Howard Jones — No One Is To Blame (Acoustic)
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You can look at the menu but you just can't eat
You can feel the cushions but you can't have a seat
You can dip your foot in the pool but you can't have a swim
You can feel the punishment but you can't commit the sin
And you want her, and she wants you
We want everyone
And you want her, and she wants you
No one, no one, no one ever is to blame
You can build a mansion but you just can't live in
You're the fastest runner but you're not allowed to win
Some break the rules and live to count the cost
The insecurity is the thing that won't get lost
And you want her, and she wants you
We want everyone
And you want her, and she wants you
No one, no one, no one ever is to blame
You can see the summit but you can't reach it
It's the last piece of the puzzle but you just can't make it fit
Doctor says you're cured but you still feel the pain
Aspirations in the clouds but your hopes go down the drain
And you want her, and she wants you
We want everyone
And you want her, and she wants you
No one, no one, no one ever is to blame
No one ever is to blame
No one ever is to blame
You can feel the cushions but you can't have a seat
You can dip your foot in the pool but you can't have a swim
You can feel the punishment but you can't commit the sin
And you want her, and she wants you
We want everyone
And you want her, and she wants you
No one, no one, no one ever is to blame
You can build a mansion but you just can't live in
You're the fastest runner but you're not allowed to win
Some break the rules and live to count the cost
The insecurity is the thing that won't get lost
And you want her, and she wants you
We want everyone
And you want her, and she wants you
No one, no one, no one ever is to blame
You can see the summit but you can't reach it
It's the last piece of the puzzle but you just can't make it fit
Doctor says you're cured but you still feel the pain
Aspirations in the clouds but your hopes go down the drain
And you want her, and she wants you
We want everyone
And you want her, and she wants you
No one, no one, no one ever is to blame
No one ever is to blame
No one ever is to blame
Comments (117)add comment
Yay - Howard Jones AND Thomas Dolby played on RP in the same day! 
Take that, you 80s-haters! 
Take that, you 80s-haters! Just thinking about this song the other day...thanks Bill for playing it!
drews wrote:
I thought I was listening to Jackson Browne
Yeah, Jackson Browne meets Gerry Rafferty.
I thought I was listening to Jackson Browne
Yeah, Jackson Browne meets Gerry Rafferty.
...beautiful song, but i do prefer the original studio version...
DoctorHooey wrote:
LOL!!
I put on my white boat shoes sans socks.
I rolled up the sleeves on my pastel blue blazer
LOL!!
I put on my white boat shoes sans socks.
romeotuma wrote:
Sounds more like Dan McCafferty to me...
I thought I was listening to Jackson Browne
Sounds more like Dan McCafferty to me...
I thought I was listening to Jackson Browne
Comparing Howard Jones to Elvis Costello is akin to comparing a 1978 rivera especial to TJ Swan. mortimer wrote:
Are we sure this isn't Elvis Costello?
Can't be Costello because the lyrics are way too lame.
Highest summits you can't reach, last puzzle pieces you can't fit, toes in the pool but no swimmy swimmy, water water everywhere and not a drop to drink, blah blah blah.
Highest summits you can't reach, last puzzle pieces you can't fit, toes in the pool but no swimmy swimmy, water water everywhere and not a drop to drink, blah blah blah.
Finally some Howard Jones!
Are we sure this isn't Elvis Costello?
Gorgeous
musikalia wrote:
Deutsche Radio ist meistens schlecht. GlÃŒcklicherweise haben wir Radio Paradise!
ab und zu mal 'die zeit' lesen .....
z.b. der artikel ÃŒber byte.fm und john peel hilft weiter.
sometimes to read 'die zeit'...
especially the article about byte.fm and john peel will helps you...
'die zeit' --> zeit.de
Wimpy wrote:
I hear Jackson Browne.
Me too.
Great mentor tho'.........
Great song too!
mendoza wrote:
Hatte nicht gewusst, dass dieser Mann mal was unplugged gemacht hat...
Never knew, this man did something unplugged. On German radio you only hear "What Is Love?"
Deutsche Radio ist meistens schlecht. GlÃŒcklicherweise haben wir Radio Paradise!
joshfm wrote:
I knew it was eventually bound to happen. The '80s are now en vogue.
gotta bust out the ol' legwarmers...
Never heard this version...me likes.
Repeat post...I love this song of Howard Jones, but not this version so much. Still, loved the mind of the man. He's singing my life alright! Sorry Just had to!!
Hatte nicht gewusst, dass dieser Mann mal was unplugged gemacht hat...
