[INTRO — elegant piano, upright bass, crystalline xylophone] Ladies and gentlemen— Believers and otherwise— Miss Cordelia Blythe. [VERSE 1] Cordelia Blythe wore mourning white And diamonds after dark She filled the halls with heaven Then went looking for the dark Bible on the lectern Tarot in the drawer Half the town came seeking Jesus The rest came through the other door She spoke beneath electric stars In silver, black and gold Promised nothing but a question And somehow filled the hall [PRE-CHORUS] Bankers brought their daughters Widows brought their rings Everybody wants an answer When eternity won't sing [CHORUS] CORDELIA BLYTHE WHAT DID YOU SEE? WHEN THE TABLE QUIT TREMBLING AND THEY ALL PAID THEIR FEE? CORDELIA BLYTHE WERE YOU FOOLING THEM WELL— OR DID SOMETHING ANSWER THAT YOU NEVER MEANT TO TELL? [VERSE 2] She preached beneath the footlights With one hand raised above Said heaven wasn't frightened By the things we call forbidden love Reporters filled the alley With adjectives and smoke She clipped their little scandals And kept the ones she liked the most Artists drew her sideways Society drew blood She drew circles on the carpet And never called them good [CHORUS] CORDELIA BLYTHE WHAT DID YOU KNOW? WAS IT GOD ABOVE THE RAFTERS OR SOMETHING DOWN BELOW? CORDELIA BLYTHE THE WHOLE WORLD PAID TO SEE— IF YOU COULD RAISE THE DEAD OR JUST RAISE THE ENTRY FEE [INSTRUMENTAL — crooked Art Deco cabaret] [piano becomes angular] [upright bass walks underneath] [xylophone answers like little glass bones] [BRIDGE — spoken, nearly bare] After midnight— No congregation. No photographers. No grieving millionaires. Cordelia removed her diamonds, washed the paint from her face, blew out the candles— and said, “Very funny. You can stop now.” [three quiet knocks] She didn't move. [one xylophone note] [VERSE 3] Next morning she was preaching Like the night had never been White gloves hiding trembling hands And that famous little grin Someone asked about the spirit world. She laughed— “Darling, please. The dead have better manners Than the people interviewing me.” [FINAL CHORUS] CORDELIA BLYTHE WHAT DID YOU SEE? WHEN THERE WASN'T ANY AUDIENCE AND NOTHING LEFT TO BE? CORDELIA BLYTHE YOU TOOK THE SECRET WELL— IF YOU WERE SELLING HEAVEN… [hard stop] WHO THE HELL KNOCKED BACK? [three knocks] [xylophone: ding]
