Warren wanted a Beach Boys thing for this one, and Carl Wilson and Billy Hinsche came in, with Carl arranging the vocal parts. The other harmony vocalists (credited as the "Gentlemen Boys") were Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Zevon's longtime backers Waddy Wachtel and Jorge Calderon, and Linda Rondstadt/Stone Poneys guitarist Kenny Edwards.
Tell me what you want
Tell me what you want
Tell me, tell me what you want
She's the one, never gets what she wanted
She's the one, doesn't get what she does have
She's got a daughter with the eyes of a genius
She's got a mother, don't matter, it's where it all breaks down
Where it all breaks down
Mommy dearest, caught in Vegas, she's a fright fiend
Overrated and refined, she's a dope fiend
No one said they wonder why she's a bad dream
Someone wake me up, it's hot, it's hell here
I don't wanna go where there's smoke and mirrors
Take me to the desert where air is clear
I'd rather hang out on the strip when the cokehead clears
Than take an order from the killer, your atmosphere is rotten
You may want me
But I don't want you back
She's a tramp, kind of lean, leaves a bad taste
After hours, prop her up, she's in another place
???
Wanna get there faster, but she can't come down
But she can't come down (Hey)
I don't wanna go where there's smoke and mirrors
Take me to the desert where air is clear
I'd rather hang out on the strip when the cokehead clears
Than take an order from the killer, your atmosphere is rotten
You may want me
But I don't want you back
You may need me
But I don't need you back
You may love me
But I don't love you back
Tell me what you want
Tell me what you want
Tell me, tell me what you want
I don't wanna go where there's smoke and mirrors
Take me to the place where air is clear
I'd rather hang out on the strip when the cokehead clears
Than take an order from the killer, your atmosphere is poison
I don't wanna go where there's smoke and mirrors
Take me to the desert where air is clear
I'd rather hang out on the strip when the cokehead clears
Than be a traitor to my gender, I'm outta here
Smoke and mirrors
Tell me what you want
Tell me, tell me what you want
She's the one, never gets what she wanted
She's the one, doesn't get what she does have
She's got a daughter with the eyes of a genius
She's got a mother, don't matter, it's where it all breaks down
Where it all breaks down
Mommy dearest, caught in Vegas, she's a fright fiend
Overrated and refined, she's a dope fiend
No one said they wonder why she's a bad dream
Someone wake me up, it's hot, it's hell here
I don't wanna go where there's smoke and mirrors
Take me to the desert where air is clear
I'd rather hang out on the strip when the cokehead clears
Than take an order from the killer, your atmosphere is rotten
You may want me
But I don't want you back
She's a tramp, kind of lean, leaves a bad taste
After hours, prop her up, she's in another place
???
Wanna get there faster, but she can't come down
But she can't come down (Hey)
I don't wanna go where there's smoke and mirrors
Take me to the desert where air is clear
I'd rather hang out on the strip when the cokehead clears
Than take an order from the killer, your atmosphere is rotten
You may want me
But I don't want you back
You may need me
But I don't need you back
You may love me
But I don't love you back
Tell me what you want
Tell me what you want
Tell me, tell me what you want
I don't wanna go where there's smoke and mirrors
Take me to the place where air is clear
I'd rather hang out on the strip when the cokehead clears
Than take an order from the killer, your atmosphere is poison
I don't wanna go where there's smoke and mirrors
Take me to the desert where air is clear
I'd rather hang out on the strip when the cokehead clears
Than be a traitor to my gender, I'm outta here
Smoke and mirrors
Lyrics submitted by BrownBabu84
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Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
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"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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These are the correct lyrics to the song:
Tell me what you wanted Tell me what you wanted Tell me, tell me
She's the one never gets what she wanted She's the one doesn't get what she does have Got a daughter with the eyes of a genius Who's got a mother, don't matter That's where it all breaks down
Mommy dearest, kinda Vegas, she's a freak scene Over-rated, unrefined, she's a dope fiend No one stays, wonder why, she's a bad dream Someone wake me up it's hot as hell here
I don't wanna go where there's smoke and mirrors Take me to the desert where air is clear I'd rather hang out on the strip with the cokehead queers Then take an order from a killer Your atmosphere is rotten You may want me but I don't want you back
She's a drag, kind of lame, leaves a bad taste After hours prop her up, she's in outer space Get some balls, be a pro, be a man Wanna get there faster but she can't come down
Hey, I don't wanna go where there's smoke and mirrors Take me to the desert where air is clear I'd rather hang out on the strip with the cokehead queers Then take a lesson from a loser Your atmosphere is rotten You may want me but I don't want you back You may need me but I don't need you back You may love me but I don't love you back
Tell me what you wanted Tell me what you wanted Tell me what you wanted Tell me, tell me
I don't wanna go where there's smoke and mirrors Take me to the place where the coast is clear I'd rather hang out on the strip with the cokehead queers Then take an order from a killer Your atmosphere is poison
I don't wanna go where there's smoke and mirrors Take me to the desert where air is clear I'd rather hang out on the strip with the cokehead queers Then be a traitor to my gender I'm outta here
Oh oh oh, smoke and mirrors