The Newer Stuff (1989)

Side 1

  1. “Total Control” (Nesmith) (3:52)
  2. “Tanya” (Nesmith) (4:12)
  3. “I’ll Remember You” (Nesmith) (3:54)
  4. “Formosa Diner” (Nesmith) (3:42)
  5. “Dreamer” (Nesmith) (4:46)
  6. “Eldorado to the Moon” (Martin) (2:46)
  7. “Tahiti Condo” (Nesmith) (3:55)
  8. “Chow Mein and Bowling” (Martin) (3:25)

Side 2

  1. “Magic” (Nesmith) (3:51)
  2. “Cruisin’” (Nesmith) (3:39)
  3. “Light” (Nesmith) (3:17)
  4. “Carioca” (Nesmith) (4:08)
  5. “Rio” (Nesmith) (6:04)
  6. “Casablanca Moonlight” (Nesmith) (6:40)

I want total control of the airports
Total control of the sea
And total control of the freeway
Total control of police

I want total control of the subway
Total control of my life
Total control of all variables
Total control of your wife

Total control
Total control
Total control of machines (Ah-ah)
Total control
Total control
I’m sure that’s what happiness means

So I know that I’ll need lots of money
To get where I’m trying to be
I’ve read all about it in magazines
And I’ve heard all about it on radio
I’ve seen all about it on TV shows
I’ve got to grab all the gusto
And I know that means
Total control

So I want total control of the ocean
Total control of the moon
Total control of the children
Total control of my room

I want total control of emotion
Total control of the wind
Total control of beginnings
Total control of the end

Yeah, total control
Total control
Total control of machines (Ah-ah)
Total control
Total control
I’m sure that’s what happiness means

So I want total control of emotions
And total control of the wind
And total control of beginnings
Total control of the end

Yes, I want total control of beginnings
Total control of the end
Of the end
The end
Of the end
The end

Track: 1

Length: 3:52 [1]

Writers:

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Lovely Tanya in
Nights of jasmine and
White kimonos of
Shiny satin where
Laughing Buddha meets
Golden dragon, and
Hearts are given with
Such conviction, oh
Lovely Tanya with
Eyes that shimmer
Of love like a waterfall

Ah, how she laughs
Ah, how she sings
Ah, watch her dance

Lovely Tanya with
Ancient wisdom, she
Greets her lover in
Misty visions and
Long embraces spark
Lost impressions of
Past romances of
Great duration, oh
Lovely Tanya with
Eyes that shimmer
Of love like a waterfall

Ah, how she laughs
Ah, how she sings
Ah, watch her dance

Lovely Tanya with
Words unspoken, my
Heart is captured, the
Web is woven, and
We surrender to
Joy’s caress as the
Love that’s offered has
Been accepted, oh
Lovely Tanya with
Eyes that shimmer
Of love like a waterfall
Eyes of love like a waterfall
Eyes of love like a waterfall

(Love like a waterfall)
Hearts are given with
Such conviction
(Love like a waterfall)
Like past romances of
Great duration

Track: 2

Length: 4:12 [1]

Writers:

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Fred and Ginger
I remember you
Still your magic comes through the late night tube
Hey, how’d you think up all those dances
That made those dumb plots seem so romantic?
Ah, Fred and Ginger
You were the best by far

John, my friend
And the band, you sang
Wrote the songs that helped to ease the pain
Where’d you think up all those hook lines
That so completely captured those times?
Ah, John, my friend
You were the best by far

Because you danced
And you danced
And you danced
’Cross the silver screen
And you sang
And you sang
And you sang
In your submarine

Fred and Ginger
Paul, George, and Ringo too
Those days are gone
But I’ll remember you (Ooh, la-la-la)

And so everything you did is still alive today
And though I’m late, there’s something I should say
Thank you for the times you gave me
Thank you for the tears you saved me
Please take this song as my thanks to you

Because you danced
And you danced
And you danced
’Cross the silver screen
And you sang
And you sang
And you sang
In your submarine

Fred and Ginger
Paul, George, and Ringo too
Those days are gone
But I’ll remember you (Ooh, la-la-la)

So everything you did is still alive today
And though I’m late, there’s something I must say
Oh, thank you for the times you gave me
And thank you for the tears you saved me
Please take this song as my thanks to you

