I'm Straight

Studio CD: The Modern Lovers, The Original Modern Lovers, The Modern Lovers (castle)
Live CD: Live At The Long Branch Saloon, Precise Modern Lovers Order, Live At The Long Branch And More
Compilation: 23 Great Recordings, Roadrunner Roadrunner
Live Bootleg: Radcliffe, Harvard University
The Modern Lovers

Chords

This song has pretty much the same structure throughout, like this:
               
               E E C G (F#) E
           e--0---------------|-0-------------|-0-------------|------------0----|
               B--0---------------|-0-------------|-1-------------|------------0----|
               G--1---------------|-1-------------|-0-------------|------------1----|
               D--2---------------|-2-------------|-2-------------|------------2----|
               A--2---------------|-2-------------|-3-------------|-2----------2----|
               E--0---------------|-0-------------|-X-------------|-3---2--0---0----|
       
       Basically an E C G E pattern with a little bass run between the G and
the E Repeat this pattern for the entire song, except where there are
single chords, as in the beginning NC means "no chord" E NC E NC I called this number three times already today C NC But I, I got scared, I put G F# E It back in place, I put my phone back in place E I still don't know if I E should have called up C G F# E Look, just tell me why don't ya if I'm out of place E 'Cause here's your chance to make me feel awkward C And wish that I had G F# E never even called up this place E I saw you though today walk by with hippie Johnny C G F# E I had to call up and say how I want to take his place (and so on ) So this phone call today conerns hippie Johnny He's always stoned, he's never straight I saw you today, you know, walk by with hippie Johnny Look, I had to call up and say, I want to take his place See he's stoned, hippie Johnny Now get this, I'm straight and I want to take his place Now look, I like him too, I like hippie Johnny But I'm straight and I want to take his place I said, I'm straight I said, I'm straight I'm proud to say Well I'm straight and I want to take his place Now I've watched you walk around here I've watched you meet these boyfriends, I know, and you tell me how they're deep Look but, if these guys, if they're really so great, tell me, why can't they at least take this place and take it straight? Why always stoned, like hippie Johnny is? I'm straight and I want to take his place Oh I'm certainly not stoned, like hippie Johnny is I'm straight and I want to take his place I said, I'm straight I said, I'm straight I'm I'm straight and I want to take his place All right you Modern Lovers what do you say? (I'm straight!) Tell the world now (I'm straight!) I said (I'm straight!) Yeah I'm straight and I want to take his place

Lyrics

I called this number three times already today
But I, I got scared, I put
It back in place, I put my phone back in place
I still don't know if I
should have called up
Look, just tell me why don't ya if I'm out of place
'Cause here's your chance to make me feel awkward
And wish that I had
never even called up this place
I saw you though today walk by with hippie Johnny
I had to call up and say how I want to take his place

So this phone call today concerns hippie Johnny
He's always stoned, he's never straight
I saw you today, you know, walk by with hippie Johnny
Look, I had to call up and say, I want to take his place
See he's stoned, hippie Johnny
Now get this, I'm straight and I want to take his place
Now look, I like him too, I like hippie Johnny
But I'm straight
and I want to take his place
I said, I'm straight
I said, I'm straight
I'm proud to say
Well I'm straight and I want to take his place

Now I've watched you walk around here
I've watched you meet these
boyfriends, I know, and you tell me how they're deep
Look but, if these guys, if they're really so great,
tell me, why can't they at least take this place
and take it straight? Why always stoned,
like hippie Johnny is?
I'm straight and I want to take his place
Oh I'm certainly not stoned, like hippie Johnny is
I'm straight and I want to take his place
I said, I'm straight
I said, I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm straight and I want to take his place
All right you Modern Lovers what do you say?
(I'm straight!)
Tell the world now
(I'm straight!)
I said
(I'm straight!)
Yeah I'm straight and I want to take his place

The Original Modern Lovers

Lyrics

[I've been waiting to sing this song today you know I've,
I'm excited, I can't wait,
I think it needs to be sung so stick around and don't go away]

There is one thing
That I'm afraid of
Got to turn it up
Cause you might
Think that I'm a put on when I say it
But uh, I'm no put on
I'm telling the truth
I'm straight and I'm just glad to say it
See I know I'm tripping
Right, everybody
I'm straight and I just glad to say it
You see I'm not stoned
Right, everybody
No, I'm straight and I'm just glad to say it
I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm
I'm straight and I'm just glad to say it

