The Fool Dressed in Velvet

There’s a FOOL DRESSED IN VELVET and he’s walkin’ down the street.

He’s got ribbons in his hair and a tattoo ‘cross his feet.

And the people sigh

As the fool goes by,

“There goes the fool dressed in velvet.

He can’t amount to much.

He’s a helpless grown-up man that fortune never touched.”

And they laugh at him.

He returns a grin.

Because it’s easy to ridicule a fool.

(Chos:)

You take your chances: one way or the other.

What’s it worth to you to be a brother?

Oh, the fool dressed in velvet has friends like you and me.

And they take him where they’re goin’ and he sees the things they see.

And the poor man tries

To amuse their eyes.

And there’s laughter, joy and wonder and at night at home alone,

There’s a tangled recollection of the things his friends have done.

Sure, they take him in

But they make sport of him

Because it’s easy to ridicule A fool

(Chos:)

The Fool dressed in Velvet can’t keep much in his head.

It’s hard for him to remember what the man he just passed said.

But somewhere behind

The shredded memories in his mind

He sees a fool dressed in denim strugglin’ with a broom

In the cellar of a church that someone told him is his tomb

There’s no tattoo there

And no ribbons for his hair.

And there’s no one to ridicule a fool.

(Chos:)

(Fade:)

Oh, the fool dressed in velvet is walkin’ down the street.

He’s got ribbons in his hair and a tattoo ‘cross his feet.

And the people sigh

As the fool goes by,

“There goes the fool dressed in velvet, walkin’ down the street.”

(etc.)