ASIA


Astra

(1985)



1. Go 4'08
(John Wetton / Geoff Downes)
2. Voice Of America 4'29
(John Wetton)
3. Hard On Me
* 3'37
(John Wetton / Geoff Downes / Carl Palmer)
4. Wishing 4'17
(John Wetton / Geoff Downes)
5. Countdown To Zero 4'17
(John Wetton / Geoff Downes)
6. Love Now Til' Eternity 4'14
(John Wetton / Geoff Downes / Carl Palmer)
7. Too Late
* 4'14
(John Wetton / Geoff Downes)
8. Suspicion 3'46
(John Wetton / Geoff Downes)
9. Rock And Roll Dream 6'52
(John Wetton / Geoff Downes)
10. After The War 5'10
(John Wetton / Geoff Downes)

Total Time: 45:04


  • Geoffrey Downes - Keyboards
  • Mandy Meyer - Guitar
  • John Wetton - Vocals and Bass Guitars
  • Carl Palmer - Drums
  • ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA - Orchestra
  • Louis Clark - Arranger, Conductor, Orchestration

    Produced by Mike Stone for Mike STONE ENTERPRISES Ltd. and Geoff DOWNES
    Mastered by Bob Ludwig & Greg Fulginiti at
    MASTERDISK
    John Kalodner - Executive Producer
    Alan Douglas - Engineer, Mixing
    ASIA - Mixing
    Mike Drake - Assistant Engineer
    Mark Saunders - Assistant Engineer
    Roger Dean - Design, Cover Design
    Mark Gorlick - Art Direction
    Willie Christie - Photography

    All Songs Written by Wetton and Downes
    Except
    * Written by Wetton, Downes and Palmer



    1. Go

      Dig for victory, go for gold
      I don't wanna die before I get old
      And I wonder where I'm going to
      There's some way out, there's some way through
      But I'm lost, I'm lost, I'm down again
      My direction is changing, which way,
      Which way can I go...

      Get up and go

      You start me up, you slow me down
      No one can deny you get around
      When you're hot, you're cold, you're in between
      Asking myself what does it mean?
      And I walk that tightrope, you should know
      I'm losing my balance, maybe,
      Maybe I should go...

      Get up and go

      Face to face in sympathy
      But now you turn your back on me
      Turn a card and win, but you may lose
      Fate only has that right to choose
      If you're right, leave me here, I'll die alone
      You've got the time, you've just got time
      You got the time just go...

      Get up and go
      Go

      Just go...

    2. Voice Of America

      I heard you on the radio
      Some other time
      From some forgotten studio
      Way down the line
      So long, so long I've waited now
      To hear you again
      That song, that song will still remain
      Become an old friend
      And now, the tears are in my eyes
      The sound you can't disguise
      The truth comes back from lies
      And all I want to hear

      Voice of America, ooh, America
      Voice of America, ooh, America

      And then you came in stereo
      Calling to me
      And so I watch the videos
      Across the T.V.
      That sound, still ringing in my ears
      From a decade ago
      Around, around my head, the sound from my radio
      I thought, that after all these years
      The tears, the growing fears
      That I would never hear
      Never again

      Voice of America, ooh, America
      Voice of America, ooh, America

    3. Hard On Me

      A secret smile
      Comes to my eyes like a bolt from the blue
      It's not your style
      But it leads me to dream about what we could do

      Could it be the same
      (Could it be the same)
      Ever be the same
      (When I call your name)
      Could it be the same again
      Ever the same again?

      It's hard on me
      And I know, nothing comes easy
      But it's hard on you
      Believe me, baby it's hard on me

      A trick of light
      Your face in the shadows alone in the night
      You're in my sights
      All I've been thinking I know that it's right

      See you standing there
      (See you standing there)
      Magic in the air
      (Magic in the air)
      Now the smoke has cleared
      Time has disappeared

      It's hard on me
      But you know, nothing comes easy
      But it's hard on you
      I need you, always believe me

      Could it be the same?
      (Could it be the same)
      Ever be the same
      (When I call your name)
      Could it be the same
      Ever the same again?

      It's hard on me
      But I know, nothing comes easy
      But it's hard on you
      I need you, always believe me

      It's hard on me
      But you know, nothing comes easy
      But it's hard on you
      I've hurt you before
      Now please don't make it hard on me

    4. Wishing

      Wishing, hoping
      How can I keep coping?
      Till I know your wish is to be with me

      You go, I know
      You were the one who told me so
      I'm wishing you lying in my arms again

      Sad, so sad
      It's written across my face
      My tears leave no trace
      They fall and disappear

      Mad, so mad
      Leaving you on your own
      You're right to disown me
      WIll always be so clear

      Wishing, so long
      How can I keep holding on?
      While missing you, wishing you home again

      Sad, so sad
      It's written across my face
      My tears leave no trace
      They fall and disappear

      Mad, so mad
      Leaving you on your own
      You're right to disown me
      WIll always be so clear

      Wishing ...

