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What're You Looking At?

by Nerve Centre

/
1.
Verse 1: You told me you know me You’ve seen my type before You told me you owe me For that drink I got before Pre-chorus But I don’t recognise you For anything you say I must apologise to you ‘Cause I don’t know your name Verse 2: You told me you scored me You’ve held my hand before You told me you were with me When we left the disco Chorus: So you know, I’m a self-confessed bastard Sorry sweetheart, there was nothing here that could’ve last Didn’t get your number ‘cause I was never gonna call It’d be great if you could take the hint and just leave me alone. Verse 3: You told me you went home with me We got there about four You tried to get me into bed But I passed out on the floor Rap: The year is '94 and in my trunk is raw In my rear view mirror is the motherfucking law I got two choices y'all pull over the car or bounce on the double put the pedal to the floor Now I ain't trying to see no highway chase with Jay Plus I got a few dollars I can fight the case So I pull over to the side of the road And I heard "Son do you know why I'm stopping you for?" "'Cause I'm young and I'm black and my hat's real low Do I look like a mind reader sir, I don't know Am I under arrest or should I guess some mo?" "Well you was doing fifty five in a fifty four License and registration and step out of the car Are you carrying a weapon on you? I know a lot of you are" "I ain't stepping out of shit all my papers legit" "Do you mind if I look round the car a little bit?" "Well my glove compartment is locked so is the trunk and the back And I know my rights so you gon' need a warrant for that" "Aren't you sharp as a tack are some type of lawyer or something?" "Or somebody important or something?" "Nah I ain't passed the bar but I know a little bit Enough that you won't illegally search my shit" "Well see how smart you are when the canines come" I got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one Hit me
2.
Verse 1: You told me you know me You’ve seen my type before You told me you owe me For that drink I got before Pre-chorus But I don’t recognise you For anything you say I must apologise to you ‘Cause I don’t know your name Verse 2: You told me you scored me You’ve held my hand before You told me you were with me When we left the disco Chorus: So you know, I’m a self-confessed bastard Sorry sweetheart, there was nothing here that could’ve last Didn’t get your number ‘cause I was never gonna call It’d be great if you could take the hint and just leave me alone. Verse 3: You told me you went home with me We got there about four You tried to get me into bed But I passed out on the floor Rap: The year is '04 and in my trunk is raw In my rear view mirror is the motherfucking law I got two choices y'all pull over the car or bounce on the double put the pedal to the floor Now I ain't trying to see no highway chase with Jay Plus I got a few dollars I can fight the case So I pull over to the side of the road And I heard "Son do you know why I'm stopping you for?" "'Cause I'm young and I'm Irish and my hat's real low Do I look like a mind reader sir, I don't know Am I under arrest or should I guess some mo?" "Well you was doing fifty five in a fifty four License and registration and step out of the car Are you carrying a weapon on you? I know a lot of you are" "I ain't stepping out of shit all my papers legit" "Do you mind if I look round the car a little bit?" "Well my glove compartment is locked so is the trunk and the back And I know my rights so you gon' need a warrant for that" "Aren't you sharp as a tack are some type of lawyer or something?" "Or somebody important or something?" "Nah I ain't passed the bar but I know a little bit Enough that you won't illegally search my shit" "Well see how smart you are when the canines come" I got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one Hit me
3.
Verse 1: You told me you know me You’ve seen my type before You told me you owe me For that drink I got before Pre-chorus But I don’t recognise you For anything you say I must apologise to you ‘Cause I don’t know your name Verse 2: You told me you scored me You’ve held my hand before You told me you were with me When we left the disco Chorus: So you know, I’m a self-confessed bastard Sorry sweetheart, there was nothing here that could’ve last Didn’t get your number ‘cause I was never gonna call It’d be great if you could take the hint and just leave me alone. Verse 3: You told me you went home with me We got there about four You tried to get me into bed But I passed out on the floor Rap: The year is '94 and in my trunk is raw In my rear view mirror is the motherfucking law I got two choices y'all pull over the car or bounce on the double put the pedal to the floor Now I ain't trying to see no highway chase with Jay Plus I got a few dollars I can fight the case So I pull over to the side of the road And I heard "Son do you know why I'm stopping you for?" "'Cause I'm young and I'm black and my hat's real low Do I look like a mind reader sir, I don't know Am I under arrest or should I guess some mo?" "Well you was doing fifty five in a fifty four License and registration and step out of the car Are you carrying a weapon on you? I know a lot of you are" "I ain't stepping out of shit all my papers legit" "Do you mind if I look round the car a little bit?" "Well my glove compartment is locked so is the trunk and the back And I know my rights so you gon' need a warrant for that" "Aren't you sharp as a tack are some type of lawyer or something?" "Or somebody important or something?" "Nah I ain't passed the bar but I know a little bit Enough that you won't illegally search my shit" "Well see how smart you are when the canines come" I got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one Hit me
4.
