Arabian Nights

Shrieks of sheiks as they run across the movie screen

A thousand sand-dune soldiers led by an arabian queen

And the harem girls move like fancy (clancy's) dancers

In my dirty dreams

And i wake up on the floor clutching the bed-lamp

And mama comes in, she screams

"hey you been out with that tramp again last night

You know that silver-sequined arab black bitch

The one that mama don't like ?"

But mama she sings me moontime melodies

With this great top 40 hook

She shrugs her shoulders, she don't care

Papa just stares and says "mary, look the girl's alright

The girl's alright"



And there's a tenseness in the air       he turns and says

Don't you know, can't you feel it	     "tell me son, what's the word ?"

Because there's something hanging there  'cos you know he can't hear it

Pull back the mist and reveal it	       but don't go near it

And even if you fear what you near       it's criticized as too absurd

Don't conceal it			 even the animals fear it

'cos if what mama feels is too real      papa says "fetch me my flashlight,

Son"

She just claims she don't feel it	   and she stumbles out the front door



So come out from behind your bunkers

'cos the lift-off's been a bust

Oh papa's gone and mama's dead

And buried in my rocket dust

You're alone now for the first time

Don't worry, 'cos that's all right

All fear will completely disappear

Come the arabian night



Well the soundman smiles and turns the dials

To set the meter readin' rising

He pulls the singer's voice from out of his pocket

To see if the audience likes it

Oh and in the very first row sits sweet jenny rue

With a bell on her shoe and she wants him to make it

He flicks a switch but jenny moves too fast

And the audience sways to the sound of her shotgun blast

The manager comes running out from behind stage and says

Check the band's arms for bullet holes

Make that man roll up his sleeves"

The drummer shoots himself with cyanide

And then asks to be relieved

And me, i say "well, it's too crazy in here

Which is the stage door out, i gotta get up tomorrow morning for work"

And the promoter says "man, once you're in they all lead out

What's the matter man, ain't you heard ?

There's a war going on on the outside

And i'm paying you to sing like a bird

So get in and get tough or get up and get out

Because things aren't too tight"

I said "don't worry, man, everything's gonna loosen up

Come the arabian night"

Come the arabian night



So i get back in my bed

But outside my window i hear another gang fight

It's duke and the boys against the devil's best man

And both sides have drawn their knives

And duke he's a well-known knife-fighter

And with one quick jab he brings the devil down

He smiles 'cos he knows there's a high bounty on devils

In any god-fearin' town

Well they say duke sold the devil to some priest in pennsylvania

To exhibit on his altar christmas night

But the devil's eyes they still burn red with fire

As long as duke walks upright

And he swears there's a going to be a showdown

Come sundown on the arabian night


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