Madame George

Album: Astral Weeks (1968)
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  • Down on Cyprus Avenue
    With a childlike vision leaping into view
    Clicking and clacking of the high heeled shoe
    Ford and Fitzroy, and Madame George

    Marching with the soldier boy behind
    He's much older now with hat on drinking wine
    And that smell of sweet perfume comes drifting through
    All the cool night air like Shalimar

    And outside they're making all the stops
    The kids out in the street collecting bottle-tops
    Gone for cigarettes and matches in the shops
    Happy taken Madame George
    Woah, that's when you fall
    Woah-wo-wo-wo-wo-woah
    That's when you fall
    Yeah, that's when you fall

    When you fall into a trance
    A sitting on a sofa playing games of chance
    With your folded arms and history books you glance
    Into the eyes of Madame George

    And you think you found the bag
    You're getting weaker and your knees begin to sag
    In a corner playing dominoes in drag
    The one and only Madame George

    Then from outside the frosty window raps
    She jumps up and says "Lord, have mercy I think that it's the cops"
    And immediately drops everything she gots
    Down into the street below

    And you know you gotta go
    On that train from Dublin up to Sandy Row
    Throwing pennies at the bridges down below
    And the rain, hail, sleet, and snow

    Say goodbye to Madame George
    Dry your eye for Madame George
    Wonder why for Madame George
    Woah

    And as you leave, the room is filled with music
    Laughing, music, dancing, music all around the room
    And all the little boys come around, walking away from it all
    So cold

    And as you're about to leave
    She jumps up and says "Hey love
    You forgot your gloves, and
    The love that loves the love that loves the love
    That loves the love that loves to love
    The love that loves to love the love, the gloves"

    To say goodbye to Madame George
    Dry your eye for Madame George
    Wonder why for Madame George
    Dry your eyes for Madame George

    Say goodbye
    In the wind and the rain on the backstreet
    In the backstreet, in the backstreet
    Say goodbye to Madame George
    In the backstreet, in the backstreet, in the backstreet
    Woah-oh, yeah-woah
    Down home, down home in the back street
    Gotta go
    Say goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
    Dry your eye, your eye, your eye, your eye
    Your eye, your eye, your eye, your eye
    Your eye, your eye, your eye, your eye
    Your eye, your eye, your eye, your eye
    Your eye, your eye, your eye, your eye

    Say goodbye to Madame George
    And the loves that love to love that loves to love
    That loves to love the loves that loves to love
    The love that loves to love
    Say goodbye, goodbye, goodbye

    Woah-oh-mmm
    Mmm-mmm
    Mmm-mmm
    Mmm-mm-mmm

    Say goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
    Goodbye, goodbye, eh-eh to Madame George
    Dry your eye for Madame George
    Wonder why for Madame George
    Oh, the love that loves, the love that loves to love the love
    That loves to love the love that loves to love
    Say goodbye, goodbye
    Get on the train
    Get on the train, the train, the train
    The train, the train darling
    This is the train, this is the train darling
    This is the train
    Whoa, say goodbye
    Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
    Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
    Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, ah-ah
    Get on the train, get on the train Writer/s: Van Morrison
    Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 6

  • Cheerychap from CamberleyI always thought the line was, "playing dominoes and draughts" Draughts is called checkers in the USA but both dominoes and draughts were pub games in the UK.
  • Gerry from Western AustraliaI suspect i may have met Madam George in a pub on the Newtownards Rd in East Belfast in the late 1960's. I was sitting in the pub when in walks this chap in scruffy worn attire but wearing bright red high heel ladies' shoes and holding aloft a smallish bright red opened umbrella.
    He was instantly recognized by pub regulars many of whom said "hello George" and George responded to them by saying, "Its Madame George to you lot!". He was very funny and quick whitted, every utterance had the pub in stitches.
  • Nick.w from CarlisleThis song by Van the Man has been with me for 55 years. I was living in Oxford working a taxi cab and generally living a good life amo get friends. I was down at the Cherwell boathouse o e sunny day and a friend ran up to and dragged of to his flat in Bardwell Rd to listen to Madame George. We sat the I. Stunned silence as he did his thing. I was weeping by the end and they were tears of joy that I had been given this sweepingly sad and at the same time joyous piece if music. I will never forget that moment and always silently thank my friend for giving it to me. I am 80 now and it still moves as it did then all those good years ago.
    NW
  • Michael from ViennaI have always loved this song, but I am wondering about one thing: is it only me who hears "Madame Joy" instead of "Madame George"? When it was inspired by his grandmother whose name was Joy it would make sense.
  • Carl from Los Olivosthe song hypnotic, lulling & Yet not shying away from the truth of what/how life is, & not more empty Sh0uLd bes, ya know?
  • Bill from UsAh, you've only touched the surface by taking on this song and the MAN! People have written whole books and only peeled back a layer. But you did go there and that's why we love this site.
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