Never knew, this man did something unplugged. On German radio you only hear "What Is Love?"
...heart pangs to this one, always - just the song itself, nothing to do with nostalgia...
folkalta wrote:
Love the acoustic rendition.
Ditto for me...
The sound quality on Octoshape 192K-mp3 is impressive!
Thanks RP
1984 Arizona State Fair, sense memory of cotton candy smell...
Lotsa great memories go along with this song for me. It's a 9. 
...only concert that I ever walked out on.
Wimpy wrote:
I hear Jackson Browne.
I hear a good song from the 80s.
zzzzz
wow...the memories that this song brings back is amazing. Thanks RP 
!
! Love the acoustic rendition.
kelly652 wrote:
I ratted my bangs for this momentous event.
I rolled up the sleeves on my pastel blue blazer
I ratted my bangs for this momentous event.
just downloaded a version of this from itunes...its really lovely.
Maybe it's the upcoming 20-year high school reunion, but his music just makes me sigh... I always loved him.
This nutters my butter
I hear Jackson Browne.
I rarely hear anything by Howard Jones anymore, but whenever I do, I fondly remember seeing him in an outdoor concert at Six Flags in the Dallas area in the mid-1980s. This is a nice version of one of his trademark songs!
joshfm wrote:
I knew it was eventually bound to happen. The '80s are now en vogue.
Heh, "eventually". I take it you haven't heard the Killers or Belle & Sebastian yet? :)
DigitalJer wrote:
IMHO one of the most under-rated musicians of our time
I agree!
I saw him play back in the late 90s, and he'd mellowed out the synth-ness of his songs, and they all benefited. Great version of this one.
I knew it was eventually bound to happen. The '80s are now en vogue.
i havent heard this version in so long. I had forgotten it existed.
thanx
Kind of nice as this version.
Some said the intro sounds like Nightswimming. I think the intro sounds like the "Will & Grace" theme.
I prefer the original (as I remember it) version from the '80s. I think this is okay, though.
calray wrote:
i had to take off my headphones for this one... 1 out of 10. I would give it a zero if possible.
As usual, the messages in polar opposition never cease to amaze me! Some hate it, some love it. (Count me in with the latter.) I give it an 8.
holy shit. i had my first REAL kiss 
to this song (the radio version) on an amusement park ride in Niagara Falls. His name was Ron and he was a soccer player from Rhode Island. I never saw him again. It was the summer of 86. I need a moment. 
to this song (the radio version) on an amusement park ride in Niagara Falls. His name was Ron and he was a soccer player from Rhode Island. I never saw him again. It was the summer of 86. I need a moment. Phenom! How 'bout an hour long set of nothing but piano-centric artists?
holy crap- haven't heard this in soooo long!! thanks so much, Bill!! great tune! 
always thought this was a Joe Jackson song!
calray wrote:
i had to take off my headphones for this one... 1 out of 10. I would give it a zero if possible.
I concur.
IMHO one of the most under-rated musicians of our time
allisonscola wrote:
Bill,
Thank you. Thank you.
I love this. It is Godlike.
I completely agree.
Howard showed up a year ago on Hit Me Baby One More Time (don't ask me why I was watching) covering Dido's "White Flag." Completely riveting, and reminded me why he was such a favorite all those years ago. What a great voice. What a great musician.
You heard the man! Amnesties and pardons all around!
doh ! 
I though it was the intro to Night Swimming. - Strangely similar and then it goes off on its own musical way
I though it was the intro to Night Swimming. - Strangely similar and then it goes off on its own musical way I love this song of Howard Jones, but not this version so much. Still, loved the mind of the man. He's singing my life alright!
huebdoo wrote:
I found this perfect... totally reminded me of my early teens
Me too. In retrospect it seems like there was a lot of great music on the radio during the summer of 1986.
HoJo's "Dream Into Action" was one of my first CDs ever (gimme a break, I was 15). This is a great version. I prefer this over the commonly played Phil Collins tainted version (ugh).
I vote for the non-acoustic original version. (At least original as I heard it on the radio)
I found this perfect... totally reminded me of my early teens, chasing girls and trying to fit in with the others
I would not re-live my teenage years for all the tea in China...
Its funny how music you listen too as a teen sticks with you through the rest of your life.
TonyBear wrote:
Had completely forgotten about Howard Jones.
Me too, and I was OK with that.
VV wrote:
Shows how a well crafted song can transcend its original sub-par musical arrangement.
I agree that the arrangement on this version shines, but the singing's pretty weak, no?
