(early version)
Well the rangers had a home-coming in harlem late last night
And the magic rat piloted his sleek machine across the jersey state line
Barefoot girl sits drinking warm beer on the hood of an old dodge
In the soft summer rain
Rat rolls up his pants, together they'd make a stab at romance
And move down flamingo lane
Well now the maximum lawmen they run down the flamingo chasing the rat
And the barefoot girl
But the kids they live like shadows in empty doorways
(but they live like shadows in the vacant doorways)
Always silent, holding hands
The rat pulls her close (the rat pulls mary close)
And from the churches to the jails there is silence in the world
(all is silent in the world)
For tonight they'd take their chance
Down here in jungleland
Well ther's a crazy kind of light tonight
Brighter than the one that sparkles for prophets
Brighter than the giant exxon sign that brings this fair city light
There's an opera out on the turnpike, there's a ballet being fought outside
The
Alley
Well the cops they let their faces show and rips this holy night
The streets alive with tough-kid jets in nova-light machines
Boys flash guitars like bayonets and rip holes in their jeans
Then the hungry and the haunted explode into rock 'n' roll bands
They face off against each other when they meet
Down here in jungleland
The streets's on fire in a classic death waltz
Between the masters of flesh and fantasy
The poets down here don't write nothin' at all, they just stand and and let
It all be
And in the quick of the night they reach for their moment to make an honest
Stand
But they wind up wounded, not rightly dead, down here in jungleland - yes
They do
Oh beneath the city their hearts beat, soul cool engines tired and brave
Oh as the young (jungle) girls stand by fire angels fallen in the city
In the tunnels of machines they'll hear the screams
Drowned out by the roarin' trains
Them rats above, oh locked in love
The rat saves her from the edge of an on-coming train
That angel rides a...
Down here in jungleland - oh yes they do
They hear the animals sing - oh oh oh
Alternative verses:
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In the parking lots the visionairies are dressed in the latest rage
As the spanish angels dance soft and low in a blacked arcade
But the lights are so bright as he crosses the room
The band moves into the song
He takes her hand, looks in her eyes and they're gone - gone
In the tunnel of machines the rat chases his dreams
On that forever (lasting) burning light
So the barefoot girl crawls into bed, shakes her head
And with a kiss and a sigh she shuts out all the light
Beneath the city their hearts beat, soul cool engines silent and...
Oh until the girls cry like silent angels in port authority halls
In the tunnel of machines they'll hear the screams
Drowned out by the roarin' train
And layers above, oh locked in love
The rat reappears on flamingo lane
Then an angel rises from the sands
And disappears - down in jungleland
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