Ordinary People

It's like another world, being here with you,

It's quite a trip for me, so this is reality.

I'm studying every movement, I'm trying to learn the part,

Now I want you to be natural, just relax and be as you are,

'Cos it's all for art, I want to observe the ordinary people

Tomorrow I shall become Norman,

I shall go to his office,

Mix with his workmates.

And if they ask any questions

I shall say I'm doing research for one of my songs.

Nomand and I are changing places

And I'm going to make him a star,

So I'm throwing away my stage suit and I'm packing away my guitar,

For the sake of art I'm gonna mix with the ordinary people.

Star:

God these pyjamas are awful!

Wife:

Awful? Well all I can say is my Norman wears them every night.

Star:

Alright, no sacrifice is too great for art!

The things I've done for music,

The things I've done for art.

So I'll make these sacrifices and I'll take it like a star

For the sake of art I will mix with the ordinary people.

Star:

You'd better come to bed darling.

Wife:

Coming! You'll never get up for work in the morning.

I'm making observations, and character simulations.

I'll mix with his friends and relations,

And he'll be a part of me.

Chorus

He's changing places with Norman,

To get background for his songs.

I'm immortalising his life

And I'll even sleep with his wife,

For the sake of art I'll go to bed like the ordinary people.

Turn out the light.

Turn out the light.

The Star exchanges his silver stage

suit for Norman's pin stripe suit,

umbrella and briefcase. He forsakes

his customary brandy and cigars and

settles for a cup of hot chocolate before

going to bed.

Live version:

Hey Norman, you're stayin' at home with your wife

And you dream you're a rock-n-roll star

But you've reached the point of no return

And you don't know who you really are

You're livin' in a fantasy world

You don't know what's real

How does it feel, all of your life

In an enchanted lie[?] [could be "eternal lie"?]

[Or possibly it's "Imitating lives of... the ordinary people"]

The ordinary people

The ordinary people

The ordinary people

Hey mister can you lend me a hand

Can you tell me who I really am

Am I just an ordinary guy

Or do I play in a rock-n-roll band

Are you all in my imagination

Are they only in my mind

'Cause I just don't know what to feel

When everything seems real

With the ordinary people

The ordinary people

The ordinary people