07 September 2007

"Edith & the Kingpin" lyrics by Joni Mitchell

[official]




the big man arrives
disco dancers greet him

plainclothes cops greet him

smalltown bigman
fresh lipstick glistening



sophomore jive
from victims of typewriters
the band sounds like
typewriters

the big man
he's not listening

his eyes hold edith
his left hand holds
his right

what does that hand
desire
that he grips it

so tight?



edith in the ring

the passedover girls
are conferring

the man with the diamond
ring is
purring
all claws for now withdrawn



one by one they
bring his renegade stories
to her
his crimes and his glories to her

in challenge they
look on



women
he has taken
grow
old too soon

he tilts their
tired faces gently
to the spoon



edith
in his bed
a plane
in the rain is humming

the wires in the walls are
humming some song
some mysterious song

bars
in her head
beating frantic
and snowblind

romantic and snowblind she
says his crime
belongs

edith
and the kingpin each
with
charm to sway

are staring
eye to eye
they dare not look away

you know they dare not look away








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