Expert: Bong Santos - 6/1/2006

Question
Unfortunately, I only know a couple of lines from this song and it makes it sound like it is a religious song. I hear it all the time on the 80's station in Seattle. The lines that I remember were "Ya, they were the Israelites" and "No one ever talked to Noah, sitting there building his ark." Working all by himself, but after 40 days and 40 nights" I can hum the tune, but can't remeber any more lyrics than that! The singer sounds a bit like Oingo Boingo or the singer from The Outfield.

Thanks

Rick

Answer
Dear Rick,

You got a good station there in Seattle still playing that song. A good song, that is. Good thing I got it in CD. The song is history here, rarely heard.
That one you're talking about is titled ALL YOU ZOMBIES by the Philly band THE HOOTERS. THE HOOTERS is led by ROB HYMAN (vocals & guitar) & ERIC BAZILIAN (vocals & guitar),whose longtime creative partnership also yielded hits for artists including CYNDI LAUPER (HYMAN co-wrote TIME AFTER TIME) and JOAN OSBORNE (BAZILIAN wrote ONE OF US). The line-up also includes JOHN LILLEY (guitars), ROB MILLER (bass) & DAVID UOSIKKINEN (drums). ALL YOU ZOMBIES, written by HYMAN and BAZILIAN, is the first single from their 1985 album NERVOUS NIGHT. It peaked at #58 on the Hot 100 on June 29, 1985 preceeding hits like AND WE DANCED, DAY BY DAY and WHERE DO THE CHILDREN GO. Here's how it goes:

ALL YOU ZOMBIES / THE HOOTERS

Holy Moses met the Pharaoh
Yeah, he tried to set him straight
Looked him in the eye
"Let my people go"

Holy Moses on the mountain
High above the golden calf
Went to get the Ten Commandments
Yeah, he's just gonna break them in half!

{Chorus}
All you zombies hide your faces
All you people in the street
All you sittin' in high places
The pieces gonna fall on you

No one ever spoke to Noah
They all laughed at him instead
Working on his ark
Working all by himself

Only Noah saw it coming
Forty days and forty nights
Took his sons and daughters with him
Yeah, they were the Israelites

{Chorus}
The rain's gonna fall on you

Holy Father, what's the matter
Where have all your children gone
Sitting in the dark
Living all by themselves
You don't have to hide any more

All you zombies show your faces...
...The pieces gonna fall on you

All you zombies show your faces
(I know you're out there)
All you people in the street
(Let's see you)
All you sittin' in high places
It's all gonna fall on you.

Maraming salamat po!

BONG M. SANTOS
Manila, Philippines