Fun On Earth


[discography | gallery]

Roger Taylor 'Fun On Earth'

Released on 11 November 2013, reached no 69, and on chart for 1 week.
Also released in November 2013 as part of the boxed set 'The Lot'.
Album length 47:26.

Tracklisting:
1. One Night Stand
2. Fight Club
3. Be With You
4. Quality Street
5. I Don’t Care
6. Sunny Day
7. Be My Gal (My Brightest Spark)
8. I Am The Drummer (In A Rock 'n' Roll Band)
9. Small
10. Say It’s Not True (with Jeff Beck)
11. The Unblinking Eye (Abridged)
12. Up
13. Smile


Vinyl LP and 'The Lot' Boxed Set Bonus Tracks:
14. Whole House Rockin'
15. Dear Mr Murdoch (Nude Mix AKA 2011 Version) (on the 'Happiness?' album page)


Website Exclusive Track:
The Shores Of Formentera

Unreleased Track:
When We Were Young

 

All songs written by Roger Taylor except 'Be With You' written by Roger Taylor and Rufus Tiger Taylor
Published by Nightjar productions Ltd / Sonyatv EMI Music Publishing Ltd

Produced by Joshua J. Macrae and Roger Taylor
Engineered by Joshua J. Macrae

Management - Jim Beach
P.A to Roger Taylor - Justine Ellis
Design by Roger Taylor and Richard Gray
Mosiac Art - Thea Kurun
Photography - Richard Gray
Globe - Felix Taylor
PR - Dawbell and Phil Symes

In loving memory of my mum... who finally left me after being a wonderful mother... probably a bit of a relief for her... I promise I'll get a proper job someday mum

Special thanks Jeff Beck courtesy of Rhino, Nigel Burchett and Emma Donoghue


The album was also released on 19 April 2014 as a double vinyl picture disc, as part of National Record Store Day, and as a black vinyl on 6 October 2014, both with a rearranged tracklisting:

Disc 1, Side A: One Night Stand, Fight Club, Be With You, Quality Street
Disc 1, Side B: Sunny Day, Be My Gal (My Brightest Spark), Say It’s Not True (with Jeff Beck), Small
Disc 2, Side A: Up, Smile, I Don’t Care, Dear Mr Murdoch (2011 version AKA Nude mix)
Disc 2, Side B: I Am The Drummer (In A Rock 'n' Roll Band), The Unblinking Eye (Abridged), Whole House Rockin'

 

Singles:

  1. The Unblinking Eye / The Unblinking Eye (Almost Completely Nude) (a download on 23 November 2009, and physically 4 January 2010) [discography]


One Night Stand


Track 1. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 4:21.
This track segues into 'Fight Club', and Roger plays all instruments.

1998 Download Version:
The track was originally available in 1998 as a free download from Roger's website. The last line of the 'Electric Fire' album was 'One Night Stand', which was used as a password to access the track. The 1998 version is similar to the 'Fun On Earth' version, but rougher, with fewer lyrics, and it is missing the fast finale. The track was also part of a competition, where fans were asked to remix the song with the winning mixes pressed onto CD. As part of this, 23 short samples of the track were also available to download - namely: 3 guitar excerpts, 2 bass excerpts, 4 percussion excerpts, 1 'drone' excerpt, and 13 vocal excerpts, namely "around the world", "get it on", "boys and girls", "gotta do your thing", "fun is king", "in the name of fun", "everyone", "when the feeling runs strong", "I wanna one night stand", "I wanna I wanna I wanna one night stand" and three versions of "one night stand".
Alternate Versions:
1. Download Version (3:52) (available in 1998 through Roger's website, and included on the 'Solo Singles 2' album and 'The Lot' boxed set)
Lyrics: (click here for the lyrics to the download version)
Politicians wanna be in the palace
Priests wanna be in the choir
Just got one simple need
My heart's desire

Boys and girls
Around the world
Get it on
When the feelings strong

I wanna one night stand
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna one night stand

Fun is king

Everyone
In the name of fun
I wanna one night stand
I wanna one night stand

Boys and girls
Around the world
I wanna one night stand
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna one night stand

I wanna one night stand
Hey

I wanna one night stand
I wanna one night stand
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna one night stand

What's wrong with a one night stand?
Wooh
Woooh
Just a one night stand
I wanna one night stand


Download Version Lyrics:
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Boys and girls
Around the world
Hear it all
When the feelings strong

A one night stand
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna one night stand
A one night stand

Fun is king

Everyone
In the name of fun
A one night stand
I wanna one night stand

Around the world
I wanna one night stand

I wanna one night stand
I wanna one night stand
A one night stand
A one night stand
I wanna one night stand

Boys and girls
Around the world
A one night stand
Hear it all
I wanna one night stand
Hear it all
I wanna one night stand
Hear it all
I wanna one night stand

Boys and girls
Around the world

Fight Club


Track 2. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 3:02.
This track segues from 'One Night Stand' and into 'Be With You'.
Promotion for the album credited this track as featuring Bob Geldof (either on the record, or as co-writer) but there is no mention of him in the album credits.

