Marianne Faithfull

[fox69]

"That's How Every Empire Falls"

"That's How Every Empire Falls"


Caught a train from Alexandria
Just a broken man in flight
Running scared with his devils
Saying prayers all through the night
Oh but mercy can't find him
Not in the shadows where he calls
Forsaking all his better angels
That's how every empire falls

The bells ring out on Sunday mornng
Like echoes from another time
All our innocence and yearning
And sense of wonder left behind
Oh gentle hearts remember
What was that story? Is it lost?
For when religion loses vision
That's how every empire falls.

He toasts his wife and all his family
The providence he brought to bear
They raise their glasses in his honor
Although this union they don't share
A man who lives among them
Was still a stranger to them all
For when the heart is never open
That's how every empire falls

Padlock the door and board the windows
Put the people in the street
"It's just my job," he says "I'm sorry."
And draws a check, goes home to eat
But at night he tells his woman
"I know I hide behind the laws."
She says, "You're only taking orders."
That's how every empire falls.

A bitter wind blows through the country
A hard rain falls on the sea
If terror comes without a warning
There must be something we don't see
What fire begets this fire?
Like torches thrown into the straw
If no one asks, then no one answers
That's how every empire falls.

 

[fox69]

"That's Right Baby"

"That's Right Baby"


That's right baby,
It seems to me you've won.
Slip tight, baby,
You had a lot of fun.

You tried to make a fool of me
And I'm the fool who just couldn't see.

That's right baby,
Laugh until you cry.
Good night baby,
But may I ask you why?

I gave you everything I had
Babe, that couldn't be so bad?

I wonder why there's no tear in your eye.
I wonder why there's love left for me.

That's right baby
Get it while you can.
Look right baby
You'll see with another man.

While you're waiting all alone
You'll try to call but I won't be home.

 

[fox69]

"The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan"

"The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan"


The morning sun touched lightly on the eyes of lucy jordan
In a white suburban bedroom in a white suburban town
As she lay there 'neath the covers dreaming of a thousand lovers
Till the world turned to orange and the room went spinning round.

At the age of thirty-seven she realised she'd never
Ride through paris in a sports car with the warm wind in her hair.
So she let the phone keep ringing and she sat there softly singing
Little nursery rhymes she'd memorised in her daddy's easy chair.

Her husband, he's off to work and the kids are off to school,
And there are, oh, so many ways for her to spend the day.
She could clean the house for hours or rearrange the flowers
Or run naked through the shady street screaming all the way.

At the age of thirty-seven she realised she'd never
Ride through paris in a sports car with the warm wind in her hair
So she let the phone keep ringing as she sat there softly singing
Pretty nursery rhymes she'd memorised in her daddy's easy chair.

The evening sun touched gently on the eyes of lucy jordan
On the roof top where she climbed when all the laughter grew too loud
And she bowed and curtsied to the man who reached and offered her his hand,
And he led her down to the long white car that waited past the crowd.

At the age of thirty-seven she knew she'd found forever
As she rode along through paris with the warm wind in her hair...

 

[fox69]

"The Ballad Of Sexual Dependency"

"The Ballad Of Sexual Dependency"


Now there's a man, the living tool of satan
He charges forth while others are debating
Conniving, cocky knave with all the trimmings
I know one thing will trim him down? women.
In women he meets deep authority,
In them he feels his old dependency.

He sniggers at the good book, mocks the priss and prim,
Does anything for pay if it will pay
And since he knows what ladies do to him
He thrusts them well out of his way.
All through the day he swears
He's self denying, then dusk descends
And once again he's lying.

They're all the same in meeting love's confusion

Poor noble souls get blotted in illusion
The one who swore he could escape the clinches
Who is it that entangles him, wenches
It fain resists their lush authority
Before him stands his old dependency.

He harked the ten commandments
Trod the tried and true, would godly be and golden rule obey.
For lunch ate frugally, a grape a two,
Survived on one pure thought a day.
He screamed, "I've mastered it without half trying"
Appears the moon and once again he's lying.
Idiots? all of them.

 

[fox69]

"The Ballad Of The Soldier's Wife"

"The Ballad Of The Soldier's Wife"


What was sent to the soldier's wife
From the ancient city of prague?
From prague came a pair of high heeled shoes,
With a kiss or two came the high heeled shoes
From the ancient city of prague.

What was sent to the soldier's wife
From oslo over the sound?
From oslo he sent her a collar of fur,
How it pleases her, the little collar of fur
From oslo over the sound.

What was sent to the soldier's wife
From the wealth of amsterdam?
From amsterdam, he got her a hat,
She looked sweet in that,
In her little dutch hat
From the wealth of amsterdam.

What was sent to the soldier's wife
From brussels in belgian land?
From brussels he sent her the laces so rare
To have and to wear,

All those laces so rare
From brussels in belgian land.

