Lyrics Half Past France (Remastered 2024) - John Cale

The paranoid great movie queen
Sits idly fully armed
The powder and mascara there
A warning light for charm

We see her every movie night
The strong against the weak
The lines come out and struggle with
The empty voice that speaks

Her heart is oh so tired now
Of kindnesses gone by
Like broken glasses in a drain
Gone down but not well spent

The road from Barbary to here
She sold then stole right back
Vanity, insanity, her hungry heart forgave

The fading bride's dull beauty grows
Just begging to be seen
Beneath the magic lights that reach
From Barbary to here

Her schoolhouse mind has windows now
Where handsome creatures come to watch
The anaesthetic wearing off
Antarctica starts here