    5. Countdown To Zero

      The night is cold, the sun is down
      I see faces through the wire
      No chance for them
      No shoulder left to cry on

      It's 4 am out on the street
      Through the smoke I see the fire
      It's a funeral pyre
      For them to die on
    Chorus

    Countdown to zero
    Just begun
    Coundown to zero
    It's time to start the run

      The city lights are fading now
      As I climb into the plane
      To shield me from
      The stinging acid rain

      And this is it, it's over now
      As we taxi down Runway One
      Tell me please
      You'll wake me when it's over
    Chorus
      Do you realize what's happening in Western Europe?
      Norway, Finland, Scotland, England
      We will be the first to go
      Don't do it
    Chorus
      Don't do it
      Don't do it
      Don't start the countdown to zero
      We want to live
      We want to live
      We will live
      You've got your finger on the trigger
      Take it off
      Let it go
      Let it pass
      Let it go
    < H2> 6. Love Now Till Eternity

      Now, the party's over
      It's you and I, just you and I
      Now, the guests have gone
      It's one on one, one on one

      Which way now, will the eagle fly?
      Tell me how, will the starts shine in the sky
    Chorus

    Love now till eternity
    Shooting for the moon
    To put your hand in mine and say
    I vow to stay with you Chorus
      You, you are my life
      And so I give, all that I can
      All, all that is left
      That you are woman, I am man

      Which way now, will the eagle fly?
      Tell me how, will the starts shine in the sky
    Chorus

    7. Too Late

      I say, no way
      You've gone and stepped across that fine line
      I cried, you lied
      I tried, maybe a thousand times before
      I can't take no more
    Chorus

    Too late
    You let the sun go down
    Too late
    You changed direction
    Too late
    For you to turn around
    We tried everything
      Move on, so long
      Two side to every story
      You told, good nights
      bad days, time to go out separate ways
      I can't say no more
    Chorus x2

    8. Suspicion



      Where were you yesterday?
      I called you up
      No one answered

      The phone rings now
      All the time
      I pick it up
      No one answers

      I know it seems like I just can't go ahead
      Sometimes it's like holding a gun to my head
      I get the green light but I'm still seeing red
      Something I can't stand

      Suspicion
      Suspicion

      In the park, yesterday
      I saw a face that spelled danger
      A friendly smile, a worried look
      I mistook for a stranger

      I keep on fighting and I know I can't win
      Something's biting me I'll never give in
      Coming back to me again and again
      The message in my hand

      Suspicion
      Suspicion

      Eating away at me, it won't let go
      Suspicion is following, everywhere I go
      He walks before me, he's someone that I don't know

      Suspicion
      Suspicion

      Where were you yesterday?
      Where will you be tomorrow?

    9. Rock and Roll Dream

    Chorus

    Rock and roll dream
    Not what it seems
    Who is the dreamer now?

    When I see the faces from the limousine
    No chance of our survival
    Armed forces, guardians of the law
    Awaiting our arrival
      They all are young
      We all were young
      And I've seen this place before
      Open up the door
      Let us in

      All the things I've seen
      Words I said, I didn't mean
      Feelings, I took for granted
      But now reality
      One thing we could never see
      Everything, we always wanted

      They all are young
      We all were young
      And I've seen this place before
      Open up the door
      Let us in
    Chorus
      If I had the choice
      Words came through my voice
      I should have left unspoken
      Now it's obvious
      Clear to all of us
      The dream that now is broken

      Take the stage tonight
      Go face the lights
      With this image you should keep
      You're crying in your sleep
      Tonight
    Chorus

    10. After The War

      For those that are able
      To go underground
      Missiles disenable
      They hit faster than sound
      They're coming and you have no choice
      The helpless with one human foice
      That will categorically say
      This underdog will have his day

      One more dead is one more than it ought to be
      A travesty
      One more missed will be kissed to eternity
      Or purgatory

      After the war

      Red button he's pressing
      But he knows not why
      He's programming orders
      War lights up the sky
      He's on the hotline tonight
      His mind is high as a kite
      His fingers decide wrong or right
      This man has it all in his sights

      Used as tools to believe in autonomy
      Minorities are no more
      Men are fools, one last cry to humanity
      No sanity any more

      After the war

      On my arm, a tattoo for my sons to be
      That numbers you and me
      There's a scar on my face
      That is photographed for all to see

      After the war