What was sent to the soldier's wife
From paris, city of light?
From paris he sent her a silken gown,
It was ended in town, that silken gown,
From paris, city of light.

What was sent to the soldier's wife
From the south, from bucharest?
From bucharest he got her this shirt
Embroidered and pert, that rumanian shirt
From the south, from bucharest.

What was sent to the soldier's wife
From the far-off russian land?
From russia he sent her a widow's veil
For her dead to bewail in her widow's veil
From the far-off russian land,
From the far-off russian land.

Thank you.

 

[fox69]

"The Blue Millionaire"

"The Blue Millionaire"


You've seen him
In the undirected light of street dreams
Doing nothing?
Standing, like to seem casual
With a resemblance to people held by fear.
Lit by fire and disrepair.
The blue millionaire.

Don't listen and keep asking?
Only stories reach this far.
No one's left and no one's coming
And I will disappear
Far away from you,
The american wind,
And the blue millionaire.

Blue millionaire.
Blue millionaire.

There is no such thing as the wrong man
Blue as the dusk that ended my day
And shut off the light and air.

I wish I could tell you
How he put them in cages,
Found you where you slept.
Got me down with something else than bruises

Tied me to a blue chair
Lit by fire and disrepair
The blue millionaire.

Blue millionaire.
Blue millionaire.
Blue millionaire.
Blue millionaire.

Seen him drinking gin from pale blue bottles,
Drowning in shadow,
Shadows moving in.
Forever imagine
Imagine it's him
Nearby the window
With dreams broken in.

I don't laugh anymore? or smile,
I am lost in the body,
The passion of time.
He is screening my dreams
And everything that's mine.
Don't stay in this mirror
Other hands have left me in.
You don't blow away as I do.
It will be the same again.
Turn and point away from here.
Steal what you cannot win
From the blue millionaire.

Blue millionaire.
Blue millionaire.
Blue millionaire.
Blue millionaire.

Blue millionaire.
Blue millionaire.
Blue...

 

[fox69]

"The Crane Wife 3"

"The Crane Wife 3"


And under the boughs unbowed
All holding a snowy shroud
She had no heart, so hardened
All under the boughts unbowed

Each feather, it fell from skin
'Til threadbare and she grew thin
How were my eyes so blinded?
Each feather, it fell from skin

And I will hang my head
Hang my head low
And I will hang my head
Hang my head low

A gray sky with bitter skin
A rain cloud would rain on me
All out behind horizon, ohh
A gray sky of bitter skin

And I will hang my head
Hang my head low
And I will hang my head
Hang my head low

And I will hang my head
Hang my head low
And I will hang my head
Hang my head low

And I will hang my head
Hang my head low
And I will hang my head
Hang my head low

And I will hang my head
Hang my head low
And I will hang my head
Hang my head low

And under the boughts unbowed
All holding a snowy shroud
She had no heart, so hardened
All the boughs unbowed

 

[fox69]

"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Version 2)"

"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Version 2)"


The first time ever I saw your face
I saw the sun rise in your eyes
That the moon and stars were a gift you gave
To the dark and the empty skies, my love,
To the dark and the empty skies.

The first time ever I kissed your mouth
I felt the earth move in my hand
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird

That was there at my command, my love,
That was there at my command.

The first time ever I lay with you
And felt your heart beat close to mine,
I thought our joy would never end
And would last till the end of time, my love,
And would last till the end of time.

 

[fox69]

"The House Of The Rising Sun"

"The House Of The Rising Sun"


There is a house in new orleans,
They call it the risin' sun
And it's been the ruin
Of many poor girl,
And me, oh god, I'm one.

There is a house in new orleans,
They call it the risin' sun
And it's been the ruin
Of many poor girl,
And me, oh god, I'm one.

If I had listened
To what my mother said
I'd've been at home today.

But I was young and foolish, oh god,
Let a rambler lead me astray.

Go tell my baby sister
Don't do what I have done.
Go shun that house in new orleans
They call the risin' sun.

Well, I'm going back to new orleans,
My race is almost run.
I'm going back to spend my life
In the house of the risin' sun.

 

[fox69]

"The House Of The Rising Sun (Version 2)"

"The House Of The Rising Sun (Version 2)"


There is a house in new orleans,
They call it the risin' sun
And it's been the ruin
Of many poor girl,
And me, oh god, I'm one.

If I had listened
To what my mother said
I'd have been at home today.
But I was young and foolish, oh god,
Let a rambler lead me astray.

Go tell my baby sister
Don't do what I have done.

Go shun that house in new orleans
They call the risin' sun.

Well, I'm going back to new orleans,
My race is almost run.
I'm going back to spend my life
In the house of the risin' sun.

In the house of the risin' sun.
In the house of the risin' sun.
In the house of the risin' sun.
The risin' sun, the risin'...