(Partridge)
Recordings XTCfans interview with Andy Partridge Art Lyrics Chords and Tablature |
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Andy: “Someone at the record company in England asked me to write a banal hit single. I said, ‘Right. I'll show them.’ It was a challenge. So I wrote some sexist nonsense. But it wasn't me. I was lying. And I scrapped it. But I liked the riff and the title. I rewrote it in a very boastful way about not following leaders, certainly religious ones. They're only people. The most anyone can offer you is love.”
Andy: “After writing and demoing this, at the request of Virgin Records, for something more guitary, more commercial and more like ZZ Top (huh?). I must admit, I was reluctant to take it into the studio. This version has a buzzy, idiot charm though.”
[Thanks to R. Stevie Moore]
[THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
Higher! I'm a king, yes, I'm a head of state. But I'm the kitchen boy who'll wash your dirty plate. I had no message and the message was, we're all Jesus, Buddha, and the Wizard of Oz!
I'm merely a man and I bring nothing but love for you. I'm merely a man and I want nothing that you can't do!
And you know it's true. That with logic and love we'll be lifting humanity higher! Higher!
I'm all religious figures rolled into one, Gaddafy Duck propelled from Jimmy Swaggart's tommy gun. Don't promise rainbows with some golden pot, In fact what I can offer I know you've already got!
I'm merely a man and I bring nothing but love for you. I'm merely a man and I want nothing that you can't do?
And you know it's true. That with logic and love we'll have power enough to raise consciousness up and for lifting humanity higher! Higher!
And you know it's true. We should chase superstition and fear from our hearts if we're going to survive and take levels of sanity higher! Kick it up... Higher!
I'm merely a man and I bring nothing but love for you. I'm merely a man and I want nothing that you can't do!
And you know it's true. That with logic and love we'll have power enough to raise consciousness up and for lifting humanity higher!
© 1989 Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd.
Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2021 17:41:17 -0800 From: Brendan Is Making A Song A Week <brendan.ampersand (at) gmail dot com> Subject: any interest in a transcription of the lower vocal harmony part of XTC's "Merely A Man"? Message-ID: <CAFHaFBE+szzpCJDWEQ5SBBT-MBm9ZC17hKFDLSun3n=LMq9PQA (at) mail dot gmail dot com>
we're doing some XTC covers and I transcribed the lower harmony for one of my bandmates. Not much, but it's something.
Merely_A_Man_lower_harmony.pdf
--
Brendan Milburn
Date: Sat, 24 Sep 2016 16:04:33 -0400 From: "J. D. Mack" <jdmack01 (at) verizon dot net> Subject: Something for the Chalkhills website Message-id: <6a2b0d1f-9508-602f-eb91-c715a1d83220 (at) verizon dot net>
Attached is a labor of love I've been working on for the past few weeks. It is bass guitar transcriptions for all of the songs on "Oranges and Lemons" - both notation and tab.
Thanks!
J. D.
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 17:57:06 -0400 From: Kevin <KB305 (at) aol dot com> Subject: one more time Message-ID: <960723175703_244054811 (at) emout16 dot mail dot aol dot com> Merely a Man Higher! F7 I'm a king, yes, I'm a head of state. But I'm the kitchen boy who'll wash your dirty plate. I had no message and the message was, we're all Jesus, Buddha, and the Wizard of Oz! A C#m Bm E I'm merely a man and I bring nothing but love for you. A C#m Bm E A I'm merely a man and I want nothing that you can't do! C9 F7 And you know it's true. That with logic and love we'll be lifting humanity higher! Higher! I'm all religious figures rolled into one, Gaddafy Duck propelled from Jimmy Swaggart's tommy gun. Don't promise rainbows with some golden pot, In fact what I can offer I know you've already got! I'm merely a man and I bring nothing but love for you. I'm merely a man and I want nothing that you can't do? And you know it's true. That with logic and love we'll have power enough to raise consciousness up and for lifting humanity higher! Higher! And you know it's true. We should chase superstition and fear from our hearts if we're going to survive and take levels of sanity higher! Kick it up... Higher! I'm merely a man and I bring nothing but love for you. I'm merely a man and I want nothing that you can't do! And you know it's true. That with logic and love we'll have power enough to raise consciousness up and for lifting humanity higher!
Date: Thu, 13 Jun 1996 22:48:23 +0100 From: Tim Harris <wordsrus (at) wordsrus dot demon dot co dot uk> Subject: Merely A Man - guitar chords Message-ID: <D85FpDAnyIwxEw+N (at) wordsrus dot demon dot co dot uk> A fairly humble contribution in terms of how complicated it looks - nevertheless an achievement for me. Perhaps someone who has managed to decipher the songs where I didn't have a clue where to start (thanks) can sort out what's going on around the E chord of the verse. Anyway, it sounds right when you play along with the CD! E (etc E7, E9?) Higher I'm a king yes I'm a head of state But I'm the kitchen boy who'll wash your dirty plate I had a message and the message was We're all Jesus, Budda and the Wizard of Oz Ab Eb Bbm Eb I'm merely a man and I bring nothing but love for you Ab Eb Bbm Ab I'm merely a man and I want nothin that you can't do B(7) A(7) B(7) B(7) A(7) B(7) And you know it's true B7 E That with logic and love we'll be lifting humanity higher higher (solo with brass re-uses the: Ab-Eb-Bbm-Eb sequence) Tim Harris
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