Reeperbahn - Tom Waits

Round the curve of The Parrot Bar

A broken-down old movie star

Hustling and Easterner

Bringing out the beast in her

A high dive in a swimming pool

Filled with needles and with fools

The memories are short but the tales are long

Down there on the Reeperbahn

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 become 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 women’s under things

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 is gone but there’s always the core

The seeds will sprout up right through the floor

Down there in the Reeperbahn

Down there in the Reeperbahn