RORY GALLAGHER: Top Priority (1979)

1. Follow Me
2. Philby
3. Wayward Child
4. Keychain
5. At the Depot
6. Bad Penny
7. Just Hit Town
8. Off the Handle
9. Public Enemy No. 1
10. Hellcat
11. The Watcher

FOLLOW ME
I want to plant to the star in the sky,
One you can find at the end of the night.
I want to climb a ladder to space,
Leave without trace, 'cos now is the time.
Things are gonna be so clear,
When I'm light years from here,
In some other space.
Let me take the tear from your eye,
Leave it behind, stay by my side.

Won't you follow me where I'm bound,
Time's for borrowing now.
Won't you follow me, time is tight,
Before things swallow me down.

I've been locked in this cage,
Gonna break away, before it's too late.
I'm gonna re-write the page,
Take the stage, and live tomorrow today.
You'll find the dreams you mislaid,
They won't run away, all the dues have been paid.
Yes, it's time to depart, go with your heart,
Follow the flame.

Won't you follow me where I'm bound,
Time's for borrowing now.
Won't you follow me, time is tight,
Before things swallow me down.

Won't you follow me where I'm bound,
Time's for borrowing now.
Won't you follow me, time is tight,
Before things swallow me down.

Won't you follow me where I'm bound,

Time's for borrowing now.

PHILBY
Now ain't it strange that I feel like Philby, there's a stranger in my soul
I'm lost in transit in a lonesome city, I can't come in from the cold
I'm deep in action on a secret mission, contact's broken down
Time drags by, I'm above suspicion, there's a voice on the telephone

Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah

Well it sure is dark in this clockwork city, contact's never gonna show
I've got a code which can't be broken, my eyes never seem to close
Well, I'm standing here in the silent city, shadows falling down
I'm disconnected but I don't need pity, the night's gonna burn on slow

Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah

Now ain't it funny that I feel like Philby, a stranger on a foreign shore
I've got my plans and I must move quickly, there's a knock upon the door
Still in transit and I'm close to danger, my cover can't be blown,
It's getting strange and it's getting crazy, tell me, what is going on?

Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah

Four o'clock and nothing's moving, six o'clock and the daylight's stirring
Morning comes, must be moving on
All night long my mind's been burning, makes me feel such a long, long way from home, home

Now ain't it strange that I feel like Philby, there's a stranger in my soul
I'm lost in transit in a lonesome city, I can't come in from the cold

WAYWARD CHILD
Well, you always were a problem,
Always running wild,
Trouble is your middle name
You know you're a wayward child.
Well, you always get your feet wet,
You always play with knives,
Well watch that you don't cut yourself,
You know you're a wayward child,
They call you the wayward child.

Well you always go you're on way,
Sometimes you play with fire,
Well, can you run forever,
Before you run right out of time,
Oh, will you run right out of time,

No one's gonna change you,
It ain't no use,
Well, who is gonna tame you,
Tie you in a noose.

Well, nothing's gonna change you,
It ain't no use,
Oh, no one's gonna tame you,
Tie you in a noose.

Well, you always were a problem,
Never meek and mild,
Life is just a street fight,
Well, you know you're the wayward child,
They call you the wayward child.

You always get your feet wet,
You always play with knives,
Well watch that you don't cut yourself,
You know you're the wayward child,
You know you're the wayward child,

You look like a wayward child.

KEYCHAIN
I need a keychain, to lock up all this trouble.
I need a fast train, leaving on the double.
I'm going someplace, that's hard to follow.
Got that feeling, that I should be long gone.
I'm as bad as I can get, playing Russian roulette.
I need a keychain, baby right now.

I'm playing no games, this ain't no water pistol.
Ain't it insane, there's no chance of missing.
No one holds me, you ain't got my number.
If you see me, just run for cover.

Well I'm as wild as I can get, I'm playing Russian roulette.
I got no keychain, baby right now.
Owww....

