Mrs. Potter's Lullaby

Well, I woke up in mid-afternoon
cause that's when it all hurts the most
I dream I never know anyone at the party
and I'm always the host
If dreams are like movies
then memories are films about ghosts
You can never escape
you can only move south down the coast

Well, I am an idiot walking a tightrope of fortune and fame
I am an acrobat swinging trapezes through circles of flame
If you've never stared off in the distance,
then your life is a shame
And though I'll never forget your face,
sometimes I can't remember my name

Hey, Mrs. Potter don't cry
Hey, Mrs. Potter I know why but
Hey, Mrs. Potter won't you talk to me

There's a piece of Maria in every song that I sing
And the price of a memory
is the memory of the sorrow it brings
And there is always one last light to turn out
and one last bell to ring
And the last one out of the circus
has to lock up everything

Or the elephants will get out
and forget to remember what you said
And the ghosts of the tilt-a-whirl
will linger inside of your head
And the ferris wheel junkies
will spin them forever instead
When I see you a blanket of stars covers me in my bed

Hey, Mrs. Potter don't go
Hey, Mrs. Potter I don't know but
Hey, Mrs. Potter won't you talk to me

All the blue light reflections
that color my mind when I sleep
And the lovesick rejections
that accompany the company I keep
All the razor perceptions that cut just a little too deep
Hey, I can bleed as well as anyone, but I need someone
to help me sleep

So I throw my hand into the air
and it swims in the beams
It's just a brief interruption
of the swirling dust sparkle jet stream
Well, I know I don't know you
and you're probably not what you seem
but I'd sure like to find out
So why don't you climb down off that movie screen

Hey, Mrs. Potter don't turn
Hey, Mrs. Potter I burn for you
Hey, Mrs. Potter won't you talk to me

When the last king of Hollywood shatters his glass
on the floor
And orders another
Well, I wonder what he did that for
That's when I know that I have to get out
because I have been there before
So I gave up my seat at the bar
and I head for the door

We drove out to the desert
just to lie down beneath this bowl of stars
We stand up at the Palace
like it's the last of the great Pioneertown bars
We shout out these songs
against the clang of electric guitars
You can see a million miles tonight
But you can't get very far

Hey, Mrs. Potter I won't touch and
Hey, Mrs. Potter it's not much but
Hey, Mrs. Potter won't you talk to me
Hey, Mrs. Potter won't you talk to me
Hey, Mrs. Potter won't you talk to me