Best


[discography | gallery]

Roger Taylor 'Best'

Released on 27 October 2014 in the USA and Canada only.
Length 1:12:46.

Tracklisting:
1. Future Management (You Don’t Need Nobody Else)
2. I Wanna Testify
3. Let’s Get Crazy
4. Magic Is Loose
5. Strange Frontier
6. Man On Fire
7. Beautiful Dreams
8. Nazis 1994
9. Foreign Sand
10. Everybody Hurts Sometime
11. Happiness
12. Surrender
13. Where Are You Now?
14. A Nation Of Haircuts
15. Tonight
16. No More Fun
17. The Unblinking Eye (Everything Is Broken)
18. Sunny Day

 

Tracks 1, 3, 4 (and presumably 2) produced by Roger Taylor
Tracks 5, 6 and 7 produced by Roger Taylor, David Richards and Mack
Tracks 8, 10 and 11-18 produced by Roger Taylor and Joshua J. Macrae
Track 9 produced by Roger Taylor and Yoshiki

All tracks written by Roger Taylor except 'I Wanna Testify' written by Roger Taylor and George Clinton and 'Foreign Sand' written by Roger Taylor and Yoshiki.
Compilation produced by Roger Taylor and Cheryl Pawelski
Mastered by Gavin Lurssen and Reuben Cohen at Lurssen Mastering, Los Angeles
Original art and design by Roger Taylor, Richard Gray and Hipgnosis
Sleeve notes by Roger Taylor
Special thanks to Justine Ellis, Joshua J. Macrae and David Richards


As the title suggests, this is a 'best of' album spanning Roger's solo career, from his 1977 debut single 'I Wanna Testify' to his 2013 album 'Fun On Earth'. The tracklisting above is correct, despite the two opening tracks being in the wrong chronological order. The album contains the standard 2013 remastered versions of each track, with the exception of 'The Unblinking Eye (Everything Is Broken)' which is actually the single version, and 'Happiness', which is slightly different, fading out at the end.


Future Management

(You Don’t Need Nobody Else)


Track 1. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 2:56.
Taken from the 1981 album 'Fun In Space'.

Lyrics:
(You won't need nobody else) you won't need nobody else but me
(You won't need nobody else) you won't need nobody else but me

You'll find
I'm gonna invite you to try my machines
Programme an offer you just can't refuse
I'm gonna invite you to share all my dreams
You've nothing to lose

(You won't need nobody else) you won't need nobody else but me
(You won't need nobody else) you won't need nobody else but me

You'll find
I'm gonna invite you to try my machines
Programme an offer you just can't refuse
I'm gonna invite you to share all my dreams
You've nothing to lose

Recycle your thoughts
I'll rewire your mind
I'll punch in some new points of view
To make sure you find
You've got nothing to lose

(You don't need nobody else) you don't need nobody else but me
(You don't need nobody else) you don't need nobody else but me
(You don't need nobody else) you don't need nobody else but me, babe
(You don't need nobody else) you don't need nobody else
(You don't need nobody else) you don't need nobody else

I Wanna Testify


Track 2. Written by Roger Taylor and George Clinton. Length 3:46.
Original released as a single in 1977.

Lyrics:
(Do wop, do wop, yeah)
(Do wop, do wop)
(Do wop, do wop, yeah)
(Do wop, do wop)

(Do wop, do wop, yeah) we met each other introduced by her brother
(Do wop, do wop) a cat I'd known all my life
(Do wop, do wop, yeah) partying and dancing, moonlight and romancing
(Do wop, do wop) soon to be husband and wife
(Do wop, do wop, yeah) my friends call me crazy, her folks call her lazy
(Do wop, do wop) but our love counts for life
(Do wop, do wop, yeah) if we stick together the pressures we would weather
(Do wop, do wop) not knowing we were in for a fall

Women and drinking, I'm in love (loving and thinking)
Will do it to you everytime
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Women and drinking, I'm in love (loving and thinking)
Will do it to you everytime

Find yourself going down, down, down, down
I'm going down, ah, ah, ah
I'm going down, down, down, down, down, down, ah, ah, ah
Ow, I just wanna testify
What the women don't owe to me
I just wanna testify
What the women don't owe to me