Fred and Ginger
John and Paul
George and Ringo
And all
I’ll remember you
I’ll remember you
I’ll remember
I’ll remember
I’ll remember you

Track: 3

Length: 3:54 [1]

Writers:

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Down at the diner
Formosa diner
The people line up in the evenin’ sun
They’re wantin’ wanton
They’re wantin’ eggrolls
They’re wantin’ plum sauce and the Peking duck

But then the diner
Formosa diner
It weaves its magic, and they can’t sit still

Up on the tables
Pirouetting to the hypnotizing beat
All inhibitions gone
They’re leaping wildly seat to seat to seat

Just what it is, no one can tell
Somehow the food just casts its spell
But you can bet the patrons keep it to themselves
Watch it

Down at the diner
Formosa diner
Biz “One Shot” Gojo takes a booth near the wall
He waits for Tanya
The lovely Tanya
He orders dumplings sitting in a red hot sauce

But then the diner
Formosa diner
It weaves its magic, and he can’t sit still

Up on the table
Pirouetting to the hypnotizing beat
All inhibitions gone
He’s leaping wildly seat to seat to seat

Just what it is, no one can tell
Somehow the food just casts its spell
But you can bet the patrons keep it to themselves
Now watch it

Track: 4

Length: 3:42 [1]

Writers:

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Dreamer
What do we dream when night time’s through?
Where do we sail?
Where do we fly?
What are the visions in our sky?

Falling upward, we keep reaching for stars
And then we cast our vision to the wind
And slowly drift back to the Earth again
And yet, the dreams remain our faithful friends
They keep returning to us softly

[break]

Falling upward, we keep reaching for stars
And then we cast our vision to the wind
And slowly drift back to the Earth again
And yet, the dreams remain our faithful friends
They keep returning to us softly

Dreamer
What do we dream when night time’s through?
Where do we sail?
Where do we fly?
What are the visions in our sky?
What are the visions in our sky?

Track: 5

Length: 4:46

Writers:

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You know, someday, mankind
Will travel to the stars
But it will not be done
In tiny compact cars
The interstellar trip
Would take a hundred years
And we don’t want to cramp your pretty legs up, dears

So I will pick you up (La la la la)
About a quarter to (La la la la)
And we will pick up speed as we hit the hill
And then I drop the Caddy into overdrive
And we will take right off into the starry skies

We got a million dollars’ worth of Ethel gas
And a reservation for the room
Tonight we gonna drive the Eldorado to the moon
We gonna drive the Eldorado to the moon

I know the Soviets (La la la la)
They must be most upset (Nyet nyet nyet nyet)
’Cause they cannot build a car like my El D. yet
It’s got the fireplace
It’s got the swimming pool
If we need extra space, it’s got the backseat too

We got a million dollars’ worth of Ethel gas
And a reservation for the room
Tonight we’re gonna drive the Eldorado to the moon
We’re gonna drive the Eldorado to the moon
Tonight we’re gonna drive the Eldorado to the moon
We’re gonna drive the Eldorado to the moon

(Eldorado to the moon)
(Eldorado to the moon)
(Eldorado to the moon)

Track: 6

Length: 2:46 [1]

Writers:

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Ah, ah ah-ah ah ah…

I got five billion Tahiti condo
I got five million Tahiti condo
I got six trillion Jacuzzi pools
I got six trillion Jacuzzi pools

I got two jillion Kon-Tiki igloos
Two jillion Kon-Tiki igloos
Five ladies in the living room
I got the
Five ladies in the living room
I got the
Five ladies in the living room
I got the, ha
Five ladies in the living room

I got five million Tahiti condo
I got five million Tahiti condo
I got six trillion Jacuzzi pools
I got six trillion Jacuzzi pools

Ah, ah ah-ah ah ah…

I got two jillion Kon-Tiki igloos
Me, I gots, two jillion Kon-Tiki igloos
Two ladies in the living room
(Boy, ha, ha, three, three!)
Three ladies in the living room
(No, I got ha ha, five ladies in there!)
Five ladies in the living room
(Me, I gots!)
Five ladies in the living room

I got five million Tahiti condo
Ha, five million Tahiti condo
I got six trillion Jacuzzi pools
Six trillion Jacuzzi pools
Uh! Me!

