SIGNS
- written by Les Emmerson
- #3 hit for The Five Man Electrical Band in 1971
- #8 for Tesla in 1991
- lyrics as recorded by The Five Man Electrical Band in 1971 and included on
  the 1990 compilation album "Made In Canada - Volume Three 1965-1974"
  (BMG KCD1-7158)

And the sign said "Long-haired freaky people need not apply"
So I tucked my hair up under my hat and I went in to ask him why
He said "You look like a fine upstanding young man, I think you'll do"
So I took off my hat, I said "Imagine that. Huh! Me workin' for you!"
Whoa-oh-oh

  Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
  Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind
  Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?

And the sign said anybody caught trespassin' would be shot on sight
So I jumped on the fence and-a yelled at the house, "Hey! What gives you the
right?"
"To put up a fence to keep me out or to keep mother nature in"
"If God was here he'd tell you to your face, Man, you're some kinda sinner"

  Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
  Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind
  Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?

Now, hey you, mister, can't you read?
You've got to have a shirt and tie to get a seat
You can't even watch, no you can't eat
You ain't supposed to be here
The sign said you got to have a membership card to get inside
Ugh!

------ lead guitar ------

And the sign said, "Everybody welcome. Come in, kneel down and pray"
But when they passed around the plate at the end of it all, I didn't have a
penny to pay
So I got me a pen and a paper and I made up my own little sign
I said, "Thank you, Lord, for thinkin' 'bout me. I'm alive and doin' fine."
Wooo!

  Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
  Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind
  Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?

  Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
  Sign
  Sign, sign

-------

By the way, The Five Man Electrical Band originated in Ottawa, Ontario,
Canada as The Staccatos. They had some success with a song called "Half Past
Midnight" which made it to #10 on the CHUM Chart the week of March 20, 1967
(CHUM is a Toronto radio station). They moved to Los Angeles and eventually
changed their name to The Five Man Electrical Band, but didn't have much
success until they changed record companies and recorded the album "Goodbyes
and Butterflies" which contained the song "Signs". Lead singer Les Emmerson
(regarded as the soul of the band since its inception as The Staccatos)
wrote the song in ten minutes after he saw thousands of signs cluttering up
the highway while touring with the band in the U.S.

    Source: geocities.com/hollywood/academy/3225/60s_and_70s/Five_Man_Electrical_Band

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