Road Runner/Dancing In The Street/Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)

Road Runner

Note: The Who often played this classic by the great Bo Diddley as part of a medley with "Join Together" and "My Generation Blues" directly preceding their set-closer "Won't Get Fooled Again." They rarely played the song completely through--but these are the complete lyrics by Bo.

I'm a road runner, honey!

(Beep beep)
(Beep beep)
I'm a road runner, honey
And you can't keep up with me (Beep beep)
I'm a road runner, honey
And you can't keep up with me (Beep beep)
Come on, let's race
Baby, baby you will see! (Beep beep)

Here it comes!
(Beep beep)
Move over, honey!
(Beep beep)
Let me by!
(Beep beep)
Move over, baby!
(Beep beep)
Let this man by!
(Beep beep)
I'm gonna show you, baby, that I'll get ahead
(Beep beep)
Better let this man by!

Here I go!
(Beep beep)
Oh yeah, how'm I doin'?
(Beep beep)
Take my hand, baby
I'm gonna prove to you that I'm a...
A road runnin' man!
I wannna show you somethin'...
That I'm the fastest in the land!
Now let me by!
(Beep beep)

Oh yeah! You say you're fast
(Beep beep)
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
(Beep beep)
But it don't look like you're gonna last
(Beep beep)
Goodbye...I've gotta put you down
I'll see you someday...baby somehwere hangin' around!
(Beep beep)
(Beep beep), etc.

Dancing In The Street

Calling Out around the world
Are you ready for a brand new beat?
Summer's here and the time is right
For dancing in the street

Dancing in Chicago (Dancing in the street)
Down in New Orleans (Dancing in the street)
In New York City (Dancing in the street)

All we need is music
Sweet music
There'll be music everywhere
There'll be swinging, swaying
Records playin'
Dancing in the street

It doesn't matter what you wear
Just as long as you are there
So come on, every guy, grab a girl
Everywhere around the world
And we'll be dancing
Dancing in the street (Dancing in the street)

It's an invitation
Across the nation
A chance for folks to meet
There'll be laughing and singing
And music swinging
Dancing in the street

Philadelphia, PA (Dancing in the street)
Baltimore and D.C. (Dancing in the street)
Don't forget the Motor City (Dancing in the street)

All we need is music
Sweet music
There'll be music everywhere
There'll be swinging, swaying
Records playin'
Dancing in the street

It doesn't matter what you wear
Just as long as you are there
So come on, every guy, grab a girl
Everywhere around the world
And we'll be dancing
Dancing in the street (Dancing in the street)

Way down in L.A.
Every day
Dancing in the street (Dancing in the street)
Across in China, too
Me and you
Dancing in the street (Dancing in the street)
Don't you know there'll be dancing? (Dancing in the street)
Don't you know there'll be dancing (Dancing in the street)

Dancing in the street, etc.

Dance It Away

Note: "Dance It Away" began as an improvised jam at the end of Who shows in 1979, probably debuting at Madison Square Garden, Sept. 16, 1979. The version played that night was hypnotic and brilliant, probably the best-ever version, but Pete continued to change and formalize the tune and the lyrics throughout the '79 tours (the original lyrics as heard on audience recordings, are mostly indecipherable). Pete eventually recorded the song (probably during sessions for Empty Glass) and released it as a solo B-side in 1982. The only official Who version appears as part of a medley with "Dancing In The Street" (as the songs were usually linked together in '79 and '80) recorded at the Philadelphia Spectrum, Dec. 10, 1979 and released on an EP of "Won't Get Fooled Again" in 1988. Below are snippets of lyrics from several versions, as it was rarely played the same way twice.

Philadelphia Spectrum, 12/10/79:
They say that speed puts you in a rut
But the only speed I know comes from inside my guts...

You've got to dance it away
Youve got to dance it away
Dance, dance, dance, dance it away
You've got to dance, dance, dance it away

Capital Center, Largo, MD, 12/13/79:
They say you've got nothing left
They say you've got to work to survive...

They say that war is the answer
Don't you let'em take you that far...

You can dance it away
Just dance it away
That's the answer
Dance it away

i listened to all the great thinkers
I prefer to listen to the great drinkers
I was born in a trunk in...uh, Acton
And I like...Eric Clapton

Dance it away
Dance it away
It's all you can do
Just gotta be happy and dance it away

Dance it away
Dance it away
Dance it away
Dance it away
Dance it away

You got to dance it away
You got to dance it away
Dance it, dance it, dance it away
Dance it, dance it, dance it away

1982 studio version:
They say we've got nothing left
They say we've used it all up
They say we've got to be careful with the rest
Or every nuke's gonna play it tough

Well I can't stay, it was a mistake
My creeper's gotta have their say
There's only one answer left, we can't go
Is get up and dance it away
We've got to dance it away
Dance it away
We've got to dance it away
Just get up and dance it away

Children at the bottom of the ocean
It's so hard to be so far away
People haven't got the explosion
Throwin' punches every day

You feel like you think we're human
You're mistaken, in your own sweet way
Our timing really looks confusin'
But mister, can't we dance it away?

We're gonna dance it away
Dance it away
We've got to dance it away
Dance it away

Don't worry, dance it...
Don't worry, dance it...
Don't worry, dance it, dance it, dance it
Dance it away

Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)

Note: When the surviving members of the Who reunited to record a song for the Elton John/Bernie Taupin tribute project Two Rooms in 1991, they couldn't decide which song to do. Elton's management wanted them to record "Saturday Night," a song supposedly inspired by the Who, while Pete wanted to do "Take Me To The Pilot." A compromise was struck when part of "Take Me To The Pilot" was inserted as a middle eight into the former song. This unique version is represented in the lyrics below.

It's gettin' late
Have you seen my mates
Ma, tell me when the boys get here
It's seven-o-clock and I want to rock
Wanna get a belly full of beer

My old man's drunker than a barrel full of monkeys
And my old lady, she don't care
My sister looks cute in her braces and boots
And a handful of grease in her hair

So don't give us none of yer aggravation
We've had it with your discipline
Saturday night's alright for fightin'
Get a little action in

Get about as oiled as a deisel train
Gonna set this dance alight
'Cause Saturday night's the night I like
Saturday night's alright, alright, alright

Well they're packed pretty tight in here tonight
I'm lookin' for a dolly who'll see me right
I may use a little muscle to get what I need
I sink a little drink and shout "She's with me!"

A couple of the sounds that I really like
Are the sound of a switchblade and a motorbike
I'm a juvenile product of the working class
Who's best friend floats in the bottom of a glass

No, don't give us none of yer aggravation
We've had it with yer discipline
Saturday night's alright for fighting
Get a little action in

I get about as oiled as a deisel train
Gonna set this dance alight
Saturday night's the night I like
Saturday night's alright, alright, alright
Saturday night's alright, alright, alright

Take me to the pilot
Lead me through the chamber
Take me to the pilot
I am but a stranger
Take me to the pilot
Lead me throught the chamber
Take me to the pilot
I am but a stranger
Nah, nah, nah
Nah, nah, nah
Nah, nah, nah...nah, nah, nah, nah, nah
Nah, nah, nah
Nah, nah, nah
Nah, nah, nah...nah, nah, nah, nah, nah

Saturday, Saturday
Saturday, Saturday
Saturday, Saturday
Saturday, Saturday
I can't wait for Saturday
Saturday, Saturday
Saturday, Saturday
Saturday, Saturday
Saturday night's alright, alright, alright!