DEBORAH-HARRY [dot] COM | LYRICS

index | sitemap | search | contact | credits
image by F Scott Schafer
The Deborah Harry song catalog you find on this page was compiled by me, the webmaster, with the help of my personal record collection, booklets, biographies, setlists, ASCAP, the LoC (Library of Congress), articles and (live) bootlegs. It's my goal to create a page which features Deborah's complete musical body of work, no matter if Deborah was in any way musically involved herself or whether she contributed her own lyrics to a project. In order to keep up the standard of this page and to make it grow you can help by submitting song titles and/or information which are missing on this site. Every contribution is greatly appreciated. Official song lyrics were taken from booklets. I transcribed those songs myself where no official lyrics were available (with no guarantee for their accuracy). I apologize for possible errors and will gladly take corrections. I kindly ask you not to copy any of these lyrics from this page.
All song pages include links to the albums, singles and/or live albums which they were released on. Best Ofs and soundtracks were only listed if there is a special mix available on the record or the song title itself was previously unreleased.

main lyrics page | official tracks | Blondie albums | Blondie (album)

INFO

length (album version): 3:09-14 [depending on edition]
written by: Deborah Harry & Gary Valentine
produced by: Richard Gottehrer: 'An Instant' Record'
released: May 1976

FEATURED ON

Blondie [album] (1976)

At The BBC [CD + DVD] (2010)
Blondie [remastered] [album] (2001)
Live By Request [live album] (2004)
Blondie Is The Name Of A Band [live album] (2000)
Philadelphia 1978/Dallas 1980 [live album] (1999)
Livid/Live [live album] (2000)
Picture This Live [live album] (1997)
X-Offenders [live album] (1995)

Rip Her To Shreds [single] (1977)
In The Flesh [single] (1976)
X Offender [single] (1976)

REMIXES & OTHER VERSIONS

■ Original Private Stock single version (Private Stock 45097, May 1976, recorded at Plaza Sound Studios, NYC in 1976; produced by Richard Gottehrer and Craig Leon)

MUSIC VIDEO

X Offender
directed by: Richard Robinson & Bob Gruen
images

X OFFENDER

[spoken:]
I saw you standing on the corner
You looked so big and fine
I really wanted to go out with you
So when you smiled I laid my heart on the line

You read me my rights and then you said "let's go" and nothing more
I thought of my nights and how they were
They were filled with
I know you wouldn't go
You'd watch my heart burst then you'd step in

I had to know so I asked
You just had to laugh

We sat in the night with my hands cuffed at my side
I looked at your life and your style
I wanted nothing more
I know you wouldn't go
You'd watch my heart burst then you'd step in

I had to know so I asked you just had to laugh

Walking the line you were a marksman
Told me that law like wine is ageless public defender
You had to admit you wanted the love of a sex offender

I know you wouldn't go
You'd watch my heart burst then you'd step it

I had to know so I asked you just had to laugh

My vision in blue I call you from inside my cell
And in the trial you were there with your badge and rubber boots
I think all the time how I'm going to perpetrate love with you
And when I get out there's no doubt I'll be sex offensive to you

COMMENTS

source: wikipedia.org

"The title of the song was originally 'Sex Offender.' Bassist Gary Valentine originally wrote the song about an 18 year old boy being arrested for having sex with his younger girlfriend. Debbie Harry changed the lyrics so that the song was about a prostitute being attracted to the police officer that had arrested her.
Private Stock insisted that the name of the single be changed to 'X Offender' because they were nervous about the original title."