Graham Parker - Beyond A Joke Lyrics

pre>d g
It's gone beyond a joke, it's gone beyond a laughing matter
D g
We had a flag out in the wind, now it's reduced to just a tatter
C c c
I get the feeling it's all getting out of control
C d g c
I want to be back where we can feel with our real senses ooooh
C d g c
I want to be back where we had every day defences

Chorus
C d c
What did we have? ooooh what did we do?
C d c
What kind of love could not pull us through?
G d a
It was another kind of world and nobody spoke, it was...

Getting beyond a joke, getting beyond a laughing matter, matter, matter
I walked out onto the street, the buildings, the people
Were reduced to tatters, tatters, tatters
It's almost like i am being crushed from inside
I want to touch your hand but it feels a skeleton's grasp ooooh
I want to be in command but i'm just a speck in a swell in a rasp

What did we have? ooooh what did we do?
What kind of love could not pull us through?
It was another kind of time and nobody spoke, it was

Verse
Getting beyond a joke, it was getting beyond a joke,
It was getting beyond a joke

Instrumental completes verse and chorus

Verse
It's getting beyond a joke, it's getting way beyond a laughing matter (x3)
Hands slip, feet trip, lips twist in a grimace every sound's a clatter (x3)
Paper and sky are torn in a terrible way
Everything's been reborn into a world that isn't quite dying
All of the clothes we've worn are too soaking wet to be dry in

Chorus 2
What did we have? ooooh what did we do?
What kind of love could not pull us through?
It was another kind of time and nobody spoke, it was...

Verse
Getting beyond a joke