Not Working For You - Van Morrison
    Unreleased song by Van Morrison, circa 1975

    Song Length: (8:00)

    See notes below

    Diabolic pressure.
    It keeps getting worse before it gets better.
    It keep killin' ya', killin' ya', killin' ya', killin' ya',
    bringin' ya' down.
    Killin' ya', killin' ya', killin' ya', killin' ya', bringin' ya' down.

    Pleasin' everybody.
    Ya' know it gets ya' nowhere.
    Pleasin' everybody.
    A-what the fuck do they care.
    They're only killin' ya, killin' ya', killin' ya', killin' ya', bringin' ya' down.

    Oh no!
    Ain't gonna be your boy no more.
    Ya' got one less nigger behind the store.
    Tried my best to please you,
    please you to the letter,
    but anything is better
    than this diabolic pressure.

    Not workin' for you.
    I'm not workin' for you no more.
    I'm not workin' for you.
    I'm not workin' for you no more.
    I'm not workin' for you, I'm not!
    I'm not workin' for you no more.
    I'm not workin' for you.
    I'm not workin' for you no more.
    Ahhh!
    Workin' for me.

    Stated you'll come back soon
    'fore I went to (washin'?).
    That'll keep ya' goin',
    keep ya' in position.
    Stop it from killin' ya', killin' ya', killin' ya', killin' ya,
    bringin' ya' down.
    Killin' ya', killin' ya', killin' ya', killin' ya',
    bringin' ya' down.

    Oh! diabolic pressure.
    It get worse before it gets better.
    Uh, diabolic pressure.
    I get worse before it gets better.
    It's just killin' ya', killin' ya', killin' ya', killin' ya', bringin' ya' down.
    Keep killin' ya', killin' ya', killin' ya', killin' ya', bringin' ya' down.

    Oh no, ain't gonna be your boy no more.
    Ya' got one less nigger behind the store.
    {Let me tell ya' somethin' else, can I tell ya'?}
    Tried my best to please you,
    please you to the letter {didn't do no good}.
    Anything is better
    than this diabolic pressure.
    Not workin' for you {my nose is open}.
    I'm not workin' for you no more, no!
    I'm not workin' for you.
    I'm not workin' for you no more, no!
    I'm not workin' for you {nose is open}.
    I'm not workin' for you no more, no!
    I'm not workin' for you.
    I'm not workin' for you.
    I'm not workin' for you no more.
    No, no, no!
    {Leave the (babe?)}
    {Get it!}

    Not workin' for you.
    I've had enough of this breathin' down my back.
    This time you're workin' for me.
    You're workin' for me this time.
    You're workin' for me.

    Tried my best to please you,
    please you to the letter,
    but anything is better
    than this diabolic pressure.
    Not workin' for you.
    I'm not workin' for you no more.
    Not workin' for you.
    Not workin' for you no more {my nose is open}.
    Not workin' for you {play it man!}
    Not workin' for you no more.
    {Get down right there on the bass David.}
    Ahhhh!!
    Ahhhhhhggggg!!!
    Not workin' for you.
    Not workin' for you no more.
    Not workin' for you.
    Not workin' for you no more.
    I'm workin' for me.
    Not workin' for you.
    Owwww!
    Not workin' for you.
    No more, no more.
    Nawww!
    {My nose is open.}
    My nose is open.
    Owwww!
    Yeahh!

    We got it...

    Notes from David Chance:
    According to the Howard DeWitt book (The Mystic's Music), this song was recorded (along with a number of others) at the Record Plant in Sausalito, California in June 1975 (DeWitt, page 72) [Ed: eventually surfacing on at least the vinyl bootleg Please, No Moke!]

    The musicians involved were most likely (from notes in San Francisco newspapers at that time, i.e. circa the Great American Musical Hall concerts April 18-21, 1975) Mark Jordan (keyboards), John Blakely (guitar), Tony Dey (drums), and David Hayes [definite...see the lyric transcription above] (bass)...there is a back up vocalist(s) present, unknown, but probably one of the aforementioned.

    The song clocks in at 8 minutes exactly...there's a fade-out at the end which suggests this was probably intended for release on a commercial album...perhaps a re-working of the "Mechanical Bliss/Stiff Upper Lip" album which was twice scheduled for release in 1975 but got scrapped.
     

    Lyrics and Notes from The Van Morrison Website
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    Marco Giunco
    Work Basket Music Words