Thread: What is he actually singing? (in "California Stars" by Billy Bragg)

Youtube: Billy Bragg - California Stars

I'd love to feel your hand touching mine
And tell me why I must keep working on?
Yes, I'd give my life to lay my head tonight
On a bed of California stars

I might make a mistake, but I listen to something like "/brɪkɪŋaʊ/" instead of "working on".
What is he actually singing?

(Googled it).

Lyrics for California Stars as interpreted by pro-voice

I'd like to rest my heavy head tonight
On a bed of California stars
I'd like to lay my weary bones tonight
On a bed of California stars

I'd love to feel your hand touching mine
And tell me why I must keep working on
Yes I'd give my life
To lay my head tonight
On a bed of California stars

I'd like to dream my troubles all away
On a bed of California stars
Jump up from my starbed make another day
Underneath my California stars

They hang like grapes on vines that shine
And warm the lovers' glass like friendly wine
So I'd give this world just to dream a dream with you
On our bed of California stars

I'd like to rest my heavy head tonight
On a bed of California stars
I'd like to lay my weary bones tonight
On a bed of California stars

I'd love to feel your hand touching mine
And tell me why I must keep working on
Yes I'd give my life to lay my head tonight
On a bed of California stars

I'd like to dream my troubles all away
On a bed of California stars
Jump up from my starbed make another day
Underneath my California stars

They hang like grapes on vines that shine
And warm the lovers' glass like friendly wine
So I'd give this world just to dream a dream with you
On our bed of California stars

So I'd give this world
Just to dream a dream with you
On our bed of California stars

Originally Posted by oldboy

I'd love to feel your hand touching mine
And tell me why I must keep working on?
Yes, I'd give my life to lay my head tonight
On a bed of California stars

I might make a be mistaken, but I listen to hear something like "/brɪkɪŋaʊ/" instead of "working on".
What is he actually singing?

I listened, and you're right -- it DOES sound like /brɪkɪŋaʊ/!

But he's really saying "working on," trust me!

By the way, in regular colloquial speech, the word order here would probably be "I must keep on working" -- that is, most native speakers would understand that on really "belongs" to the verb keep ("to keep on" = "to continue").

But for the sake of meter/melody, Bragg splits the verb phrase "keep on" and sings "keep working on" -- which is completely correct, but not the most natural order in speech.

P.S. Note that the consonant w is "voiced," and that's why the "voiceless" p sounds like a b here: as though he's saying I muskee bworkin' on.

Many thanks, Throbert McGee, for the corrections and explanation.

Yep, he is saying working on.

Now try this one:

According to Weird Al Yankovic (in the parody "Smells Like Nirvana"), the actual words are:

It's hard to bargle nowdle zouss
With all these marbles in my mouth...

Sing distinctly? We don't wanna!
Buy our album, we're Nirvana!