BILLIE
An inspirational tirade against me
How to explain my life?
Girls to the left of me
boys to the right of me
neither husband nor wife

Though the days are filled with pain
there is no one who'll explain
why I'm coming under friendly fire
shot in the fatal cause of rock-and-roll
but there's no-one, really no-one, to say:
Why I endure under force majeure slandered without shame or tact
I who studied make-up, mime and Buddha
who taught two generations to react

About me the critics lied
I ignored them and survived in spite of coming under friendly fire
shot in the fatal cause of rock-and-roll
But there's nothing, really nothing, to deny

When I look back my eyes are filled with tears
Danger to mascara,
applause to my peers
When fame sustained me and arenas acclaimed me
I floated through life on a cloud
of love and insanity and pagan profanity
before a worshipping crowd

Now my status is ill-defined
As an icon
I'm inclined to be coming under friendly fire
shot in the fatal cause of rock-and-roll
but whatever dull or clever points they've scored
I have never, oh no never, been ignored