From the recording Coming Up From Down Under
...so finally, at the end of the album, I have the gaul, to preach about someone else’s emotional values! This song WAS written first, but by the time the album was finished, I had come a long way myself. There were still more questions than answers. My final answer was to 'shut up and play the guitar'... and that is how the album concludes...
There are a couple of 'in the biz' music quotes here. The 'cars and girls' refers to Paddy McAloon from Prefab Sprout talking about Springsteen. I had to raise the point that 'cars and girls hurt more than Paddy sings..
Lyrics
MARLENE Al Steele 6/6/91
You know you can't win
But you have to jump in
She just wants to drown in her tears
And who am I now, to save her, don't save her
You think you're so cool
Aah but don't you be a fool
She just wants to fall apart
And who am I now, to hold her, don't hold her
She looked up as if to say
All things come to those who wait
So should he go or stay
The hour was getting late
And you know that that fool wants her heart
But the hero is smart
She just wants to run back to him
And who am I now, to stop her, don't stop her
Oh oh oh oh, Marlene
It seems these days you have nowhere to go
And it doesn't have to be that way
But we turn away and make it so
Oh oh oh oh, Marlene
You know sometimes you don't even try
Life is more than black and white
More than up all night, more than apple pie
She can't hear his lies
She won't open her eyes
She wants to go back to her dream
And who am I now, to wake her, don't wake her
BRIDGE
CHORUS
Oh oh oh oh, Marlene
Some things you have to find out for yourself
A lover has to lose a friend
Or in the end, there's nothing else
Oh oh oh oh, Marlene
You'll wake up and wonder what the fighting brings
Those cars and girls I'm sure
They hurt much more, than Paddy sings