Musicians:
Roger Taylor (vocals, feedback guitars, piano)
Steve Hamilton (saxophone)
Kevin Jefferies (bass)
Jason Falloon (guitar picking)

Lyrics:
We live in this world
No choice in our birth
A boy or a girl
No clue to your worth

They give you a church
They tell you the plan
They'll make you a man
Join the fight club

You do what you can
In your own small way
You'll do what you can
You'll work and you'll pay

You'll do what you're told
They'll make you a man
Join the fight club
Join the fight club

Be With You


Track 3. Written by Roger Taylor and Rufus Tiger Taylor. Length 3:09.
This track segues from 'Fight Club' and into 'Quality Street'.
Musicians:
Roger Taylor (vocals, drums, guitar solo)
Rufus Tiger Taylor (piano)
Jason Falloon (guitar)
Kevin Jefferies (bass)

Lyrics:
I
I just wanna be with you
I just wanna have you here
Be with you

I
I just wanna dance with you
Take a chance with you
Dance with you

I
I just want to talk with you
Just wanna walk with you
Talk with you

Ahhhh
Ahhhh
Ahhhh

I
Just need to get you into my life
I just want you here
In my life

I
Just wanna dance with you
Take a chance with you
Dance with you

I
I just wanna be with you
I just want to have you here
Be with you

Quality Street


Track 4. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 4:25.
This track segues from 'Be With You' and into 'I Don't Care'.
The song appears at the end of the film 'Solitary', for which Roger wrote the soundtrack, and acted as executive producer, although I do not know how it differs from the album version, if at all.

Musicians:
Roger Taylor (vocals, drums, bass, guitar, piano, percussion)
Steve Hamilton (saxophone)

Lyrics:
Back from the badlands
With the wind and the silence
And the cold winter nights
And nature's hard violence

Been scraping the soil
For a handful of stones
Got an ache in my heart
Got an ache in my bones

Want a new tomorrow
Want a brand new life
Want some quality time
With a house
And a car
And a wife

No time for excuses
No time to cry
Excuses are useless
Too late for lies

But I love you baby
This much is true
I'm dying inside
If our love is through

A new tomorrow
Life could be sweet
We should be living
On quality street
We could be living
On quality street

I'd hate you to think
I'd hurt you at all
When all this time I've been on
A mission improbable

But I love you baby
Now here's the thing
Found me a diamond
I'll make you a ring

A new tomorrow
And we can meet
Right in the middle
Of quality street
Right in the middle
Of quality street

We should be living
On quality street

I Don't Care


Track 5. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 3:24.
This track segues from 'Quality Street'.

Musicians:
Roger Taylor (vocals, bass guitar, drums, guitar, piano, percussion)
Jason Falloon (guitar)
Steve Hamilton (saxophone)

Lyrics:
I don't care
If you shave your teeth
Eat your sheets

I don't care
If you crash my car
Break my guitar

I don't care
If your mama's green
You smoke in your sleep
Dance naked in the street

I don't care
If you grow a third eye
Act stupid or shy
I won't ask why

Hurts so bad
Feels like it could kill you
If love is blood
I got haemophilia
I don't care

'Cos all I want is you
I want you to want me too

I don't care
I just want you there
Baby I don't care

I don't care, hey
I don't care

I don't care
If you're drunk and loud
You jump and shout
Still make me proud

I don't care
If you make a scene
You shout and scream
Live that dream

I don't care
If you dress like a fool
I won't be cruel
When you ain't cool

I don't care
When you get the blues
Remember
Lay off my blue suede shoes

Hurts so bad
Feels like it could kill you
If love is blood
I got haemophilia
Baby I don't care

I don't care
Baby I don't care
I don't care
Baby I don't care
I don't care
Baby I don't care
I don't care
I don't care

Sunny Day


Track 6. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 3:37.
This track is a re-worked version of the 2006 single 'Woman, You're So Beautiful (But Still A Pain In The Ass)', which Roger recorded with his son Felix on vocals. This track has Roger on vocals, with similar music, but different lyrics.

Musicians:
Roger Taylor (vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion)
Jason Falloon (guitar)
Kevin Jefferies (bass)
Spike Edney (piano)
Jonathan Perkins (organ, backing vocals)
Nicola Robins (violin)

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

Be My Gal

(My Brightest Spark)


Track 7. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 2:45.
This track segues into 'I Am The Drummer (In A Rock 'n' Roll Band)'.

