The indecencies of city streets The cleaners' sweeping [bad word] from nine to noon And the factories make clouds To keep the sun from being jealous like the moon While the husband holds his house He hates his children for being green when he is gray And his wife, she likes to talk on telephones But just to people far away Well, the big surprise was televised On a crowded couch their eyes grew wide and wet Oh, was it really such a sad event? You could capture this with camera clips, but it don't exist Just light on negatives Another number on the birthday cake You should act your age We were hungry for a holiday Won't cooperate with the calendar we found We just scattered snow-like styrofoam And sang our christmas carols all through town And the voices soared, the people joined With silver coins they filled our cupping hands And we all agreed, the charity was much in need Yes, a nobel cause at that And I met a man, a mannequin Who stood so still I knew he was afraid And he preferred a place of permanance To the awful guessing game of choice and change Well, the big surprise was telelvised On a crowded couch our eyes grew wide and wet Oh yes, it's really such a sad event You can't capture this with camera clips No, it don't exist Just light on negatives Another candle on a birthday cake And a wish you make Well, if the costume fits, keep wearing it But no Halloween could quite account for this I guess you're getting into character Or just be yourself, if that would help Or [bad word] into someone else You dreamt of mountains but sometimes a hole Is [bad word]