Yeah

You see I watched you
Walk around [???]
All these boyfriends that you think are deep
But I say if these guys are so great
Couldn't they take this place
And take it straight?
Like me, I'm not tripping
Everybody here
I'm straight and I'm glad to say it
I'm not ripped, or anything
Everybody
I'm straight and I'm just glad to say it
I'm straight
I'm straight
Oh I'm
I'm straight and I'm just glad to say it

All the modern lovers sing
(I'm straight!)
(I'm straight!)
(I'm!)
I'm straight and I'm just

Live At The Long Branch Saloon

Lyrics

I called this number three times today
But then I, put the phone back in place
I still don't know if I
Should have called well
Tell me dear if I'm out of place
Yes here's your chance to make me awkward
And wish that I had
Never called this place
But you walked by your college dorm with hippie Ernie
I'm calling to say I could take his place

This phone call today concerns hippie Ernie
His Woodstock brain, and his acid face
Yeah You walked by the computer centre with spineless Ernie
I telephoned to say, I could easily take his place
He's a hippie
Hippie Ernie
I'm straight and I want to take his place
Hey where's his backbone?
Hippie Ernie huh?
I'm tryin to make mine straight
I could really take his place
Cause I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm straight and I want to take his place

Way down

Well I've watched you walk around and meet
Boyfriends that you think are so deep
But I maintain if all your new boyfriends
Were really that great,
Well couldn't they take this place
And take it straight?
I'm straight
I mean I'm straight
And it's a hard fight
But I'm straight and I want to take his place

Way down

Well I knew you for a while
And I thought that I could bring out
The nicer and the smarter things
That you have inside
But you walk by the computer centre
With this kid whose not up to your level at all
You should have me
Walking by your side
Now he's a hippie
Old hippie Ernie
Meanwhile, I'm straight
And I'd like to take his place
He's not so deep
Hippie Ernie
I'm straight and I want to take his place
Dear I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm
I'm straight and I could easily take his place

All right everybody

(I'm straight!)
(I'm straight!)
Everybody say
(I'm straight!), that's right
I'm straight and I want to take his place

Precise Modern Lovers Order

Lyrics

[The next song is written for the time
When your boyfriend and your
See your girlfriend going down the street with someone you think very little of
And you get scared and finally get the nerve to call her and tell her what a fool you think she is being
And then there is the moment on phone where you get nervous and your heart starts to get a little sick
And you get pretty sad and this next song is written about that moment and it's called I'm Straight]

I called this number three times today
But I, put the phone back in place
I still don't know if I
Should have called well
Tell me dear if I'm out of place
Here's your chance to make me awkward
And wish that I had
Never called this place
But you walked by your college dorm with hippie Ernie
I'm calling to say I want to take his place

This phone call concerns hippie Ernie
That Woodstock brain, that acid face
You walked by the computer centre with drugged out Ernie
And I'm calling to say, I could take his place
Now he's a hippie
Hippie Ernie
I'm straight and I want to take his place
He lost his backbone
Hippie Ernie
I'm tryin to make mine straight
I could take his place
Cause I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm straight and I'm could take his place

Way down

Well I've watched you walk around and meet
Boyfriends that you thought were so deep
But I maintain if your new boyfriends
Really were all that great,
Well couldn't they take this place
And take it straight?
I'm straight
I'm straight honey
I'm
I'm straight and I want to take his place

Way down

You walk around Cambridge in the nighttime
You walk around Boston in the morning
You were down in 8th street in New York
And none of the boyfriends come up to my standard
Cause I'm straight
I'm
I'm straight and I want to take his place

You spent 4 years in a college around here
And met these characters
Who don't stand a chance
They can't paint, they can't draw
When the battle comes they fade
And I could take their place
And I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm really straight
I'm straight and I want to take his place

All right everybody sing
(I'm straight!)
(I'm straight!)
(I'm straight!)
I'm straight and I want to

Radcliffe

Lyrics

[Now it's time for a song "I'm straight" All right?
We're the Modern lovers and this song is called "I'm Straight"]

You know
I dialed this number three times today
But I, put the phone back in place
I still don't know if I
Should have called
Well you can tell me dear if I'm out of place
'Cause here's your chance to make me awkward
And wish that I
Never called this place
But I saw you today with hippie Ernie
I called up to say how I want to take his place

