"Tuzla (Avarice)" lyrics - JOE JACKSON

Of all the treasure in our chest
We love the golden god of war the best

Look look at that little clown
Here, look through the binoculars
Someone burned his schoolhouse down
And he's blinking in the sun...
Ha! It's an old teabag!
Now he rolls it up
Look! He made a cigarette
But he's not gonna smoke it yet
Maybe he's gonna sell it
How much d'you think he'll get?

A slice of ham - a long goodbye - 3 days of peace
A bar of soap - a can of oil - 10 years of debt
A pinch of salt - a week of news - 4 double A's
A plastic bag - a place to hide - one sucker bet

I got what you want
You got what I need

Of all the sterling men of steel
We crave the one who'll teach us not to feel

Look at the guy selling beer
Where the hell does he get it from?
He's the King of the Hill
He's the bug that survives the bomb
See the smirk on his greasy face
Handing a bottle to the mortal foe
It's not the time to kill
Not that he forgets...
As he takes a crumpled bill
And thinks: this is better yet.

A pot for the rain - a pair of shoes - 2 hand grenades
A spade for a grave - four lovely eggs - 3 cigarettes
A stick of gum - some wood for a fire - 2 table legs
A cup of rice - a pint of blood - 1 pound of flesh

Line up to buy here
Line up to die there

Look, look through that window
Looks like your sister there
In a Chetnik's bed
Look, there on the table
Looks like she did it for a loaf of bread
Shit! She's got a knife!
And he's snoring like a pig
Is he worth more alive or dead?
How much for his boots?
How much for his head?

Through all the days and all the times
We count the coin and stash away the crimes