(Do wop, do wop, yeah)

(Do wop, do wop, yeah) we had a boy, my pride and joy
(Do wop, do wop) I took a job day and night
(Do wop, do wop, yeah) tired and wired, one day I got fired
(Do wop, do wop) that's when we started to fight
(Do wop, do wop, yeah) with time on his hands, a man ain't a man
(Do wop, do wop) and all he loves he starts to neglect
(Do wop, do wop, yeah) I didn't go far, went straight to the bar
(Do wop, do wop) and drank away my self respect

Women and drinking, loving and thinking
Will do it to you everytime
Women and drinking, I'm in love (loving and thinking)
Will do it to you everytime

Find yourself going down, down, down, down
I'm going down, ah, ah, ah
I'm going down, down, down, down, down, down, ah, ah, ah
Ow, I just wanna testify
What the women don't owe to me
I just wanna testify
What the women don't owe to me

(Do wop, do wop, yeah)
(Do wop, do wop) let me get on back to my story now

(Do wop, do wop, yeah) care about no-one but my wife and my son
(Do wop, do wop) that's when I started to roam
(Do wop, do wop, yeah) bar room to them, it happened so soon
(Do wop, do wop) I found myself out of home
(Do wop, do wop, yeah) she went back to her mother, I fought with her brother
(Do wop, do wop) and in my heart I know I was wrong
(Do wop, do wop, yeah) please pay attention to the words that I mention
(Do wop, do wop) and listen to the moral of the song

Ow
(Do wop, do wop, yeah) I just, I just
(Do wop, do wop) I just wanna testify
Ow
Yeah

Let’s Get Crazy


Track 3. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 3:42.
Taken from the 1981 album 'Fun In Space'.

Lyrics:
Hey little mamma
Give me the keys tonight
Ooooh, what'cha gonna do
Hey little honey
You're coming out with me tonight
Ooooh, what'cha gonna do
Let's jump in your wheels
See how it feels tonight

Let's get crazy
Let's get crazy tonight
Ooooh, yeah
Let's get crazy
Let's get riled, oh yeah
Let's get crazy
Let's get wild tonight

You know that I told you I'd always be true
You know that I could never tell a lie
Well if you believe me the joke is on you
I'll always be crazy, till the day I die

Hey little fruitcake
Don't wear no shoes, tonight
(Ooooh, what'cha gonna do)
We'll get some action
Nothing to lose, tonight
(Ooooh, what'cha gonna do)
Just play your part
I'll show you my heart, tonight

Let's get crazy
Let's get crazy tonight
Ooooh, yeah
Let's get crazy
Let's get insane, oh yeah
Tell ya baby
You won't feel no pain, tonight, alright
Ow, uh

Ow
Let's get crazy
Let's get crazy
Let's get crazy
Let's get crazy tonight

I said, let's get crazy
Let's get crazy
Let's get crazy
Let's get crazy tonight, alright, wow

Let's get crazy
Let's get crazy
Let's get crazy
Let's get crazy tonight, alright
Know what I said

Let's get crazy
Let's get crazy
Let's get crazy
Let's get crazy tonight, alright, yeah

Let's get crazy
Let's get crazy
Let's get crazy
Let's get crazy tonight
Alright

Magic Is Loose


Track 4. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 3:24.
Taken from the 1981 album 'Fun In Space'.

Lyrics:
Almost like Christmas
But the calendar's wrong
The silence is deafening
But the feeling is strong
Magic - is loose
Magic - is loose, in the world tonight

The sky is too black
The stars are too bright
The air is too still
Funny business alright
Honey - can you feel it
Honey - can you feel it
Magic - is loose
Magic - is loose, in the world tonight

All through the occident
Through the grey atmospheres
All through the orient
Like a shroud around a sphere

But things are bent
It's a strange kind of scene
There's a little distortion
On my personal screen
Honey - can you feel it
Honey - can you feel it
Magic - is loose
Magic - is loose, in the world tonight

In the world tonight
In the world tonight

Strange Frontier


Track 5. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 4:14.
Taken from the 1984 album 'Strange Frontier'.

