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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"
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"
Lyrics submitted by threearmedman
Track duration: 04:58
"Shades of Scarlett Conquering" as written by Joni Mitchell
Lyrics © Joni Mitchell/Crazy Crow Music/Siquomb Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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"Scarlett" is one of those women who believe "A woman must have everything", yet they must portray themselves as frail, delicate creatures.
For me, the most telling lines in the song are these:
"Cast iron and frail
With her impossibly gentle hands
And her blood-red fingernails"
Is that nail varnish on ther hands, or real blood? Either way, she's out to dominate.
It's a kind of woman I see quite often, and I like to give them a very wide berth. It's odd though, how some men are drawn to them.
I think these lyrics portray the Narcissistic Personality Disorder quite neatly. I don't just see the living in a fantasy world as harmless, men a made to pay because her world is all about her, and they get sucked dry. The blood-red fingernails a vampireish image. I think the song isn't about the movie character, but rather a real-life woman Joni can't identify out of liability, so changes the name.
The whole album is very strong. Don't Interrupt the Sorrow is my fav.