Ray Davies's
Lyrics
Working Man's Café cover

Over the Edge

Ray Davies, released on Phobia, © Davray Music Ltd. 1993

.

Everybody is a victim of society

Comedy, tragedy, vaudeville and variety

Pantomime players in the grand tradition

Winners and losers till the intermission

.

Girl, I know the world's a stage

That's what the poet said

But I think our weird relationship

Is way above my head

I'll be your Casanova whipping by

If that's what you desire

But once I start performing

I can't easily retire

.

I'll swing on a trapeze

I'll jump through hoops

And I'll eat fire

Be a human cannon ball

And walk on the high wire

Put on make-up, wear a wig

I'll be your tragic clown

But once you've got me up there

I can't easily come down

.

Don't drive me over the edge of it

Can't you see I've got mixed-up emotions

Joined the crowd just to be part of it

That was the start of it

Oh, now I'm over the edge

(Don't drive me over the edge of it)

Oh, over the edge

.

The world is turning upside-down

Civilization's dead, over the edge

Economic turmoil, now the world is in the red

Democracy's a shadow of its former glory

Law and orders broken-down

End of story

.

My next door neighbour's totally snapped

He's gone over the edge

He's putting up barbed wire barricades

Around the garden hedge

And planting land mines on the lawn

He's gone barmy

According to his wife, he's formed a secret army

Ever since he got laid off

Something inside snapped

His wife says he's gone 'round the twist

Now there's no turning back

All night he waits in the garden shed

For the enemy to attack

A suburban vigilante

Dressed up in a union jack

He's over the edge, oh, over the edge

.

Don't drive me over the edge of it

Woman, you are gonna drive me

Totally over the edge

Is it yes or is it no

Are you gonna take the pledge

The pressures of society are getting to your brain

And forced you to act weird

And put me under all this strain

But don't drive me over the edge of it

Stop while I've still got emotions

Joined the crowd, just to be part of it

That was the start of it

Oh, over the edge

Don't drive me over the edge of it

.

Everybody is a victim of society

Comedy, tragedy

Vaudeville, variety

Pantomime players in the grand tradition

Forced into roles that leave them totally driven

Right over the edge

.