Quietly Making Noise

Oscar Wilde died in bed, several floors above my head

Living well beyond his means, in that crazy Paris scene

Rain falls down in sheets so clear, and no one ever calls me here

Traveling by myself these days, I'm into jazz and felt berets

Far from the that old eastern shore, searching for strange metaphors

I don't want to be another victim of fashion

No, I don't want to see my name in the paper each day

You can leave that to the young Turks, they're more handsome and dashing

Posing for paparazzis down Laguna way

Now down in the metro, I feel the world start to multiply

Bastille, rubber wheels, spiked heels, subterranean lullaby

Met an African prancer, a hemisphere dancer, spied the ghost of Brassens

We smiled at the secret we shared and I hid it like contraband

Quietly making noise, making noise

Starts with kindergarten toys

Not too soft, not too loud

Just enough to draw a crowd

Quietly, quietly, quietly making noise

Followed the beat, hey I found myself in this patois spot

Outside a blizzard was blowing, but inside the joint was hot

Zouk songs, rubber thongs, sing-a-longs, the words flew right by my face

You know rhythm and motion's a blamma jamma potion you cannot erase

Quietly making noise, making noise

Pissin' off the old killjoys

Glass packs on a hot Mustang

A Telecaster with a twang

Quietly, quietly, quietly making noise

Singers and writers and poets have flocked here for centuries

The city of light is built upon mountains of memories

Baritone saxophone, monotones, speak with the voice I've heard before

It's a lasting impression, a Gypsy expression you cannot ignore

We're quietly making noise, making noise

Starts with kindergarten toys

Not too soft, not too loud

Just enough to draw a crowd

Quietly, quietly, quietly making noise

We're quietly making noise, making noise

Pissin' off the old killjoys

Not too soft, not too loud

Just enough to draw a crowd

We're quietly, quietly, quietly

Quietly, quietly, quietly

Quietly, quietly, quietly making noise

That's right

Oh yeah, a whole lot of beautiful noise

Oh, come on children, play those, play those kindergarten toys

Everybody's a drummer tonight

Let it ring now, let it ring