Tony Cole Lyrics
"The Hook"

Well I sang my song to the man behind the leather desk
And he gravely shook his head and said to me:
"You can metaphor me till I'm dead
but your kind of songs won't make me any bread
now if you wanna be a poet,
go and write yourself a book
but if you wanna sell your music, you gotta
Hit 'em with a hook!!"

(chorus)
give them something they could la-la to
something simple they could simply shoopy do (shoop shoopy do)
give them songs to fill their hearts with oom pah pahs
pad those gaps with ob li di's and ob la da's (life goes on bra)

Well I took myself away to do some thinking,
Got my mind messed up with too much Humperdinkin'
Got myself up to my neck in schmaltz"
Every second song a goddamn waltz
And the face behind that desk
Was everywhere that I looked
Even in my dreams he told me
Hit 'em with a hook!

give them something they could la-la to,
something simple they could simply shoopy do (shoop shoopy do)
give them songs to fill their hearts with oom pah pahs
pad those gaps with ob li di's and ob la da's (life goes on bra)

Don't forget a change of key once in a while
A change of key will make those happy people smile
And remember you must always work towards
Getting rid of all those melancholy minor chords

Well I'm happy to report the times have mellowed,
And the Green Green Grass of Home at last has yellowed
Similes and metaphors are in
'Cos every loser gets his chance to win
Now I may never be a poet
And I may never write me that book
But least nobody gonna tell me I've gotta
Hit 'em with a hook!!

give them something they could la-la to,
something simple they could simply shoopy do (shoop shoopy do)
give them songs to fill their hearts with oom pah pahs
pad those gaps with ob li di's and ob la da's (life goes on bra)