DG4-chick wrote:
Beautiful song...even better when done acoustically
I prefer the other. Eh...
i had to take off my headphones for this one... 1 out of 10. I would give it a zero if possible.
Shows how a well crafted song can transcend its original sub-par musical arrangement.
Bill,
Thank you. Thank you.
I love this. It is Godlike.
First Morrissey and now HJ. Like them both but will start crying soon.
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Mute! Mute! This'll be stuck in my damned head for days!
Had completely forgotten about Howard Jones, thanks for reminding me. He released some good tunes in the 80s.
If Howard were writing just sappy "Oh baby" love songs that would be one thing, but he's not. As a songwriter, Howard Jones has consistently (but not always) been able convey meaningful sentiments using simple lyrics and sometimes subtle metaphors while writing songs with often original subject matter and construction. While not all of his music surpasses pop cliches and mainstream predictability, he regularly reached for something outside of the arena of generic pop music while still gaining the attention of a fairly wide audience. He was also willing to take some artistic risks, which didn't always pay off. Howard never beat his audience over the head with heavy sentiment or direct prose songwriting, even when his subject matter was serious and emotionally strong. (His tone and style however, could at times be heavy handed, as in this song, but often to good effect. I think this is a matter more of personal taste, if you like his style, you will not find it overbearing.)
This song is a good example of how Howard is able to convey his meanings very effectively using just metaphor, tone and musical style. Additionally, there is still some modest subtlety left over so that his audience is never completely spoon-fed. While I might not compare him to some of the great songwriters of the last couple of decades, I feel that he stood out of the crappy pop-fog that saturated the eighties and tried to be a legitimate artist and musician, attempting to transcend the limitations of electronic music and overproduction that colored the pop-charts. I liked him. I don't expect everyone to like him, but I am willing to defend (to an extent) his musical integrity and to state openly that, yes, it is all right to like Howard Jones. He is not just ear candy. There is at least some depth in his music to draw on, and even, dare I say it, some soulfulness.
Drunkenlilacwine wrote:
H J is very underrated as a performer and a songwriter. Always upbeat and positive without being preachy. Beautiful
Howard, if you are listening... thanks!
Oh the memories this brings back -- last year of college. He did stand out somewhat among the rest of the music then. Too bad he didn't evolve.
Great song. I always thought Howard Jones came along at the wrong time in music history. Too often his music was diluted by that crappy 80's production style. This version of No One Is To Blame is rightious. Btw, I met Howard at JFK airport several years ago. Very cool guy. He seemed a little sad though.
Thank you for playing Howard Jones!
Back in 1986, I wanted hair like him, but my parents didn't want me to...
kazuma wrote:
I think you're right. This is much better than the original version, and I liked the original version.
Indeed this is very true. I had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Jones perform an intimate acoustic gig to about 400 people in San Jose (CA) in the late 90's. Wasn't expecting it to be as impacting as it was.........and you know, despite his hairstyle (I'm sure his mother loves him!) he's actually a very likeable fella!............this is the second time I've heard this song on RP in as many weeks. hmmmmm 80's revival?
DG4-chick wrote:
Beautiful song...even better when done acoustically
I think you're right. This is much better than the original version, and I liked the original version.
Ahhhh. Nice. I liked the original too. Unusual for the 80's (my approval, not the style).
Oh, how true.
I haven't heard this song in ages. I used to own the EP on (YIKES!) cassette! My favourite HJ song by far, and this one is better than the original album version, although I still prefer the recording with Phil Collins on drums.
TheLoneIguana wrote:
I had some CDs stolen. They must have raised a red flag with the music store clerk when the slime tried to sell them. They called the cops, the crooks were busted, and I got (at least some) of the CDs back.
Wish I could've gotten my brand-new TV back, too 
I once prosecuted a guy for stealing and reselling a bunch of CDs (a couple hundred of them). I was reading through the victim's list of what CDs had been stolen and thinking "what shitty taste in music this guy has..."
rgj13 wrote:
Damn junkie thieves, if they ever got to listen to them, musta been like, WTF?
Now it just gives me a chuckle. 
I had some CDs stolen. They must have raised a red flag with the music store clerk when the slime tried to sell them. They called the cops, the crooks were busted, and I got (at least some) of the CDs back.
Wish I could've gotten my brand-new TV back, too
Holy, rip-off inspiration, Batman! Marc Cohn's "Silver Thunderbird" sounds just like this. So is the acoustic version new and does the old version not sound like that? I'd hate to malign Mr. Cohn's tune undeservedly.
