Joni Mitchell - Shades Of Scarlet Conquering

from “the hissing of the summer lawns”

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out of the fire like catholic saints

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comes scarlett in her deep complaint

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mimicking tenderness she sees

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in sentimental movies

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a celluloid rider comes to town

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cinematic lovers sway

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plantations and sweeping ballroom gowns

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take her breath away

lyrics :

out of the fire like catholic saints
comes scarlett and her deep complaint
mimicking tenderness she sees
in sentimental movies
a celluloid rider comes to town
cinematic lovers sway
plantations and sweeping ballroom gowns
take her breath away

out in the wind in crinolines
chasing the ghosts of gable and flynn
through stand – in boys and extra players
magnolias hopeful in her auburn hair
she comes from a school of southern charm
she likes to have things her way
any man in the world holding out his arm
would soon be made to pay

friends have told her not so proud
neighbors trying to sleep and yelling “not so loud”
lovers in anger “block of ice”
harder and harder just to be nice
given in the night to dark dreams
>from the dark things she feels
she covers her eyes in the x – rated scenes
running from the reels

beauty and madness to be praised
’cause it is not easy to be brave
to walk around in so much need
to carry the weight of all that greed
dressed in stolen clothes she stands
cast iron and frail
with her impossibly gentle hands
and her blood – red fingernails

out of the fire and still smoldering
she says “a woman must have everything”
shades of scarlett conquering
she says “a woman must have everything”