Madness - Michael Caine Lyrics






(I am Michael Caine)

He's walking where I'm afraid I don't know
I see the firemen jumping from the windows
There's panic and I hear somebody scream
(aaaah)

He picks up useless paper
And puts it in my pocket
I'm trying very hard to keep my fingers clean
I can't remember tell me what's his name

(My name is Michael Caine)

And all I wanted was a word or photograph to keep at home
And all I wanted was a word or photograph to keep

The sun is laughing its another broken morning
I see a shadow and call out to try and warn him
He didn't seem to hear
Just turned away

The quiet fellow follows and points his fingers
Straight at you
He had to sacrifice his pride yes throw it all away

(I am Michael Caine)

And all I wanted was a word or photograph to keep at home
And all I wanted was a word or photograph to keep

His days are numbered he walks round and round in circles
There is no place he can ever call his own
He seems to jump at the sound of the phone

Staring out the window there's nothing he can now do
All he wanted was to remain sane
He can't remember his own name

(My name is Michael Caine)

And all I wanted was a word or photograph to keep at home
And all I wanted was a word or photograph to keep
And all I wanted was a word or photograph
And all I wanted was a word or photograph to keep

And all I wanted was a word or photograph to keep at home
And all I wanted was a word or photograph to keep
And all I wanted was a word or photograph
And all I wanted was a word or photograph to keep
...





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Madness Michael Caine Comments
  1. t.... b....

    Another great Madness single and one of their last on the 'Stiff' record label. At this point they started to sound a lot more polished than they had in the past and this is reflected in the video, which was now shot on professional 35mm film stock (as opposed to 16mm for their earlier videos) . This was their first single release to peak outside the UK top ten (excepting Cardiac Arrest in 1982 which was down to an airplay issue) and a decline in their chart fortunes followed, although they continued releasing new singles for another two years but rarely bothered the top ten again. Maybe after five years audiences had tired of them or maybe their more serious sounding music wasn't what the public wanted to hear, or maybe musical tastes wit youngsters had changed by that time. Either way it was a shame as they were a great band with an original sound and were one of the seminal bands of late 1970s/early 1980s Britain.

  2. M.... T....

    Nutty boys classic

  3. Y.... P....

    It's noticeable how many of the songs written and sung by Cathal were quite reflective and so different from the exuberant character he mostly portrayed. But that's cool - this is a great song.

  4. j.... s....

    What a craphouse!

  5. N.... W....

    What a fucking amazing track. Still have the original vinyl. Cheers, Madness, for chronicling my teenage years ☺️❤️

  6. m.... ....

    Madness sound almost like Roxy Music here.

  7. M.... H....

    Yeah Madness and Michael Caine , legendary band legendary actor !

  8. J.... M....

    Could'nt stay seious for three minuit's.
    Not in their dna.
    Class song from the ska boy's.
    This one has alway's been my favourite of Madness !!!

  9. J.... P....

    No Chas no more Madness for me.

  10. T.... D....

    a beautiful homage to a elephant boy

  11. P.... ....

    "You're a big man, but you're in bad shape. With me it's a full time job. Now behave yourself."

  12. E.... S....

    lol - yes - i used a machine gun . . .

  13. d.... ....

    I hadn´t heard this in 30 + years. What a lovely tune!

  14. A.... H....

    I love that Car!!!!!

  15. a.... M....

    Brilliant track....bloody awful video...one seems to set the other off...clever...very clever indeed👉🇬🇧👈👉⚡👈

  16. P.... M....

    That was too Willy hill Angelo reject

  17. r.... ....

    "not a lot of people know that" - when/where did Michael Caine say that?

    r.... ....

    It was popularised by Peter Sellers, doing an impression of Michael Caine.
    Caine did eventually say it publicly as a comedy skit for charity.

    r.... ....

    @gwishart Thanks for clearing that up - I thought it may have come from a film of his that I've yet to see - and I've seen a lot of them most of which have been rubbish and I'm not just thinking about "classics" like the Ipcress file

  18. D.... A....

    Michael Caine should have been in the video dressed as a Nutty Boy. Imagine that!