Musicians:
Roger Taylor (vocals, guitars)
Spike Edney (piano)
Kevin Jefferies (bass)

Lyrics:
Be my partner
Be my pal
Be my gal

Be my rock
Be my friend
Till the end

You have become my Joan Of Arc
My fine design, my sleeping lion
The one who'll fight my demons in the dark
My brightest spark

You have brought down
My darkest fears, I lay awake, my hopes and tears
And you can break the blinds that bind my eyes
And ears

And you can slake the thirst that burns me in the night
The twists and turns, I'm yours to sooth, console
Heal the bruises
Make me whole

Be my partner
Would you be my pal
Would you be my gal

Be my rock
Be my friend
Till the end

I Am The Drummer

(In A Rock 'n' Roll Band)


Track 8. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 2:45.
This track segues from 'Be My Gal (My Brightest Spark)'.
Details are also available of an unreleased early version.

Musicians:
Roger Taylor (vocals, guitars, drums)
Jason Falloon (guitar)
Kevin Jefferies (bass)

Lyrics:
I'm the drummer in a, in a rock 'n' roll band
One, two, three, four

I am the drummer in a rock 'n' roll band
I am the drummer in a rock 'n' roll band

I am the drummer
In a rock 'n' roll band
I'm the heart
The soul, yeah
I'm the man

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey

I am the drummer in a rock 'n' roll band
I am the drummer in a rock 'n' roll band

I am the conductor
King of time
I am the instructor
They pay me in dimes

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey

I like cars that go fast and shiny things
I like girls that go faster on tiny wings
I am the drummer in a rock 'n' roll band
I am the rock that rocks the bandstand
I am the St Peter, the rock on which we stand
I am the butt of a thousand jokes
From far less talented folks

I am the drummer in a rock 'n' roll band
I am the drummer in a rock 'n' roll band

I'm the pulse
I'm the beat
That gets your toes tappin'
I fill the empty spaces
When the singer stops yackin'
I sit way at the back
But I lead the attack
It's a sweaty affair
Going whack, whack, whack

I am the drummer in a rock 'n' roll band

Small


Track 9. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 3:50.
This track segues into 'Say It's Not True'. It was originally recorded by Queen + Paul Rodgers and appears on the album 'The Cosmos Rocks'.

Musicians:
Roger Taylor (vocals, guitars, keyboards)
Jason Falloon (guitar)
Kevin Jefferies (bass)

Lyrics:
I like to sit here in the sunshine
The trees in the fields are green sublime
Suspended in time
And don't it make you feel small

I like to sit here by the fire's light
The trees in the fields lie bare to the night
The stars burn bright
And don't it make you feel small

Everyone needs a place they can hide
Hide away find a space to be alone
Everyone needs a place they can hide
Everyone needs to find peace sublime
Peace of mind

I like to sit here in the autumn time
The trees in the fields they rustle in the wind
The church bells gently chime
Gentle on your mind
Suspended in time
And don't it make you feel small

Everyone needs a place they can hide
Hide away find a space to be alone

Everyone needs a place they can hide
Everyone needs to find peace sublime

Ohh, ohh, peace of mind

Say It's Not True


Track 10. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 4:58.
This track segues from 'Small', and features Jeff Beck on guitar. There is a small amount of studio dialogue at the start and end.
The song was originally written and performed live for the 46664 campaign, and a studio version appears on the Queen + Paul Rodgers album 'The Cosmos Rocks'.

Musicians:
Roger Taylor (vocals)
Jeff Beck (guitar)
Rufus Tiger Taylor (drums)
Steve Stroud (bass)
Spike Edney (keyboards)

Lyrics:
The harder we play
The faster we fall
When we think that we know it all
We know nothing at all

The letter arrives
Like a bolt from the blue
So what's left of your lives
All your dreams lost to you

Say it ain't true
Say it today
When I open my eyes
Will it all go away

Say it's not true
Say it's not real
Can't be happening to you
Can't be happening to me

It's hard not to cry
It's hard to believe
So much heartache and pain
So much reason to grieve

With the wonders of science
And all the knowledge we've stored
Magic cocktails for lives
People just can't afford

Say it's not true
You can say it's not right
It's hard to believe
The size of the crime

Say it's not true
You can say it's not real
Can't be happening to you
Could be happening to me

Say it's not true
You can say it's not right
So hard to believe
The size of the crime

Say it's not true
Say it's not real
Can't be happening to you
Could be happening to me

The Unblinking Eye


Track 11. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 4:54.
This track was originally released as a download in November 2009 and then as a physical CD single in January 2010. The album version is an 'abridged' version of the track, editing out a verse and instrumental sections. The track on the single was subtitled 'Everything Is Broken' but this was lost for the album release.