Verse 1: You told me you know me You’ve seen my type before You told me you owe me For that drink I got before Pre-chorus But I don’t recognise you For anything you say I must apologise to you ‘Cause I don’t know your name Verse 2: You told me you scored me You’ve held my hand before You told me you were with me When we left the disco Chorus: So you know, I’m a self-confessed bastard Sorry sweetheart, there was nothing here that could’ve last Didn’t get your number ‘cause I was never gonna call It’d be great if you could take the hint and just leave me alone. Verse 3: You told me you went home with me We got there about four You tried to get me into bed But I passed out on the floor
5.
Verse 1: You told me you know me You’ve seen my type before You told me you owe me For that drink I got before Pre-chorus But I don’t recognise you For anything you say I must apologise to you ‘Cause I don’t know your name Verse 2: You told me you scored me You’ve held my hand before You told me you were with me When we left the disco Chorus: So you know, I’m a self-confessed bastard Sorry sweetheart, there was nothing here that could’ve last Didn’t get your number ‘cause I was never gonna call It’d be great if you could take the hint and just leave me alone. Verse 3: You told me you went home with me We got there about four You tried to get me into bed But I passed out on the floor Rap: The year is '04 and in my trunk is raw In my rear view mirror is the motherfucking law I got two choices y'all pull over the car or bounce on the double put the pedal to the floor Now I ain't trying to see no highway chase with Jay Plus I got a few dollars I can fight the case So I pull over to the side of the road And I heard "Son do you know why I'm stopping you for?" "'Cause I'm young and I'm Irish and my hat's real low Do I look like a mind reader sir, I don't know Am I under arrest or should I guess some mo?" "Well you was doing fifty five in a fifty four License and registration and step out of the car Are you carrying a weapon on you? I know a lot of you are" "I ain't stepping out of shit all my papers legit" "Do you mind if I look round the car a little bit?" "Well my glove compartment is locked so is the trunk and the back And I know my rights so you gon' need a warrant for that" "Aren't you sharp as a tack are some type of lawyer or something?" "Or somebody important or something?" "Nah I ain't passed the bar but I know a little bit Enough that you won't illegally search my shit" "Well see how smart you are when the canines come" I got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one Hit me
6.
Verse 1: You told me you know me You’ve seen my type before You told me you owe me For that drink I got before Pre-chorus But I don’t recognise you For anything you say I must apologise to you ‘Cause I don’t know your name Verse 2: You told me you scored me You’ve held my hand before You told me you were with me When we left the disco Chorus: So you know, I’m a self-confessed bastard Sorry sweetheart, there was nothing here that could’ve last Didn’t get your number ‘cause I was never gonna call It’d be great if you could take the hint and just leave me alone. Verse 3: You told me you went home with me We got there about four You tried to get me into bed But I passed out on the floor
7.
Verse 1: You told me you know me You’ve seen my type before You told me you owe me For that drink I got before Pre-chorus But I don’t recognise you For anything you say I must apologise to you ‘Cause I don’t know your name Verse 2: You told me you scored me You’ve held my hand before You told me you were with me When we left the disco Chorus: Woah oh oh, I’m a self-confessed bastard Sorry sweetheart, there was nothing here that could’ve last Didn’t get your number ‘cause I was never gonna call It’d be great if you could take the hint and just leave me alone. Verse 3: You told me you went home with me We got there about four You tried to get me into bed But I passed out on the floor
8.
Verse 1: You told me you know me You’ve seen my type before You told me you owe me For that drink I got before Pre-chorus But I don’t recognise you For anything you say I must apologise to you ‘Cause I don’t know your name Verse 2: You told me you scored me You’ve held my hand before You told me you were with me When we left the disco Chorus: Woah oh oh, I’m a self-confessed bastard Sorry sweetheart, there was nothing here that could’ve last Didn’t get your number ‘cause I was never gonna call It’d be great if you could take the hint and just leave me alone. Verse 3: You told me you went home with me We got there about four You tried to get me into bed But I passed out on the floor
9.
Self Confessed Verse 1: You told me you know me You’ve seen my type before You told me you owe me For that drink I got before Pre-chorus But I don’t recognise you For anything you say I must apologise to you ‘Cause I don’t know your name Verse 2: You told me you scored me You’ve held my hand before You told me you were with me When we left the disco Chorus: Woah oh oh, I’m a self-confessed bastard Sorry sweetheart, there was nothing here that could’ve last Didn’t get your number ‘cause I was never gonna call It’d be great if you could take the hint and just leave me alone. Verse 3: You told me you went home with me We got there about four You tried to get me into bed But I passed out on the floor Just A Day Away Verse 1: I just wasted another day I said it would be different but it was just the same I think I need a holiday Yeah I really need a holiday It’s a long time from January ‘til May Think I’ll go Liverpool for the day Yeah I know it’s not quite Spain But it’ll do just for a day Chorus: Oh I need just a day away Just a day to refresh my brain Oh I need just a day away From you, from me, from all this city Verse 2: Whenever I decide to get away I have to take the bus cause I can’t afford the train I listen to my favourite songs on the way The ones I listen to everyday It’s a long time from January ‘til May I should get anywhere for a day Wish I had the money to get to Spain But I don’t and it’s not that much of a shame.

