Cactus Flower Lyrics

This page includes original lyrics written by Tinplate Tiger.

The rights of Tinplate Tiger to be identified as author of this content have been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this page may be reprinted or reporduced or used in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means whatsoever, without permission in writing from the author.

Contents

Cactus flower
Be all you can be
Can't fight love
Diggin my own grave
Don't let go
Have half a heart
Olivia Lee
Only one cure
Sticky situation
Stone angel
Swept away

 

Cactus Flower

You turn my taps on hot and cold
'Til my basin fills up and overflows
I was looking for no one
But you treated me so kind right from the start
You're like a cactus flower blooming
In the desert of my heart

Some people you meet
Ain't what they seem
Pass you in the street
And they look at you real mean
But you're like desert rain, a summer shower
And you burn in my brain like a cactus flower

Some people act all polite
Look you right in the eye
Like they're real nice
But they just want to take you for a ride
Your eyes they shine with fire
Like moon rays on rubies they burn like a cactus flower

Be all you can be

Blue-eyed girl stopped me on the street
She said, can you spare some time
To answer a few questions?
You could win a prize

I said, I guess you want to know what kind of man I am
What brands I choose
I'll gladly tell you all about myself
And I don't mean to sound rude

But I've been a lot of different things in my time
I played a part and I slowly lost my mind
I tried my best to blend
When I felt out of place
But the lies I told couldn't hide the feelings
Etched upon my face

Don't live you life like me
Be all that you can be
See all that you can see
I'm so tired of trying to be somebody else
I've no energy left now to just be myself

I polished my shoes
And I straightened my tie
I looked out of the window
And watched my life slide by

I thought of all the places
I would rather be
But still sat there and played my part
As a cog in their machine

Don't live you life like me
Be all that you can be
See all that you can see
I'm so tired of trying to be somebody else
I've no energy left now to just be myself

She said, thank you for sharing
But I've got a job to do
I'm sorry that things've not worked out
And life's been unfair to you
But I've got to meet these targets
I've got to keep moving on
She turned and walked away
But before she was gone
I called out

Don't live you life like me
Be all that you can be
See all that you can see
I'm so tired of trying to be somebody else
I've no energy left now to just be myself

 

Can't fight love

Love sows seeds in the quiet streets
Snakes across unswept floors
Stirs up lust from blood and dust
Turns sane men into fools

Tricks and tangles flesh in traps
Snares spiked wih desire
Makes killers of meek men
Sets hearts and heads on fire

You can't fight love it always wiins
Gets you hooked and reels you in
Love takes over, cheats, lies and steals
You make out on the back seat
As love takes the wheel

Love acts without thinking
Goes its own sweet way
Takes hold of you deep inside
It won't let you walk away

I smell her milksweet breath
I taste her honeyed hair
Shiver at the brush of her breast
Even though she's not here

You can't fight love it always wiins
Gets you hooked and reels you in
Love takes over, cheats, lies and steals
You make out on the back seat
As love takes the wheel

 

Diggin my own grave

I drink whisky most every night
'Til my eyes go funny and my head don't feel right
I should go to AA, see if I can be saved
But I'm too busy right now diggin my own grave

I've got a head full of crazy dreams
Put all my money in some hare-brained scheme
I should go to the bank, see if I can be saved
But I'm too busy right now diggin my own grave

Me and my wife we ain't been getting on
We both know it's me who's doing her wrong
I should go to mariage guidance, see if our love can be saved
But I'm too busy right now diggin my own grave

I'm a rebel, I'm a devil for all kinds of sin
If the door says don't enter then I walk right in
I should go see the priest, see if my soul can be saved
But I'm too busy right now diggin my own grave

The police flagged me down as I was drving in my van
I said I can't stop fellas I'm a busy, busy man
They chased me for miles, the judge gave me 90 days
But I'm too busy right now diggin my own grave

Went to the doctor, wasn't feeling well
He said, boy you're on a fast track to hell
If you make some changes, maybe your life can be saved
But I'm too busy right now diggin my own grave

 

Don't let go

I'm a lonely trucker sliding sideways on an icy road
Stranded by a blizzard, blinded by the snow
You feel so warm tonight, darling please don't let me go

I'm clinging by my fingertips to the edge of a cliff
And I'm gazing way down into the abyss
If I fall tonight, well heaven knows, so darling please don't let me go

I'm begging you on bended knees
I would walk on razor blades 'til my footsteps bleed
Just to get to you, just so you know
Oh darling please don't let me go

I'm stood at the crossroads, I don't know which way to turn
But it's not to late for me to learn
Show me the way, I'll love you so
And darling I will never, never ever let you go

 

Have half a heart

Have half a heart Lord, what have I done to make you so mad?
Have half a heart Lord, what have I done to make you so mad?
Tried to get along with you
Why do you always treat me so bad?

I've done my fair share of sinning, I'd be the first to confess
I'm like a fly round a pretty eye and a clinging dress
But I'm no different from any guy
Why treat me worse than all the rest?