Musicians:
Roger Taylor (vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, percussion, stylophone)
Spike Edney (Piano)

Alternate Versions:
1. Single Version (6:10) (available on the single, the 'Solo Singles 2' album, 'The Lot' boxed set and the 'Best' compilation; this adds a much heavier verse at approximately 1:08 (length 0:24) and additional instrumental sections at the very start (length 0:11), 3:01 (length 0:17) and 3:26 (length 0:23))
2. Almost Completely Nude (6:10) (available on the single, the 'Solo Singles 2' album and 'The Lot' boxed set; this is a mostly instrumental version of the single version, but retains some backing vocals)

Lyrics: (the 'Almost Completely Nude' version retains the lyrics in red. The album (Abridged) version loses the lyrics in blue)
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

Up


Track 12. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 3:08.
Roger plays all instruments on this track.

Lyrics:
I'll dream you a dream
This dream is alive
I'll build you a house
House in the sky

We wanna
We wanna
We wanna
We wanna
We wanna
We wanna
We wanna
We wanna go
Up

We know what we want
We know where to be
We know what we need
Need to be free

We wanna
We wanna
We wanna
We wanna
We wanna
We wanna
We wanna
We wanna go
Up

We wanna
We wanna
We wanna
We wanna
We wanna
We wanna go

We'll live in the clouds
We'll dream we can fly
We'll live in our dreams
On our island
In the sky
Oh, we can never die

I'll make you a queen
I'll give you a crown
We'll live in our dreams
And never look down
Never look down
Never look down
Never look down

Up

Smile


Track 13. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 3:00.
Roger plays all instruments on this track.

Lyrics:
Ahhhh
Ahhhh
Ahhhh
Smile

Smile
And clouds will run
The skies will clear
In comes the sun
And light will shine
In every place
Because you smile

Laugh
And darkness flies
The light of love
Will fill the skies
The shadows run
Let there be fun
You gotta laugh

Ahhhh
Ahhhh
Ahhhh
Smile

Smile

Ahhhh
Ahhhh
Ahhhh
Smile

Kill your darkest fears
Lose your sorrows
Destroy your fears
And you may find
A life that's kind
You gotta smile

Whole House Rockin'


Track 14 on the album in 'The Lot' CD boxed set (not on the download) and also on the vinyl LP. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 2:59.
This track was originally recorded by Queen + Paul Rodgers and appears on the album 'The Cosmos Rocks', titled as 'Cosmos Rockin'.

Lyrics:
It's a Saturday night and I'm home alone
With the music on quiet, I'm flying solo
Then my feet start moving to the sound of the beat
Put the music up loud, hear it in the street
Then the neighbours start banging on my front door
Throw the door wide open saying what's your point
Come on in, let's rock this joint
Come on in, let's rock this joint

Now the house is rocking
The whole house is rocking
The whole house is rocking
Whole house is rocking
Whole house is rocking to the mighty power of rock 'n' roll, wooh

(Whole house is rockin') the whole house is rockin'
(Whole house is rockin') the whole house is rockin'
(Got the whole house rockin') got the whole house rockin'
(Whole house is rockin') whole house is rockin'
(Whole house is rockin') to the power of rock 'n' roll, yeah
Wooh

We dance out of the door, dance into the street
And all the people there are swaying to the musical beat
We rock down the road, down to the town
And the people all stared and smiled and got down
Then the policeman was saying stop this noise
Then the beat took over now he's one of the boys
The beat took over now he's one of the boys
Come on down and let's rock this town
Come on down and let's rock this town

Come on
Come on
Come on
Baby come on
Baby come on
Wooh, rockin' this town

(Whole town is rockin') whole town is rockin'
(Whole town is rockin') the whole town is rockin'
(Whole town is rockin') whole town is rockin'
(Whole town is rockin') whole town is rockin'
(Whole town is rockin') to the mighty power of rock 'n' roll, wooh

Whole world is rockin'
Wooh
Wooh
We got the whole world rockin' to the mighty power of rock 'n' roll, yeah

(We got the whole world rockin') whole world is rockin'
(Whole world is rockin') whole world is rockin'
(We got the whole world rockin') we got the whole world rockin'
(Whole world is rockin') whole world is rockin'
We got the whole world rockin' to the mighty power of rock 'n' roll

The Shores Of Formentera


Non-album track. Presumably written by Roger Taylor. Length 3:44.
This track is only available as the background music on Roger's website, www.rogertaylorofficial.com.
Formentera is one of the Balaeric islands, near to Ibiza.

Lyrics:
Ahhhh
Ahhhh
Oooh, Formentera

Ahhhh, oooh
Ahhhh, oooh
Oooh, Formentera

Ahhhh
Ahhhh
Oooh, Formentera

Ahhhh, oooh
Ahhhh, oooh
Oooh, Formentera
Formentera

Ahhhh, oooh
Ahhhh, oooh
Oooh, Formentera

Formentera