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The American and Florence / Nobody’s Side Lyrics by Elaine Paige, Murray Head

Chess

1984

[Part I: The American and Florence]
[FLORENCE]
You want to lose your only friend?
Well, keep it up, you're doing fine
Why this humiliation?
Why treat me like a fool?
I've taken shit for seven years
And I won't take it anymore
[THE AMERICAN]
I'm only teasing Soviets
With gentle bonhomie
And you've a better reason to be anti-them than me
[FLORENCE]
There's a time and there's a place
[THE AMERICAN]
Is this the girl who always said
She wants to know the truth?
[FLORENCE]
There's a time and there's a place...
[ENSEMBLE]
1956—Budapest is rising
1956—Budapest is rising
[THE AMERICAN]
I'd have thought you'd support
Any attack on these people
[ENSEMBLE]
1956—Budapest is rising
[THE AMERICAN]
On the people who ran
Mindlessly over your childhood
Don't let them fool you
For thirty years on they're the same
[ENSEMBLE]
1956—Budapest is fighting
1956—Budapest is falling
[THE AMERICAN]
They see chess as a war
Playing with pawns just like Poland
[ENSEMBLE]
1956—Budapest is dying
[THE AMERICAN]
If you walk out on me
They will have won their first battle
Wouldn't your father
Have begged you to stay in the game?
[FLORENCE]
He would, but he didn't know you
He'd loathe your behaviour and so do I
Why'd you have to do this to me?
[Part II: Nobody's Side]
[FLORENCE]
What's going on around me
Is barely making sense
I need some explanations fast
I see my present partner
In the imperfect tense
And I don't see how we can last
I feel I need a change of cast
Maybe I'm on nobody's side
And when he gives me reasons
To justify each move
They're getting harder to believe
I know this can't continue
I've still a lot to prove
There must be more I could achieve
But I don't have the nerve to leave
[FLORENCE & ENSEMBLE]
Everybody's playing the game
But nobody's rules are the same
Nobody's on nobody's side
Better learn to go it alone
Recognize you're out on your own
Nobody's on nobody's side
[FLORENCE]
The one I should not think of
Keeps rolling through my mind
And I don't want to let that go
No lover's ever faithful
No contract truly signed
There's nothing certain left to know
And how the cracks begin to show
[FLORENCE & ENSEMBLE]
Never make a promise or plan
Take a little love where you can
Nobody's on nobody's side
Never stay too long in your bed
Never lose your heart, use your head
Nobody's on nobody's side
[FLORENCE]
Never take a stranger's advice
Never let a friend fool you twice
[FLORENCE & ENSEMBLE]
Nobody's on nobody's side
Everybody's playing the game
But nobody's rules are the same
Nobody's on nobody's side
Never leave a moment too soon
Never waste a hot afternoon
Nobody's on nobody's side
Never stay a minute too long
Don't forget the best will go wrong
Nobody's on nobody's side
Never be the first to believe
Never be the last to deceive
Nobody's on nobody's side
Never make a promise or plan
Take a little love where you can
Nobody's on nobody's side
Credits
Elaine Paige

Elaine Paige

Murray Head

Murray Head

About “The American and Florence / Nobody’s Side” by Elaine Paige

Read the complete lyrics to "The American and Florence / Nobody’s Side" by Elaine Paige, Murray Head from the album "Chess" in 1984. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Concept Album, Musicals, Pop.

"The American and Florence / Nobody’s Side" is performed by Elaine Paige, Murray Head. from the album "Chess" in 1984 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "The American and Florence / Nobody’s Side", explore more songs by Elaine Paige, Murray Head using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"The American and Florence / Nobody’s Side" is credited to Elaine Paige, Murray Head. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The American and Florence / Nobody’s Side" appears on "Chess" in 1984.

Visit the Elaine Paige, Murray Head artist page at /artist/elaine-paige for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.