Just send me a woman Lord, I'll treat her with such charm
Just send me a woman Lord, she'll never come to any harm
I'm not asking for Venus of Troy
Just half a heart and a pair of open arms

Have half a heart Lord, what have I done to make you so mad?
Have half a heart Lord, what have I done to make you so mad?
Tried to get along with you
Why do you always treat me so bad?

 

Olivia Lee

It started raining as I walked down the street
Under the bus shelter who should I meet?
The cutest girl that I've ever seen
She goes by the name of Olivia Lee

Ohhheee, Olivia Lee, Ohhheee, Olivia Lee

I had no umbrella and I had no coat
Got to the corner and I was soaked
Ducked into the cafe, who should be there?
Wearing her tight sweater, leaning back on her chair

Ohhheee, Olivia Lee, Ohhheee, Olivia Lee

Well I gave her a look and she smiled all polite
I don't know if she would, but I hope that she might
She's witty, pretty, full of grace
She makes my heart flutter, I go flushed iin the face

Ohhheee, Olivia Lee, Ohhheee, Olivia Lee

I ordered capucinno, put the juke box on
Asked Oliva to pick out a song
She said, I like that Buddy Holly number, Ollie Vee
But if you put it on you'll have to boogie with me

Ohhheee, Olivia Lee, Ohhheee, Olivia Lee

As the needle hit the vinyl, I got into the groove
Showed Olivia my best rockin' moves
She jumpd up, we stated causin' a scene
I felt like the cat that got all of the cream

Ohhheee, Olivia Lee, Ohhheee, Olivia Lee

Well I gave her a look and she smiled all polite
I don't know if she would, but I hope that she might
She's witty, pretty, full of grace
She makes my heart flutter, I go flushed iin the face

Ohhheee, Olivia Lee, Ohhheee, Olivia Lee

 

Only one cure

There's a queue down at the doctors, people waiting for their pills
I reckon about one in ten of them cats is actually ill
The rest are just sad and lonely, Lord they don't know what to do
But you can sing what you can't say, let it all go with the blues

There's only one cure, only one cure
when the blue leaves you feeling that bad
You've got to pick up your guitar
Tell the world about the troubles that you've had

Felt like I was drowning, beneath a sea of blues
No one there to throw me a life line, Lord I didn't know what to do
Well, thank God I had that guitar, and those three sad chords to play
I played for seven nights and wept for seven days

There's only one cure, only one cure
when the blue leaves you feeling that bad
You've got to pick up your guitar
Tell the world about the troubles that you've had

You can go see the preacher man, tell your spouse all about your day
Hell some of your fiends might pretened to listen to some of what you say
But there's them feelings deep down inside all wrapped up in shame
There's only one cure on this earth that will ever ease that pain

There's only one cure, only one cure
when the blue leaves you feeling that bad
You've got to pick up your guitar
Tell the world about the troubles that you've had

 

Sticky Situation

I'm in a sticky situation with this girl that I know
I'm in a sticky situation with this girl that I know
I'm trying to avoid temptation but she's every place I go

She's like some taste sensation
Looks so good, but it's bad for you to eat
She's chocolate, cherries, cream
A walking sweet dream, she'll sweep you clean off your feet
But the devil on my shoulder says, live a little bolder
Don't you deserve yourself a treat?

Just one taste Lord, surely that can't be a sin?
Just one little taste, surely that can't be a sin!
Just one fleeting kiss then I swear I'll never do wrong again

The birds are singing this morning, Lord they're singing out her name
She's lying like an angel beside me, and the birds are singing out her name
Seems the devil's sticky fingers got ahold of me again

 

Stone angel

I saw a stone angel, her wings were frozen against the sky
I saw a stone angel, her wings were frozen against the sky
I wished you were that angel and I could watch you fly

I'd paint you the brightest blue backdrop to replace this wind-starved grey
I'd paint you the brightest blue backdrop to replace this wind-starved grey
And hold you in my arms again before you flew away

I dreamed that we could dance all across that sky
I dreamed that we could dance all across that sky
And I would have the chance for one last kiss goodbye

 

Swept away

I wrote our memories on a kite
Let them go into the night
Hope whoever finds them will understand
We had so many plans
Into an empty liquor bottle I post our dreams
Throw them down in a raging stream
Sink to my knees in the mud and pray
As I watch them swept away

I first saw you across a crowded bar
Where I fell under the spell of your charms
You were kind enough to let me catch your eye
Though you could tell I was a little shy
I was dazzled by your smile
Felt like I should run a mile
Came over, couldn't think of what to say
Just stood there feeling myself being swept away

Can't be with you any more
I've fallen from the clouds to a cold hard floor
Some days I'm temped to follow you
Though I know you wouldn't want me to
So I stumble on through the haze
I know this is no passing phase
Close my eyes, dream of you loving gaze
Feel myself being swept away