[Intro — spoken] Ladies and gentlemen You know your parts The halo enters from the left The monster from the right [Verse 1] He walks in gold We know the cue Anything ugly stays out of view Don’t ask too much Don’t spoil the show We love him dearly Isn’t that enough to know? [Chorus] Applause is an alibi Clap your hands and close your eyes If everybody loves him how bad could he be? And booing is a verdict Before the evidence arrives If everybody hates her what else could she be? [Verse 2] Bring her out Dim the light Every mistake proves we were right Every kindness gets explained away Once you’ve made a monster the person fades away [Cabaret Break — spoken] Polish the halo Sharpen the horns Saint Monster Hero Fraud Much easier [Bridge] The saint can still do damage And the monster can still bleed You can love without exemption You can judge without erasure [Final Chorus] Applause is not an alibi Booing is not proof Love them if you love them Just leave room for truth Condemn what needs condemning But leave the costume on the floor A person can be guilty And still be something more [Outro — spoken] The halo was cardboard The horns were too You may now distrust the lighting.
