"No Language in Our Lungs" is a song by Andy Partridge. It appeared on the 1980 album Black Sea.
A live version appeared on BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert, later on the 1998 Transistor Blast box set.
Quotes[]
Andy: “I loved playing this one live. It was the sense of power held under and I think Hugh and Steve captured that really well for us. At this point we were pushing them on to drum sounds of greater and greater violence. Hugh was single-handedly inventing the 80's explosive snare. Take one stone lined room, a handful of microphones, some noise gates, one Terry Chambers and you're half way there. The burbling conversation was taped from whatever was on the control room television that evening. It was Whickers World.”
Andy (on the live version): “We all enjoyed playing ‘No Language in our Lungs’ live. It was a chance to look into a more purpose placed lopey groove, like moving big wooden bricks from one point to another. Shred them vocal chords Andy!”
Lyrics[]
There is no language in our lungs
to tell the world just how we feel
no bridge of thought
no mental link
no letting out just what you think
there is no language in our lungs
there is no muscle in our tongues
to tell the world what's in our hearts
no we're leaving nothing
just chiselled stones
no chance to speak before we're bones
there is no muscle in our tongues
I thought I had the whole world in my mouth
I thought I could say what I wanted to say
For a second that thought became a sword in my hand
I could slay any problem that would stand in my way
I felt just like a crusader
lionheart, a holy land invader
but nobody can say what they really mean to say and
the impotency of speech came up and hit me that day and
I would have made this instrumental
but the words got in the way
there is no language in our...
there is no language in our lungs
to tell the world what's in our hearts
no we're leaving nothing behind
just chiselled stones
no chance to speak before we're bones
there is no language in our lungs