Owww...
Well I'm in a guided missile, and I'm lost in the sky.
I won't be returning, until things feel right.
I got a poison pen letter, ain't that all I need.
Some pretty woman's, trying to make a ghost of me.

I got no keychain, to lock up all my sorrow.
I need a fast plane, I'm leavin' in a hurry.
I'm going some place, where you can't follow.
I got that feeling, that I should be long gone.

Well I'm as mad as I can get, I'm playing Russian roulette.

Need a keychain, baby, all mine

AT THE DEPOT
Well, I'm hanging round the depot boys,
Trying to get a job,
I`m so sick and tired of being laid off.
No silver lining, no rainbow's end,
Bills in my mail-box, that's all they ever send,
All they ever send.

Well, I'm hanging round the corner, boys,
Holding up the well,
Feeling kinda sloppy, waiting for a call.

Running out of patience, running out of cool,
Don't turn on the radio, I don't want to hear the news,
Don't want to hear the news.
Yeah...

Well, you sure look good,
Baby, sure look neat,
Sure make sense from your head to your feet.

You don't want to know me now,
But you're gonna change your mind,
I'm going to Fat City, gonna do things in style.

Well, you sure look good,
Baby, sure look neat,
Making all the ice melt when you walk down the street.

You don't want to know me now,
But you`re gonna change your mind,
I'm going to Fat City, gonna do things in style.
Yeahhh...

Well, my motor won't run men,
I'm sure it's on the blink,
Ain't had no gasoline since God knows when.

I'm waiting for that woman, ain't she ever gonna show?
Don't keep me waiting, I got some place else to go,
Some place else to go.

Well, I'm hanging round the depot, boys,
Can't get a job,
I'm so sick and tired of being laid off.

No silver lining, no rainbow's end,
Blues in my mail-box. that's all they ever send,
All they ever send,

All they ever send.

BAD PENNY
Well, like a bad penny you have turned up again
You're in my sights, there's a mist on my lens
I think you know how it was when I tripped and fell
Well, you double-dealed me, baby and I broke like a shell

Like a bad penny you've sure lost the glow
But I'm out of reach, your smile's sure gone cold
Well, it can't ever be like it was then
Well, don't you fool with me, baby
Don't you mess with my plans

Some stormy nights, your memory haunts me, you won't go away
Well, like a bad penny you have turned up in the change
Try to fit into the picture, you can't get inside the frame
I think you know I'm still sore, but I'm on the mend
Times sure have changed, it won't happen again

Well, like a bad penny spins around and around
Well, you won't know what's gone wrong when it all falls down
You got to learn from now on to stop playing games
You ought to keep on moving, you got to spin on your way

Some lonely nights, I hear you calling
Won't you go away?

Well, like a bad penny you have turned up again
You're in my sights, there's a mist on my lens
I think you know how it was when I tripped and fell

Well, you double-dealed me, baby, I cracked like a shell

JUST HIT TOWN
Well, I just hit town and I flew in by the seat of my pants,
Well, I just touched down and got me some crazy plans.
I'm an ace, I'm a deuce, I'm a buzzin` all over the land,
And it ain't no use to change the way I am.
The way I am.....oh yeah...
Well, I just touched base, been in motion for a hundred days,
I'm wound up like a motor or a rocket in outer space.
I'm an ace, I'm a deuce, wont you put my mind at ease,
Well, I cant slow down, got to take some more of these.
More of these....oh yeah....ahhhhhh....

Wont you give me the green light, give me a chance to move,
Turn on your love-light, you know that I approve.

Well, I just touched ground and I got in by the seat of my pants,
I ain't broken down but I found a new place to land.
I'm an ace, I'm a deuce. I'm a crazy free-range man,
And it ain't no use to change my open plan.
Open plan....oh yeah....

Well, I'm feeling kinda crazy, want to go on a mad-cap spree,
Step on my air-brakes, I gonna let off some steam.
I'm an ace, I'm a deuce, I'm flyin` all over the land
And it ain't no use to change the way I am.
I'm an ace, I'm a deuce, I'm flyin` all over the land
And it ain't no use to change the way I am.
Yeah.....
The way I am.

