Text: Graham Parker. Beyond a Joke.

It's gone beyond a joke
It's gone beyond a laughing matter, matter, matter, matter
We had a flag out in the wind
Now it's reduced to just a tatter, tatter, tatter, tatter

I get the feeling it's all getting out of control
I want to be back where we can feel with our real senses, ooh
I want to be back where we had every day defenses

What did we have? Ooh, what did we do?
What kind of love could not pull us through?
It was another kind of world and nobody spoke, it was

Getting beyond a joke
Getting beyond a laughing matter, matter, matter
I walked out onto the street, the buildings, the people
Were reduced to tatters, tatters, tatters

It's almost like I am being crushed from inside
I want to touch your hand but it feels a skeleton's grasp ooh
I want to be in command but I'm just a speck in a swell in a rasp

What did we have? Ooh, what did we do?
What kind of love could not pull us through?
It was another kind of time and nobody spoke, it was

Getting beyond a joke, it was
Getting beyond a joke, it was
Getting beyond a joke

It's getting beyond a joke
It's getting way beyond a laughing matter, matter, matter, matter
Hands slip, feet trip, lips twist in a grimace
Every sound's a clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter

Paper and sky are torn in a terrible way
Everything's been reborn into a world that isn't quite dying, ooh
All of the clothes we've worn are too soaking wet to be dryin'

What did we have? Ooh, what did we do?
What kind of love could not pull us through?
It was another kind of time and nobody spoke, it was

Getting beyond a joke, it was
Getting beyond a joke, it was
Getting beyond a joke, it was
...