Lyrics:
(Strange frontier)

Into the shadows from out of the light
Into the darkness and into the night
We're off the tracks, we're off the lines
You and me seen better times
Now we're on the borderline
And I wish I wasn't here
People say it could never happen here
But this is a strange frontier

Freedom fighters come and go
Bloody righteous, and mentally slow
We're on the skids, we're off the lines
Trapped inside these dangerous times
Now we've reached the borderline
Can start to smell the fear
People say it could never happen here
But this is a strange frontier

Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah

Had some good times, had some fun
Soon our problems could be none

We're on the skids, we're off the lines
We're out of luck, we're out of time
Now we're on the borderline
We've nearly gone and done it this time
People say it could never happen here
But this is a strange frontier

Freedom fighters (ah-ah-ah) come and go (ah-ah-ah)
Bloody righteous (ah-ah-ah) and mentally slow (ah-ah-ah)
We're out of work (ah-ah-ah) we're out of time (ah-ah-ah)
We're out of luck (ah-ah-ah) we're out of line
Now we're on the borderline (ah-ah-ah)
We've really gone and done it this time (ah-ah-ah)
People say it could never happen here
But this is a strange frontier

Take your children while you can
But there's nowhere you can run
No more tears and no more fun
Someday soon they'll drop the big one
No more dad and no more mum
This is a strange frontier

Man On Fire


Track 6. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 4:05.
Taken from the 1984 album 'Strange Frontier'.

Lyrics:
I walk these streets each and every day
Trying to find some work just to earn my pay
Just to make some plans for you some day
But plans don't work and it's not that fine
When you got no money all you got is time
Don't it make you stop and wonder why

Sometimes I feel like a man on fire
Sometimes I feel like a man possessed
Sometimes I wanna burn down this crazy town

I walk these streets each and every night
Feel like I'm playing my role but it fits too tight
Watch my life go by in black and white
When times are hard and times are rough
Then you better be made of sterner stuff
You'll find it's time to stop and wonder why

I'm smoking, I'm burning
I'm twisting and turning
But one thing I'm learning
It's the power of your love keeps me under their thumb
'Cos the beat of your heart is the beat of my drum
Don't it make you stop and wonder why

Sometimes I feel like a man on fire
Sometimes I feel like a man possessed
Sometimes I wanna burn down this crazy town

Sometimes I feel like a man on fire
Sometimes I feel like a man possessed
Sometimes I wanna burn down this crazy town

Sometimes I feel like a man on fire
Sometimes I feel like a man possessed
Sometimes I wanna burn down this crazy town

Sometimes I feel like a man on fire
Sometimes I feel like a man possessed
I wanna burn down this crazy town

Beautiful Dreams


Track 7. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 4:23.
Taken from the 1984 album 'Strange Frontier'.

Lyrics:
Beautiful dreams we had at night
All children have to dream at night
Eyes closed in sleep of innocence
Sandman had come to us alright
Beautiful dreamers
Lost in some never, never dream
Beautiful dreams we had
Just beautiful dreams

Beautiful dreams we had alright
Now we had found the golden key
Door to a secret world
Of chemical dreams
Beautiful dreamers
Of beautiful dreams
Beautiful dreams we had
Such beautiful dreams

We'd like to find a cure
For every known disease
There's no such thing you say
The answer's there to see

Colourful dreams we had at night
Of nuclear purity
This is the final twilight
This is the final cure it seems

Beautiful dreamers
Drifting in never, never dreams
Beautiful dreams we had
Just beautiful dreams

Dreams
Dreams
Dreams
Dreams

Nazis 1994


Track 8. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 2:38.
Taken from the 1994 album 'Happiness?'.