about

Way back in 2010, Ronan The Singer decided that including a verse of 99 Problems by Jay-Z in live performances of Self Confessed might be fun because audiences wouldn't see it coming. He was right.

The second verse was used because it references wrongful arrest, which has also been a part of the history of Irish immigrants, and Ronan is an Irish immigrant.

In May 2014, Nerve Centre finally decided to record the track, with Jay-Z, using the vocals from the acapella version of Jay-Z's The Black Album.

It was then decided that there were so many versions of the track around that it could be fleshed out into an album. Not an albumy album though. It's somewhere between a self-indulgent art project, and an historical record of the track which shows how it evolves from one guy by himself in his parent's attic, to recording in a studio, and the revolving personnel over time.

The album isn't for sale for a couple of reasons:
(a) Six of the nine tracks are pretty awful. Interesting if you're interested in the history of a song and how it changes over time with different people involved, but still, pretty awful.
(b) Getting the rights to use a Jay-Z sample for a commercial release would cost much more than we have or will ever make. It's hoped that as long as profit isn't being made, it'll be left alone.

credits

released October 18, 2014

Lead vocals and rhythm guitar by Ronan Fitzgerald
Additional lead vocals by Jay-Z
Lead guitar and backing vocals by James Foster
Drums and percussion by Jon Kelway
Bass by John McCaul

Tracks 1-4 recorded at Hockley Street Studios, Birmingham, and Ronan's house, May 2014.
Track 5 recorded at Ronan's house, February 2010.
Track 6 recorded by Trev Gibson at Circle Studios, Birmingham, September 2008.
Track 7 recorded at MadHouse, Birmingham, July 2008.
Track 8 recorded at Einie's, Aston University, Birmingham, February 2008.
Track 9 recorded at Ronan's parent's house, August 2007.

Written by Ronan Fitzgerald.

Includes a sample from "99 Problems" by Jay-Z. Written by Jay-Z, Norman Landsberg, Felix Pappalardi, Billy Squier, John Ventura, Leslie Weinstein. Used without permission.

Cover art taken from the film Dazed and Confused, written and directed by Richard Linklater. Used without permission.

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Nerve Centre Birmingham, UK

Nerve Centre is a grunge pop band from Birmingham, UK.

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