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OH THE PRETTY LITTLE GIRL, ON EASTER'S DAY
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BY A BRIGHT CENTER FOUNTAIN, CONSENTED TO PLAY
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HELD AN EASTER STAR, VERY CLOSE TO HER HEART
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STEPPING BACK FROM THE FOUNTAIN
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SO AS NOT TO BE HARMED BY THE SPRAY
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THERE SHE DID PLAY
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TOLD HER TOY RABBIT TO SMILE, FOR A POOR MAN'S CHILD
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CAN ALSO BE LOVED BY A RAIN FROM ABOVE
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GLISTENING SPRAY
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AND THE SOLDIERS ON LEAVE FROM THE SHIP GENEVIEVE
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WITH THEIR ALL SHINING BUTTONS AND NEWLY PRESSED SLEEVES
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TAKING PICTURES THAT DAY OF THE EASTER PARADE
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THEY STOOD WATCHING THE CLOWNS WHO WERE GATHERED ABOUT
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PRETTY GIRLS, NOW WATCHING THEM SWIRL
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TOLD ONE ANOTHER TO LAUGH, MAYBE LIVE TO FORGET
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ALL THE MEMORIES OF DEAD SWIRLING LEAVES SEEN FROM THE SHIP GENEVIEVE
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NOBODY SEES BUT QUEEN MERKA & ME
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AND SHE IS SITTING BENEATH A TREE
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86TH STREET 11 PM IN THE EVENING TIDE
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AND THE LITTLE GIRL HIPPIE, THE QUEEN OF VIRGINITY
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SAYS FOR HER LOVER SHE HAS AN AFFINITY
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HER HAIR SWINGS WITH EASE, IT TRIPS IN THE BREEZE
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SHE COMES TO THE FOUNTAIN AND SAYS WOULD YOU PLEASE MOVE AROUND, I SHOULD
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LIKE TO SIT DOWN
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PAINTING HER MIND WITH A FLASK
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READJUSTING HER MASK, SHE'S A VIRGIN QUEEN WHO'S DONE EVERYTHING, AND A BIT MORE
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AND THE GREAT STONED HASH EATER, THE CHILDLESS WIFE BEATER
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HE WALKS WITH HIS BOYFRIEND ON INTO THE SPRAY SAYING I LOVE
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YOU BABE, WALKING DOWN TOWARDS THE PAVEMENT AND LOCKING,
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EMBRACING AS THOUGH TO SAY "I DON'T CARE, I LOVE HIM MORE THAN HER" HE MAKES
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HIS WAY DOWN, TO THE CENTER
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OF TOWN WHERE A FOUNTAIN OF LAW REPEATS WORD HE HAS THOUGHT - NO LOVE IS NOT WRONG
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NOBODY SEES BUT QUEEN MERKA & ME
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AND SHE IS SITTING BENEATH A TREE
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86TH STREET 11 PM IN THE EVENING TIDE
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AND THE DIRTY OLD MAN, HE WALTZED OUT THAT DAY
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HE'S A PERMANENT FIXTURE A SIDEWALK DISPLAY
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HE'S GOT VERY STRANGE HABITS, LIKE MAKING PASSES
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AND HE SMILES WITH HIS DENTURES AS THE FOUNTAIN SPRAY
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PASSES HIS CROWN, IT'S ALL PART OF THE MERRY-GO-ROUND
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THINKS TO THEM THAT'S BEHIND, SORT OF WISHING THAT LIFE
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COULD BE A BIT MORE FAIR, NOW HE'S LOSING HIS HAIR
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THERE GOES HIS SEX APPEAL
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AND WHAT OF THE FOUNTAIN, OH IT OVERFLOWS
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DROWNING ALL THE PEOPLE IN THEIR BEST EASTER CLOTHES
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LAUGHINGLY, KNOWINGLY, IT'S UNIFYING ALL OF THE PEOPLE ASSURED
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THEY WERE DYING, TEPPERED, BOUND BY WATER TOGETHER
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THEY CITY'S TOGETHER AT LAST, BUT THE MOMENT HAS PASSED
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THEY ALL WALK AWAY, FAR FROM THE SPRAY, GOING THEIR SEPARATE WAYS
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NOBODY SEES BUT QUEEN MERKA AND ME,
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AND SHE IS SITTING BENEATH A TREE, 86TH
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STREET, 11 PM IN THE EVENING TIDE.
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-----------------
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QUEEN MERKA & ME
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| Janis Ian |
