One Step Behind

Still searching for the scene from a Giles cartoon
Where it's always four o'clock in the afternoon
In the long hot shadow of the neighbourhood stores
Back in England between the wars
You were young, you were strong and your skin was smooth
You were gonna stand still and make the mountain move
Tomorrow's juice on your breakfast tray
And the world was your bidet

Never wanna go treading where the ice is thin
Never wanna go stepping out upon a limb
Guess you'll always be one step behind
(Always be one step behind)
Never wanna climb down from your Cuban heel
Always gotta show the world how you really feel
Guess you'll always be one step behind
(Always be one step behind)

Take a train, do some thinking in the smoking car
Join the queue to discover 'who you really are'
You've got a hunch, but you can't be sure
Well, maybe you're the man next door?
Your head's in the freezer, but your heart's in flames
You fucked a lot of people and forgot their names
Your mouth's wide open, but you can't be heard
You've got to choose the perfect word

Never wanna go treading where the ice is thin
Never wanna go stepping out upon a limb
Guess you'll always be one step behind
(Always be one step behind)
Always gotta get home to see the Twilight Zone
Always gotta have a crease in your herringbone
Guess you'll always be one step behind
(Always be one step behind)

Never wanna go treading
(Always gotta have a crease)
Where the ice is thin
(In your herringbone)
I knew it was the hooker in you
That was bringing out the trick in me
Never wanna go stepping
(Always gotta get home)
Out upon a limb
(For the Twilight Zone)
Deep sighs and the heavy disguise
Hid the dollar signs in your eyes

When the phone stops ringing, you'll believe I've gone
But you can never stop me grinning from your Trinitron
Do the big black tears leave an ugly stain?
Now you're crying in the dark again
He saved your life, it's his to use
He knows you've gotta die slow to make the front page news
Standing on your face while you lick his shoes
You'll never win, he'll never lose

Never wanna go treading where the ice is thin
Never wanna go stepping out upon a limb
Guess you'll always be one step behind
(Always be one step behind)
Never wanna climb down from your Cuban heel
Always gotta show the world how you really feel
Guess you'll always be one step behind
(Always be one step behind)

I guess you'll always be one step behind
(Always be...)