Tenement Symphony

And if one day i should become
A singer with a spanish bum
Who sings for women of great virtue
I'd sing to them with a guitar
I borrowed from a coffee bar
Well, what you don't know doesn't hurt you
My name would be antonio
And all my bridges i would burn
And when i gave them some they'd know
I'd expect something in return
I'd have to get drunk every night
And talk about virility
With some old grandmother
That might be decked out like a christmas tree
And no pink elephant i'd see
Though i'd be drunk as i could be
Still i would sing my song to me
About the time they called me "jacky"

If i could be for only an hour
If i could be for an hour every day
If i could be for just one little hour
Cute in a stupid ass way

And if i joined the social whirl
Became procurer of young girls
Then i could have my own bordellos
My record would be number one
And i'd sell records by the ton
All sung by many other fellows
My name would then be handsome jack
And i'd sell boats of opium
Whisky that came from twickenham
Authentic queens
And phoney virgins
I'd have a bank on every finger
A finger in every country
And every country ruled by me
I'd still know where i'd want to be
Locked up inside my opium den
Surrounded by some china men
I'd sing the song that i sang then
About the time they called me "jacky"

If i could be for only an hour
If i could be for an hour every day
If i could be for just one little hour
Cute in a stupid ass way

Now, tell me, wouldn't it be nice
That if one day in paradise
I'd sing for all the ladies up there
And they would sing along with me
And we be so happy there to be
'cos down below is really nowhere
My name would then be "jupiter"
Then i would know where i was going
Become all knowing
My beard so very long and flowing
If i could play deaf, dumb and blind
Because i pitied all mankind
And broke my heart to make things right
I know that every single night
When my angelic work was through
The angels and the devil too
Could sing my childhood song to me
About the time they called me "jacky"

If i could be for only an hour
If i could be for an hour every day
If i could be for just one little hour
Cute in a stupid ass way

Remember when we were back in school
Two young kids with wild ideas
Years gone by we sweated and saved
For a cupboard with a view
Now too old for work they say
What's the point in biding time
Living out our yesterday
When wild ideas could all come true

We could settle into being old
But all that glitters could be gold
So meet me in my dream
I won't fall asleep without you
Meet me in my dream
Underneath the vegas lights

Look around our shabby room
Paper peeling curtains frayed
Faded photos on the wall
Like us they've all seen better days
We drew our savings from the bank
For roulette wheels and reckless nights
Sinatra's records on our minds
Fruit machines and neon lights

We made our peace
We cut our ties
We sold our house
We said goodbye
So meet me in my dream
I won't fall asleep without you
Meet me in my dream
Underneath the vegas lights

We threw away our everything
And blew it on a final fling
So meet me in my dream
I won't fall asleep without you
So meet me in my dream
It's lonely there without you
Remember way back then in school
All the things we said we'd do
So meet me in my dream
Underneath the vegas lights

Meet me in my dream
Meet me in my dream
Meet me in my dream
Underneath the vegas lights

A tenement, a dirty street
Walked and worn by shoeless feet
Inside it's long and so complete
Watched by a shivering sun
Old eyes in a small child's face
Watching as the shadows race
Through walls and cracks and leave no trace
And daylight's brightness shuns

The days of pearly spencer
The race is almost run

Nose pressed hard on frosted glass
Gazing as the swollen mass
On concrete fields where grows no grass
Stumbles blindly on
Iron trees smother the air
But withering they stand and stare
Through eyes that neither know nor care
Where the grass is gone

The days of pearly spencer
The race is almost run

Pearly where's your milk white skin
What's that stubble on your chin
It's buried in the rot gut gin
You played and lost not won
You played a house that can't be beat
Now look your head's bowed in defeat
You walked too far along the street
Where only rats can run

The days of pearly spencer
The race is almost run
The days of pearly spencer
The race is almost run
The race is almost run

A tenement, a dirty street
Remember worn and shoeless feet
Remember how you stood to beat
The way your life had gone
So pearly don't you shed more tears
For those best forgotten years
Those tenements are memories
Of where you've risen from

The days of pearly spencer
The race is almost won

Sometimes we touch
Sometimes we kiss
Sometimes we just look
In spiritual bliss
In warmth or heat
In sound or vision
We like to come
To some decision
Under the moon
In the dark
Down in the street
In the park
In threat of law
In sweat of fear
I'd risk it all
To have you near

I've never seen your face
But i'm longing for the time
When we don't have to hide
Anymore

We'd swap phone numbers
But we'd never call
Of real excuses
We've none at all

Though good intentions
Are on our mind
We may not like
What we might find
We hold emotion
Well in check
No words of love
Just words of sex
So much to say
So much held back
We don't surrender
We just attack

I've never seen your face
But i'm longing for the time
When we don't have to hide
Anymore

Light the candle
Burn a fuse
It's now or never
Win or lose
To have and hold
To give and take
Through thick or thin
Make or break

I've never seen your face
But i'm longing for the time
When we don't have to hide
Anymore
Anymore

Love
Is a beautiful brutal thing
It sings at night like the wind
It stings your heart like a whip
It rocks your soul like a ship
And love
Is a beautiful brutal thing
It can mean everything
Or nothing at all
Such a feeling can make you tall
Or as small as a distant star
It's the cushion to break your fall
Love triumphs over all

Love
Is a beautiful brutal thing
And it gives the sweetest of pain
It wakes your spirit and then
You feel like living again
And rain

Falls when you think the sun
Has just begun
To shine above
And love
Is mysterious as it's old
It's the secret you've never told
It's the tears of sorrow and joy
For that girl or that boy
It makes you feel
It makes you feel
It makes you feel
A beautiful brutal thing

And love
Is a beautiful brutal thing
It can mean everything
Or nothing at all
Such a feeling could make you tall
Or as small as a distant star
It's the cushion to break your fall
Love triumphs over all
It makes you feel
A beautiful brutal thing
Love