without peace.”
And with a wave his jewel-encrusted hand across a glittering Las Vegas scene,
He said: “you’ve got to learn how to disappear in the silk and amphetamines.”
Johnny looked at my songs and he said at first guess:
“Never in my life have I seen such a mess.
Why do you say everything as if you were a thief,
Like what you stole has no value, like what you preach is far from belief?”
And with a wave of his real wide blue hand across a glittering Shepherd’s Bush scene,
He said, “you’ve got to learn how to disappear in the silk and amphetamines,
In the silk and amphetamines.”
Johnny looked at my collection
Of old punk rock posters,
Anonymous scenes of disaffection,
Chaos and torture
And he said:
“Well, you were on the right track but you’re a lamb jumping for the knife.
A true showman knows how to disappear in the spotlight,
In the spotlight,
In the spotlight,
In the spotlight,
In the spotlight.”