Lyrics:
Yeah
Yeah
Yeah
Yeah
They say now it never happened
They say now it never happened
They say now it never happened
They say now it never happened
They say now it never happened
They say now it never happened
They say now it never happened (ahhhhh)
They say now it never happened

We gotta stop these stinking Nazis, yeah

And they say that it didn't happen
What the Nazis did to the Jews, yeah
If they think they've a second coming
Then we got different news, yeah

We gotta stop these stinking Nazis

They say now it didn't happen
They say now it didn't happen
They say now it didn't happen
They say now it didn't happen
They say now it didn't happen
They say now it didn't happen
They say now it didn't happen (ahhhhh)
They say now it didn't happen

We gotta stop these stinking Nazis, yeah

What the world needs is more Nazis
Like it needs a hole in the head, yeah
Your future is not safe at all
Till this disease is dead

They say now it never happened
They say now it never happened
They say now it never happened
They say now it never happened
They say now it never happened
They say now it never happened
They say now it never happened (ahhhhh)
They say now it never happened

We gotta stop these stinking Nazis, yeah

Foreign Sand


Track 9. Written by Roger Taylor and Yoshiki. Length 6:52.
Taken from the 1994 album 'Happiness?'.

Lyrics:
Here we go, ain't it grand
Here we stand on foreign sand
And we're not alone

Why do we fear what we don't understand
Can't we reach out our hands to try just say hello
Try to plant a seed, fulfil the need
To make it grow just say hello
And when you're far from home try to learn from what you see
Your eyes will tell you everything you need

Why do we dread what we don't really know
Come not as concubine, come not as foe
Come with intentions clearly shown
Try to plant a seed, fulfil the need
To make it grow just say hello
And though you're far from home try to learn from all you see
Your mind will tell you everything you need
Everything you need

Here we go, ain't it grand
Here we stand on foreign sand
We're not alone
Red, yellow, black and white
Every man stand in the light
Stand not alone

It's not a lie, it's not a sham
We play for keeps, it's not a scam
No bigotry, we're hand in hand
It ain't a cinch, we make a stand
We learn to live
On foreign sand
Just say hello

Why do we despise when we can't even speak
We keep on spreading lies
Far as we know it's the only way to be
Try to plant a seed, fulfil the need
To make it grow just say hello, hello, hello

And though you're far from home
Try to learn what you could be
Your heart will tell you everything you need
And though you're far from home
Try to learn what you could be
Your heart will tell you everything you need

Even though you stand
Here you stand
On foreign sand
Ain't it grand
Here we stand
On foreign sand
Together we stand
On foreign sand
Together we stand
Here we stand
On foreign sand

Everybody Hurts Sometime


Track 10. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 3:01.
Taken from the 1994 album 'Happiness?'.

Lyrics:
Well everybody hurts sometimes - you know it (you know it)
And everybody loves sometimes - don't be afraid to show it
If you don't get a little hurt sometimes
If you don't dig a little dirt sometimes
You ain't living at all

Love and affection (sweetest thing) is the sweetest thing
When love turns sour, it ain't a sin
It's a bitter pill but I tell you, turns to bitter sweet within
And it's on any street, everybody hurts sometimes

Happiness is a young man's dream
But it don't come easy - you know what I mean
Gotta chase it down the street, right to the last scene
Run down that illusion, and try to live your dream

'Cos everybody hurts sometimes (you know it) you know it
And everybody loves sometimes - don't be afraid to show it
And if you don't get a little hurt sometimes
If you don't dig a little dirt sometimes
You ain't living at all

'Cos everybody hurts sometimes (you know it) you know it
And everybody loves sometimes - don't be afraid to show it
If you don't get a little hurt sometimes
If you don't dig a little dirt sometimes
You ain't living at all

Happiness


Track 11. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 3:26.
This is a slightly different version of the track, taken from the 1994 album 'Happiness?', which fades out fully at the end rather than segueing into the next track.

Lyrics:
There's just one thing that we all crave
From the cradle to the grave
A state of grace or state of mind
A point in space or point in time

In time of peace
In times of war
The self same goal
That we yearn for
Some have it all
But still have less
What we all need is happiness

Happiness is what you need (ahhh)
Yeah, happiness is all around (ahhh)
It's not easy to define it
It can't easily be found
No, no, no, no, can't easily be found (ahhh)
It can't easily be found
You know that it's true

'Cos happiness
Just can't be bought
Such purity more precious still than gold
And happiness
Can't just be taught
When you're young or if you're old

No matter how, how hard you try
In your own life, and through your years
With every up must come a down
Enjoy the laughter and the tears
Of happiness

Surrender


Track 12. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 3:38.
Taken from the 1998 album 'Electric Fire'.

