Social Responsibility

Social ResponsibilityIRS/MCA IRS-42016
Rough Trade ROUGH 111
Written, arranged and produced by
Mikel Rouse
EXITMUSIC RECORDINGS

“Social Responsibility is probably one of the best albums to emerge out of America in a long time
-Ron Rom, SOUNDS

“Social Responsibility is a guaranteed buy. Fans of thinking, structure and accessibility won’t have to know Steve Reich from Steve Stills to hear it.”
-James Hunter, L.A. WEEKLY

Following the release of Set The Timer/Uptight, the Maxi-Single on Sire/WB, the band switched labels moving to the more progressive Rough Trade in Europe and IRS/MCA in the states. Rouse was still fascinated with the seemingly endless uses of the Linn Drum machine (which he utilized on Broken Consort’s A Linclon Portrait as well as the groundbreaking Quorum two years before). Social Responsibility was met with some of the best press of the bands history and was on numerous Top Ten lists around the country. The release also saw the band embarking on a North American/Canadian tour supporting Adrian Belew and the Bears.

01. Somebody Tell Me
02. In Your Own Back Yard
03. My Mistake
04. Paper Boy
05. Edge Town
06. Wake Up
07. See My Problem
08. Spin Your Wheels
09. Uptight

Lyrics

SOMEBODY TELL ME

Somebody tell me baby
What does it mean, I mean
What does it mean
In a crowded room?

Talkin’ ‘bout nothin’
Out the side of your face
Just like you’re runnin’ a race
To see who’ll finish first

Somebody tell me baby
What does it mean, I mean
What does it mean
In your big black car?

You got more room
In that there automobile
While lookin’ for the next deal
The one that changes life

Oh oh
You’re countin’ the money before
You’ve even got it and what’s more
The thing that you thought were in store
Ain’t even begun

Somebody tell me baby
What does it mean, I mean
What does it mean
When the sun goes down?

You count on morning
You wake up with the dawn
Man you been livin’ too long
In this modern world

Somebody tell me baby
What does it mean, I mean
What does it mean
When you’re all alone?

Switch through the channels
Till the end of your life
You should have thought it through twice
Alright, turn up the sound

IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD

Lookin’ out the window
Maybe lookin’ down the hall
Check under the table
Where the things are bound to fall

You’re better off do nothin’
Yeah, you’ve heard it all before
Hey, give a little listen
While I try to bolt the door

Revise, rewrite the past
There’s no better way
Here’s the proof
Let us illustrate
There’s no time to waste

Wait and see…
In your own backyard
In your own backyard

Got a next door neighbor
And he’s getting’ on your nerves
Heard it on the radio,
They’re comin’ in their cars

See, now they’re within driving distance;
Look for them at dawn
You better shut your curtains
And you better mow the lawn

Revise, rewrite the past
There’s no better way
Here’s the proof
Let us illustrate
There’s no time to waste

Wait and see…
In your own backyard
In your own backyard

Don’t think I’d like Utah
Even though I like the west
‘Sgotten kinda crowded
What with all those dad blamed tests

The price you pay for freedom man
Is written on your face
They had you lookin’ one way
While they put the things in place

MY MISTAKE

Oh baby
Must be my mistake
Oh baby
Must be my mistake
Took you for granted
Must be my mistake
The eagle has landed
Must be my mistake

PAPER BOY

Where’s the good guy
Good guy dead
He’s gone fishin’
He’s parade
Must have somethin’
In his head

Where’s the paper boy?
Paper boy

Where’s the landfill?
Landfill there
String of pearls
“Round your neck
Makes me wonder
Where you’re at

Where’s the paper boy?
Paper boy

Guess I’m lucky
I’m immune
Let’s go dancin’
On the moon
It’s the last scene
Be there soon

Where’s the paper boy?
Paper boy

EDGE TOWN

The last couple of years
Well they’ve seen some twists turns
Who’d have thought our lives
Would end up in reverse

It’s just like that kind of rap
That you’d hear when you were young
“Just do what you’re told
And you will always get along”

Edge Town
Edge Town

Taking a look at the eyes
Of the faces that I know
We’re all thinking the same thing
No one says a word

Think about changing this place
Change it if I could
This is the land that time forgot
I’m here for good

Edge Town
Edge Town

And where doe sthe party go
When there’s no one left to lead
I seem to remember times
When the whole world felt like me

Edge Town
Edge Town

WAKE UP

You better
Wake up, wake up, wake up before your time
You better
Wake up, wake up, wake up, make up your mind
You better
Wake up, wake up, wake up, and find your ground
You better
Wake up, wake up, wake up and look around

And tell me
Who’s beside you
Beside you
Who’s beside you?

You better
Wake up, wake up, wake up and check your pulse
You better
Wake up, wake up, wake up or else
You better
Wake up, wake up, wake up, you’ve lost your ground
You better
Wake up, wake up, wake up and look around

And tell me
Who’s beside you
Besides you
Who’s beside you?

SEE MY PROBLEM

I know you odn’t see my problem

No, you don’t know you don’t see

No you don’t
See, see no you odn’t don’t
See no you
See no you don’t

No, you don’t
See, see no you don’t don’t
See no you
See no you don’t

I know you don’t see my problem

No, you don’t know you don’t see

No you don’t
See, see no you don’t don’t
See no you
See no you don’t

I know you don’t see my problem

No, you don’t know you don’t see

I know you don’t see my problem
I know you don’t see my problem

SPIN YOUR WHEELS

It’s time to take another look
You’ve been around, you wrote the book
And after all is said and done
You’ll still be there, you’re still the one

You run in place
You can’t go wrong
You scratch your head
The light goes on

It’s just the same, I tell myself
The year has changed, but nothing else
You helped yourself, that’s nothing new
And bring along a friend or two

You ask a lot to rescue me
You count it up, divide by three
It’s easy come and easy go
It’s easy if you run the show

You run in place
You can’t go wrong
You scratch your head
The light goes on

You spin your wheels
And take your time
You cast the play
Reel in the line

It’s time to take another look
You’ve been around, you wrote book
And after all is said and done
I’ll still be here, you’re still the one

UPTIGHT

If everybody takes a minute
If everybody has the right
And everybody keeps their heads on straight
And nobody gets uptight
Gets uptight

If everyone gives a little
Everybody gets a lot

A recipe for failure
A way to break the ice
A waiting line for millions
Who’ve been waiting all their lives
If everybody gives a little
Everybody gets a lot. Uh huh huh

If everybody thinks a little
Everybody gets around
A little news here and a little news there
And everybody is informed
They’re informed

If everybody gives a little
Everybody gets a lot

If you’ve got a little money
If the writings on the wall
If you’re waiting for the lightning to strike
You’ve been waiting way too long
If everybody gives a little
Everybody gets a lot. Uh huh huh huh

If everybody wants a future
And nobody wants to fight
A lot of people don’t know what they want
But they can change that overnight
Overnight

If everybody gives a little
Everybody gets a lot

You can take a long vacation
Go halfway ‘round the world
Get a condo on the upper east side
But you still won’t be my girl
If everybody gives a little
Everybody gets a lot. Uh huh huh huh

If everybody compromises
No shadow of a doubt
You can wash your hands forever baby
But the stains just won’t come out
It won’t come out

If everybody gives a little
Everybody gets a lot

And the time I skipped some payments
And the time I missed my rent
And the time I had for loving you
Well baby that time’s been spent
If everybody gives a little
Everybody gets a lot

Lyrics © 1986 Mikel Rouse
All rights reserved
Published by Club Soda Music (ASCAP)
Used by permission