From the recording Peace is Not a Fashion
This was our big hit...
The opening was meant for an old radio guy named Paul Harvey to do. When we got signed, our manager asked him, but he politely refused.
I've always been proud of these lyrics. The first verse originally went like this: "My shrink says suicide's for losers/But if she's never tried it couldn't she be wrong?/While the world is full of self-abusers/It's just that some of us get tired of holding/And while we struggle with the vice we can't resist/Lobotomized and tranquilized/There must be more to life than this/And I say "Yes!" and I say "Yes!"/With the scars upon my wrist/And I say "Yes!" and I say "Yes!"/There must be more to life than this
The A&R person at Warner Bros. didn't like the suicide reference so they made me change it for the version that is here. They allowed us to keep the original lyrics for the album we recorded for them, but they never released it.
Lyrics
Tenants of a nation: Recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning
Assure there's an American flag in front of your home on legal holidays
Never, ever, ever vote for a man with a name like Adelaide
And most importantly, sing like an American
It's difficult to keep yourselves together
But it's much too hard to tear yourselves apart
We all think love will last forever
While we're hatching up the wounds around our hearts
You think of all the ones who've had to make a list
Through bitter lies and compromised
There must be more to life than this
And I say yes, and I say yes, as I watch the lovers kiss
And I say yes, and I say yes, there must be more to life than this
Our streets are filled with rat-raced losers
Who live on separate floors and hope that's overdrawn
While the world is full of self-abusers
It's just that some of us get tired of holding on
And while we struggle with the vice we can't resist
The bottom line to realize there must be more to life than this
And I say yes, and I say yes, I raise my drink and clench my fist
And I say yes, and I say yes, there must be more to life than this
And I say yes, and I say yes, to all the good times that I've missed
And I say yes, and I say yes, there must be more to life than this
We make believe
We all make believe we're alright as we run for cover
Yeah
Come on! Play, boy
The fat ties tell us that it's over
Now that the money's gone, but hasn't it been fun?
The Japanese bail out New Yorkers
So how does America feel declared she's number one?
Just as China knows that Hong Kong won't resist
To civilize, to realize there must be more to life than this
And I say yes, and I say yes, I raise my drink and clench my fist
And I say yes, and I say yes, there must be more to life than this
And I say yes, and I say yes, to all the good times that I've missed
And I say yes, and I say yes, there must be more to life than this
Hey, there must be more to life than this
There must be more to life than this
Than this
Yes, sir