  19. A.... A....

    Underated

  20. P.... D....

    First madness song i have'nt liked.
    Pretty good run lads.

  21. R.... ....

    Was the intro the inspiration for Danny in Withnail and I?

  22. P.... Z....

    This may be my favorite Madness song, even though it's not quite ska, which I definitely gravitate more toward within their vast discography.

  23. G.... F....

    Met Michael Caine once in the blob shop Liverpool he was on a bender pished on Ausi whites got the ale in all night true gent wanted me to take him to see the mighty Red's playing Tottenham

  24. M.... O....

    And all I wanted was a word.....

  25. T.... g....

    My name, is Michael Caine.

  26. Z.... P....

    Michael Caine was actually approached to make an appearance on this video and not just lend his voice to the song. Now not a lot of people know that! ;-)

  27. S.... G....

    Honestly one of the greatest songs of all time in my opinion

  28. M.... L....

    Michael caine !!!

  29. M.... L....

    This my favourite band in the world also Neptune and mars
    Chatty old George the knicker thief underwear taker also good

  30. k.... ....

    'i think we got it'

  31. M.... S....

    1:43
    Am I the only one who gets The Sims vibes from this bit?

  32. s.... w....

    Michael Cain as Harry Palmer in the The Ipcress File.

  33. b.... o....

    Michael Caine did the voiceover as his daughter was a big fan of Madness.

    b.... o....

    no. its from the film dirty rotten scoundrels.

  34. J.... M....

    I think Chas Smash looks a bit like a younger Kurt Cobain in this video. My FAVE Madness song, although I'm afraid it's been very overlooked in favour of the massive hits like 'House Of Fun', and 'My Girl'

  35. D.... E....

    2:17 - Try that pull-up with today's large rims and low profile tires.

  36. M.... R....

    You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off

  37. S.... M....

    This has always been one of Madness's best tunes. Remember when it came out it felt like they'd suddenly grown up and taken a darker style. Brilliant song.

  38. D.... D....

    An under appreciated masterpiece! 35 years later it still has it. Folk were used to their Nutty sound I think this, Sun & the Rain etc were overlooked

  39. T.... S....

    Such a clever song and video

  40. D.... E....

    little known fact david bowie sang the lirycs

  41. M.... W....

    Sew them in Waterford 6 weeks ago and am now playing their music day after day and this is my favourite along with bed and breakfast man
    Love them 4 ever

  42. G.... ....

    Though I love their entire catalog ... this one stands out as their best track IMHO

  43. G.... W....

    I liked the Jaguar.

  44. T.... K....

    There was often a “dark” element to their videos/songs

  45. d.... ....

    Vastly underrated

  46. P.... H....

    So moody,sultry!

  47. T.... K....

    Such an epic track fav bit is where sexy guy winks at 3:30

  48. D.... A....

    The old man is Nigel Stock who played the traitor in The Ipcress File...nice touch.

    D.... A....

    Don't be so stupid. That was Nigel Green (not Stock). Completely different person. And the guy in the vid wasn't an actor. He was just an extra.

  49. T.... G....

    https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F382954798890

  50. J.... D....

    Roll on Friday madness live at aintree after night meet if races Friday is going be a messy one

  51. P.... R....

    So Len Deighton.

  52. B.... L....

    nobody likes a litter bug!

  53. n.... k....

    From an official channel i'd expect the name of the song at least to be correct...

  54. N.... B....

    Had to start wearing glasses, mad Geordie at work keeps saying ‘ ‘ere you look like that Michael Caine’ my reply always ‘if there’s one thing worse than a murderer, it’s a dirty rotten stinking grass.......’

  55. N.... R....

    Certainly too good to blow The bloody Doors off

  56. T.... R....

    Nice tip-of-the-hat to 'The Ipcress File!'

    T.... R....

