Ray Davies - Over the Edge lyrics

Everybody is a victim of society Comedy, tragedy, vaudeville and variety Pantomime players in the grand tradition Winners and losers till the intermission Girl, I know the world's a stage That's what the poet said But I think our weird relationship Is way above my head I'll be your Casanova whipping by If that's what you desire But once I start performing I can't easily retire I'll swing on a trapeze I'll jump through hoops And I'll eat fire Be a human cannon ball And walk on the high wire Put on make-up, wear a wig I'll be your tragic clown But once you've got me up there I can't easily come down Don't drive me over the edge of it Can't you see I've got mixed-up emotions Joined the crowd just to be part of it That was the start of it Oh, now I'm over the edge (Don't drive me over the edge of it) Oh, over the edge The world is turning upside-down Civilization's dead, over the edge Economic turmoil, now the world is in the red Democracy's a shadow of its former glory Law and orders broken-down End of story My next door neighbour's totally snapped He's gone over the edge He's putting up barbed wire barricades Around the garden hedge And planting land mines on the lawn He's gone barmy According to his wife, he's formed a secret army Ever since he got laid off Something inside snapped His wife says he's gone 'round the twist Now there's no turning back All night he waits in the garden shed For the enemy to attack A suburban vigilante Dressed up in a union jack He's over the edge, oh, over the edge Don't drive me over the edge of it Woman, you are gonna drive me Totally over the edge Is it yes or is it no Are you gonna take the pledge The pressures of society are getting to your brain And forced you to act weird And put me under all this strain But don't drive me over the edge of it Stop while I've still got emotions Joined the crowd, just to be part of it That was the start of it Oh, over the edge Don't drive me over the edge of it Everybody is a victim of society Comedy, tragedy Vaudeville, variety Pantomime players in the grand tradition Forced into roles that leave them totally driven Right over the edge