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John Cale – Taking Your Life in Your Hands (1982) | Track profile | Dork

Tracks
John Cale
Music for a New Society
Taking Your Life in Your Hands

TRACK

Taking Your Life in Your Hands

Release date: 1st September 1982

From Music for a New Society

More on John Cale

About This Track

"Taking Your Life in Your Hands" 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

Taking Your Life in Your Hands

[Verse 1]

The children are all leaving school today

Mama said, "Don't worry, I'll be back one day"

The blue men in uniform smiled and waved goodbye

She was hiding those tears in her eyes

[Verse 2]

Roll up the history books, burn the chairs

Set fire to anything, set fire to the air

They're hiding to begin and running at the end

'Cause mama said, you take your life in your hands

[Chorus]

Taking your life, your life in your hands

But don't take your life in your hands like I did

I don't feel so bad and always look forward with hope

Forward and hope that the children will always be there

[Verse 3]

Cancel the day, cancel the night

Can't sell the day, can't sell the night

'Cause who could be watching when she steals and runs away

Full of hysterical laughter, and say

[Verse 4]

Mama, mama

I've left school today

I hope I get to see you in that funny school far away

But those gentlemen in blue and those in grey

Say I'll never, never see mama again

[Chorus]

'Cause she took those lives in her hands

Yes, she took all those lives in her hands

Yes, she took all those lives in her hands

But let me wonder, what was there left in those hands?

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

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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]M:FANS

If You Were Still Around (M:FANS)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

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READ MORE ABOUT JOHN CALE

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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

Credits

Production & Engineering

Writer: John Cale
Producer: John Cale