Steven Tyler had been having trouble trying to write lyrics during the sessions for Night In The Ruts. He worked on this song for two months until he finally got the idea to tell the story of how Aerosmith got their big break at a club in New York City. He was so excited by this breakthrough, he has...
1971, we all heard the starters gun
New York was such a pity
But at Max's Kansas City we won
We all shot the shit at the bar
With Johnny O' Toole and his scar
And then old Clive Davis said
He's surely gonna make us a star
I'm going to make you a star
Just the way you are
But with all his style
I could see in his eyes
That we is going on trial
And it was no surprize
The boys kept kicking ass
As usual time would tell
But some bitch in the choir
Throw water on the fires of hell
She loved to show and tell
Lord, she loved to tell
But with all our style
You could see in our eyes
That we is still on trial
And it was no surprize
No surprize
No surprize
No surprize
Midnight lady, situation fetal
Vaccinate your ass with your phonograph needle
I say look here, friend of mine
You scratch like you need calamine
Flamingo boots, soles a creaking
Still in love and Puerto Rican too
Riding on wheels of hell
Smoking our axle grease
Oh, the backstage is rocking
And we're copping from the local police
That's right, the local police
Or the justice of peace
But with all our style
You could see in our eyes
That we is still on trial
And it was no surprize
No surprize
No surprize
No surprize
Rock n' roll, junkie whore
Got my foot inside the door
Knock knock, knock knock, knock
Nobody's keeping score
Bad times go away
Come again some other day
Topaz and sazzafraz
Will keep the blues away
Candy store, rock n' roll
Corporation jellyroll
Play the singles, it ain't me
It's programmed insanity
You ASCAP, Or BMI
Could ever make a mountain fly
If Japanese can boil teas
Then where the fuck's my royalties...aar
No Surprize was written by Steven Tyler & Joe Perry.
No Surprize was produced by Gary Lyons & Aerosmith.
Aerosmith released No Surprize on Thu Nov 01 1979.
The song was written about Aerosmith getting signed to a record deal at a club in New York City. Tom Hamilton shared:
…we were on the brink of being evicted, and we were in a local music store asking around about a place to rehearse and this guy said, “Go ask my brother; he stays with this manager...