Man Who Dies Every Day

Someone stood beside me for a moment in the rain
A silhouette, a cigarette, and a gesture of disdain
I felt a dark door open, saw a sudden ghost come through
A spark leapt from my fingertip and I knew it must be you

Ain't you the man who dies every day?
You're the man who dies every day
You're the man

We never saw you walk in, we never saw you leave
You flick the ashes off a lap on everybody's sleeve
You always play that funny pack of cards without an ace
And every street you ever walked is mapped out on your face

'Cause you're the man who dies every day
You're the man who dies every day
You're the man

You always kept a sunset behind your lonely shoulder
You never showed on photographs and you never grew much older
You flicker like a shaky shadow, moving like a thief
You never drop your facade and you never seek relief

'Cause you're the man who dies every day
You're the man who dies every day
You're the man who dies every day
You're the man who dies every day
You're the man


All the boys are wearing their utility drag
The girls slip identikits from their utility bags
Some refugees from suburbia are laughing
Examining each other's gags
Vibrate on sulphate when it gets late
And their velocity begins to sag

Chorus:

And it goes on all night, all night
And it goes on and on, the artificial life

Mary Mary got so confused
About the fusion game, what a game
Blunked on booze, she talks like a newsreel
She'll take up any kind of bleak exchange
She turned to perfection once
But realised she'd only turned to pain
She ran through divine light, chemicals, Warhol, scientology, her own sex
Before she turned away

(Chorus)

I've learned to be a stranger
I've learned to be a stranger
I've learned to be a stranger
I've learned to be a stranger
Stranger still

I should have left here years ago
But my imagination won't tell me how
This whirlpool's got such seductive furniture
It's so pleasant getting drowned
So we drink and sink and talk and stalk
With interchangeable enemies and friends
Trying on each other's skins
While we're dying to be born again.

(Chorus)