Lyrics Belinda - Bobbie Gentry

Belinda

When I first met Belinda
It was down in Corpus Christi
Back in August I believe, back in '53
She was workin' as a dancer
And her life-size tinted photo
Beckoned tantalizingly from a marquee
The red neon was flashin'
Music poured out on the street
And the club, I’m sure, had seen it’s better days
And a sea of bleary eyes
And upturned faces watched Belinda
As she danced within the noisy, smoky haze
You may know my body
But you cannot know my mind
She moved her lips but didn’t make a sound
You may know my body
But you cannot know my mind
Then she’d dip and twirl and smile and dance around
Belinda was a beauty
She revealed her body slowly
So that all the cowboys strained and craned to see
Her sequined skirts would swirl and twirl
And catch the light and sparkle
And Belinda’s eyes would wander restlessly
Now, I did not know Belinda
When she was a little girl
But as a child, I’m sure she often dreamed
And I used to wonder, used to ponder
Just what did go wrong
But then Belinda was not always what she seemed
You may know my body
But you cannot know my mind
She moved her lips but didn’t make a sound
You may know my body
But you cannot know my mind
Then she’d dip and twirl and smile and dance around
Then one night I wrote a hasty note
And threw it on the stage
Askin' her if she would have a drink with me
And we talked of many things
About the sunshine and the country
And a tear came to her eye quite suddenly
And I listened to her, thought about her
Finally, I asked her
«Tell me, Belinda, what does your life mean?»
She looked me in the eye
And told me «Forty bucks a week
And to be a damn good dancin' burlesque queen»
«Ah, you may know my body
But you cannot know my mind»
She said to me as she prepared to go
You may know my body
But you cannot know my mind
Then she laughed and left to do a second show