Beware Of The Beautiful Stranger

Beware Of The Beautiful Stranger Lyric by Clive James, music by Pete Atkin
On the midsummer fairground alive with the sound And the lights of the Wurlitzer merry-go-round The midway was crowded and I was the man Who coughed up a quid in the dark caravan To the gypsy who warned him of danger: "Beware of the beautiful stranger" "You got that for nothing" I said with a sigh As the queen's head went up to her critical eye "The lady in question is known to me now And I'd like to beware but the problem is how Do you think I was born in a manger? I'm in love with the beautiful stranger" The gypsy (called Lee as all soothsayers are) Bent low to her globular fragment of star "This woman will utterly screw up your life She will tempt you from home, from your children and wife She's a devil and nothing will change her Get away from the beautiful stranger" "That ball needs a re-gun" I said, shelling out "The future you see there has all come about Does it show you the girl as she happens to be A Venus made flesh in a shell full of sea? Does it show you the shape of my danger? Can you show me the beautiful stranger?" "I don't run a cinema here, little man But lean over close and tune in if you can You breathe on the glass, give a rub with your sleeve Slip me your wallet, sit tight and believe And the powers-that-be will arrange a Pre-release of the beautiful stranger" In the heart of the glass I saw galaxies born The eye of the storm and the light of the dawn And then with a click came a form and a face That stunned me not only through candour and grace But because she was really a stranger A total and beautiful stranger "Hello there" she said with her hand to her brow "I'm the one you'll meet after the one you know now There's no room inside here to show you us all But behind me the queue stretches right down the hall For the damned there is always a stranger There is always a beautiful stranger" "That's your lot" said Miss Lee as she turned on the light "These earrings are hell and I'm through for the night If they'd put up a booster not far from this pitch I could screen you your life to the very last twitch But I can't even get the Lone Ranger" One last word from the beautiful stranger "You live in a dream and the dream is a cage" Said the girl "And the bars nestle closer with age Your shadow burned white by invisible fire You will learn how it rankles to die of desire As you long for the beautiful stranger" Said the vanishing beautiful stranger "Here's a wallet for you and five nicker for me" Said the gypsy "And also here's something for free Watch your step on my foldaway stairs getting down And go slow on the flyover back into town There's a slight but considerable danger Give my love to the beautiful stranger"