Joe Jackson – The Man Who Wrote Danny Boy (Guitar)

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It happened one night at three in the morning

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The devil appeared in my studio room

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And he said, "I'm your pal,

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and I'll make you a deal

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Blow away all your struggles

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And take your soul for a toy."

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After rubbing my eyes

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I looked all around me

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At the half-finished drivel

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I'd worked on for days,

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And I told him my dream

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Was to live for all time

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In some perfect refrain like

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The man who wrote Danny Boy

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And I said, "If you're real,

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Then I'll ask you a question:

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While most of us turn

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into ashes or dust,

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Just you and that other guy

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Go on forever

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But who writes the history,

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And whom do I trust?"

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He gave me a wink

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And he said it was funny

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How mortals could pour

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All their blood, sweat and tears

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Into tape, onto paper,

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Or into the air

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To be lost and forgotten

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Outside of his kind employ.

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Then I thought I could hear

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A great sound in the distance

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Of whiskey-soaked singing and

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Laughter and cheer

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And they're saying that song

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Could bring tears to a glass eye

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So pass me the papers,

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I'll sign them in blood

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And the smell of the brimstone

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Has turned into greasepaint

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And the roar of the crowd

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Like the furies of hell

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And I hear the applause

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And I hear the bells ringing

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And the sound of a woman's voice

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From the next room,

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"Come to me now,

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Come lay down beside me

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Whatever you're doing,

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You're too gone to see

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You can't hold on to shadows,

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No more than to years

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So be glad for the pleasures

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We're young enough to enjoy."

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So maybe I'm drunk

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Or maybe a liar

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Or maybe we're all

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Living inside a dream

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You can say what you like

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When I'm gone then you'll see

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I'll be down in the dark

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Down underground

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With Shakespeare and Bach and

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The man who wrote Danny Boy.