ADD: Chase the dragon Keith Hancock

Subject: RE: ADD: Chase the dragon Keith Hancock
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Nov 25 - 12:56 AM

Many thanks to all.

Subject: RE: ADD: Chase the dragon Keith Hancock
From: DaveRo
Date: 29 Oct 25 - 04:54 AM

I knew the song from Clive Gregson's version and didn't know until I saw this thread yesterday that it is by Keith Hancock. It's why I wrote "this is what Clive sings": it may not be what Keith wrote or subsequently recorded. And it's live, so that might have caused mistakes. Clive is a Mancunian, which I thought might account for what sounds like 'cursed' instead of 'coursed'.

The version Mr Red found had 'cursed' - maybe that's right. Those lyrics were, I suspect, computer generated from youtube: I suppose they needed lyrics to hang the chords on. One thing the computer got right, and I got wrong, is that the last bit of each chorus has when you're chasing a dragon not the dragon. (Did Keith not want the phrase 'chasing the dragon' to appear anywhere is the song? It would have been the obvious title.)

It's a more complex song than I thought when I started correcting the chirdu version. I hadn't realised the first line of chorus varied to match the verse. But I've always thought "Don't try to deceive it, you'd better believe it" could be improved.

Subject: RE: ADD: Chase the dragon Keith Hancock
From: DaveRo
Date: 29 Oct 25 - 03:03 AM

Yes, it's by Keith Hancock. Someone added the title and their names underneath,

Subject: RE: ADD: Chase the dragon Keith Hancock
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Oct 25 - 11:33 PM

This Keith Hancock recording shows the composer at Keith Hancock:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0njYcce4JAg

Subject: ADD: Chase the Dragon (Keith Hancock)
From: DaveRo
Date: 28 Oct 25 - 10:49 AM

I have this on Home & Away by Clive Gregson and Christine Collister, which is a live performance. This is what Clive sings:

CHASE THE DRAGON
(Clive Gregson & Christine Collister)

How many more young lives will be squandered as youth turns on to a dream?
How much longer will deaf ears be turned, refusing to hear their screams?
And how long must I sit and watch my friends die while society sits on the fence?
We have to step in to fight for our children, they need more than love they need sense.

We have to warn them, white powder will scorn them, they must understand they are under attack.
Don't try to deceive it, you'd better believe it, when you're chasing the dragon, the dragon fights back.

They offered it all, the uppers and downers, did you have the strength to refuse?
In boozers and discos from London to Frisco, some win, some break even, some lose.
And as your friend succumbs*, and his senses were numb, did you look hard to see what he lacked?
For in ten years time, when he's dead and buried, you'll find you've the time to look back.

And you could have warned him, white powder would scorn him, for you understood he was under attack.
Don't try to deceive it, you'd better believe it, when you're chasing the dragon, the dragon fights back.

Did you look in the sky for the elephant's eye? Did the warmth come, did it make you feel good?
Did newspaper taxis appear on your shore, as the poison coursed** into your blood?
Do you find any glamour in the nurses who clamour round your bed, like the snowman had said?
For your left arm is gone and your right soon to follow, do you wish you had died there instead?

And I should have warned you, white powder would scorn you, for I understood you were under attack.
Don't try to deceive it, you'd better believe it, when you're chasing the dragon, the dragon fights back.

And we have to warn them, white powder will scorn them, they must understand they are under attack.
Don't try to deceive it, you'd better believe it, when you're chasing the dragon, the dragon fights back.

* I think Clive sings 'As your friends succumb' but 'friend succumbs' fits the rest of the line.
** He does seem to sing 'cursed' but 'coursed' makes more sense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MsAVBzlwgk

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Chase the dragon Keith Hancock
From: Mr Red
Date: 28 Oct 25 - 05:37 AM

Chasing the dragon on YouTube

Spotify

From from chirdu.com

How [C] many more [F] young lives will be squandered [Bb] as youth [Dm] turns on [C] to a dream? _ _
_ [Bb] _ How much [C]
longer will [F] deaf ears be turned, _ [Bb] _ refusing to [Dm]
hear [C] their screams? _ _
And [Bb] how [C] long must I sit [F] and watch my friends [Bb]
die [F] while society sits on [C] the fence? _
_ [Bb] We have to [C] step in [F] and fight for our children, [Bb] who need [C] more than love in [F] a sense. _ _ _
_ [Bb] We have to warn them, [Gm] [F] white powder will scald them, [Bb] we must _ understand they [F] are under [Am] attack.
[Bb] Don't try to deceive it, [F] you'd better believe it, [Bb] when you're chasing a dragon, [F] the dragon fights _ [Bb] back.
_ _ _ [F] _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Bb] They offered [C] it all, [F] the uppers and downers, [Bb] did you have [Dm] the strength to [C] refuse? _ _
_ [Bb] In boozes [C] and discos [F] from London to Frisco, [Bb] some win, some break [D] even, [C] some lose. _
_ [Bb] And as your [C] friends are gone, [F] and his senses [Bb] were numb, did [F] you try hard to see [C] what he'd allowed? _ _
_ [Bb] For in ten [C] years time, [F] when he's dead and buried, _ [Bb] find you [C] the time to [F] look back. _ _
_ _ [Bb] You could have warned him, [F] white powder would scald him, [Bb] but you [Gm] understood he [F] was under attack.
[Bb] Don't try to deceive it, [F] you'd better believe it, [Bb] when you're chasing a dragon, [G] the dragon fights [F] back.
_ [Bb] _ _ _ [F] _
[C] _ _ [F] _ _ _ _
Did [Bb] you look in [C] the sky for [F] your _ elephant's eye?
[Bb] Did the warmth come [Dm] that would make you [C] feel good? _ _
_ [Bb] Didn't [C] newspaper taxis [F] appear on your shore, [Bb] as the poison [Dm] cursed into your [C] bullet? _ _
Can you [Bb] find any [C] glamour [F] in the nooses [Bb] who clamour round [F] your bed, like the snowman [C] had said? _ _ _
[Bb] When your left [C] hand's gone and your [F] right soon to follow, [Bb] do you wish [C] you had died there _ [F] instead? _ _ _
_ [Bb] I should have warned you, [F] white powder would scorn you, [Bb] for I understood you [F] were under attack.
[Bb] Don't try to deceive it, [F] you'd better _ believe it, [Bb] when you're chasing a dragon, [F] the dragon fights back.
_ [Bb] We have to warn them, [F] white powder will scorn them, [Bb] we must understand they [F] are under attack.
[Bb] Don't try to deceive it, you'd [F] better believe it, [Bb] when you're chasing a dragon, _ [F] the dragon _ [C]
fights _ _ [F] back. _

My favourite of Keith's is "Le Petomane" (abut the Famous French farter!)

Subject: Lyr Req: Chase the dragon Keith Hancock
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Oct 25 - 03:14 AM

Looking for Chase the Dragon. Also memorably recorded by Collister and Gregson!