Cafe Shabu Lyrics - Singles - John Cale And Bob Neuwirth

Welcome to the Caf Shabu 

Permit me to introduce you to some of our regulars 

Starting on my immediate left, ladies and gentlemen 

Here in Caf Shabu 

You'll note a poet, a man of words by trade 

And yes, that's a refugee from an unnamed political philosophy 

Come here to spread his message of joy and peace amongst us 

Thank you very much, sir 

Over here, next to him, we see a lady 

Who has traded in, a lifestyle of the rich and famous 

For work with underprivileged and exceptional children 

Which I am sure, makes her very pleased with herself 

Ladies and gentlemen, sitting next to her 

A man of letters, and words, and moods 

A man who spent most of his life, deceiving himself 

And now, finds himself facing six years in rehabilitation 

Prison, and a death sentence on the outside 

Sitting next to him, on a banquette, a ballerina 

She's had two grapes, a raisin, and a chicklet, and she's full 

In fact, she's been stuffed for years 

Next to her, are two spinsters 

Knitting their way, in and out of various predicaments 

Coloured by the excesses of their ancestors 

And close by them, some surreal painter's 

Brooding over the very over-emphasis of colour-violence 

Violence on the blue end of the scale 

Next to them, two off-duty detectives 

Checking each other out, next door to the sugarholics 

See them shivering, see them staring into the distance 

See them growing, oh, see them go comatose, Insulin please, Matre D' 

On my immediate right, several politicians, smiling lizard-like 

See them assure themselves that their status is indeed quo 

Rip up the cheques, said the Matre D', see if I care 

I do this for the company, I've got no-one to trust any secrets to but myself 

In the basement, in the vault, in the attic on the walls 

Are the pictures I take in part-payment for my time 

And the waitress reminds you that in the back room bathed in red 

Glowing with the speed of light 

That reflects the demands of the living for the dead, are our angels 

A host at your service to meet your every need 

So, order up, the waitress said, our great caf serves everything