Words & Music by Mike Power

The year was 1987. Or maybe it was 1989. Something like that. I had an acoustic guitar, a 4-track cassette recorder and, best of all, some astounding companions, compatriots, and co-conspirators. We wrote and recorded this song in the living room of one of these fine people.

The ones going:
ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

The lovely ladies in the photo are sometimes known as the S&M-ettes, the Rock’n’Roll sisters, or Nancy and Sharon. Last I heard they opened a cupcake shop in Arizona. I’ve got to get down there one of these days…

We’re not the people taking a bath in the blue light
Of television screens
We’re not the people always smiling for the camera
But never in-between

We’re not the people
‘Cause we’re not people at all
We’re not the people
We’re just pictures hanging on the wall

We’re not the people playing bingo in the basement
Of a little church on a Friday night
We’re not the people who stare into the heavens
Envious of flight

We’re not the people
‘Cause we’re not people at all
We’re not the people
We’re just pictures hanging on the wall

We’re not the people who fall in love with pictures
In dirty magazines
We’re not the people who build those little houses
Where we play out all these scenes

We’re not the people
‘Cause we’re not people at all
We’re not the people
We’re just pictures hanging on the wall
Watching the children learning to crawl
Watching the primitives having a ball
Watching the summer turning into fall