Decadence


Watch her out there 
on display
dancing in her 
sleepy way
all her visions 
start to play
on the icicles of 
our decay.
Marlene ...

Fading flowers 
in her hair
she's suffering from 
wear and tear. She 
lies in water-
falls of dreams. And 
never questions 
what it means.
Marlene ...

And all along the desert shore
She wanders further ever more
The only thing that's left to try
She says "To live, I have to die".

She whispers sadly "Well I might"
And holds herself so very tight
And jumping from an unknown height
She merges with the liquid night.

Lovers wrap her mist in furs
And tell her what she has is hers
But when they take her by the hand
She slips back in the desert sand.

And what she leaves is made of glass
Lovers worship as they pass
And each one says "Well, now she's mine"
But all drink solitary wine.
I'll drink it to Marlene
Oh Marlene

Kevin Ayers

Bananamour 1973

Chords (sort of)
002220 A
004430 Esus11
002220 A
004430 Esus11
002220 A
004430 Esus11
002220 A
004430 Esus11
002220 A

002220 A
004430 Esus11
002220 A
004430 Esus11
002220 A
004430 Esus11
002220 A
004430 Esus11
002220 A

Same basic sequence throughout - song is based on a drone in A with various guitar groans overlaid, tweets, wails, grumbles etc.

    Chords given in the form xxoo4o2 (Bm) represent the frets stopped on each of the six strings of the guitar, lowest pitch on the left, highest pitch on the right, with standard tuning EADGBE. A t means that the thumb is used to fret the low E string. An x means that this particular string is not played, or damped, and an o means that it is open (no fret is fingered for that string - or, if you like, the "zeroth" fret is stopped). A 4 (for example) means that a finger is placed on fingerboard behind (towards the tuning-peg end) the 4th fret. Or, if you like to think of it that way, in the 4th "space" between frets. (Most guitars have mother of pearl dots inlaid behind the 3rd, 5th 7th, 9th and 12th (octave) frets.)