Reeperbahn (Waits Tom)

Around the curve of The Parrot Bar A broken-down old movie star Hustling and Easterner Bringing out the beast in her A high dive on a swimming pool Filled with needles and with fools The memories are short but the tales are long When you're in the Reeperbahn Oh, they called her Rosie when she was a girl For her bright red cheeks and her strawberry curls When she would laugh the river would run She said she'd be a comedian Oh what a pity, oh what a shame When she said, 'come calling', nobody came Now her bright red cheeks are painted on And she's laughing her head off in the Reeperbahn Now little Hans was always strange Wearing womens underthings His father beat him but he wouldn't change He ran off with a man one day Now his lingerie is all the rage In the black on every page His father proudly calls his name Down there in the Reeperbahn Now if you've lost your inheritance And all you've left is common sense And you're not too picky about the crowd you keep Or the mattress where you sleep Behind every window, behind every door The apple has gone but there's always the core And the seeds will sprout up right through the floor Down there in the Reeperbahn Down there in the Reeperbahn Down there in the Reeperbahn