Thank you mam.

OFF THE HANDLE
Well, I fly off the handle a little too quick,
Just call me a nervous man.
For the last week or two, it don't take too much,
To make me wanna raise the sand.

Yeah...

Well, it's one of those days,
When you`d rather not be,
So low down and dirty,
Your luck's out at sea.

Owwww....

Well, I fly off the handle a little too fast,
You know, friends say I look like an angry man.
Like a bad memory you turned up again,
I find it hard not to raise my hand.

Well, it's one of those towns,
Where you'd rather not stay,
Come back and see it some other day.

Oh Yeah... oh come on...

It's one of those nights
When you know you're alone,
Feeling half-crazy, just body and soul.

Well, my cat won't scratch, or show its claws,
It just prowls round the house all day.
For the last night or two, I can't eat or drink,
I think I'm gonna fade away.

Well, it's one of those things
Where you'd rather not be,
So low down and lonesome,

Your luck's out at sea.

PUBLIC ENEMY No. 1
Well she's nothing much,
But she looks like a gangster's moll.
Well there ain't no doubt about it,
I know she ran with Mad Dog Coll.
She's the driver of the getaway car,
Public enemy number 1.

Well, she's fact and she's fiction,
All wrapped up into one.
Sound, lights and vision,
Street car collisions and all.

We got the G-men on a mission,
They can't catch up at all.
Well, won't you have that motor twitchin',
For public enemy number 1, number 1.

Well the marked man unmarked car,
Waiting out in the cold got his work cut out,
Well a travel guide to a shooting star,
Is the only clue we left about.

It's a battle of wits, a psyche-out,
Synchronised tension's taking hold,
It's a battle of wits, a psyche-out,
Synchronised tension's taking hold, taking hold.

B-girl oh B-girl,
Be my permanent alibi.
Well you got to keep your eyes peeled,
Stay alert at the wheel tonight.

Keep the key in the ignition,
We won't get no remission this time.
Won't you have that motor twitchin',
When I come running by.

I come running by...yeah.

HELLCAT
Well there's a hellcat, loose cat, hear it wail
It can stop you down the street, you cannot get away
Well it's gonna get to you, got the demon power
You got to run, run, brother you know your soul's on fire
You got to run, run, brother you know your soul's on fire

Well there's a strange, strange feeling chilling your hands
A shadow in your doorway, freeze you where you stand
You play your dice with the devil, now it's much too late
Well don't you know you got a hellcat on your trail
Well don't you know you got a hellcat on your trail

The sound that haunts you from the dark will dawn
Don't go away no more when the morning comes
There's a step on the stairs, a storm in your sails
That you know you got a hellcat by the tail
Yeah, you've done and got a hellcat on your trail

Oh yeah

Well there's a hellcat, loose cat, hear it moan
Stalking your shadow all night long
It's the darkest feeling this side of hell
Well don't you know you got a hellcat by the tail
You know you've got a hellcat by the tail
Well hellcat
Well hellcat
Well hellcat

Well hellcat

THE WATCHER
Is there a car straight under a light that's burning?
Prepared by your soul for all the secrets you're holding.
Step back in time machine for a mind that's frozen.
This is a mind that will challenge the full moon.
Capture on acid a man whose mind is exploding.
This is a life from the edge of the map that's turning.
There on a map they check on the eye of the beholding.
This is a flag for a mind that's frozen.
Don't look for more deep in the sun it's turning.
Ants all over your eyes broken ???

They're watching,
They've got you now.

They're showing pictures on a screen,
Time slips and places where you've been.

They're little secret of Saigon.
You trust them mostly to Hong Kong.

Guess what's right in the market place?
Selling secrets at the lowest price.
Eye to eye, come on it's your weakness.
A childish game, marked with foolish ??
Walking city, cat 'n' mouse charming.

They've got you - they've got you now.

They'll watch you - they've got you now.