Songtext Arabian nights Bruce Springsteen

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 (clancys) 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 dont like ?
But mama she sings me moontime melodies
With this great top 40 hook
She shrugs her shoulders, she dont care
Papa just stares and says mary, look the girls alright
The girls alright

And theres a tenseness in the air he turns and says
Dont you know, cant you feel it tell me son, whats the word ?
Because theres something hanging there cos you know he cant hear it
Pull back the mist and reveal it but dont go near it
And even if you fear what you near its criticized as too absurd
Dont 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 dont feel it and she stumbles out the front door

So come out from behind your bunkers
cos the lift-offs been a bust
Oh papas gone and mamas dead
And buried in my rocket dust
Youre alone now for the first time
Dont worry, cos thats 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 singers voice from out of his pocket
To see if the audience likes it
Oh and in the very first row sits 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 bands 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, its too crazy in here
Which is the stage door out, I gotta get up tomorrow morning for work
And the promoter says man, once youre in they all lead out
Whats the matter man, aint you heard ?
Theres a war going on on the outside
And Im paying you to sing like a bird
So get in and get tough or get up and get out
Because things arent too tight
I said dont worry, man, everythings 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
Its duke and the boys against the devils best man
And both sides have drawn their knives
And duke hes a well-known knife-fighter
And with one quick jab he brings the devil down
He smiles cos he knows theres 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 devils eyes they still burn red with fire
As long as duke walks upright
And he swears theres a going to be a showdown
Come sundown on the arabian night