Lyrics:
Same cycle happen every day
Same characters, same play
My game plan's become clear
Gotta find a way out of here
There ain't no place to run
No welcome mat in my home
No love here, no life
He want a punch bag, not a wife

You can't hurt me now
You can't hurt me now
You can't hurt me now
I'm gone from you

You can't hurt me now
You can't hurt me now
You can't reach me where
I'm gone to

I surrender
I surrender

No hope left, just pain
Whisky on his breath, violence in his brain
Scared kids, with scarred minds
Surrender reason, love is blind
Surrender life, surrender love
Surrender belief in God above
Surrender hope, bow down to fear
Surrender life, there ain't much here

You can't hurt me now
You can't hurt me now
You can't hurt me now
I'm gone from you

You can't hurt me now
You can't hurt me now
You can't reach me where
I'm gone to

I surrender
I surrender
I surrender
I surrender

You can't reach me, you can't reach me
You can't reach me, you can't reach me
You can't reach me, you can't reach me
You can't reach me, you can't reach me

I surrender, you can't hurt me
I surrender, you can't hurt me
I surrender, you can't reach me
I surrender, you can't reach me
I surrender, you can't hurt me

Surrender

Where Are You Now?


Track 13. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 4:50.
Taken from the 1998 album 'Electric Fire'.

Lyrics:
Don't have much education
Not much anyhow
Just believed what they told me
And oooeee, look at me now

Must be more to life than this bum deal
Some direction somehow
Some kind of a reason
Yeah, I wanna know

Tell me where are you now
Tell me where are you now

Don't have much of religion
Not much anyhow
Don't have much to look up to
We killed all your sacred cows

Just trying to file a flight plan
Need some direction, need it now
Some kind of a reason
Yeah, I wanna know

Tell me where are you now (that we need you)
Tell me where are you now

You don't have to be, you don't have to seem
You don't have to scream, for any big deal, for yourself
You don't have to bleed, you don't have to believe
You don't have to pretend to know what's right
Or what's real

Tell me where are you now (we need you)
Where are you now
Tell me where are you now
Tell me where are you now (that we need you)

A Nation Of Haircuts


Track 14. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 3:33.
Taken from the 1998 album 'Electric Fire'.

Lyrics:
How can you ever stand tall?

God help us all we're a nation of haircuts
How can you ever stand tall in a nation of haircuts
We don't make ships and we don't make cars
But we look real good hanging out in bars

You better never grow old in a nation of haircuts
Or you'll be out in the cold in a nation of haircuts
No point of view in a nation of haircuts, yeah
Fashion rules in a nation of haircuts

Check your shoes
Check your hair
Last week's thing
Oh dear

And we salute you
All you groovy dudes
Yeah we salute you
You're so fucking cool

Check you threads, check your cred but you better not smile
Don't move too quick you might spoil your hairstyle
No point of view in a nation of haircuts
Fashion rules in a nation of haircuts

Check your shoes
Check your hair
Looking good
Yeah

And we salute you
All you groovy dudes
Yeah we salute you
You're so fucking cool

You gotta drink the right drink in a nation of haircuts
(A nation of haircuts)
You better watch what you think in a nation of haircuts
(A nation of haircuts)
No point of view in a nation of haircuts
(A nation of haircuts)
Fashion rules in a nation of haircuts

A nation of haircuts
A nation of haircuts
A nation of haircuts
A nation of haircuts

I said a Keith Richard, not a Cliff Richard

Tonight


Track 15. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 3:46.
Taken from the 1998 album 'Electric Fire'.

Lyrics:
Tonight, we're painting this town red
Tonight, we legislate on blue
Tonight, we paint your mother green
Act out all our dreams
And we'll celebrate me and you
Yeah we'll celebrate me and you

Tonight, with all things possible
Tonight, we'll fly beyond all cares
Tonight, we'll tear down all the walls
Ride down waterfalls
And we'll celebrate me and you
Celebrate me and you
Across the skies, into the void, we'll disappear
Oooohh

Celebrate me and you
Yeah we'll celebrate me and you

Tonight, we're drinking this town dry
Tonight, we'll see the tables turned
Tonight, we'll see our bridges burned
Tonight, we're painting this town red
Tonight, we'll see the tables turned
Tonight, we're painting this town red

Tonight
Cha, cha, cha

No More Fun


Track 16. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 4:20.
Taken from the 1998 album 'Electric Fire'.

