Lyrics Madame George - Marianne Faithfull

Madame George

Down the Cyprus Avenue\nWith child-like visions leaping into view,\nA clicking clacking of the high-heeled shoes,\nFord and Fitzroy, Madame Joy,\nMarching with the soldier boy behind\nHe’s much older now with hat on, drinking wine\nAnd that smell of sweet perfume comes drifting through\nEarly cool night air like Shalimar.\nOutside they’re making all the stops\nKids out in the street collecting bottle tops\nGoing for cigarettes and matches in the shops,\nHappy thinking Madame Joy.\nOh, that’s when you fall,\nOh, that’s when you fall,\nYeah, that’s when you fall.\nWhen you fall into a trance\nSitting on a sofa playing games of chance,\nWith your folded arms in history books you glance\nInto the eyes of Madame Joy.\nAnd you think you found the bag,\nYou’re getting weaker and your knees begin to sag.\nIn the corner playing dominoes in drag\nThe one and only Madame Joy.\nOutside the frosty window raps\nShe jumps up and says, «Lord have mercy, I think that it’s the\ncops.»\nAnd immediately drops everything she gots\nDown into the street below.\nAnd you know you gotta go\nOn that train from Dublin up to Sandy Row\nThrowing pennies at the bridges down below\nIn the rain, hail, sleet and snow.\nSay good-bye to Madame Joy,\nDry your eye for Madame Joy,\nWonder why for Madame Joy.\nAs you leave the room it’s filled with music,\nLaughing music, dancing music all around the room\nAnd all the little boys come around walking away from it all\nSo cool.\nAnd you’re about to leave she jumps and says, «Hey love,\nYou forgot your glove.»\nAnd the love to love she loves to love the love\nTo love to love she loves to love the love to love\nSay good-bye to Madame Joy,\nDry your eye for Madame Joy,\nWonder why for Madame Joy,\nDry your eye for Madame Joy.\nIn the wind and the rain, in the back street, in the back street,\nIn the back street, in the back street, in the back street,\nSay good-bye to Madame George.\nDown home in the back street, in the back street,\nSay good-bye, say good-bye to Madame Joy.