Arabian Nights

Shrieks of Sheiks as they run
Across the movie screen
A thousand sand dune soldiers led
By an Arabian Queen
And the harem girls move like fancy
(Clancy's) dancers in my dirty dreams
And I wake up on the
Floor clutching the bed lamp
And Mama comes in, she screams
"Hey you been out with that
Tramp again last night
You know that silver-sequined
Arab black bitch
The one that Mama don't like?"
But Mama she sings me moontime melodies
With this great Top 40 hook
She shrugs her shoulders, she don't care
Papa just stares and says "Mary
Look the girl's alright the girl's alright"

And there's a tenseness in the air
He turns and says
Don't you know, can't you feel
It "Tell me son, what's the word?"
Because there's something hanging
There -'Cos you know he can't hear it
Pull back the mist and reveal it
But don't go near it
And even if you fear what you near
It's criticized as too absurd
Don't conceal it even the animals fear it
'Cos if what Mama feels is too real
Papa says "Fetch me my flashlight son"
She just claims she don't feel it
And she stumbles out the front door

So come out from behind your bunkers
'Cos the lift-off's been a bust
Oh Papa's Gone and Mama's dead
And buried in my rocket dust
You're alone now for the first time
Don't worry, 'cos that's all right
All fear will completely disappear
Come the Arabian Night

Well the soundman smiles and turns the dials
To set the meter readin' rising
He pulls the singer's voice from
Out of his pocket
To see if the audience likes it
Oh and in the very first
Row sit's sweet Jenny Rue
With a bell on her shoe and
She wants him to make it
He flicks a switch but Jenny moves too fast
And the audience sways to the
Sound of her shotgun blast
The manager comes running out from
Behind stage and says
Check the band's arms for bullet holes
Make that man roll up his sleeves"
The drummer shoots himself with cyanide
And then asks to be relieved
And me, I say "Well, it's too crazy in here
Which is the stage door out
I gotta get up tomorrow morning for work"
And the promoter says "Man
Once you're in they all lead out
What's the matter man, ain't you heard?
There's a war going on on the outside
And I'm paying you to sing like a bird
So get in and get tough or get up and get out
Because things aren't too tight"
I said "Don't worry, man
Everything's gonna loosen up
Come the Arabian Night"
Come the Arabian Night

So I get back in my bed
But outside my window I
Hear another gang fight
It's Duke and the boys against
The Devil's best man
And both sides have drawn their knives
And Duke he's a well-known knife-fighter
And with one quick jab he
Brings the Devil down
He smiles 'cos he knows there's
A high bounty on Devils
In any God-fearin' town
Well they say Duke sold the Devil
To some priest in Pennsylvania
To exhibit on his altar Christmas Night
But the Devil's eyes they still
Burn red with fire
As long as Duke walks upright
And he swears there's a going
To be a showdown
Come sundown on the Arabian night