Lyr Req: Who Was That Man? (Nick Lowe)

Subject: Lyr Req: Who Was That Man? by Nick Lowe
From: SouthernCelt
Date: 17 Feb 09 - 10:37 AM

Does anyone know a source for "Who Was That Man?" by Nick Lowe? ...Or any of his other songs? Every site I Googled said the lyrics weren't available or "were missing" whatever that means. Of course a lot of these sites listed multiple Lowe songs in their db list but don't really have them so I have to think they have an undeserved pride in their ability to create song lists w/o substance. Anyway, if anyone can help, thanks..

BTW, this song is closer to a "folk" song than most of Lowe's stuff since he tends to write a lot of rock and pop-love ballads.

SC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Was That Man? by Nick Lowe
From: NormanD
Date: 17 Feb 09 - 11:45 AM

Sorry, I can't help with the words. Which LP is it on? If it's on "Party Of One", I have the cassette (somewhere) which may have the words in it.

I think Nick Lowe is a fine English bard. What makes this particular song more "folk" than many of his others, only your ears can tell us. Have you heard "Rose Of England"? It became a "folk" song when recorded by The Oyster Band, but it remains a largely unheard classic: an evocative melody with biting social comment.

And as for "All Men Are Lies"..... has a better feminist song been written?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Was That Man? by Nick Lowe
From: Acorn4
Date: 17 Feb 09 - 01:01 PM

Also worth investigating some of the early stuff that Nick wrote when he was a member of Brinsley Schwarz. A lot of the songs on "Despite it All" are very folky including "Ebury Down" and "Old Jarrow" -there's also a great song called "Nightingale" on their album "Silver Pistol" -

he wrote a lot of "polyfilla" later in his career, but there are some real gems if you search.

He did, of course also became as son in law of Johnny Cash.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Was That Man? by Nick Lowe
From: SouthernCelt
Date: 18 Feb 09 - 08:38 AM

Hey, NormanD, the album is Party of One"; after your comment I went and dug out the CD cover and, lo and behold, there are the lyrics to the whole album. Thanks for offering to check the tape but I can take it from here. Would anyone want me to post the lyrics after I transcribe them to a document?

"All Men Are Liars" is a catchy song but given Lowe's personality (at least as much of it as I've seen in brief TV interviews) I have to believe he did that one with tongue firmly in cheek to satirize the whole hard-core feminist opinion of men.

SC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Was That Man? by Nick Lowe
From: NormanD
Date: 18 Feb 09 - 10:58 AM

Yes, you could be right on "All Men Are Liars". It certainly nails Rick Astley though. But it could have been one of those songs which, despite the intentions of the writer, will always be seen in a different light.

He still performs "(What's So Funny About) Peace Love and Understanding" with sincerity, though his motives for writing it may have been somewhat different in the early 70s.

"The Beast In Me" is another good 'un. Inspired - I'm guessing - by his attempts at giving up boozing. His former father-in-law cut a good version.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Was That Man? by Nick Lowe
From: Acorn4
Date: 18 Feb 09 - 12:41 PM

Here's the man himself:-

Nick Lowe: All Men are Liars.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Was That Man? by Nick Lowe
From: Acorn4
Date: 18 Feb 09 - 12:54 PM

and...

Rose of England.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Was That Man? by Nick Lowe
From: NormanD
Date: 19 Feb 09 - 03:37 AM

Excellent! Thanks for the link on "Rose of England". Very folky indeed, no?

Does anyone know what guitar chords he's using, please?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Was That Man? by Nick Lowe
From: Acorn4
Date: 19 Feb 09 - 06:49 AM

It's played in the key of E on this clip, so the chords will be the usual E/A/B7 -the minor barre will be C# minor (barre at 4th and A min shape) - a D to go into the middle section "God knows..." - we do it in A (G capo 2) and chords will therefore be G/C/D with E min as the minor with a passing F to go into the middle section - depends where your voice range is.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Was That Man? by Nick Lowe
From: NormanD
Date: 19 Feb 09 - 06:53 AM

"we do it...." Well, that pleases me to know it's being played publicly.

Thanks for chord tips. I'll get playing now.

Subject: Lyr Add: WHO WAS THAT MAN (Nick Lowe)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 20 Feb 09 - 03:36 PM

Lyrics found at LyricWiki.org and corrected a bit by me based on the recording found at YouTube


WHO WAS THAT MAN?
Nick Lowe

CHORUS: Who was that? Who was that man?
Nobody knows all across this land.
Was that an unknown man?
Who was that? Who was that man?

1. It was a wild and wet November night,
And the rush hour was at its height.
King's Cross the venue that
The finger of death was pointed at.
Among the crowd was a lonely soul
With a mission in mind and a place to go.
Nobody knows where he was bound
When his fateful steps took him underground.

CHORUS: Who was that? Who was that man?
Nobody loved him all across this land.
Was that an unloved man?
Who was that? Who was that man?

2. Through the open gates the victims poured,
The high and the mighty and the skinned and scored.
Up on the escalator they stood.
That brown old thing was made of wood.
A cigarette butt had lit a fireball,
Went all the way up to the ticket hall.
Mamas and papas and children died,
But there was one left there for whom no one cried.

CHORUS: Who was that? Who was that man?
Nobody claimed him all across this land.
Was that an unclaimed man?
Who was that? Who was that man?

3. The authorities through debris
On radio and TV did pick.
Exclusive pictures in the papers
That made the general public tick.
The powers that be were all aghast
About-a how this thing had come to pass,
But none of them seemed to care at all
About the lonesome face on the station wall.

CHORUS: Who was that? Who was that man?
Nobody loved him all across this land.
Was that an unknown man?
Who was that? Who was that man?

CHORUS: Who was that? Who was that man?
Nobody loved him all across this land.
Was that an unloved man?
Said nobody loves him. Who was that man?


[As sung by Nick Lowe on "Party of One," 1990. The fire happened in 1987. The man was finally identified in 2004. The story is in The Guardian.]