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Pulp: Countdown (song)

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Credits

Lyrics

Single version

Hush, keep very still, for the strangest things are about to happen

Oh, I was 17
when I heard the countdown start
It started slowly
and I thought it was my heart
But then I realised
that this time it was for real
There was no place to hide
I had to go out and feel
that there was time to kill
But I walked my way round town
and I tried to love the world
Oh, but the world just got me down
Oh, so I looked for you
in every street of every town
I wanna see your face
I wanna, I wanna see you now
Yeah, I wanna see you now

Oh and so it went
Oh, so it went for several years
I couldn't stand it
Oh, it must be getting near
Oh no, you just don't know
No, you just don't understand
how many times I've seen you
in the arms of some other man
I've got to meet you
and find you
and take you by the hand
My god, my god
you've got to understand
that I was 17
I didn't know a thing at all
I've got no reason
No reason at all
Oh no

Oh, the time of my life
I think you came too soon
(You came too soon there)
And it could be tonight
if I ever leave this room
(I never leave this room)
Oh, oh, oh, wasting all my time on all those stupid things that only get me down
(Get down, oh)
Oh, and the sky is crying out tonight for me to leave this town
(So I'm gonna go, really, bye bye)

Yeah, you can leave me
You can go some other place
You can forget it
Oh, that it's okay
because I own this town
I've brought it to its knees
Can you hear it crying? Yeah?
Can you hear it begging to me "please"
I know it's coming, so soon now
It's on its way
Oh no, my god, my god, I can hear them say
They say it's all a lie
They say I'll never leave the ground
They say I can't survive
But it's coming down
Oh baby now, please

Oh, the time of my life
I think you came too soon
(Yeah, you came too soon there)
And it could be tonight
if I ever leave this room
(I never leave this room)
Oh, oh, oh wasting all my time on all those stupid things that only get me down
(Get down, oh)
Oh, and the sky is crying out tonight for me to leave this town
(So you want me to go, yeah. Really, see you. Bye bye)

Okay, you don't have to care
Really, really I swear
You owe nothing, you owe nothing to me
And if I messed it up babe then
then that's all up to me
And if you go
then I won't follow, no
So many times, I've been thinking
I've been thinking maybe I should
No, I'm gonna stay
I'm gonna make my way
I'm gonna get on through babe
I'm gonna make it all some day

Oh baby now, time of my life
I think you came too soon
(Yeah, it came too soon babe)
And it could be tonight
Oh, if I ever leave this room
(I never, ever leave this room)
Oh, oh, oh wasting all the time on all those stupid things that only get me down
(Get down, oh)
Oh, and the sky is crying out tonight for me to leave this town
And I'm gonna leave this town
Oh, Jesus Christ now baby
Now time is crying out tonight for me to leave this town
And I'm gonna leave this town
Oh, Jesus Christ now baby
Now time is crying out tonight for me to leave this town
And this time, this time, I'm gonna go
I'm gonna leave this town
Oh

Ma ma ma ma ma ma ma ma

I'm not gonna hang around, no
Oh

Fly and fly and move and fly and never, ever land
Leaves and stars and moon are falling down

You've just heard one of the most remarkable applications in modern electronics

Album version

Oh, I was 17
when I heard the countdown start
It started slowly
and I thought it was my heart
But then I realised
that this time it was for real
There was no place to hide
I had to go out and feel
But there was time to kill
And so I, I walked my way round town
I tried to love the world
Oh, but the world just got me down
And so I looked for you
in every street of every town
I wanna see your face
I wanna, I wanna see you now
I wanna see you now

Oh and so it went
Oh, so it went for several years
I couldn't stand it, no
Oh, it must be getting near now
But you just don't know
Oh no, you just don't understand
how many people have seen you
in the arms of, of some other man
I've got to meet you
and find you
and take you by the hand
Oh my god, my god
you've got to understand
that I was 17
I didn't, didn't know a thing at all
I've got no reason
I've got no reason at all
Oh no

Oh, the time of my life
Oh, I think you came too soon
(Yeah, it came too soon then)
Oh and it could
it could be tonight
if I ever leave this room
(I never leave this room now)
Oh, oh, wasting all my time on all those stupid things that only get me down
(Get down, oh)
Oh, and the sky is crying out tonight for me to leave this town
(So I'm gonna leave this town... goodbye... okay)

Yeah, you can leave me
Oh, you, you can go some other place
You can forget it
Yeah, you know, you know that it's okay
Because I own this town
Yeah, yeah, I've brought it to its knees
Can you hear it crying? Can you?
Can you hear it begging to me "please"
I know it's coming, so soon now
Oh it's, it's on its way
Oh no, oh no, oh I can hear them say
they say I can't survive
They say I'll, I'll never leave the ground
They say it's all a lie
And now, and now it's coming down
Oh baby now, please

Oh, the time of my life
Oh, I think you came too soon
(Yeah, it came too soon then)
Oh and it could
Oh, it could be tonight
if I ever leave this room
(I never leave this room now)
Oh, oh, oh wasting all my time on all those stupid things that only get me down
(Get down, oh)
Oh, and the sky is crying out tonight for me to leave this town
(Do you want me to go? Yeah really, I'm gonna go. Bye, bye)

It's okay, you don't have to care
Really, oh really I swear
No, no, you owe me nothing, you owe nothing to me
Oh and if I messed it up baby then
then that's all up to me, yeah
And if you go
then I won't follow, no, no
So many times, I've been thinking maybe
oh, maybe I should
No, no I'm gonna stay
I'm gonna make my way, oh
I'm gonna get on through babe
I'm gonna make it some day

Oh, the time of my life
Oh no, I think you came too soon
(Yeah, it came too soon then)
Oh and it could
Oh, it could be tonight
if I ever leave this room
(I never, never leave this room now)
Oh, oh, oh wasting all the time on those stupid things that only get me down
(Get down, oh, oh)
Oh, and the sky is crying out tonight for me to leave this town
(So I'll leave this town)
The sky is crying out tonight for me to leave this town
And I'm gonna leave this town
And time is crying out tonight for me to leave this town
Do you want me to go? Yeah?
I'm gonna go, really, bye bye

I gonna leave this town, oh
I'm not gonna hang around
Fly in the stars and go where I can never, ever ever land
Leaves and stars and moon are falling down

Versions

Countdown (single version: radio edit)
Countdown (single version: extended)
Countdown (album version)
There is some confusion about the two versions of Countdown that appear on the single. It is often thought that bizarrely the extended eight minute version is the radio edit, but this is not the case. This misunderstanding comes from the fact that the tracks are listed in the wrong order on the case of the CD version of the single.

Notes

The "You've just heard one of the most remarkable applications in modern electronics" sample at the end of the single version is Rolf Harris speaking on a 1970 7" record that came with the Stylophone. The record contains instructions on how to use the Stylophone.

From the lyric:

Oh, it could be tonight
if I ever leave this room
(I never leave this room now)

cf What in the World from Low (1977) by David Bowie:

So deep in your room
You never leave your room

Links

Related pages

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Page last modified on May 19, 2023, at 10:41 PM