Whatcha Gonna Do When Your Number's Up?

[Image: 'I Want To Be A Clone' Front Cover]

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Lyrics

Sally's into knowledge
Spent her years in college
Just to find out nothing is true

She can hardly speak now
Words are not unique now
'Cause they can't say anything new

You say humanist philosophy is what it's all about?
You're so open-minded that your brain leaked out

Whatcha gonna do when your number's up?
Time to lay diplomas down
Whatcha gonna do when your number's up?
And you're buried six feet underground

Spent your life looking out for number one
Pride'll come before a fall
Whatcha gonna do when your number's up?
Were you thinking
That was the end of it all?

Harry's a civilian
Wants to make a million
So he keeps on plugging away

Money is eternal
Like the Wall Street Journal
Yes they're gonna make him happy someday

Grabbin' for the gusto
Gonna hit paydirt or bust
Where's it gonna get you
When you bite the dust?

Whatcha gonna do when your number's up?
Time to lay your money down
Whatcha gonna do when your number's up?
And you're buried six feet underground

Spent your life looking out for number one
Pride'll come before a fall
Whatcha gonna do when your number's up?
Were you thinking
That was the end of it all?

Buried in your psyche is the shadow of a doubt
You're so open minded that your brain leaked out

Whatcha gonna do when your number's up?
Time to lay your money down
Whatcha gonna do when your number's up?
And you're buried six feet underground

Spent your life looking out for number one
Pride'll come before a fall
Whatcha gonna do when your number's up?
Were you thinking
That was the end of it all?

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About The Song

From Now The Truth Can Be Told Liner Notes & Song-By-Song Essays, Now The Truth Can Be Told Insert Booklet, August 23rd, 1994:

It wasn't until this song was recorded and mixed that I decided it was too slow. Since our $7,000 budget for the I Want To Be A Clone album was depleted, why not just speed the whole track up, vocal and all? (I usually won these arguments in the studio due to a lethal combination of willpower and sheer ignorance.) So we did, which is why the vocal has a "take me to your leader" sci-fi quality.

I vaguely recall that the ending monologue consisted of the studio owner mumbling a stream of nonsense while I read the financial section of the Los Angeles Times. When we sped that part up, things got real annoying.