Lyrics:
From the stairway to heaven to the laughing gnome
It's a mighty long way down rock 'n' roll
We got no more, no more fun

Age before beauty, pearls before swine
And whatever happened to the wild, wild times
From the Memphis God to the Liverpool boys
And the guitar kings made a lot of noise

We got no more, no more fun
No more fun
We got no more, no more fun
No more fun

I said age before beauty pearls before swine
Whatever happened to the wild, wild times
No more fun

And they were dressing like hookers
And they were dressing like queens
It had nothing to do with New Orleans
We got no, no more, no more fun
No more fun
We got no, we got no, no more fun
No more fun

It don't seem like fun and it ain't necessary
Never wanted to be no shorthand secretary
Now they're punching their keyboards, kiss their machines
It ain't got much soul and it's squeaky clean

We got no, we got no, no more fun
No more fun
We got no more, no more fun

We got no more, no more fun
No more fun, no more fun, no more fun
No more fun, no more fun, no more fun
No more fun, no more fun, no more fun
No more fun, no more fun, no more fun
No more fun, no more fun, no more fun
No more fun, more fun, no more fun
No more fun, no more fun, no more fun
No more fun, no more fun, no more fun

The Unblinking Eye

(Everything Is Broken)


Track 17. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 6:10.
This is the single version of the track, which later appeared on the 2013 album 'Fun On Earth'.

Lyrics:
God would weep
If he existed
And he saw what men can do to men
He'd think that we were twisted

His unblinking eye would blink and then
He'd say 'not in my name you don't
You stupid little men
With your arrogance and ignorance
You do it time and time again'

(Ahhhh) I must be getting old
(Ahhhh) There's a fire and a fury
Driven deep into my soul
(Ahhhh) It's the helplessness that comes
From being under your control
And everything is broken

We got the high street full of holes
The high street's full of holes
High street's full of holes

Five million cameras stare at us
You treat us like we're fools
Our privacy is meaningless
We're suffocated by ten thousand rules

This kingdom's not united
Just a complicated mess
Are we in Europe?
Half in Europe?
Not in Europe?
We're soulless, spineless, directionless

(Ahhhh) I must be getting old
(Ahhhh There's a fire and a fury
Driven deep into my soul
(Ahhhh) It's the helplessness that comes
From being under your control
And everything is broken
Stylophone

And everything is broken

Why send our young men out to die
In wars that we don't understand
Why on earth should we be meddling
In places like Afghanistan

Price is much too high
In terms of money or our precious men
Your reasons are mysterious
And quite beyond our ken

(Ahhhh) I must be getting old
(Ahhhh) There's a fire and a fury
Driven deep into my soul
(Ahhhh) It's the helplessness that comes
You even sold our gold
And everything is broken

Sunny Day


Track 18. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 3:37.
Taken from the 2013 album 'Fun On Earth'.

Lyrics:
In a heartbeat
I realised
Saw through your disguise
How could anybody be so beautiful

Stopped in my tracks
Got a big time shock
My captured heart just would not stop
How could anybody feel so wonderful

You walk down the street
Your hips sway, yeah
Cars crash, traffic stops
I have to look away

Where you are in the world (it's a sunny day)
It's a sunny day (it's a beautiful, wonderful day) yeah
Oh yeah

Shout from the rooftops
Tell the town
The sun is up, let's fool around
How could anybody be so beautiful, yeah

The skies the limit
With you by my side
Together we could learn to fly
How could anybody feel so wonderful

You're walking down the street
Your hips sway, mmm
Cars crash, traffic stops
I had to look away

Where you are in the world (it's a sunny day)
It's a sunny day (it's a beautiful, wonderful day)
Oh yeah
Play it

In a heartbeat, yeah
Oh I knew
How could anybody be so wonderful, yeah

In a heartbeat
One look and I knew
How could anybody feel so beautiful

Yeah