Ah, ah ah-ah ah ah…

Tahiti condo
Tahiti condo

Track: 7

Length: 3:55

Writers:

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Chow mein and bowling
Twinkies and champagne
Moon over McDonald’s
Frozen pizza in the rain
In the rain

Dancing in the dump truck
Dining with the dog
Laughing in the bathtub
With a ducky and a frog

Stake me to an anthill
Shoot me to the moon
Without you, I am no one
Like a burger with no bun (Bun, bun, bun, bun, bun)
Like a burger with no bun
I can’t go on

On the spot we first met
Flowers grow today
Where’s that little toxic waste dump
Where two children used to play?
Used to [cough cough] play

Meat and diet cola
Duck a la butane
Refried beans and rare wines
Like they give you
On a plane

Oh, take away my game shows
Make me watch the news
Without you, I am no one
Like a gumball with no gum
Like a slumlord with no slum
I can’t go on (He can’t go on)
I can’t go on (He can’t go on)
I can’t go on and on
I can’t go on (He can’t go on)
I really can’t go on (He can’t go on)
I can’t go on (Ah)
I can’t go on (He can’t go on)
(He really can’t go on)

Track: 8

Length: 3:25

Writers:

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This night is magic
I can tell by the stars
This night is magic
With you in my arms
It would be tragic
If we ever part
Tonight is magic for love

You know I love you
Look in my eyes
You know I love you
It’s paradise
For me to love you
Drift through the skies
The skies of magic and love

If you believe
It will always come true
That’s the magic of love
I keep believing
I’ll always have you
That’s the magic of trust

This love is magic
I feel it inside
This love is magic
There’s nothing to hide
Our life is magic
We’ll stay side by side
And feel the magic of love

[break]

This night is magic
I can tell by the stars
This night is magic
With you in my arms
It would be tragic
If we ever part
Tonight is magic for love

This night is magic
You know it’s magic
Ooh, it’s magic
Aah, it’s magic

Track: 9

Length: 3:51 [1]

Writers:

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Lucy and Ramona cruisin’ through the jungles of L.A.
Hopin’ to promote a dream somewhere along the way
They’re rollin’ through the streets, lookin’ for a disco
Passin’ up the treats from a kid named Cisco
Tryin’ to make connections
With their blemish-free complexions
And just as fate would have it
They ended up with Sunset Sam

Sam was sellin’ watches from a suitcase on a T.V. tray
And Lucy and Ramona were tryin’ to figure out if he was gay
The three of them were standing, staring at each other
When the light behind their eyes blew each other’s cover
The ancient code was branded
And each of them was handed
A ticket to their kingdom
’Cause they saw their brother Sunset Sam

Lucy and Ramona and Sunset Sam
People on the streets tryin’ to find a plan
People on the streets lookin’ for the land
Lucy and Ramona
And their brother Sunset Sam

Lucy was from Compton, and uh, she met Ramona at the zoo, ah
Ramona was from Brooklyn, she left when she was twenty-two
Sam was a native of the Arizona desert
But he split when he was slated for some governmental make work
Their differences subsided
When the common bond was sighted
They were all from the same place
That made the famous Sunset Sam

Lucy and Ramona and Sunset Sam
People on the streets tryin’ to find a plan
People on the streets lookin’ for the land
Lucy and Ramona
And their brother Sunset Sam

Yes uh, Lucy and Ramona and Sunset Sam
People on the streets tryin’ to find a plan
People on the streets just lookin’ for the land
Lucy and Ramona
And their brother Sunset Sam

Track: 10

Length: 3:39 [1]

Writers:

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There’s a light from the doorway
There’s a light from the hall
But the light from the window
Is the brightest of all

There are lights in the city
There are lights in the skies
But the light in your window
Are the lights in my eyes

[break]

There’s a light that is solo
There’s a light that’s so high
They are lights from the shadows
They are lights of goodbye

I’ve been waiting, waiting for answers
From the light in my soul
And the light that keeps calling
Are the lights of hello

Track: 11

Length: 3:17 [1]

Writers:

