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John Cale – Damn Life (1982) | Track profile | Dork

Tracks
John Cale
Music for a New Society
Damn Life

TRACK

Damn Life

Release date: 1st September 1982

From Music for a New Society

More on John Cale

About This Track

"Damn Life" is a track by John Cale, from the album Music for a New Society, released 1st September 1982. Full lyrics are available below. Dork has published 1 article about John Cale.

About the Artist

John Cale

John Cale

Lyrics

Damn Life

[Verse 1]

Damn life

Damn life

What's it worth?

Damn life

Getting on without

This city

It's just self-pity

Damn life

You're just not worth it

You're just not worth this pain

[Verse 2]

They'll eat you alive

They'll drink the sweat from your brow

Eating the salt from the lake, the earth you'll never know

Oh no, respect, respect

What's respect?

Cause and effect

Self respect

[Bridge]

She was the one that got left behind

She was the one that got lost

Never took from anybody

Self-sufficient at any cost

No, nothing can break this heart of mine

It stands invincible all the time

You always get what you left behind

Seek and you shall find

Yeah, seek and you shall find

Oh damn

[Instrumental Break]

[Verse 3]

So she's still wandering her heart away

Doesn't even know if it's night or day

And even if someone helped her up

She'd stand little hope

Of recognizing those friends she had

And in many, many ways

Those friends were glad

Lyrics provided by LRCLIB

View full lyrics page →

Track details

From Music for a New Society

1982

Listen

Album

Music for a New Society

Release year

1982

—Chinese Envoy
—Changes Made
—Close Watch
—Risé, Sam and Rimsky-Korsakov
—If You Were Still Around
—Taking Your Life in Your Hands
—Damn Life
—In the Library of Force (Music for a New Society)
—Sanctus (Sanities)
—Broken Bird
—Thoughtless Kind

More from John Cale

Albums & EPs

POPtical Illusion

POPtical Illusion

Mercy

Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood

Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood

Extra Playful: Transitions

Extra Playful

EP: Extra Playful

Live At Rockpalast (Live at Zeche Bochum 06.03.1983 & at Grugahalle Essen 13./14.10.1984)

Live At Rockpalast (Live at Zeche Bochum 06.03.1983 & at Grugahalle Essen 13./14.10.1984)

Circus Live

Black Acetate

Explore

More tracks by John Cale

Standing Next to You

The Adventures of SupaCane

God Made Me Do It (Don’t Ask Me Again)POPtical Illusion

Edge of ReasonPOPtical Illusion

I'm AngryPOPtical Illusion

God Made Me Do It (Don't Ask Me Again)POPtical Illusion

Shark - SharkPOPtical Illusion

All to the GoodPOPtical Illusion

Davies and WalesPOPtical Illusion

How We See the LightPOPtical Illusion

Company CommanderPOPtical Illusion

Setting FiresPOPtical Illusion

Laughing in My SleepPOPtical Illusion

Calling You OutPOPtical Illusion

Funkball the BrewsterPOPtical Illusion

There Will Be No RiverPOPtical Illusion

TIME STANDS STILL (feat. Sylvan Esso)Mercy

EVERLASTING DAYS (feat. Animal Collective)Mercy

I KNOW YOU'RE HAPPY (feat Tei Shi)Mercy

THE LEGAL STATUS OF ICE (feat. The Fat White Family)Mercy

MARILYN MONROE'S LEGS (Beauty Elsewhere) [feat. Actress]Mercy

STORY OF BLOOD (feat. Weyes Blood)Mercy

MERCY (feat. Laurel Halo)Mercy

MARILYN MONROE'S LEGS (Beauty Elsewhere)Mercy

NIGHT CRAWLINGMercy

NOISE OF YOUMercy

I KNOW YOU'RE HAPPYMercy

THE LEGAL STATUS OF ICEMercy

NOT THE END OF THE WORLDMercy

TIME STANDS STILLMercy

EVERLASTING DAYSMercy

OUT YOUR WINDOWMercy

MOONSTRUCK (Nico's Song)Mercy

Corner of My Sky

Sanctus (Sanities) [Music For a New Society]Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Damn Life (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Changes Made (Music For a New Society)

Thoughtless Kind (Outtakes) [Music For a New Society]Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Broken Bird (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Risé, Sam and Rimsky Korsakov (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Close Watch (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Thoughtless Kind (Music For a New Society)

Thoughtless Kind (M:FANS]

If You Were Still Around (M:FANS)

View all tracks by John Cale →

Broken Bird (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS
4:46
Close Watch (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS
3:07
Damn Life (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS
5:14
MOONSTRUCK (Nico's Song)Mercy
5:31
NIGHT CRAWLINGMercy
4:54
NOISE OF YOUMercy
5:16
NOT THE END OF THE WORLDMercy
6:17
OUT YOUR WINDOWMercy
5:14
Risé, Sam and Rimsky Korsakov (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS
2:23
Sanctus (Sanities) [Music For a New Society]Music for a New Society/M:FANS
6:07

Showing 10 of 50

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Charli XCX has collaborated with John Cale on new track 'House' for the 'Wuthering Heights' soundtrack - and there's an entire album coming

Charli XCX has collaborated with John Cale on new track 'House' for the 'Wuthering Heights' soundtrack - and there's an entire album coming

It's part of a whole album set for release in early December.

7 Nov 2025 • 11:18 am