Haven't heard this song in YEARS!! Nice to hear a different rendition of it.
loved this song back in its day...I recently saw Howard Jones on some unfortunate tv competition pitting "one hit wonders" from the past against each other...he was terrific and by far the best of the bunch (which included Irene Cara, Cameo and Sophie B. Hawkins). the studio audience completely blew it and voted Irene Cara as the winner...
cbonai wrote:
Actually, I think quite a few people are to blame, myself...
I am going to have to rip my HoJo next for my music server. Just a jolly fellow.
Actually, I think quite a few people are to blame, myself...
DAMN! What a beautiful song! Love this version too. 
Beautiful song...even better when done acoustically
H J is very underrated as a performer and a songwriter. Always upbeat and positive without being preachy. Beautiful
bubb1971 wrote:
I often feel the same way like I should somehow feel bad for liking this song. Because I really do like this song, there I have said it.
Hey, if it resonates with you, don't feel bad.
gandalfbmg wrote:
Am I a bad person because I like this song? Blame it on childhood nostalgia I guess...
I often feel the same way like I should somehow feel bad for liking this song. Because I really do like this song, there I have said it.
this song makes me feel like i need to give, or get, a hug!
I miss Phil Collins.
Irreconcilably perfect.
gandalfbmg wrote:
Am I a bad person because I like this song? Blame it on childhood nostalgia I guess...
No, you are not to blame. Only Mr. Jones is. Nostalgia in the hands of Bryan Ferry (or Marcel Proust, come to think of it) can become great art; amateurs should leave it alone. One should not feel nostalgic for that which is better left forgotten and unloved, as it deserves. The song is simply cheap sentiment, like the empty calories in a Mars Bar. Binge if you must, but at least purge afterwards, else the carcinogenic Maudlin Memory Syndrome might wreak havoc with your aesthetic glands.
Would have loved to hear Eva Cassidy sing this in her own style! ;-)
masterhead wrote:
Take the 80's patina off and you can hear what a great song it is, and that he is a talented musician indeed
well said. i agree. :-)
Enniskillen wrote:
Thanks for the trip down amnesia lane...good times.
Take the 80's patina off and you can hear what a great song it is, and that he is a talented musician indeed
maybe you have to have liked it the first time to like this now...ick
Oh, I had this album in high school. Loved it, loved this song.
And I like this version.
Thanks for the trip down amnesia lane...good times.
rah wrote:
howard did. this is an acoustic track (versus the full orchestrated version).
anyone see him on that "comeback" show last night? i thought he should have won over irene cara...
I saw him, I came to the forums because I thought this WAS the one from the show last night.... Oh well, still good.
rah wrote:
howard did. this is an acoustic track (versus the full orchestrated version).
anyone see him on that "comeback" show last night? i thought he should have won over irene cara...
I did and I thought anyone should have won over irene, actually - Wang Chung was frickin' awesome!
Am I a bad person because I like this song? Blame it on childhood nostalgia I guess...
Pyro wrote:
Who did the original?
howard did. this is an acoustic track (versus the full orchestrated version).
anyone see him on that "comeback" show last night? i thought he should have won over irene cara...
Marr wrote:
I miss the origianl version, but this one is interesting.
Who did the original?
Got to be one of my favorite Howard Jones songs....the lyrics....such is the irony of life! Sigh, this guy is singing my life exactly!
sweet!
thanks RP for reminding me about this song
memories!!!! I like this acoustic version. Takes me back to HS too.
This tune is just shy,
of leather jazz, cool smoking.
Forget this shit, please!
LLMikeJ wrote:
My "Dream Into Action" cd was stolen from my truck along with a sack of cds that the thief is sure to dislike. Or, maybe I've opened them up to a whole bunch of new music. i doubt it.
Ha! Same thing happened to me w/my truck, with about 5 CDs. IIRC, they included Loudon Wainwright III, Ryan Adams, Tabla Beat Science, Talvin Singh, and (I'm embarassed to admit and blame entirely on my then-girlfriend/now-wife) Journey's Greatest Hits.
Damn junkie thieves, if they ever got to listen to them, musta been like, WTF?
Now it just gives me a chuckle.
Marr wrote:
I miss the origianl version, but this one is interesting.
Agreed. Never thought I'd say this, but I miss Phil Collins' backing vocals.
My "Dream Into Action" cd was stolen from my truck along with a sack of cds that the thief is sure to dislike. Or, maybe I've opened them up to a whole bunch of new music. i doubt it.
I miss the origianl version, but this one is interesting.
am having flashbacks to high school! whatever happened to Howard Jones, anyway?
Nice bit of nostalgia, hearing this. 