Over Her Head - Carla Bley, The Jazz Composer's Orchestra

Over her head

A greasy flag

Its stripes a grin

About her hips

Its stars lettuce seeds

She says she’ll use

To have her candy washed

'Hotel lobby band'

Is she really supposed to do

What she pretends to do

Under circumstances

She can’t imagine?

GINGER (slowly coming to grips

With being grabbed by the lips):

High on ice cream

And not melting

Mouths to feel

But not be felt

Leader:

With no kissing beneath the belt!

Women kept naked in the rain

Their honor miraculously afloat

Big ragged sunflower climbing cunts

Ginger:

What she can’t stand

MEN:

What — stand

Women:

What she can’t stand

Yodelling ventriloquist:

What she can’t stand

Ginger:

He doesn’t want

MEN:

He — want

Women:

He doesn’t want

Yodelling ventriloquist:

He does not want

Ginger:

Holding her down

MEN:

Hold — down

Women:

Holding her down

Yodelling ventriloquist:

Holding her down

Ginger:

She holds him up

MEN:

She — up

Women:

She holds him up

Yodelling ventriloquist:

She holds him up

Ginger:

Something implicit in the time —

Women:

Something implicit —

MEN:

Something —

Ginger:

— In the unsightly poultry —

Women:

— In the unsightly poultry —

MEN:

— In her —

Ginger:

— Of her eyes

Women:

— Of her eyes

MEN:

— Eye

Leader:

Ginger a pale saucer

Ginger:

Singing to mice

Born dead in traps

Ginger and leader:

Contemplating suicide

As protection from fraud

Escalator over the hill