Queen on Canal Street

Manto's, midnight, man in a dress
I've been sheltered all my life and now I'm curious.
Shaking, nervous, beautiful in drag
Led into the wilderness and stumbled on my darker side
They say, one day, if I conform I'll get to feast with the King
Where is He now when I need Him?
Out from the vines come the bent and the straight
Purple with juice are the queer and the quaint
Lift a glass, drink a toast to the queen on the street
Dream a dream by the old canal, of a place without shame, new Jerusalem
Tell me, prophet of the cards, can the spirit of a woman live in the body of a man?
Faceless voyeur, the worst kind of thief
To save my soul must I be my own priest
They say, one day, I must conform and play by the rules
Where are the rules when I need them?
Out from the vines come the bent and the straight
Purple with juice are the queer and the quaint
Lift a glass, drink a toast to the queen on the street
Dream a dream by the old canal of a place without shame, new Jerusalem
Now all the village voices crawl into her ears
"We did not raise you to be this way, you know you've brought a lot of shame"
Now she never gets much sleep with all the village voices whispering her name
And so she lies awake and plans her great escape to new Jerusalem
Out from the vines come the bent and the straight
Purple with juice are the queer and the quaint
Lift a glass, drink a toast to the queen on the street
Dream a dream by the old canal of a place without shame, new Jerusalem
Out from the vines come the bent and the straight
Purple with juice are the queer and the quaint
Lift a glass, drink a toast to the queen on the street
Dream by the old canal