Madame George – Marianne Faithfull (originally by Van Morrison)

Down the Cyprus Avenue
With child-like visions leaping into view
A clicking clacking of the high-heeled shoes
Ford and Fitzroy, Madame Joy

Marching with the soldier boy behind
He’s much older now with hat on, drinking wine
And that smell of sweet perfume comes drifting through
Early cool night air like Shalimar

Outside they’re making all the stops
Kids out in the street collecting bottle tops
Going for cigarettes and matches in the shops
Happy thinking Madame Joy

Oh, that’s when you fall
Oh, that’s when you fall
Yeah, that’s when you fall

When you fall into a trance
Sitting on a sofa playing games of chance
With your folded arms in history books you glance
Into the eyes of Madame Joy

And you think you found the bag
You’re getting weaker and your knees begin to sag
In the corner playing dominoes in drag
The one and only Madame Joy

Outside the frosty window raps
She jumps up and says, “Lord have mercy, I think that it’s the cops”
And immediately drops everything she gots
Down into the street below

And you know you gotta go
On that train from Dublin up to Sandy Row
Throwing pennies at the bridges down below
In the rain, hail, sleet and snow

Say good-bye to Madame Joy
Dry your eye for Madame Joy
Wonder why for Madame Joy

As you leave the room it’s filled with music
Laughing music, dancing music all around the room
And all the little boys come around walking away from it all
So cool

And you’re about to leave she jumps and says, “Hey love
You forgot your glove”
And the love to love she loves to love the love
To love to love she loves to love the love to love

Say good-bye to Madame Joy
Dry your eye for Madame Joy
Wonder why for Madame Joy
Dry your eye for Madame Joy

In the wind and the rain, in the back street, in the back street
In the back street, in the back street, in the back street
Say good-bye to Madame George
Down home in the back street, in the back street
Say good-bye, say good-bye to Madame Joy