OUTSIDE OF THE INSIDE
As sung by Richard Thompson on The Richard Thompson Band's album "Ducknapped!" (2003)

God never listened to Charlie Parker. Charlie Parker lived in vain.
Blasphemer, womaniser, let a needle numb his brain.
Wash away his monkey music. Damn his demons. Damn his pain.

And what's the point of Albert Einstein? What do we need physics for?
Heresy's his inspiration, corrupt and rotten to the core.
Curse his devious mathematics. Curse his deadly atom war.

CHORUS: There's a message on the wind calling me to glory somewhere.
There are signs too deep for the dumb, like perfume in the air.
And when I get to Heaven, I won't realise I'm there.

Shakespeare, Isaac Newton—small ideas for little boys,
Adding to the senseless chatter, adding to the background noise.
Hard to hear my oratory, hard to hear my inner voice.

Van Gogh, Botticelli, scraping paint onto a board.
Colour is the fuel of madness. That's no way to praise the Lord.
Grey's the colour of the pious, knelt upon the misericord. CHORUS

I'm familiar with the cover. I don't need to read the book.
I police the world of action. Inside's where I never look.
Got no time to help the worthless lotus-eaters, Mandarins, crooks. CHORUS