Roland & Curt Interviewed

Shout

[Spoken Interview: Roland Orzabal]
"I was hoping that somebody would say that, um, 'Shout' was the single for '84 in the sense that there have been... there were so many protest singles, and I think... 'Shout' was the most direct of all them."

[Chorus from "Shout": Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, Curt Smith]
Shout, shout, let it all out
Let it all out
These are the things I can do without
Come on (come on)
I'm talking to you, come on

The Working Hour

[Chorus from "The Working Hour": Roland Orzabal]
This is the working hour
We are paid by those who learn by our mistakes
This is the working hour
We are paid by those who learn by our mistakes

[Spoken Interview: Roland Orzabal]
"'The Working Hour' was thrown together during, um, rehearsals - erm, rehearsals for our last tour. Erm, and it came together in half an hour. That's- and we've kept it the same pretty much ever since. That's why it sounds- it actually sounds like a band playing."

[Verse 2 from "The Working Hour": Roland Orzabal]
This day and age for all
And not for one
All lies and secrets
Put on, put on and on

Everybody Wants to Rule the World

[Spoken Interview: Curt Smith]
"So I came in one- one day and they'd actually written a song around this beat and, um, it was very commercial, so they said: 'Here it is, you're singing this, go and do it'. So I did."

[Verse 2 from "Everybody Wants to Rule the World": Curt Smith]
It's my own design
It's my own remorse
Help me to decide
Help make the most
Of freedom and of pleasure
Nothing ever lasts forever
Everybody wants to rule the world

[Bridge from "Everybody Wants to Rule the World": Curt Smith]
There's a room where the light won't find you
Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down
When they do I'll be right behind you

Mothers Talk

[Spoken Interview: Roland Orzabal]
"It stems from two little ideas; one is something that English mothers say to their English children, which is, if you're pulling a face, you know, like children sometimes do, they say: 'You'll stay like that when the wind changes'.

That's one idea. And the other idea is exactly what you're talking about - 'When the Wind Blows' - which is cartoon book by Raymond Briggs which is an anti-nuclear thing. For instance, the lyrics 'When the weather starts to burn / Then you'll know that you're in trouble'. It's the closest we'll get to an anti-nuclear song."

[Except of Verse 1 from "Mothers Talk": Roland Orzabal]
Given that you pay the price
We can keep you young and tender
Following the footsteps of a funeral pyre
You were paid not to listen
Now your house is on fire

[Chorus 1 from "Mothers Talk": Roland Orzabal]
Wake me up when things get started
When everything starts to happen

I Believe

[Spoken Interview: Roland Orzabal]
"One of my favourite songs on the album. Very simple, a nice sort of jazz swing to it. Now, I don't wanna harp on about the lyrics or anything like that, but I think that they are the most potent and powerful lyrics we've ever put onto vinyl."

[Except of Verse 3 from "I Believe": Roland Orzabal]
I believe that if you thought for a moment, took your time
You would not resign yourself, resign yourself to your fate
And I believe that if it's written in the stars, that's fine
I can't deny that I’m a Virgo too

Broken

[Spoken Interview: Roland Orzabal]
"'Broken' was originally an old b-side which we put into overdrive. Again, that comes from doing a lot of live work with those numbers- ran into each other and worked so well. There's basically the same motif- piano motif in each number that's why they went together."

Head Over Heels

[Spoken Interview: Roland Orzabal]
"Yeah, 'Head Over Heels' is probably the closest we'll ever get to a love song, heh, it's a love song that kind of goes a bit perverse at the end."

[Excerpt of Verse 1 from "Head Over Heels": Roland Orzabal]
I wanted to be with you alone
And talk about the weather
But traditions I can trace against the child in your face
Won't escape my attention
You keep your distance with a system of touch

Listen

[Spoken Interview: Curt Smith]
"It was an instrumental originally, but em, Ian wrote - Ian Stanley. It's a beautiful instrumental, with just, you know, me creeping into a bit of lyrics in the middle, you know."

[Excerpt of the Outro from "Listen"]
Cumpleaños chica, no hay que preocuparse...
Soothe my feeling
Cumpleaños chica, no hay que preocuparse...
Cumpleaños chica, no hay que preocuparse...
Soothe my feeling
Cumpleaños chica, no hay que preocuparse...
Cumpleaños chica, no hay que preocuparse...
I feel it, soothe my feeling
Cumpleaños chica, no hay que preocuparse...
Soothe it, soothe it, soothe my feeling, now I feel it