You know this phone call today concerns hippie Ernie
He's always stoned, he's never straight
You walked by your college dorm with hippie Ernie
I'm calling to say, I want to take his place

Now he's a hippie, hippie Ernie
Here I am straight and I want to take his place
He's a hippie, hippie Ernie
And I'm straight
And I want to take his place

I'm straight

I'm straight

I'm straight

To take his place

(That's right)

You know dear
I've, I've watched you
Walk around and meet
Boyfriends that you think are deep
But I'm gonna say
If these boyfriends are so great
Why can't they take his place
And take it straight?

You know this phone call today concerns
Hippie Ernie
He's always stoned, he's never straight
You walked by the computer centre
With hippie Ernie
I'm calling to say
I want to take his place

Now he's a hippie, that's all right
For hippie Ernie
But here I am straight and I want to take his place
Now he's a hippie, hippie Ernie
I'm straight
And I want to take his place

I'm straight

I'm straight

I'm straight

I'm straight

Here I want ???

I'm straight

I'm straight

Real straight

I'm straight
And I want

[Thank you very much]

Radcliffe (second one)

Lyrics

I called this number three times today
Then I, I put the phone, I put it back in place
I still don't know if I
Should have called
Well you can
Tell me now if I'm out of place
Cause here's your chance to make me awkward
And wish that I
Never ever called this place
But I saw you today with hippie Ernie
I'm calling to say I want to take his place

So this phone call concerns hippie Ernie
He's always stoned, he's never straight
You walked by the college dorm
With hippie Ernie
I'm calling to say I want to take his place

Now he's a hippie
Hippie Ernie
Dear, I'm straight and I want to take his place
Now he's a hippie
Hippie Ernie
But I'm straight and I want to take his place

Cause I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm straight and I want to take his place

[All right, bring it down]

You know I've watched you walk around this town and meet
Boyfriends that you think are deep
But I got to say
If your boyfriends were really so great
Why can't they take his place?
And take it straight?

Well this phone call today concerns
Hippie Ernie
Who's always stoned, never straight
You walk by the computer centre with
Hippie Ernie
I'm calling to say I want to take his place

Now he's a hippie
Hippie Ernie
I'm straight and I want to take his place
Now he's a hippie
Hippie Ernie
I'm straight and I want to take his place

I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm straight and I want to ???

I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm straight and I want to take his place

Harvard University

Lyrics

[Is there anyone who got sick of marijuana?
Got sick ???
The next song was written for a time
When your boyfriend
And you see a girlfriend
Going down the street
With someone you think very little of
And you get scared
You finally get the nerve to call her
And tell her what a fool you think she's being
And then there's a moment following
Where you get nervous and ???
It's very sad
And this next song
Is written by Barry ??? and it's called 'I'm Straight']

I called this number three times today
But I, put the phone back in place
I still don't know if I
Should have called well
Tell me dear if I'm out of place

Here's your chance to make me awkward
And you wish that I had
Never called this place
But you walked by your college dorm with hippie Ernie
I'm calling to say I want to take his place

This phone call concerns hippie Ernie
That Woodstock brain, and that acid face
You walked by the computer centre with drugged out Ernie
And I'm calling to say, I could take his place

Now he's a hippie
Hippie Ernie
I'm straight and I want to take his place
He's lost his backbone
Hippie Ernie
I'm tryin to make mine straight
I could take his place

Cause I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm straight and I could to take his place

Way down

Well I've watched you walk around and meet
Boyfriends that you thought were so deep
But I maintain if your new boyfriends
Really were all that great,
Well couldn't they take this place
And take it straight?

I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm
I'm straight and I want to take his place

Way down

You walk around Cambridge
In the nighttime
You walk around Bolyston in the mornings
You were down in eighth street in New York
And none of the boyfriends
Come up to my standard

Cause I'm straight
I am
I'm straight and I want to take his place

You've spent four years
In a college around here
And met these characters
Who don't stand a chance
They can't paint, they can't draw
???
And I could take their place

And I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm really straight
I'm straight and I want to take his place

Everybody say

(I'm straight!)
(I'm straight!)
(I'm straight!)
I'm straight and I want to take his place

Notes

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