    I thought it was ! I love that film :-)

  57. E.... R....

    A good video

  58. S.... M....

    Their best song

  59. L.... ....

    When I first saw this aged 12 I didn't know who Michael Caine was, and I thought he must be the old boy with the moustache in the video. Oddly enough he looks like an older version of Nigel Green, who played Major Dalby in 'The Ipcress File', but it can't be him as he died in 1972.

  60. j.... w....

    How many other people like me queued up at WH Smiths in the local shopping centre to buy this record

  61. T.... B....

    My name is Michael Caine, and ... I ' l l d o i t . . .

  62. s.... ....

    tell me why this brings tears to my eyes

  63. M.... S....

    Is this Chas singing? I can't recall. He's in a bad way apparently, hope he gets through it.

  64. G.... ....

    I think the old boss of the police in this video is the actor Richard Vernon, who cropped up in quite a few tv and film productions in the 1970's. His tv credits include 'UFO' (ep. "Sounds Of Silence"), 'The Sandbaggers', 'Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy', Rumpole of The Bailey' and 'Lovejoy'

    His films include, (amongst others), 'Goldfinger', the 1965 Morecambe and Wise film 'The Intelligence Men' , 'The Satanic Rites Of Dracula' (1974) and his final film, 'Loch Ness' (1996)

    I am pretty sure it is him. Check him out on Google Images.

  65. N.... K....

    Different from the usual Madness hits. A band I think we take for granted sometimes.

  66. K.... b....

    very overlooked
    madness song. ..quality

  67. P.... H....

    The lead vocals on this were by Cathal Smyth (chas). Suggs didn't feature much in the video.

  68. M.... ....

    Wonderful english...I love it .. greetings from Germany

  69. A.... S....

    Another damn fine song and video form Madness.

  70. J.... F....

    Look at the final few 20 seconds and the Micheal Cane photo shreds just like the Banksy frame of Girl With Balloon at the auction.

  71. P.... J....

    3:40 for Banksy

  72. d.... k....

    MADNESS EFFING AWESOME

  73. d.... ....

    my favourite madness song, even though i havent a clue what its about

  74. R.... S....

    Amazing band. Love em

  75. j.... s....

    UK GOT YOU BUT STILL IT'S RYDER

  76. j.... s....

    Wanker. IRA HAVE GUNS TO SILENCE

  77. L.... M....

    this was my first single, my voice was too high to reach the low notes! now i am an old fart however.....🎼

  78. p.... r....

    Used to skive skool at me mates, we would cook chips in the pan fryer for our lunch and listen to madness all day. Fantastic!

  79. G.... D....

    Just beautiful!

  80. A.... B....

    What’s the song about?

  81. J.... s....

    Always thought Suggs had a Bowie like tone to his voice then I found out he spent some time with Bowie at his Swiss home.

  82. J.... W....

    used to hate this song as a kid, love it now

  83. s.... p....

    this is the voice of the person we know as Michael Cain. Know that he changes his personal voice is put in order to

  84. s.... p....

    i am that garbage casting and being casted to the (market) street: 30 mile out and in in a day, by foot

  85. s.... p....

    we want some somes to remind us we were and can be bigger

  86. S.... S....

    Tune..!

  87. T.... B....

    So beautifully perfect since the school days 🎶🌹😎

  88. C.... C....

    I love this song

  89. S.... M....

    Brilliant song, love the sax !!!

  90. s.... c....

    going to see madness in july cant wait...

  91. l.... d....

    suggs eu te amo meu amor

  92. l.... d....

    o cara quase me atropelou no inicio do video mano

  93. l.... d....

    my cocaine

  94. A.... G....

    Well......serious subject. Good song.

  95. J.... G....

    I can see myself watching a beautiful sunset with this wonderful song. Love this song SOOO MUCH

  96. D.... T....

    operation market garden , playing with pele at invaded france again natzi germany and bruce waynes half father..long live sir

  97. D.... E....

    thing i dont like about madness,guys just playing at being mad but not really being it just playing the stereotype of it without really understanding it

  98. m.... t....

    we're the sweeny and we hav'nt our dinner

  99. a.... ....

    Ahh loved this since then. if not the best ska band ever, most certainly the most creative. great vocal keys and sax