I Don't Want To Be Here

XTC · Other Songs - XTC

I drank a rainbow but I could not get me drunk

All I could get me was blue,

Red round the eyes where I cried bout how green I'd been

Regarding you

And all the works you do

I took a jet plane but I could not get me gone

All I could get me was here,

Stuck in the dirt ankle deep, riches crashing in our atmosphere

No parachute hangs near



And I don't want to find myself this way again

I don't want to pick the thorny rose

I don't want to let love spoil the day again

But it may again, who knows

I don't wanna be here



I smoked a forest but I could not get me lost

All I could get me was found

Gretel skips home and I rode on my hands and knees upon the ground

Our candy house melts down



And I don't want to find myself this way again

I don't want to pick the thorny rose

I don't want to let love spoil the day again

But it may again, who knows



Swallowed a mountain, but I could not get me high

All I could get me was low

Really marked down in your sale of the century

And we all know

That everything must go



And I don't want to find myself this way again (I don't wanna...)

I don't want to pick the thorny rose

I don't want to let love spoil the day again

But it may again, who knows



(repeat)



I don't wanna be here

I don't wanna be here

(where'd you wanna be, who'd you wanna be with, where'd you wanna be)

I Don't Want To Be Here

Released by XTC in 1978, 'I Don't Want To Be Here' stands as a defining track from the band's early experimental phase. The song features the distinctive vocal delivery of Andy Partridge, characterized by its conversational tone and melancholic delivery that became a hallmark of the group's sound. Musically, the recording blends art rock sensibilities with punk energy, utilizing jarring instrumentation and abrupt tempo shifts to create a disorienting atmosphere. This track exemplifies XTC's refusal to conform to conventional structures, instead embracing a chaotic aesthetic that challenged the boundaries of mainstream rock music. The composition remains a significant example of the band's early catalog, showcasing their unique ability to merge lyrical introspection with avant-garde musical textures.