Ugly Band - Mekons

Heat and dust

A shout above the din

Pushed into the corner

The creeping little thing

Down in the basement the ugly band plays

In the middle of the night

A light behind the door

Stubbing out a cigarette and stumbling to the floor

Outside in the desert

Out across the waves

We’re listening to the country boys and dancing on their graves

Down in the basement the ugly band plays

Me and my brother Clive

We were chased like dogs

Down by the harbour-side while the captain burned the log

The submarines go sailing

Out under the sea

Off to melt the ice cap and make the deserts bloom

Down in the basement the ugly band plays

On the surface of the atlas

Distorted by greed

Bright rainbow boundaries and deep hollow seas

And God is in his heaven

Blowing clouds around

Tuning in his radio and listening to the sounds

Down in the basement the ugly band plays

Tired of his music and licking its teeth

Heat and dust and broken finger nails

The tracks of my tears stretch out on dirty little roads

Down in the basement the ugly band plays

Tired of his music and licking its teeth