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The stars in the night played a blue carioca
The moon shone outside as the planet revolved
The wind was caressed with the fragrance of summer
The night gentle nature impelled us to love

And I sat alone on a beach by a palm tree
Your silhouette cast a glow on the sand
And there with the sound of the waves and the smell of gardenias
Two lovers sailed on romance to a magical land

Dancing and dancing all night to that blue carioca
Living the wonderful dream that remains
Caught up inside of a blue carioca
Two lovers fly on its lovely refrain

(Ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh) Glide, glide on, carioca
(Ooh-ooh) Glide, glide on out to sea
(Ooh-ooh) Glide, glide on, carioca
(Ooh-ooh) Glide, glide on out to sea

Dancing and dancing all night to that blue carioca
Living the wonderful dream that remains
Caught up inside of a blue carioca
Two lovers fly on its lovely refrain

(Ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh) Glide, glide on, carioca
(Ooh-ooh) Glide, glide on out to sea
(Ooh-ooh) Glide, glide on, carioca
(Ooh-ooh) Glide, glide on out to sea
(Ooh-ooh) Glide, glide on, carioca
(Ooh-ooh) Glide, glide on out to sea

Track: 12

Length: 4:08 [1]

Writers:

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I’m hearing the light from the window
I’m seeing the sound of the sea
My feet have come loose from their moorings
I’m feeling quite wonderfully free

And I think I will travel to Rio
Using the music for flight
There’s nothing I know of in Rio
But it’s something to do with the night

It’s only a whimsical notion
To fly down to Rio tonight
And I probably won’t fly down to Rio
But, then again, I just might

There’s wings to the thought behind fancy
There’s wings to the thought behind play
And dancing to rhythms of laughter
Makes laughter the rhythm of rain

So I think I will travel to Rio
Using the music for flight
There’s nothing I know of in Rio
But it’s something to do with the night

It’s only a whimsical notion
To fly down to Rio tonight
And I probably won’t fly down to Rio
But, then again, I just might

[break]
“This is the first call for flight seventy-seven to Rio de Janerio. Now boarding at gate seventeen. This is the first call.”

I feel such a sense of well-being
The problems have come to be solved
And what I thought was proper for battle
I see now is proper for love

So I think I will travel to Rio
Using the music for flight
There’s nothing that I know of in Rio
But it’s something to do with the night

It’s only a whimsical notion
To fly down to Rio tonight
And I probably won’t fly down to Rio
But, then again, I just might

[break]

I think I will travel to Rio
Using the music for flight
There’s nothing I know of in Rio
But it’s something to do with the night

It’s only a whimsical notion
To fly down to Rio tonight
And I probably won’t fly down to Rio
But, then again, I just might

“Reno? Why Reno?”
“Not Reno, dummy. Rio. Rio de Janerio.”

Track: 13

Length: 6:04 [1]

Writers:

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Motor yacht pulses in the Casablanca moonlight
Pomade and perfume fill the summer air
Ladies of the island
Ladies of estate
Mingle close and dance the rumba
That’s why they’re there

Moroccan magic pouring off the silver screen
Taking me to places no one has ever been
Fly the China Clipper
Sail the Sally B.
There’s no need to try to tell me
It’s not what it seems

And it all takes me home
It all takes me home
It all takes me home

Summer sun Havana palms sway beside the clear green sea
Movies of Havana, all that I can see
Still enchantment wakes me
Enchantment takes me
To the promise of perfection
Outside the dream

[break]

And it all takes me home
It all takes me home
It all takes me home

Motor yacht pulses in the Casablanca moonlight
Pomade and perfume fill the summer air
Ladies of the island
Ladies of estate
Mingle close and dance the rumba
That’s why they’re there

It all takes me home
It all takes me home
It all takes me home

Track: 14

Length: 6:40

Writers:

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  1. The Newer Stuff (1989) (Record).
  2. BMI Repertoire, http://repertoire.bmi.com/, 342291.
  3. BMI Repertoire, http://repertoire.bmi.com/, 1446515.
  4. ASCAP Repertory, https://www.ascap.com/repertory, 330440894.
  5. Infinite Rider on the Big Dogma (1979) (Record).
  6. From a Radio Engine to the Photon Wing (1976) (Record).