Lyrics

The Emperor is Naked (Song Lyric)

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Photo on 6-13-13 at 2.02 PMNo one tells the emperor
That he’s standing there naked
That he had too much to drink
That he ought to go to bed
Tiptoe past the elephant
With your eyes on the floor
It’s gotten pretty bad
But you can take a little more

Regimes change
So do seasons
So why can’t you
Change a person?
You can get him in the game
You can make up for lost ground
You can reinvent the wheel
But it always comes around

And I don’t care
If no one’s got my back
Sometimes it takes a pot
To call the kettle black
The emperor is naked
I’ll say it to his face
Don’t care if it’s the time
Don’t care if it’s the place

He’s someone else in private
When there’s no competition
He can be so sweet
Feels like you’re the crazy one
But all your little dreams
And all your little plans
Seem so small
When he holds them in his hands

Regimes change
So do seasons
So why can’t you
Change a person?
Throw your dreams on the fire
Watch them combust
See whatcha gotta burn
Just to gain a little trust

And I don’t care
If no one’s got my back
Sometimes it takes a pot
To call the kettle black
The emperor is naked
I’ll say it to his face
Don’t care if it’s the time
Don’t care if it’s the place

3 thoughts on “The Emperor is Naked (Song Lyric)”

  1. raishimi33 – Freelance writer: articles on linguistics and eating disorders. Former Film Studies student. NES button masher, country walker. Loves cats and sushi. Interests include meteorology, criminology, UK/European politics, the EU, and archaic weaponry. Contact at Celenagaia33@gmail.com
    celenagaia33 says:

    One fine, spitfire poem, Drew. It’d make good lyrics, too.
    (Ace photos)

    Reply
    1. drewchial – When Drew Chial was very young, he found an attic hidden in his bedroom closet. He discovered it investigating an indentation in the ceiling, nudging it with a broom, until it fell inward. There was no stepladder for him to climb, so he scaled the shelves. Shining his flashlight, he found a long triangular hall, twice the length of his bedroom. Every surface was coated in pink insulation that made his skin itch. Creeping into the basement, Drew stole a sleeping bag that he unrolled on the attic floor. He set a tiny aluminum lock box on top of it. This is where he hid the things he wrote. Now Drew hides them in plain sight.
      drewchial says:

      I want to sing the verse as gentle as I can, almost like a whisper. Then I want to shout the chorus like a Flagging Molly song, or a sea shanty. I want to mark the sudden shift from second person to first with some stark contrast.

      I only I could find a place to record it. You know, I have a cache of songs waiting for me to add vocals to.

      Reply
  2. Patti Singleton – Southern Nevada – Pursuits of happiness include gardening, walking the desert, reading, writing, photography, traveling and genealogy.
    1writeplace says:

    Great poem/lyrics…I can hear this as a song…”almost like a whisper.”

    Reply

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